I am wondering if anyone out there (when their engine dies) replaces their own engine instead of paying someone to do it? It seems most that I read are people taking it to the shop and it costing aroung 5000 with a street port. I am wondering if anyone has done it themselves and can share a few things with me?

I am wondering total time it took to get it complete (and how many people were helping).
I am also wondering what the price was to you (street port or no).
Also how difficult was it and would you do it again.

thanks in advance

 

Well to save $ I took my engine out myself and stripped it to the block. I am having it rebuilt and then I will put it back in.
Doing it this way saves a grand or so of labor and took me a Sat and a few more weekday hours after work.

 

It's pretty easy ... total dedicated time is 8-15 hours out and in, depending on your skill and tools. Now my situation has been complicated by a thieving shop, but I wanted to do it myself to begin with and that's what I'm doing now (I'm having to replace a lot of stolen parts which is what takes so long). My block, with a large streetport, new housings (etc.), 3mm apex seals and a yada yada, was $2500 but I had some hookup. You'll need some replacement gaskets and stuff, but the good thing about putting it together and back in yourself is that you get to check everything and make sure it's right. You could spend $5000 or whatever these guys spend to have someone else do it and wait forever to get the car back, or you can take your $5000, spend $3000-3500 on a great ported motor and ship it to you (air freight is the cheapest if you pick it up from the airport), put it it in yourself and learn a lot and that way you know everything is right, and spend the rest of the money on making things even better ... replacing vacuum lines, inspecting other lines, etc. It's kinda like wiping your own *** instead of paying someone else to wipe it for you -- you know it's clean (or however you like it) when you do it yourself.

 

Please keep me updated as to the costs if you dont mind.

 

Yeah learning is more or less a main reason I want to do this. Money is a big part too but I would be more proud saying I did it all myself.

 

My engine parts cost was $4300 through MazdaComp, including all new housings and rotors and e-shaft etc.
Labor was $2970 including a streep port and ribbed water linings.
I know some people get it done cheaper but I'll have a pretty much brand new engine. I have heard too many horror stories about the remanufactured engines to spend my money on one.
I don't have the engine back yet, I hope I put everything back together correctly! I did learn a lot about the engine, and from stripping my other R1 I learned even more.
-Jedon

 

so is that 4300 after the labor, or 4300 plus 2970 for labor?

 

$4300 parts + 2970 labor ( $300 per housing for porting, 150 per for water jacket mods)
PARTS:
Qty Part# Desc Each Cost
1 BAFH-271 Gasket Set $343.80 $343.80
1 N3A1-10-507 Front Seal $5.45 $5.45
1 1668-10-556A Rear Seal $2.45 $2.45
1 N326-14-151 Oil Pump Chain $18.70 $18.70
1 NF01-14-100 Oil Pump Chain $82.50 $82.50
1 N32G-11-D03 Pilot Bearing $6.60 $6.60
1 1881-11-404 Pilot Bearing Seal $1.40 $1.40
12 N326-11.C20A Corner Seals $3.80 $45.60
12 NF01-11-C24 Corner Seal Springs $1.50 $18.00
12 N3Y1-11-C11 Side Seals $6.20 $74.40
12 NF01-11-C17 Side Seal Springs $3.55 $42.60
4 8871-23-180 Oil Seal Set $35.30 $141.20
4 8341-11-343 O Ring Outer $9.70 $38.80
4 0820-11-341 O Ring Inner $5.45 $21.80
2 4352-11-353 Spring, Front, Outer $3.25 $6.50
2 1011-11-361 Spring, Front, Inner $3.55 $7.10
2 4352-11-363 Spring, Rear, Outer $3.25 $6.50
2 1011-11-361 Spring, Rear, Inner $3.65 $7.30
1 N326-11-D150 Thermal Wax Pellet $20.00 $20.00
1 N326-11-D170 Thermal Wax Pellet Spring $20.00 $20.00
1 N351-11-521 Rear Counterweight $77.40 $77.40
1 N3A1-10-B10 Front Rotor Housing $378.65 $378.65
1 N3A1-10.B50 Rear Rotor Housing $358.65 $358.65
1 N3YA-110B10 Rotor $358.65 $358.65
1 NF01-10-E00G Front Stationary Gear $85.55 $85.55
1 NF01-10-E10H Rear Stationary Gear $112.15 $112.15
1 N3YA-10-C50D Rear Housing $252.40 $252.40
1 N3A1-10-D00A Interior Housing $324.70 $324.70
1 N3A1-10-C00D Front Housing $252.40 $252.40
2 4801-11-111 Rotor Bearing $78.75 $157.50
1 N3C1-13-700A Stock Turbo $0.00 $0.00
1 N3F1-11-C00 Apex Seal $220.00 $220.00
6 N326-11-C04A Inner Spring, Apex $3.25 $19.50
6 N326-11-C06C Outer Spring, Apex $3.55 $21.30
1 N3A1-11-D00 Eccentric Shaft $303.25 $303.25

 

damn...thats a lot of cash! I have a spare short block that came with my car and I will be putting it in myself once the original engine dies.

 

I agree that it is a lot of cash, as does my wife
However, I have an extended warrantee that should pay for $5K of it so that should help.
In addition I am selling the parts off my old R1 and selling my motorcycle.
I am also installing a T04E 60-1 .7 comp 1.15 A/R turbo so I wanted an engine that could handle ~450RWHP easily....

 

Wow thanks for the list thats great!
I dont think my wife would let me spend that much on an engine however, might just be a mazda reman for me. But keep me updated on the project and how easy installation is.

 

But $7000 beans is alot of money!!! Especially on a motor that will still be sensitive after ur done.
Call me crazy but that LS1 motor conversion is looking tastier every time I stumble onto one of these threads. Needless to say you cld probably get a low mileage motor, 6sp trans AND trick it out getting 400+HP and maybe walk away with some money.

End result a SOLID motor.

 

Well it's going to be more than $7K, that's just the engine itself. Then there is the single turbo kit, NPG+, Profec A, TiAL BOV, resonated midpipe, PowerFC, FPR, 1300cc injectors... the list goes on. Anybody need any parts off a 93 Black R1?

 

Silly me..I forgot to add all that up....Lol. God Bless You! Its gonna be a sweet car for sure but you just reenforced my point.

 

But I like the rotary engine! So no V8 for me, although they sound cool at full roar. Besides, a new LS1 crate engine is not exactly cheap.

 

Sorry but these engine quotes are a joke. You spend $1000 on gaskets and seals for a standard rebuild. Rotor housings are $500/pair and rotors are probably 500 and both of these items are if necessary or you really blew up your engine. My eccentric shaft broke, which is rare and that was 300 but my housings were good. Bascially a stardard rebuild should be 1000 to 1500 in parts. There is no reason to replace something just to make it new. The outer and middle housings are cast they are going to warp like the aluminum rotor housings. Get real and save some money. Labor should be between 500 and 1500 to rebuild and more for street port and 3mm seals. To pull and replace motor should be 500 to 1500 again depending on the shop.

The other expenses should be for things like motor mounts, clutches, flywheels, and any other misc stuff that is broken. You can save lots of money doing it yourself and if you have the tools, time, and technical skill I would do it. I know many, many 3rd gen owners how have done their own engine swap.

 

Jedon is going a bit "crazy" with his motor, but that's OK. Rotor housings usually should be replaced. My motor died at idle having just been started 5 minutes earlier and my apex seals destroyed my housings and rotors. I was lucky to get the motor that I got at the price that I got, but I had a friend help me out. I just hope after sitting around for 19 months that the motor will work fine in a couple of weeks when it's finally back in there.

Gir, my expenses are crazy because I had a "reputable shop" part my car out while they had it. Since it was my only car, I couldn't really check up on it except by phone. In the shape that I picked it up in (and I use that term loosely because it was pretty stripped), most people would've given up and just collected insurance. All the while I wanted to do the swap myself, but I was on the other side of the state from "home" at school and it was winter and my dad didn't want me to ship the car home and do it myself in the cold ... 27 months ago.

 

I just pulled mine, first was to learn but saving $2000 doesn't hurt (1k to pull, 1k to install.) So my rebuild should cost arround 3k.

Matt

 

Is this right? Ive always thought it was a grand for a shop to pull AND install a motor. Anyone have theres done lately?

 

I did the engine replace myself with the help of Spyfish and some other guys. I did it to save money but the main reason was to learn about the car. I went with a mazda reman which ran me about $1900 for the short block. It took me a long time to do it, but I wasn't in a hurry. I know I could do it pretty quickly now though. Be sure to count on replacing a lot of little parts that can cost a lot of money like the pulsation dampner, motor mounts, and the knock sensor. I also did the vac hose job while everything was out. If you want to do it yourself I say go for it but take your time and do everything right. Good luck.

 

im really not goona get into the relialibity issues of rotary..but if u get a well built engine, and get it TUNED properly...it wont be sensitive..yea our engines dont like detonation..but witha little tlc, that will never happen..
last time i looked for the v8 was round 5k for everything..now that only gives u 350flywheel crank hp..and like 2mm hood clearance...

remove the engine your self..spend 3500 on a decent ,nothing crazy enigne..and tadow..i just saved u 1500...
i mean your from north jerz...u have to have seen ito(jr rotary) engines in action...

owell,personaly i only vote v8 if your jimlab..aka king midas

 

Thanks for all the great responces guys, this helps a lot.

DK Im sorry man sounds like youve been through alot, it will be nice to have the car all put back together.

spigot Did you get your rebuilt by a local shop or did you go with a "crate" reman motor?

If a mazda reman is around 1900 how much is one with a street port gunna run?

I dont feel so intimidated with doing the swap myself now, are there any websites that detail all the steps and all parts needed to do swap (ie pulsation dampener, ect) ?

Thanks again for all the feedback

 

Whatever happened to the new engine rebuild video someone was supposed to be making?

 

Rotary Performance charges 1200 to pull and install a new motor. I am having mine done right now. JEDON----I Would like to get some of your parts off of the R1. Especially your sway bars, second oil cooler, and a few other lil things. E-mail me!
Thanks, Kevin (KEMRX7@aol.com / AIM--->KEMRX7)