And, how does one make that happen?

I know rotaries usually make that simply awesome "Whiirrrrr!!!" noise when it winds up, and I even had a guy in a 2nd Gen vert take off from a stop light beside me and he wound his up, making the same noise. The problem is, mine doesn't make that noise. I did install a fresh air intake in place of my stock setup, and I did get a nice noticeable noise from that, however still no wonderful rotary sound.

I still have the stock plastic fan and clutch on my engine and stock exhaust with a leak near the header. Would replacing that fan setup with an electric fan allow the engine to make that noise? I figured all 2nd Gens and up have electric fans (unless I'm wrong, I'm going off a guess from all the open hooded cars I've seen at the shop, they had dual electric) so that's why their rotaries make that noise.

So, does your engine make that noise and if so, how is yours setup to do that?

 

i think that might be turbo spool youre talking about. could be wrong tho

 

the only time my 7 would make the Brapp brap brap brap sound was when the choke was engaged partially. it was really cool just chilling at the stoplight, get some pretty funny looks.

 

I'm not talking about the "brap" noise, I meant the "medium-pitched whirring noise" (hard to describe) that it does. I honestly don't think it's a turbo sound. Or, does it mostly focus around 2nd Gens and 3rd Gens with how their engines are built internally?

 

it's because you have a stock exhaust/header. get an aftermarket header and exhaust, rip off all of your emissions equipment (provided you don't live in a state with emissions requirements), and you'll get the familiar rotary sound. another plus, besides the sound, is that you'll get a noticable increase in power

 

I could cause a wreck with my 1st gen choke at a light. lol too much gas. smooke screeeeeen

 

I know what your talking about. the just whir noise when sitting at a stop and reving to 6500k.

yaull know? just that high pitched sound.



open the hook and rev the engine up. youll see : )

 

What's a hook?

And, I found the best description for it: "lt sounds like a swarm of angry wasps trapped in an oil drum" *L* Best one I found.

And, yes I live in a state with emissions requirements. I was hoping that the stock fan and clutch setup was drowning out the rotary's sound.

 

2nd gens have clutch fans. Sounds like turbo spool to me too. You will not get the sound you want with a leaky exhaust system and building one from scratch can be iffy.

2nd gens do sound a bit different due to the 13B and dual exhaust, all verts were imported NA in the US.

 

Durn, your post came in the same time mine went through.

The "lt sounds like a swarm of angry wasps trapped in an oil drum" is turbo? I've heard turbos wind up before, I've always thought it was more of a high pitched whining noise not what I'm talking about. Unless a rotary is different. If someone's motor does that, lemme know.

 

I have done exhaust systems on 6 different 1st and 2nd gen NAs, not one with the full RB system. 3-4 different brands/styles of headers. They all sound different. I bought a TII a few years ago, the po had a custom made exhaust that was straight pipe with dual outlets, no mufflers, no cats, no pre-silencers. It was quieter than any of the NAs, strange, never thought it would be.

The vert was probably not a turbo, especially from your description. Angry bees is an NA sound.

 

You're right, it wasn't a turbo. Now that I recollect on it, I never did hear a blow off valve. At how high his engine was wound up (he was basically by my side as I wound mine up), I would've definitely heard it. Damn, I'd love to have my engine sound like angry wasps stuck in a drum.

Guess I'll have to get my exhaust done quicker, and stick on an electric fan. Small side question on that part, on the electric fan, is it best to have it on a ignition only switch so that it runs all the time or on a relay to where it only kicks on at a certain temperature?

 

I think it would be better to have a thermostat, so whenever the *air* around the radiator gets to hot, it goes on. I have a thermostat designed to do this, but I haven't wired it up yet. Right now, its just running on a on/ off switch.

My car sounds A LOT better with the e-fan. I could barely hear my engines exhaust note before I put it on, but now, WOW, what a difference. I have a full racing beat exhaust system and it sounds great. I don't think it could possibly sound any better, but it could be a tiny bit louder. Damn 240z keeps drowning me out... anyway, I think it has the typical rotary exhaust note- very unique, sounds like nothing else.

~b.k.

 

Well, I think the reason some have gotten confused by the sound I was describing, is that the "angry wasp noise" is coming from the engine bay not the exhaust. Sorry for the confusion, I should've been more detailed.

And, I do have a thermostat in my car, every car should , but I've always wondered on the fan deal. I go to a website that offers a full kit (fan, mounts, all wiring and whathaveyou) but now I wonder if it's nothing more than mounting the fan and always having it on.

 

no, the thermostat is for the fan

my engine (not exhaust) provides a gentle whirring sound, like something spinning (!) no intake noise

 

What he said....

 

your exhaust setup will have a lot do with the sound i think you're trying to describe. i have noticed that the single pipe systems do it better than the dual pipe systems. mine (RB streetport system) doesn't do it as well as my brother's (RB header + custom mid-pipes + RB muffler) does. making sure it is tightly sealed helps a great deal, too.

 

mmmmmm the whir is great

 

I know exactly what sound you are reffering to.I hear it every day when a particular,bone stock SA goes by my house.
Its not exhaust noise related or anything like that,its just the sound of a quite,stock rotary.Perhaps well worn rotaries do it more,might be from the straight cut stationary gears on the rotors.
Myold engines used to make it,my brothers old car still makes it.But for some reason my current,fresh built 13BT just doesnt have that sound.
It kinda like a well lubed, sewing machine sound that comes from the engine itself.Were talking mechanical noise here,it has nothing to do with turbos,headers or brap-age........

 

I always thought the typical rotary noise was a back fire, sometimes plus flames, on the throttle back.

 

mine makes it real loud and sounds good, i love it

 

Had 170K on my 12a with RB header & exhaust before I blew a coolant seal... I installed a new 12a with 65K. Difference besides the wear and tear was that my old engine did not have the exhaust baffles in the engine... But now I get an awesome whir sound reving up that I didn't have before. Don't know if the baffles made the difference or the wear, but the old ran NOWHERE near as sooth as the new.... and did not whir....

 

+1 for electric fans, sounds a million times better, smoother also. Even cruising on the highway you don't hear the fan sucking air, you just hear motor

 

Just get a PP motor and you'll forget about any other noises

 

i know the sound you are talking it about. its on the orignal rx7 commercial "the car goes mmmmmm mmmmmmm mmmmm" my dad was telling me about it and i love that sound. (i have a stock 83 gs with 160,000)