Ryan's v8 rx7 build thread

[AutoMods]

I've been looking into doing a v8 LS1 fc rx7 project now for several months. Found a blown motor 1988 turbo ii rx7 with no rust and trailered it home last week. Car should weigh 2800 pounds after the swap and should be quite fun.

I'm going to try to get time to pull the rotary and tranny this weekend. If anyone knows a lot about these rotary parts I could use help on knowing what is worth selling.

I'm looking for an ls1 and t56 tranny if anyone knows of one for sale or an entire f-body donor car.

I'd also like to borrow a cherry picker if someone has one I can borrow for a couple days .

http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ryan_rx7_1.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ryan_rx7_25.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ryan_rx7_3.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ryan_rx7_31.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ryan_rx7_4.jpg


Ryan

[CROWN]

I've been looking for one of those!! I want that!! lol

[TurboZ28]

what do u want for the motor and tranny? i kno some one who needs one.


also u should get a LS7. that wuld be sweet! :BURNOUT:

[DragonUSMC]

<3 2nd gens

[SLVR7]

Anything out of the drivetrain is worth good $$. Are you sure it is blown, they flood easy and act like the have no compression. I've bought more than 1 that were supposedly blown.

[Inferno333]

That car is in great condition!

Good luck on the swap.

[Stutz]

Car looks good, its going to be sweet with an ellius juan in it.

[DustinsDuster]

also u should get a LS7. that wuld be sweet! :BURNOUT:

i doubt he has $17,000 to drop on a drivetrain, let alone just a motor. besides, a basic modded LS1 will easily provide 400hp reliably, which i think will be plenty for a fun car like this.

for the T56, I would suggest checking out F-body boards for people selling them. theyre not hard to find, but be prepared to pay around $1000-$1500 for a rebuildable core.

my buddy Apples just put a T56 into his '84 Monte, and believe me, it wasnt cheap, but i know hed say it was worth every penny.

[sLoWnStEaDy]

the guy i sold my neon to had a newer wrecked T/A with a V8 and 6 speed trans he was tryin to sell for like $2K, but that was a while ago. i dont have any info on it or him for that matter.

i have his name and address, you could may be write him a letter or somethin. he lives in montezuma. PM me if you want the info.

[TurboZ28]

[quote="TurboZ28";p="106805":2ee30]also u should get a LS7. that wuld be sweet! :BURNOUT:



for the T56, I would suggest checking out F-body boards for people selling them. theyre not hard to find, but be prepared to pay around $1000-$1500 for a rebuildable core.

my buddy Apples just put a T56 into his '84 Monte, and believe me, it wasnt cheap, but i know hed say it was worth every penny.
[/quote:2ee30]


i had to rebuild mine not cheep.

and alot of f-body guys are getting rid of the T56. they can be alot faster in the 1/8 and the 1/4 with an A4 then the M6. i am sticking with the M6 for now b/c i want to take it to the Texas mile race. witch is a 5 mile long drag race to see who has the most top end. after that i will go to the A4 for the 1/4.

[DustinsDuster]

[quote="DustinsDuster";p="106844":b5019]
[quote="TurboZ28";p="106805":b5019]also u should get a LS7. that wuld be sweet! :BURNOUT:



for the T56, I would suggest checking out F-body boards for people selling them. theyre not hard to find, but be prepared to pay around $1000-$1500 for a rebuildable core.

my buddy Apples just put a T56 into his '84 Monte, and believe me, it wasnt cheap, but i know hed say it was worth every penny.
[/quote:b5019]


i had to rebuild mine not cheep.

and alot of f-body guys are getting rid of the T56. they can be alot faster in the 1/8 and the 1/4 with an A4 then the M6. i am sticking with the M6 for now b/c i want to take it to the Texas mile race. witch is a 5 mile long drag race to see who has the most top end. after that i will go to the A4 for the 1/4.[/quote:b5019]

real badasses only need 1 mile for top end races, and i have a buddy who will blow away any camaro you bring to the race.

[TurboZ28]

hear are some cool pics of my T56 with pro 5.0 shiter with the shorter sitck.

[TurboZ28]

[AutoMods]

Thanks for the compliments guys. I'll post some more pics as I work on it.

TurboZ28: nice pics. Have your friend email me an offer on the motor and tranny, I'm not sure what their worth. You can read about the motor below. As for the tranny, according to the prior owner, I think it's pretty decent.

sLoWnStEaDy: I'm looking for an ls1 t56 preferably off a 99+ fbody.


SLVR7: Hey Ryan. The car had a pump cut off switch. I've talked to the previous two owners. The guy I bought the car from bought it blown up and only owned it for a couple months as he planned on rebuilding the motor but lost interest and never touched the car. The owner before that actually drove the car and sold it when the motor died.

The motor was rebuilt by an rx7club member about 4,000 miles before it started having problems. Here is what the guy said that I bought it from


I believe the o-rings (also referred to as soft seals) are going out. It is like blowing your head gasket. Water is in the combustion area mixing with the oil. A good cleaning and a 'soft seal' job is all it could need. Then again you don't know until you open it up. It ran all the way up to the point where the previous owner parked it in his driveway before it could overheat. The apex seals and housing are probably ok. I turned the car over but told the guy I bought it from to shut it off. There was way too much water coming out of it.

and here is an email from the owner before that whom owned it when the motor died


Well, the motor... from what I remember, it looked like it had lost a coolant seal(s). The oil pan leaked pretty bad and you could see the coolant and oil mixed on the ground under the car. So, that's my best guess on that. The irons and rotors should still be good because they were making good compression just a week before it started overheating. The rear iron
was making 100 psi and the front was making high 90's psi tested at http://www.ludwigmotorsports.com/ . Perfect would be about 120 psi (like new). 100 psi is common and considered average. It needs to be rebuilt by a competent rotary mechanic with all new soft and hard seals (coolant, apex, side, etc) and springs. This motor is a good example of somebody NOT knowing how to rebuild a motor : )


Ryan

[NitrousJunkie]

Very Clean TII! Welcome To The Darkside :bigthumb:

Have you been to
Torquecentral (http://www.torquecentral.com) yet? If not I strongly suggest you join, look for the V8Rx7 Forum below.

I would suggest getting your mounts from http://www.hinsonmotorsports.com but expect to wait forever to get the parts. Granny's (http://www.grannysspeedshop.com) sells ls1 kits also but I heard Hinsons fit better (Although some of there subframes recently havent been welded right, yikes)

Check rx7club.com for prices on some of the parts you can sell, good place to sell them also.

Good Luck, Should be alot of fun when it's done.

Chris

[TurboZ28]

whats your e mail?

[DustinsDuster]

itd be easier to just find a wrecked LS1 6 speed F car, but if you can find just an LS1, any F body 6 speed T56 should work, be it from an LS1 car or a LT1 car.

[TurboZ28]

[quote="TurboZ28";p="106855":b5c9a][quote="DustinsDuster";p="106844":b5c9a]
[quote="TurboZ28";p="106805":b5c9a]also u should get a LS7. that wuld be sweet! :BURNOUT:



for the T56, I would suggest checking out F-body boards for people selling them. theyre not hard to find, but be prepared to pay around $1000-$1500 for a rebuildable core.

my buddy Apples just put a T56 into his '84 Monte, and believe me, it wasnt cheap, but i know hed say it was worth every penny.
[/quote:b5c9a]


i had to rebuild mine not cheep.

and alot of f-body guys are getting rid of the T56. they can be alot faster in the 1/8 and the 1/4 with an A4 then the M6. i am sticking with the M6 for now b/c i want to take it to the Texas mile race. witch is a 5 mile long drag race to see who has the most top end. after that i will go to the A4 for the 1/4.[/quote:b5c9a]

real badasses only need 1 mile for top end races, and i have a buddy who will blow away any camaro you bring to the race.[/quote:b5c9a]

i ment to say 1 mile. also i bet u do. just rember there is allways some one faster. my goal it to hit 200mph for now.
i hat all reasy hit 160 stock so 200 is not that far away. since then i hace doubled my HP.

[AutoMods]

Nitrousjunkie: yea I've been doing a lot of research on torquecentral . I'm leaning toward hinson's mounts. BTW how is your fb swap project coming along?

TurboZ28: My email is ryan@importevolution.com . The motor and tranny are ready to sell. Just need a reasonable offer.


Dustin: yea a whole donor car would be nice. I believe the clutch line, throttle cable, mounts, sometimes radiator, and some other things are used off the fbody.



Ryan

[AutoMods]

Pulled the motor this past weekend. Guessing it took 5-6 hours, we had some interuptions. Never touched a rotary before this. We were careful to not cut any wiring and labeled all the sensors and wires to help with the future ls1 installation.



http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/pre_pull.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/pulling_motor1.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/pulling_motor2.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/norotor1.jpg

Light enough to push uphill with 2 people now. Notice the large front wheel gap and how high the front end is now.

http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/norotor2.jpg


Next on the to do list: pull a few more things out of the engine bay, clean it and might paint it. Think I'm going to switch to a manual rack. Mount a radiator.



Ryan

[CROWN]

i want that so bad! damnit how'd u find that i can't find anything

[TurboZ28]

cool i will let him know. also do u have the wireing dyagram for the tail lights and fuel system? he needs them also.

[Fire Hawk]

http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/norotor2.jpg

Looks like the donor car might be trying to hide its self in the lower right of the picture.

[StreetSweeper]

Thats a beautiefull car, its to bad your putting a domestic in it..

[AutoMods]

Crown: there are blown rx7's all all over the place. In my search I've found they are more common than running ones :) Try rx7club.com , ebay, autotrader, cars.com . Or did you want one that runs?

Fire Hawk: good eye but no that corvette is not the donor car. I'm still looking for one.

StreetSweeper: George, you no like domestic motors? Suprised since your dad is a fan. You got any better ideas? Please don't tell me the rotary is better than the ls1 . There are some supra rx7 swaps, that would be cool but i'm going after torque.


Ryan

[AutoMods]

2002 camaro donor car, 50k miles, came from an insurance auction, still ran. Even took it around the block
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/camaro1.jpg
Motor narely escaped the accident, the radiator and fans were pushed up to about a 1/4" away from the motor.
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/camaro2.jpg
Here is the motor being dropped under the car, most people say this way is faster than pulling it out the top. Took about 8 hours
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_drop1.jpg
Below is a pic of the subframe and motor
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_floor1.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_floor2.jpg
LS1 you have been pwned
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_rape.jpg
Below is the rx7 engine bay before painting
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/paint_before.JPG
Rustoleum auto paint
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ryan_paint.jpg
Primer
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/primer.jpg
Gloss white
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/paint_after.jpg
DEI heatsheilding and insulation
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/heatshielding.jpg
Greg and I
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_in1.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_in2.jpg
Brian , Greg and I
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_in3.jpg

http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_in5.jpg
Took about 4-5 hours to get the engine in there and bolted down
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_in6.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_in7.jpg
http://www.importevolution.com/public/rx7/ls1_pwr.jpg

Still have to do the wiring, clutch line, fuel setup, radiator, and exhaust ; all of which is custom. Got the computer sent out and tuned and tweaked for the swap. Should be running in about a week minus the exhaust.

Ryan

[Drifte]

wow you made quick work of that swap. looks great. but you arent rebuilding the ls1 or anything? looks like its going in bone stock?

[DustinsDuster]

^ ditto to everything Drifte said. that was pretty quick work.

you arent going to put any headers on it? not even a cam swap? you should get a aluminum clutch and flywheel kit; make that thing rev faster than your tach can read, hehehehe.

[AutoMods]

Yea the motor is bone stock + a mail order tune that I had to get done anyway to remove the anti-theft so I can start it after the swap. Skip shift and emissions was taken care of in the tune also. The tune has been dyno tested to add 22whp on a stock setup.

Only mods are intake, exhaust and tune. The TII also has a strong 4.10 rear end so thats kind of like a free mod that comes with the swap.

Motor only has 50k miles so no need to rebuild it. Clutch should be ok for a while since the rx7 is like 700-800 pounds lighter than the fbody it came out of. Motor is also a 2002 so the exhaust manifolds flow pretty good for stock.

I decided to get it running first before modding it too much. The expense and time of the swap itself is enough for me to deal with at once. And from what I hear , similar setups have been running low 12's to high 11's so that should be plenty fun for now!

Ryan

[TurboZ28]

what are you doing with the z's rear end?
are you looking to sell it?

[Drifte]

baddass is all i think to say. i like it a lot. cant wait to see the thing running around.

[DragonUSMC]

yeah whats going on with this!!! updates updates!

[AutoMods]

turboz28: yea I'll sell the rear end, pm me if your serious.


The rx7 should running very soon. I'll post a video shortly

[DustinsDuster]

so whats going to be the purpose of the car? are you planning on road racing it? drag? drift? or just a fun driver?

[AutoMods]

Dustin, I'll probably do a little bit of everything with the car although mainly just a fun street car. Definately drag and a little autocross. Drifting sounds fun too.

Here is a video of the first day we had the car going. I couldn't get too crazy because we didn't have the brakes hooked back up, only had the parking brake at the time and the radiator and battery were only temporarily mounted. Sound is a bit low on the vid so crank up the volume.

http://www.ImportEvolution.com/public/r ... urnout.wmv (http://www.ImportEvolution.com/public/rx7/first_burnout.wmv)

Much better vids are yet to come. The car feels great, idles and runs perfect. Its so much different than my Talon having all that torque. I have 225 wide tires on it now and it is easy to make the tires spin in 1st and 2nd by just throttling the car. I believe I even was spinning in 3rd a bit . That is without using the clutch.

I need to get some exhaust work done now, I may fab up something myself but do you guys know of a good exhaust shop in the area?

Ryan

[RandomHero]

Ryan did you sell your talon or do you still have it?

[TurboZ28]

ImportEvolution
pm sent

[DustinsDuster]

is it running open header there? it doesnt sound too terbily loud if it is. i like it though, looks like a really fun car.

im trying to figure out where thats at, do you live in Marion?

[AutoMods]

Yea I still have my talon.

Yea that video is open header. Sound in the video is really off. It's actually very loud. I just need to get an exhaust now so I can drive it around more without fear of getting ticketed.

Car is so fun to drive. So easy to lose traction. Feels like it pulls really well. I'll race it against my Talon soon. I think my Talon is around the low 12 second range on pump gas so it should be a close race. Can't wait to drive it more.

Anyone recommend a good exhaust shop?

Ryan

[Fire Hawk]

Yea I still have my talon.

Yea that video is open header. Sound in the video is really off. It's actually very loud. I just need to get an exhaust now so I can drive it around more without fear of getting ticketed.

Car is so fun to drive. So easy to lose traction. Feels like it pulls really well. I'll race it against my Talon soon. I think my Talon is around the low 12 second range on pump gas so it should be a close race. Can't wait to drive it more.

Anyone recommend a good exhaust shop?

Ryan

I've heard nothing but good things about Professional muffler over by lindale mall... I think I've heard the name Cody... has a bunch of tattoos I think. Not 100% sure but I think he's the one you'd want to talk over there about stuff.
The only other person I know that's good at what he does is Gary R at 1st ave Meineke. He's welded up 2 exhaust systems for us and his quality of work is better then anyone elses that I've seen from there.. If you want to see what kind of work he can do I can try to show you sometime, just let me know.

[Drifte]

i only go to proffesional muffler. that is untill i get my own lift, and welder that can do ss.

[Drifte]

Update already?!

[DustinsDuster]

holy shit i wanna put george's quote in my signiture....

[FiFdYnUtZ]

lmao! hitting the search function hard, eh ray?

[AutoMods]

so I went ls1 before george did :cool: i thought it was the other way around. i guess i seen the light first

[FiFdYnUtZ]

george was a later bloomer

[ills13]

did u stitch weld it before you did the swap? what kinda racing are you planning on doing with it?

[AutoMods]

no stitch welding done by me. mainly drag racing lately. weekend street driving/cruising

[ills13]

thats too bad... stitch welding wud def help for the added weight/torque the ls1 will have. but looks good man.

[AutoMods]

i plan to revive this thread and update it will all the new changes to my car

[AutoMods]

roll bar thread http://iowaautoforums.com/showthread.php?13381-My-5-point-rx7-roll-bar-pictures


forged engine thread http://iowaautoforums.com/showthread.php?14077-Forged-LS-Iron-block-lq4-turbo-build&highlight=lq4


ford 8.8 solid rear end build thread http://iowaautoforums.com/showthread.php?13923-ford-8-8-rear-ugliest-thing-I-ve-ever-bought&highlight=rear

[Newgen]

Ryan what did this end up weighing in at with the irs in it?

[AutoMods]

Ryan what did this end up weighing in at with the irs in it?

didn't weigh it but should of been around 2800 according to other ls1 swaps

[Sleepy]

First time reading your build thread. The car was quite clean when you got it. The LS really does look like it was meant to be there in the first place.

[Clinical]

Thats a beautiefull car, its to bad your putting a domestic in it..

wow yeah, how did I always miss this? lol

[FiFdYnUtZ]

That post was made well before you were a member lol

[Clinical]

Yeah I know I just remember reading through this thread before, can't believe I didn't see it

[Domestic Disturbance]

haha the old dsm george days. "DSM for dinner huh? I got a DSM for ya."

[FiFdYnUtZ]

Dsm for lunch!

[OldSkoolRCR]

DSM's....2 weeks ago I was at Byron, there was a Red 2g talon there, stick car it ran 8.32@174mph, whats amazing is not the et and mph, but the fact we seen it do it 3 times in a row...WTF...just proves what 100K will get ya.

[AutoMods]

DSM's....2 weeks ago I was at Byron, there was a Red 2g talon there, stick car it ran 8.32@174mph, whats amazing is not the et and mph, but the fact we seen it do it 3 times in a row...WTF...just proves what 100K will get ya.

that is impressive, i looked for him, found this guy


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhnohVpAeX4
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhnohVpAeX4

[OldSkoolRCR]

Looks like the one

[slow ride]

His record run was a 1.25 60' which is crazy for one of these things. Looks like it's a wild ride. I'm sure it's on the lighter side though.

[AutoMods]

updated thread title.

baller status now, going to run a twin disc Mcleod rxt clutch , rated at 1000hp. suppose to have really light pedal pressure and very streetable . slowride is going to run this clutch too and Logan is running this clutch on his cobra. actually pretty cheap for a twin, retails for about $880

http://automods.com/temp/rx7/mcleod.jpg

[skipdownstairs]

Shiftin like a mad man, Ryan you can do it!

[JacobS]

should have put a TH400 in it...

[Deimos]

should have put a TH400 in it...

This!!! Mark micke is just a little south of here.

[Drifte]

Sweet! Obviously I have to drive the car now to feel the difference, in clutches...for science.

[AutoMods]

Sweet! Obviously I have to drive the car now to feel the difference, in clutches...for science.

well in that case, I'll let you know when its back up and running. just don't put it in the ditch

[Drifte]

https://encrypted-tbn2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR6pWqiO6hRCUhwKQDgQjMmZIfOPfKAO A8uH39KC_-D-07wrLF57A

[Sunny Z]

well in that case, I'll let you know when its back up and running. just don't put it in the ditch

So I gave that ditch a car. Ditches love cars.

[BGjohnson]

That is the next clutch I'm going to buy if my spec stage 3+ goes to hell. $880 is cheap from what they were 8 years ago. I think it was $1200 for any twin disk out there when I was building my combo.

[sparkles]

So I gave that ditch a car. Ditches love cars.
I thought it was Chaos Theory that they loved?

1170

[AutoMods]

Took a couple videos of the of me and EddyC at machine shop. Heckt Power in Dysart. The owner pretty much lets Ed run the machines and charges a small fee.

balancing my Mcleod twin. The white pads sense the vibrations. The red number on the left shows the rotation % away from the timing mark, the number on the rights shows the imbalance in grams. We started at 12 grams and ended up below I believe at 0.5.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_DfBE0Cd1k
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_DfBE0Cd1k

[Sleepy]

Its probably because I am an idiot, however I have never heard of balancing a clutch. I guess I always assumed they were balanced from the manufacturer.

Sweet that you have the access to do so though.

[slow ride]

I've yet to install a clutch that was balanced well from the factory. My old spec 3+ was 21 grams our of balance from the factory and you could feel it a lot. I'll never install a clutch unless I balance it first since being burned a few too many times. I'd say under 10 grams and you might not feel the imbalance, but the crankshaft does :) Most clutch companys balance to the 1/4 ounce, but that still could be 8 grams off or so.

[Drifte]

A lot of guys drill an inspection hole in the trans bell housing to make sure the clutch and all is working properly before driving around. You plan to do that with the pricey new twin?

[BGjohnson]

Its probably because I am an idiot, however I have never heard of balancing a clutch. I guess I always assumed they were balanced from the manufacturer.

Sweet that you have the access to do so though.
He's balancing the flywheel with the pressure plate. So it is thing to have an even larger imbalance. Just have to make sure to index it every time the same way.

[slow ride]

I would do them independent of each other, but don't want to drill or weld to the pressure plate. The flywheel gives me something to remove weight from for both. The dowel pins in a ls flywheel only allow the pressure plate to mount one way.

[BGjohnson]

I would do them independent of each other, but don't want to drill or weld to the pressure plate. The flywheel gives me something to remove weight from for both. The dowel pins in a ls flywheel only allow the pressure plate to mount one way.

Well that's good!

Yeah I would balance them separately too. But it's hard to mount the pressure plate up by itself to a balance machine.

[slow ride]

Zero the flywheel, then bolt on the pressure plate and zero that. I had a pressure plate almost come apart in the vette and it was one I welded to. The damage to the plate wasn't around the weights welded on, but I won't do it anymore.


Well that's good!

Yeah I would balance them separately too. But it's hard to mount the pressure plate up by itself to a balance machine.

[BGjohnson]

Ah, that makes sense!

[AutoMods]

After about 4 years of use, I had my turbo piping re-ceramic coated. The vband connection at the bottom wasn't quite sealing perfect so condensation and exhaust would seep out and got underneath the coating and started rusting a bit near the connection. the coating held up well overall but I decided to add a flex section to help my vband seal better . That required grinding off the coating near the welds. I've read some people say you can't reliably weld previously ceramic coated parts while others say its not problem. It seemed to weld just fine. $110 to recoat the inside and out.

This was my first tig welding project 4 years ago so don't laugh at the welds. Not pretty but nothing has ever cracked or leaked from those welds. The welds nearest the flex section are recent and are improved over my older welds.

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-CtHT4i5593Y/UaefB5-XThI/AAAAAAAAAo4/i-fZEw_9uqY/w1313-h985-no/20130530_134857.jpg

[skipdownstairs]

Looks good to me

[Sleepy]

They don't have to be pretty, just have to keep it together.

They do not look bad either.

[Domestic Disturbance]

Not bad.

Fun fact - I was talking to Rick the other day and he said the non polished ceramic coat is actually an added layer to the base they use for the polished. It would stand to reason then that it would hold up longer and provide better heat retention over the polished I would imagine.

[AutoMods]

derek and i priming oil through the forged 6.0L . oil pressure was good, would've like to seen more oil at the very top coming out the rockers but might need more rpm for that.

should be dropped into the engine bay this weekend . i'll make a few adjustments to the tune for the 6% larger displacement. i will be nervous for the first fire up


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db1XwbIztFE
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db1XwbIztFE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Db1XwbIztFE)

[sparkles]

It's weird. When I did mine, we used a right angle drill I use in construction. Barely any oil came out at all. Even with rotating the engine slowly to get the oil holes to line up. I assume you used a pressurized pot type primer for that?

[derek072887]

It's weird. When I did mine, we used a right angle drill I use in construction. Barely any oil came out at all. Even with rotating the engine slowly to get the oil holes to line up. I assume you used a pressurized pot type primer for that?

Oil pump driven by the crank shaft, ran the starter to run the whole rotating assembly

[sparkles]

Doesn't that kinda make priming the oil to begin with not make any sense?

[derek072887]

Better to have the low oil pressure at 250 rpm than 1000rpm idling

[86svo9L]

Looking good. That thing is going to be a beast.

I need to get cracking on mine, its depressing to think you will have built and have an engine running before I just get one running, lol.

[BGjohnson]

It Took me 5 minutes with an electric drill on high to get oil up through my pushrods/rockers. That drill was smoking like a banshee when I was done!

Since you have oil pressure now, it will take maybe 1-2 seconds to push through the rockers.

And sparkley, since there's no combustion, AND the spark plugs are removed. There should not be any wear to speak of, but I also get what you are saying.

[sparkles]

Metal on metal either way. As long as everything was lubed on assembly, it's ok imo. I'm in no way gonna preach about pre oiling and using assembly lube were required. I'm the worst offender, but hey, my junkyard garbage is still running. My normal assembly lube is 10w30 and a can of WD40.

[AutoMods]

i used a combination of Comp assembly lube and GM E.O.S @ $20 per half quart ! The comp stuff is the normal paste while the EOS you can just pour.

http://static.summitracing.com/global/images/prod/large/nal-88862587_oh.jpg?rep=False

[Larsons Fox]

Metal on metal either way. As long as everything was lubed on assembly, it's ok imo. I'm in no way gonna preach about pre oiling and using assembly lube were required. I'm the worst offender, but hey, my junkyard garbage is still running. My normal assembly lube is 10w30 and a can of WD40.

Yes we know.. 3 rat-a-tats on the mains and 2 on the rods right?

[sparkles]

That's all you need for Chevy's...buuuuuuud!

[AutoMods]

ls powa with t56 6 speed, perfect for dynos and roll racing

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-NTyEhdDnKTM/UalTnonVfbI/AAAAAAAAAuU/hlfniuBgOII/w737-h553-no/20130531_205131.jpg


https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DVPMTZITmQc/UarpsWE8CLI/AAAAAAAAAvQ/eocikqe9cis/w737-h553-no/20130602_014407.jpg


all systems are go

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-irbXP1ZlJu4/Uak1Xd0C8JI/AAAAAAAAAtk/cGg_LqUkloQ/w737-h553-no/20130531_184157.jpg


got a plasma cutter, its pretty awesome. really a must have if you like to fab metal, wish i would've bought one sooner
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-u4erB8qer7s/UbS3b9tIB_I/AAAAAAAABWQ/J2zrsg38mrg/w737-h553-no/20130609_121226.jpg



temporary setup with turbo block off plate i did with the plasma cutter. rigged up a tempory NA intake
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mvyYY_FUXGA/Ube2iYyNVII/AAAAAAAABIs/d-SIPW5Qtlw/w737-h553-no/20130611_184528.jpg




so far 200 miles on the new engine, zero complaints. no leaks, no smoking, head gaskets are sealed, no funny noises, good oil pressure. power is decent but i do miss the boosted power. I inspected the oil and disassembled the oil filter and no metal shavings of any significance.

i'm going to switch back to e85 this weekend, put the turbo back on in a couple hundred more miles.

[StreetSweeper]

are you kidding me? Let that fucker eat already!

[sparkles]

I don't often agree, but yeah. Put that turbo back on. I'm missing the point.

[Mike@Salkowski-Motorsport]

Lol

[sLoWnStEaDy]

boost is for pussies, keep the plate on... o_O

[Drifte]

A new motor can have metal shavings in the oil and what not that kills turbos. Thats why people tend to run an old turbo or block them off like this. I thought this was common knowledge? Wait a couple break in oil changes, then boost it again.

[StreetSweeper]

A new motor can have metal shavings in the oil and what not that kills turbos. Thats why people tend to run an old turbo or block them off like this. I thought this was common knowledge? Wait a couple break in oil changes, then boost it again.

How about start it up run it seat the rings in drain the oil, add new oil, then set the fucking two step!

[snickerlicker]

How about start it up run it seat the rings in drain the oil, add new oil, then set the fucking two step!

X2. Make that BITCH eat!

[Drifte]

hahaha, you guys probably tear into motors more than some of us on here.I think when Ryan and I do something, we expect about 10 years out of it before touching it again. Call it lazy, or cheap..I'm probably both.

[AutoMods]

are you kidding me? Let that fucker eat already!


I don't often agree, but yeah. Put that turbo back on. I'm missing the point.


1. I was running pump gas for break in instead of e85. less chance of washing the cyliders in the event of a bad tune. engine can only run modest boost without e85. I'd rather not encounter knock while breaking in the motor.


2.like drifte said, everyone recommends changing the oil frequently on a new motor breaking in. this is to get rid of any metal in the oil pan and fuel that has slipped by rings that are unseated. ball bearing turbos are sensitive to metal shavings. I have a brand new billet ball bearing turbo that I would not like to ruin.


3. I have a new twin disc clutch that requires 500 miles of break in. I can actually run my motor through the rpm range more and get into the throttle heavier with it running NA. Boosting heavy with the clutch breaking in would not be recommended. With the turbo installed I would have to pussy foot the throttle.


now that i have a couple hundred miles on it, 1 and 2 don't matter much but you tools forgot i was breaking in my clutch. George, did you break in your Spec clutch that failed on you and your dad had to bitch to spec until they replaced it under warranty? did you break in your ACT clutch ? Kinda wondering now since your dad was mocking me on facebook about my 500 mile clutch break in. maybe that is why you guys hate manuals ????

Call McLeod 714-630-2764 and ask them about my clutch break in for me.

[AutoMods]

hahaha, you guys probably tear into motors more than some of us on here.I think when Ryan and I do something, we expect about 10 years out of it before touching it again. Call it lazy, or cheap..I'm probably both.

i would say its lazy to NOT take precautions on a new motor, turbo and clutch. you won't hear of any failures from most people. that information gets hidden and new parts are purchased behind the scenes to fix their mistakes. If i screwed something up, i would still post it and hopefully others can learn from my mistakes.

[AutoMods]

here you go, even circled it for those of you that don't like to read instructions


http://automods.com/temp/iaf/mcleod_breakin.jpg

[snickerlicker]

Instructions are overrated...:)

[sparkles]

A new motor can have metal shavings in the oil and what not that kills turbos. Thats why people tend to run an old turbo or block them off like this. I thought this was common knowledge? Wait a couple break in oil changes, then boost it again.

Crazy. I shoulda done this with my wife's car then. Dumbass Chevy dealer didn't say anything to me about it.

[StreetSweeper]

the clutch was defective! The next one they sent felt good straight of the 2 step!

[SledgeWS6]

Instructions are overrated...:)

No man should use instructions, ever. The best instructor is alcohol influence during a project. ;)

[snickerlicker]

No man should use instructions, ever. The best instructor is alcohol influence during a project. ;)

Well said!

[TbTalon94]

There are certain clutch materials that do not require an extensive break in. However most clutch materials that are used as a street driven car are organic and need a period for the material to heat up and cool constantly to properly maintain grip for the life of the disc.

Also I'd be cautious with a new turbo on a new motor too. Better safe then sorry!

[sLoWnStEaDy]

There are certain clutch materials that do not require an extensive break in. However most clutch materials that are used as a street driven car are organic and need a period for the material to heat up and cool constantly to properly maintain grip for the life of the disc.

Also I'd be cautious with a new turbo on a new motor too. Better safe then sorry!

HEY!! get back in the shadows biatch! :D

[AutoMods]

Got my car weighed . 2942lbs w/o driver. with 5 point roll bar (door bar removed), iron block, deka 20lb battery, grannies 8.8 solid rear. full exhaust. street tires and rims. 1/3rd tank of gas

possibly weight reductions at the track could be
bias slicks and skinnnies -50lbs (already do this)
passenger seat 35lbs
exhaust 30lbs

that would put me at 2827lbs w/o driver if I had a high dollar grudge race.

the iron block i just put in weighed 85 pounds more than the original aluminum block I have about a 60 pound roll cage. subtract those two just for shits and giggles and you are at 2682 pounds. Still have all carpet, sound deadening, door panels, full dash, stereo etc etc

[Scott]

jesus that thing is heavy

[Drifte]

I would get rid of all the stereo equipment, and carpet backing/sound deadening. Keep the carpet though. Ditch everything in the hatch area too. Being an older car, the factory seat is probably fairly light anyway Im guessing.

[snickerlicker]

jesus that thing is heavy

X2.

[AutoMods]

what would a similar fox body weigh?

[Phish]

My old white car weighed 2840 w/o driver. That was about a half tank of gas and a full nitrous bottle in the back. Iron Block and no cage. Have not weighed the new car yet.

[Scott]

what would a similar fox body weigh?

Mine can be just under 2950 race ready, with 50lbs of nitrous, a much heavier block than yours, all factory sheetmetal "ex heavy fiberglass hood", glass, 45lbs of fuel, 2 batteries, mild steel cage, stock interior with racing seats and no radio.

If you try to make a lightweight notch its not uncommon to see them in the area of 2600-2700 race ready.

I was under the impression RX-7's were alot lighter than a foxbody and thats why some people would put V8's in them. but they sound somewhat comparable

[AutoMods]

I was under the impression RX-7's were alot lighter than a foxbody and thats why some people would put V8's in them. but they sound somewhat comparable

The first generation rx7, the fb, 1978-1985 are the lightest and would be around 300lbs lighter. Similar weight to a nissan 240z/260z which i also thought about swapping a v8 into.

The fc 2nd gen rx7 1986-1991 and fd 3rd gen rx7 weigh about the same.

[sparkles]

Wow, that's quite a bit heavier than I thought it would be. That passenger seat isn't 35lbs I'm guessing. I know my seats are pretty light.

[AutoMods]

i was going off memory when i had them out for the roll cage install. this says seats weigh 32 pounds http://www.rx7club.com/race-car-tech-103/fc-individual-weights-fc-parts-check-out-977945/

[AutoMods]

I would get rid of all the stereo equipment, and carpet backing/sound deadening. Keep the carpet though. Ditch everything in the hatch area too. Being an older car, the factory seat is probably fairly light anyway Im guessing.

i'd rather keep all the deadening stuff. i mostly need to lighten up the front of the car. I'd be up for getting rid of stereo equipment if i had some kind of removable box in the hatch area with receiver, sub, amp all in one. control it with bluetooth by phone.

this is a box made for a boat
http://srv1.vm-images.net/sys/resource.ashx?guid=f68e0e9a892b414591fb4804f881386 8&w=390&h=300&p=10

[Larsons Fox]

what would a similar fox body weigh?

My car weighed 3050 with a heavier trans. No ac or back seat. Haven't weighed it recently.

[koderboy]

Looks like a fun ride!

[86svo9L]

It would be interesting to see the weight savings of a RX7 that has all its interior like yours vs. one like mine that is fully stripped. See how much weight all the interior stuff is worth and determine if it is really worth the effort.

[AutoMods]

posted this already a while back but in an off topic thread.


first start up video from a month ago


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mFus57QMro
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6mFus57QMro

need to get the gopro out and take a new video now

[AutoMods]

have surpassed the 100 tunes mark over the last 4 years. maf to speed density, NA to boosted, race gas, pump gas, e85, different injectors , new engine, etc aint nobody got money to pay a dyno shop for that many tunes

1327

[AutoMods]

https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-XhPWiulZUlY/Uit8QwAAPAI/AAAAAAAAC9o/rGUgxRlCfQY/w737-h553-no/20130907_141936.jpg


Finally put the turbo on last week. Went from a 72mm compressor wheel with 68mm turbine, journal bearing cast wheel to Turbonetics new 76 billet comp wheel with 75mm turbine wheel, ball bearing. Since the turbine wheel was quite a bit larger, I wasn't going to surprised if their was more lag. however my setup responds even faster then it used to. probably a combination of going from 5.7l to a 6.0l and billet bb helping. hitting full boost by 3500rpms.

made a cold air intake to get the filter out of the engine bay. intake temps measured at the TB dropped noticeably on the logs (25 degrees or so) . meth injection was in the way so moved that to the drivers side. I'm going to make a 3.5 inch downpipe before the shootout, still run 3" right now. I have an intercooler laying around but won't have time to fab up the routing this year. not sure if i even need the intercooler, meth with e85 never knocks and my iat's aren't too bad.

overall cars feels a good amount more powerful at the same boost level as last year. last night it was losing traction in 3rd gear at will with my nitto 555r's @ 60-70mph rolling into the throttle

[86svo9L]

Looks great! Glad to see you got it up and going with the new setup.

[Larsons Fox]

Looking good. Anxious to see what she will run this year!

[Drifte]

Thats awesome, Been a bit but I remember a few things about those turbos, and Im not surprised how its responding for you. Hopefully I can see it in action soon.

[AutoMods]

Thats awesome, Been a bit but I remember a few things about those turbos, and Im not surprised how its responding for you. Hopefully I can see it in action soon.

i'll have to give you a ride sometime being that you helped work on it quite a bit. its came a long way since you last rode in it.

[AutoMods]

my suspension has always been stiff ever since i owned the car. my megan coilovers are probably geared towards autocross/road race/drifting. I found some qa1 125lb/in springs to retrofit into my megan coilovers. the rear spring rate has went from 335 lb/in down to to 125 lb/in . the megan valving is probably too stiff even on the softest setting but the soft spring will hopefully be good enough to get me by this year.

best 60 foot ever has been 1.67, hopefully I can get that down a good amount

the silver springs are the new softer and longer spring
https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O1whteIVub0/UjCzc-LXBGI/AAAAAAAAC_o/URQAXUZ8z8E/w1000-h750-no/20130911_131634.jpg

[MoncefA33]

Car looks great. Truly epic.

[JacobS]

is that a clean table?

[derek072887]

is that a clean table?
hardly

[AutoMods]

traction is getting hard to come by in 3rd gear now 60-70mph pulls. I used to have this problem with my old tires but my new nitto 555r's helped for a while but not at 14-15psi.

kinda hard to hear but as i roll into it in 3rd, tires light up. didn't want to get too crazy with all the traffic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=174OyqW3JFs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=174OyqW3JFs

[Drifte]

haha that was awesome, more videos!

[AutoMods]

my serp belt started jumping the tensioner pulley . never did it with the old motor @ 12psi. new motor @ 15psi must've been too much for the oem spring loaded tensioner

got this adjustable one now. how many of you guys run these?

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-9m4CVXmRAwk/UjyCy2zbUGI/AAAAAAAADEA/MJ75U9FsyqU/w737-h553-no/20130920_121612.jpg

[StreetSweeper]

We run K tech tensioners anything other then stock will work im sure.

[AutoMods]

We run K tech tensioners anything other then stock will work im sure.

yea the ktech seems to be the most popular. the comp one is probably not as popular because it costs $150 but i picked it up used for $75

[slow ride]

Any alignment issues before?

[AutoMods]

Any alignment issues before?

well i did have that one washer shim with the old motor. the shim didn't make it onto the new motor. not sure if i checked how well it was aligned during the transfer over to the new motor. but if it was off , it wasn't off by much.

[AutoMods]

no that i''ve hit my speed goal of 9's. I'm going to go back through my car and make it look pretty. starting with a bangin body kit. picture this but with a parachute

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4103/5070576646_ac647f0006_o.jpg

[Drifte]

That looks good, but dont forget the steering wheel.

[AutoMods]

someone asked to share meth kit pictures. nothing fancy, Devils Own stage 2 dvc-30 kit. dual nozzles (12 and 7) . Peak intake air temps were 155 F at the track during a full pass track. Was about 65 degrees out. I've hit 175 on 85-90F days. Normal pulls for 1 to 2 gear stints on the street don't usually go over 125 degrees.


http://automods.com/temp/rx7/devils_own1.jpg



3 quart meth tank using the oem mazda low washer fluid sensor/warning light in the meth tank
http://automods.com/temp/rx7/devils_own2.jpg


directly below the meth tank, I drilled a hole and fed the line to the meth pump, in front of the wheel well

http://automods.com/temp/rx7/devils_own4.jpg

[turboeverything]

What's the rolling weight on this thing with fluids?

[snickerlicker]

someone asked to share meth kit pictures. nothing fancy, Devils Own stage 2 dvc-30 kit. dual nozzles (12 and 7) . Peak intake air temps were 155 F at the track during a full pass track. Was about 65 degrees out. I've hit 175 on 85-90F days. Normal pulls for 1 to 2 gear stints on the street don't usually go over 125 degrees.


http://automods.com/temp/rx7/devils_own1.jpg



3 quart meth tank using the oem mazda low washer fluid sensor/warning light in the meth tank
http://automods.com/temp/rx7/devils_own2.jpg


directly below the meth tank, I drilled a hole and fed the line to the meth pump, in front of the wheel well

http://automods.com/temp/rx7/devils_own4.jpg


Straight meth or or mixing with water?

[AutoMods]

What's the rolling weight on this thing with fluids?

at the track its 3120 pounds with driver


Straight meth or or mixing with water?

I've always ran 50/50 . may try a higher percentage of meth in the future. if i had an intercooler, i'd probably just go 100% meth.

[AutoMods]

Left is me, Lance 'justagt' set a personal best with his run on the right

http://automods.com/temp/rx7/timeslip_9sec.jpg

shes got more left in it at the same boost level. just have to get it to go straight during the first half. upgrade the suspension, maybe do an anti-roll bar. 34mph gain on the back half.

[snickerlicker]

at the track its 3120 pounds with driver



I've always ran 50/50 . may try a higher percentage of meth in the future. if i had an intercooler, i'd probably just go 100% meth.

How often you clean the nozzles? They get pretty nasty on my car.

[AutoMods]

How often you clean the nozzles? They get pretty nasty on my car.

I cleaned them before the track. it had been a good year and a half. They had started to build up gunk but maybe the filters were only about 20% clogged. i use distilled water, i hear tap water minerals clogs them faster.

[Sleepy]

Are your iat's high? Granted my car has half as many cylinders a much smaller turbo than yours but with my fmic I only see a 10-20 degree increase over ambient.
If I remember right the shootout was in the 60's? So you are running almost 100 degrees hotter than ambient.

This morning it was so cold I didn't even have to turn on my rad fan and after a second and third gear pull I was at 51degree iat's lol.

[AutoMods]

Are your iat's high? Granted my car has half as many cylinders a much smaller turbo than yours but with my fmic I only see a 10-20 degree increase over ambient.
If I remember right the shootout was in the 60's? So you are running almost 100 degrees hotter than ambient.

This morning it was so cold I didn't even have to turn on my rad fan and after a second and third gear pull I was at 51degree iat's lol.

i'm not sure if those temps are too high. sometimes you hear claims of intercoolers with meth running below ambient. i've also read guys running 70 or so degrees over ambient with meth and intercooler.

i'm not sure if my setup is worth intercooling. those temps do not create any knock so its just a matter of if the cooler air is worth the extra weight over the front end of the car. fmic would probably add a couple psi pressure drop and maybe add a touch of lag. i've had an intercooler for my car laying around all year; just not sure if i want to put it on.

[Sleepy]

I suppose if you are okay with the timing you are running and not knocking and do not plan on adding any more then there is no reason to put an intercooler on it.

In warm/hot weather have you dataloged how high the iat's get?

On my car while cruising my iat's are higher due to the radiator fan blowing hot air on the intake, then once I get on it and that cold charge runs through it drops in temp.

Just curious. In the 4 cyl world its taboo not to run a fmic. It would be super simple to run my car with no front mount. I wonder if I should try it just to see how the iat's look.

[AutoMods]

I suppose if you are okay with the timing you are running and not knocking and do not plan on adding any more then there is no reason to put an intercooler on it.

In warm/hot weather have you dataloged how high the iat's get?

On my car while cruising my iat's are higher due to the radiator fan blowing hot air on the intake, then once I get on it and that cold charge runs through it drops in temp.


i run as much timing as i want and i've had it lean before and iat's hotter.... it just never knocks. e85 along with meth injection is a lot of knock resistance. i've heard meth is 116+ octane. it may melt a piston before it ever knocks/detonates. as soon as i boost it with normal 91 octane the knock sensor shows me that its still alive and working ;)


In the 4 cyl world its taboo not to run a fmic. It would be super simple to run my car with no front mount. I wonder if I should try it just to see how the iat's look.

well fwd guys can run an intercooler because they don't care about front end weight bias like rwd guys. not sure how many people actually have both e85 and meth like i do. 4 cylinders may push their motors harder. obviously the more displacement you have the more power you can make with a given fuel without knock. I'm at 18psi now. As I move it up to 22+ psi i may see that i need an intercooler. a lot of 4 bangers running 9's are running 35+psi !

still the minority but starting to see more guys play around with no intercooler. there is a handfull of 1000+whp guys on yellow bullet with no intercoolers. might have even heard about 1500whp guys if i recall.

[snickerlicker]

We went 8.79@156 with Big Hp's car using meth and no intercooler, worked great.

[Drifte]

Did you ever hook up that e-cut out? And if you did, do you like it? Looking to run one for next summer and heard this guys actually based in Iowa:

http://www.badlanzhpe.com.webshop3.arvixevps.com/po.php?cPath=37&osCsid=8c98be05e5d72b07bfbe25ad5488cc7f

[RedRocketZ28]

Did you ever hook up that e-cut out? And if you did, do you like it? Looking to run one for next summer and heard this guys actually based in Iowa:

http://www.badlanzhpe.com.webshop3.arvixevps.com/po.php?cPath=37&osCsid=8c98be05e5d72b07bfbe25ad5488cc7f


I have one of his cutouts. I went to his house and picked it up last year. Weird dude, but stands behind his product. Said if I had any issues to bring it back and he will replace/fix it.

[AutoMods]

Did you ever hook up that e-cut out? And if you did, do you like it? Looking to run one for next summer and heard this guys actually based in Iowa:

http://www.badlanzhpe.com.webshop3.arvixevps.com/po.php?cPath=37&osCsid=8c98be05e5d72b07bfbe25ad5488cc7f

never got around to installing mine