Rotormotors' 1990 FC Rx7 Brapta$tical coupe

[rotormotor]

Owned my trusty steed for near on  2 decades, bought for the princely sum of $7,500K.

Fourth owner in NZ..all Welly based.. (imported 1990 with 1.5K on the dial as Mazda NZ not sell the turbo spec ) so has PK XXXX white plates.
Was factory stock 13BT when procured, done a bunch of maintainance and mild mods since...in no particular order just what comes to mind...

Dynatron alarm for security.

Removed exhaust air pump.

K&N panel filter before later fitting apexi pod filter.

Replaced turbo back exhaust keeping the twin pipes and deleted the cat. Gave me more boost hence I needed....

(FCD)Fuel Cut Defender and heavy duty clutch cos started slipping.

Hawk brake pads and stainless brake lines all corners.

Stainless clutch line.

New HT leads and Iridium spark plugs.

Headlight "sleepy eye" toggle switch centre console.
Strobe lights fitted in the park light fitting...just cos.

Airhorns.

Removed bespoke towbar..yes really, was well made welded to the two rear towhooks plates.

Replaced 2x relays for sealed ones in wiper switch..common fault leaves you 1 speed if you lucky.

White face speedo cluster  gauges that light up blue or green at night &
Carbon fibre speedo cluster surround.

White face cover on the aircon/fan/heater control panel.

Gilmour gears with P/S adaptor so lost my A/C compressor belt.

Used Tein HR adjusty suspension all corners and front camber plates..certed.*

 

*was the cert guy pointed out the The recorded chassis number on documents not match the car.

Some noob in 1990 when it crossed the border misrecorded as

FC35 instead of FC3S and two numbers transposed as well  lol.

Removed the hand held in car phone previous owner had fitted.

Front strut tower brace.

Rotor shaped oil cap (my first ever TM purchase).

Simmons F17 full polished rims (the original 3 piece ones).

Fitted aliminium plates to seat runners drivers seat to allow seat to adjust back right to the rear seats.

Aluminium bonnet.

US spec Turbo II electric mirrors (plug wire lengthened for JDM loom).

Clear flush side front indicator lenses with orange bulbs.

Replaced aerial inner cos original not go all the way down.

Rx8 5 speed gear knob.

 

 

Owned a 1979 Series 1 before this.12A, Coby extractors, S2 rims, S3 rear spoiler, upgraded to the S5. Seriously pine for a crome bumper RX but price of those has run so far North it a dream nowdays.

S5 runs really well but at 170k decided to pull it down and give it a pulse.

Here is my story...

 

[rotormotor]

So spent the last couple of months talking to my engine builder, buy and assembling an engine crane and cracking on with removing the 13BT and 5 speed tranny.

Time poor it took awhile all by myself too, even when car on 4 axle stands to unbolt the driveshaft.

only outside help was engine builder on the crane to help pull the long lump out.

 

Tons of photos, notes..alot of crap removal to get to the actual motor.3 weeks to see '13B Mazda' on the housing.

Manfield playday years back did the old FC classic 2nd to 5th.

Drive home discovered syncro in 5th crunch..buggers.

So replacing all synchros/bearings as needed while its out.

Plans thus far is extend primary port as much as is doable cos FC centre iron not as meaty metalwise as FD and bridgeport the secondaries.

I want drivability and a pulse ( Braps) first and foremost, so this is the compromise over a full bridge or primary bridgeport.

I have a turbo in any case so plenty horses there...which is being upgraded to a ball  bearing borg warner, top mount cooler wont cut it so FMIC on the list as is a Link ECU..Monsoon or Storm ATM.

 

Injectors dunno, reusing existing inlet manifold.

 

Deleting emmision stuff and Oil metering pump for Premix.

Engine irons  being ported this weekend.

 

[rotormotor]

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Bit ofupdate.

Half bridge been cut, primaries this weekend then off to be rehardend.

Replacing Apex seals/corner springs, Oil control seals/springs, Rx8 front and rear stat gears, Rx8 rotor bearings, high pressure oil pump.

Pretty much was all moving parts except side seals where existing were be reused if in spec but I called it may as well do all the bits so more coins thrown in the kitty.

Reusing rotors and irons.

New housings.

 

All above OEM.

 

Water pump looks ok but the housing it sits in has corroded on the inside where one of the long studs runs thru..explains why that stud was hard to let go removing it.

If i can't find a replacement (I've asked around) need to get mine rewelded/repaired.

 

Also need to decide if I want to run a lightened flywheel as run Rx8 e shaft (1/2 pound lighter)and counterweight with green brothers flywheel...over a grand parts there alone.

Already $4K in the hole with housings, Apex seals,Stat bearings and porting..still no braps.

 

Vapour blasting some bits too..

 

[rotormotor]

Also..what i thought was an uncracked 13BT has been opened before...kinder surprise as my builder said.

Vivid numbers on the thru bolts for tourque sequence (not factory) and further delving apex seals were 3mm not factory issue 2mm...either dropped an apex or compression or performance upgrade.

Rotor apex slots been machined out to 3mm as were the corner seals rather than use S6 full ones.

Must have happened early on in its life as I've had the car near 20 years and previous owner never opened it up.

 

[rotormotor]

Anyone has a contact for vapour blasting, welding cast aluminium or S5 Water pump housing, please get in touch.

Google shows me miramar guy or upper hutt has a walnut blaster.

[rotormotor]

Gots me a water pump housing, seller said they usually corrode in the centre as mine did.

He been out of the rotary scene for years now, mechanic used to own Cairns motors out Kilbirnie, raced and fixed the tangas back in the day.

Was his last housing so lucked in.

Came with near new water pump too (possibly A/M but has 'Japan' on its casting)

 

Paid builder $2.4K fir the rest of the OEM seals, rotor bearings, oil pump etc.

[rotormotor]

Gettn into pulling bits apart for vapourblasting and cleaning my rotors.

Also dropped off my 5 speed minus bell housing to the local to def replace 5th syncho and whatever bearings/other maintainence bits required or prudent to do.

Mentioned getting the internals hardened, smooth (likened to shotpeening) but lets see what 'needs' to be replaced.

[rotormotor]

Small update.

Porting finished all irons and are off to rehardening..ill get pics when back in my hands.

The Front rotor above cleaned up no issues.

Cleaned the rear rotor but we did notice on pull down that the rotors were machined out for 3mm seals and was a chip 1/3 way along the slot..prob why they been machined decades ago as threw the seal In the back.

 

Anyways, cleaning rear one and was  sketchy about how clean it wasn't compared to front and different "texture".

Builder suspects one was original..one new.

They are both reusable.

 

Discussion now is do I use old rotors in new housings keep 3mm apex with all the new OEM seals or replace one rotor adding a 3mm remachining cost.

Or new FD rotors or new FC NA S4 rotors(higher compression to run more boost) and stay 2mm.

Sell my old ones as matching pair to offset cost of one new rotor.

Leaning towards NA so known history of the new engine.

[rotormotor]

Popped into builders and eyeballed my parts haul thus far and picked up my now surplus rotors for selling purposes.

 

Couple pics of a pair of  bagged FC  housings and FC S4 NA rotors for the thread...yeah I pulled the new rotor x2 trigger as it feels the correct action so I know its all good in the assembly with no sketchy variables.

Checked over the irons as not yet been shipped for skim/hardening yet...builder fulltime non mazda dealership  mechanic and does his 'wankeling' after hours or weekends.

Bridges looks spunky as, as are the opened up primaries. 

[rotormotor]

Wonders if Billy Hol be interested in recycling  my old seals 

[rotormotor]

While waiting for the wankel sandwich bits to be sorted/returned  for my final assembly,  I looking for pretty up bits online.

Kustomcuts au has a few tasty goodies, is old font mazda acceptable on an FC or is a fusion of decades more than ok 

Emission blank off plates, OMP injector housing/inlet blank bungs and OMP blsnk on timing cover plate, CAS cover, radiator cover, braided oil cooler lines and turbo lines all items I looking to add.

Trying to visualise the final product as not gonna be a show car.

Am painting irons x3, kinda like the stock look of the rotor housings, bell housing/gearbox casts, after vapour blast the original fitted components, do they need a coat of something to keep looking that way?

Primeraly more focus the bell housing forward details, being a novice to detailing and engine rebuilding, clearcoat a go or need an etch on casting so painting silver a better consideration?

Polishing those bits just not the look what I going for.

Any past history details or insights  warmly welcomed.

[rotormotor]

Slight update with pics.

Plates just been skimmed and when rehardened, be back in my hands to be painted.

Taking my first batch of castings for vapour blasting tomorrow.

Picked up my new radiator and fuel rails today.

 

Dropped off allternator and starter motor to be checked(worked ok on removal), rebushed & bearinged and castings be removed for the second vapour run.

 

I contemplated pulling the alt and starter apart myself, but time poor and had issues removing the shaft of alternator..prob rearbearing stuck fast.

First autosparky not interested in it(only a new parts fit guy and hiff the old) so second one was ok with my  plan.

 

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Used seals for Mr Hol 

[rotormotor]

Oh and gearbox is looking very good on opening it up.

3 rubber seals, bearing kit and input roller bearing and 5th & reverse synchros all that appear needed...luckily what i hoped be the case.

Wonder on replace all synchros, gearbox dude said try synchtotech in au they use for their  racecars.

[rotormotor]

Drop castings off to Nick at Kapiti Vapour Blasting.

Legit guy..well up for car chatter,  pretty much works from home in his garage.

Look to be a week turnaround.

[rotormotor]

Alt and starter motor castings  disassembled for vapour and pretty up, auto spark said bearings, brushes all fine as they are.

Plates been skimmed and off to be heat treated this week then back to me for paint.

Emission blank off plates, OMP housing bungs and gearbox rebuild kit ordered.

No pics cos pulled apart alt and starter not interesting...pics next time.

 

Over spending thousands and not even an engine to see for it yet