Murz' 1986 Arctic Silver GXL aka Silver

[murz]

So... some good news and bad news. Took my irons and housings to Chip's motorsports to get street ported. He noticed my rotor housings were pretty bad, the sides of them were warped to the point of it being very noticeable. So time to buy some new housings, he recommended that I buy the TII housings, looks like I'll just have to plug a coolant hole and that's it. I'm wondering, if the front and rear housings are any different? On Atkins, the rear is worth about 75$ LESS than the front housings... there has to be a reason. Any idea?

[toplessFC3Sman]

I think you can use rear housings for both - if I remember correctly only the rear has the hole for coolant, while the front is blocked off.  My engine was built about 8 years ago with the cooling passages in both front & rear, implying rear housings were used in both places.


They're the holes above the exhaust ports & studs - one has a freeze plug installed in that pic, the other doesnt.  It turns out that the freeze plugs weren't really holding pressure tho, so maybe one of the rubber-bushing-clamped-by-a-bolt ones would be better in the future.

[murz]

You're right, it states this on their website as well, I just never noticed it haha, thanks! The freeze plug doesn't work for blocking them off then, gotcha. "rubber-bushing-clamped-by-a-bolt ones" huh?? Not sure what that is.

[toplessFC3Sman]

The plug I was referring to is like this:

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Basically a rubber cylinder with a bolt running through the middle, washers on either end, and when you tighten down the bolt, it bulges the rubber cylinder outwards to seal up inside the hole.

[murz]

Ah ha! Thank you! Never knew such a thing existed, looks like I'll be getting 2 of them! Thanks again.

[murz]

So, been busy with finals and what not, 2 weeks of summer break for me now, yay! Have my irons getting street-ported by Chips-Motorsports, which is conveniently located nearby. Bad news is that my housings are trash, the sides of them are badly worn and overall they're badly warped. Perhaps this is due to a faulty OMP? Either way, pre-mix it will be from now on! The seals don't look bad, but I haven't gave them a closer inspection, will definitely be replacing the Apex seals and gaskets either way...

Ordered new Turbo II housings (Figured the Turbo sleeves are better) from Atkins, since I won't be using the Airpump and a few other Emissions, I ordered X 2 of the rear housings, they're significantly cheaper anyways. They do have a coolant hole that will need to be filled up though. I plan on using a rubber-expansion-plug-thing on these, which was recommended by toplessFC3Sman, Thanks again man, I had no idea this thing existed.

Right now as it stands, I'll be purchasing a lightweight steel flywheel... But there's still time to convince me to go Aluminum! I have a brand new Exedy Stage 1 clutch as well that will be going in. Soon will get the Injectors cleaned, Kinsler Fuel Injection is right down the road from me, how nice? Thinking of a Wide Band O2 sensor with the No weld strap-on-thing from Atkins, as the O2 sensor hole is too far back on the Header making the O2 wire not able to reach to the Engine harness plug. AEM No Weld Oxygen Sensor Mount (30-2355-350) (That).

Anyways, just been cleaning all the parts for now, have a pile of used brake cleaner cans already!

I'm setting my deadline for this project August 16th 2014, which is the Michigan Woodward Dream cruise, (The Woodward Dream Cruise) I've always wanted to drive in the cruise with my own vehicle that's deserving of it. That gives me about 67 days from this post! I've gone to it almost annually, minus the the past 4 years (Military)... Never once had a vehicle worthy of showing off, except an old 73 Super Beetle that I gave up on.

Here she is right now, pretty isn't she?
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[fidelity101]

Let me know when you want to assemble it ill bring the engine stand

[murz]

Awesome, I'll supply the beer then! Parts won't be in until next week, however next week I'll be in Traverse City for a week. So I'd say about 2 weeks from today. Thanks, I have an engine stand, just no adapter, I had to Jimmy-rig it when I disassembled it.

[murz]

Bad news, either my clutch master cyclinder or slave cylinder went out on me yesterday with my daily driver, and well I had a week long vacation to Traverse city Michigan planned... ouch! I guess at least it didn't happen on my way there?

The good news is, I sent out my Injectors to Kinsler yesterday (Literally right before my car went) and I received my Irons back from Chips-Motorsports, and damn do they look awesome! Hopefully I can pick up my injectors later (On my 2 wheeled 18-speed wal-mart special), I should have taken a picture of them beforehand, they were nasty.

I believe these are a custom template, i'd say they're mild to large, while remaining street-able. It's hard to notice a large difference until you compare previous pictures to these and then it's quite evident haha. Can't wait to put it all together, everything else should get in mid next week, so in about 2 weeks time I should be complete with the engine assembly (hopefully).

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My question is now, should I keep the stock six port sleeves or should I order the pineapple racing sleeves?

[~Groll69~]

The pineapple ones just have a beveled inset, that allows the air to curve into the air chamber better.  I have a set.  I do plan on using them when i get back to re-assembling my engine.

My biggest issue is needing to design and implemet a solenoid setup to open the 6 ports.  I will have lost the back pressure connection that was on the exhuast that would open them.

[murz]

I actually like the Atkins design better, they're a 1 piece sleeve, instead of having to glue or weld the pineapple racing inserts. You are not allowed to view links. Register or Login

I'd be afraid of the tiny inserts coming undone and ruining the engine. I might just get those ^. Since the Aux ports are ported now though, think I should port out the sleeves a little? I'm just firing from the hip, not sure if that matters or not. Anyways, still going to Traverse City, just won't be taking my own car haha.

Once I get the car running, the next step will be suspension I think, it seemed fine before, but I'm sure it's the original stock suspension, doomed to fail at some point soon. I have yet to really look at that anyways.

My car has an aftermarket pre-silencer that actually has a back pressure tube for the 5th and 6th ports, pretty cool! Really hope they work though, think i'll test them with my air compressor somehow and vaseline previously mentioned.

[toplessFC3Sman]

Be careful porting the sleeves, you still need them to close at the same time to get the low-speed benefits.  I'd assemble them in the manifold & one of the irons all bolted together and mark the open & closed positions on the sleeve through the iron's port.  Then take it apart & look at whether you'd gain much area by doing it.  My impression is that you won't, since you want a little bit of extra material (2-3mm ish) on the opening side to make sure its closed & can't flow at low speeds, and there's no point in porting the closing side if that side of the sleeve is still in the iron & not facing the port.  The primary benefit of the port is that you have a later port closing time, not that it gives you a greater flow area (although that does help at high speeds), so porting the sleeve but risking that it won't function anymore IMO isn't worth it.

[murz]

Thanks ToplessFc3Sman, totally makes sense now, I won't be messing with them.

Little back story here, back in high school, one of my best friends had a 1987 SE Tornado silver Rx-7 with a street port, his dad re-did the whole car from a rolling chassis with no engine, he owned a body shop, so I guess that made it easier. Anyways, it ended up being beautiful (I would saw flawless), then he sold it for $8k to some guy who was buying it for his kid's graduation. I really missed driving around in the car, and just plain seeing it. Thus my passion for the Rx-7 was born! It didn't help living in Japan for 2 years seeing Rx-7s everywhere all the time. So I had always wanted one! I bought one the 2nd week I came home from Japan, few years later here I am!

Anyways... got my DD fixed, ended up being a shot Master and Slave cylinder, got it fixed an hour before I left for vacation, for a lot less than I was expecting as well.

Got back from Vacation and I had some parts waiting for me! Two S4 TII housings, gasket kit, apex seals, various bolts that needed to be replaced, a dvd, engine mounts, and a stage 1 Exedy clutch kit that I forgot to take a picture of. I got these all from Atkins or Racing Beat.
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Also, for the coolant passages in the rotor housings, I have a set of expansion plugs (19mm-22mm) I picked up from the auto parts store, they're sitting in the holes currently.

Decided to test out the auxiliary port actuators, I shot compressed air into the vacuum hose, and noticed only one pump working. Took off the other, and it was stuck open! I sprayed WD40 into it many times, and it wouldn't budge. Eventually, after knocking it a bit with a hammer and just pulling on it, it came loose. Threw it back on there, tightened it up real good, and it works like a charm now!

So, the rebuild should commence soon, let me know if anyone would like to help out! 

[fidelity101]

Yeah let me know when/what date you plan on assembly, I like having more practice. I will be rebuilding another engine (this time for myself) so the more the merrier!

I'm hoping that after I move I can setup a good rotary workshop and crank out a few engines a year.

[murz]

I'm thinking this Friday or anytime this weekend, I have class mid week now.

Vacation was great, I'd say I needed it, but I'm getting paid to go to college full time, so not really haha! Anyways, got home and painted some things here and there, got my Injectors back. Apparently they were pretty bad, a-lot needed replacing with them, but they run great (48-49 Lb/hr), one of them runs 6% better than the others at 51 lb/hr for some reason. Think I'll paint these too, while I'm on a painting spree.

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So, hopefully this Friday or Saturday I begin re-assembly! if anyone wants to help out, let me know, I'll supply beer haha!