1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

Unicorn engine parts

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 01-09-21, 04:26 PM
  #1  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
Unicorn engine parts

Two 12A rotors with tight seal slots.

The following 3 users liked this post by peejay:
hawk 7 (01-11-21), LEGALIZECHEY (01-10-21), mazdaverx713b (01-10-21)
Old 01-10-21, 07:37 AM
  #2  
Have RX-7, will restore


iTrader: (91)
 
mazdaverx713b's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Ohio
Posts: 21,714
Received 1,053 Likes on 892 Posts
Wow!!! Not something you see every day!
The following users liked this post:
LEGALIZECHEY (01-10-21)
Old 01-10-21, 08:37 AM
  #3  
Full Member
iTrader: (1)
 
LEGALIZECHEY's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2020
Location: Arizona
Posts: 150
Received 21 Likes on 17 Posts
Where does one find the tolerances and specs for the 12a's? I've looked all over foxed.ca but can't find specs on apex seal clearance, side seal clearance, etc. and so on... Just wondering if it's a specific manual or book or something?
Old 01-11-21, 03:30 AM
  #4  
Senior Member

iTrader: (2)
 
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Ohio
Posts: 509
Received 11 Likes on 10 Posts
What plans do you have for them?
Old 01-11-21, 12:15 PM
  #5  
3D Printed
 
Benjamin4456's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2017
Location: Beaverton, OR
Posts: 1,098
Received 243 Likes on 169 Posts
Originally Posted by LEGALIZECHEY
Where does one find the tolerances and specs for the 12a's? I've looked all over foxed.ca but can't find specs on apex seal clearance, side seal clearance, etc. and so on... Just wondering if it's a specific manual or book or something?
This source isn't the end all be all (believe it's targeted at earlier year engines, not certain as I haven't read it recently) but this is one of a few that I've run accross: https://www.mazdabg.com/ftp-uploads/...ria%201979.pdf

There was another one that was a full webpage devoted solely to the rebuild process and was very well laid out, but I can't find the darn thing. It's somewhere in my massive list of RX-7 bookmarks. Somewhere...
The following users liked this post:
LEGALIZECHEY (01-11-21)
Old 01-11-21, 09:07 PM
  #6  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
Originally Posted by hawk 7
What plans do you have for them?
I have a nice Southern '81 with historical provenance that I want to return to stock, engine-wise. (I threw an FC engine in it to make it mobile, after a couple years of failing to get good 12A parts) It will be a sunny day driver and occasional rallycrosser, only for national level events as well as Detroit region events. Without the ability or desire to run a 3 link rear suspension, I want to keep stress on the chassis tub and rear axle housing to a minimum.

Wait until you see some of the other unicorn parts I have for this thing.

Last edited by peejay; 01-11-21 at 09:12 PM.
The following users liked this post:
LEGALIZECHEY (01-11-21)
Old 01-11-21, 11:45 PM
  #7  
Happy Rotoring!

iTrader: (13)
 
Banzai's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2007
Location: Iowa
Posts: 2,307
Received 378 Likes on 247 Posts
Originally Posted by Benjamin4456
This source isn't the end all be all (believe it's targeted at earlier year engines, not certain as I haven't read it recently) but this is one of a few that I've run accross: https://www.mazdabg.com/ftp-uploads/...ria%201979.pdf
Thats the one I'm familiar with. Published in 78 I believe for the 12A.
The following users liked this post:
LEGALIZECHEY (01-13-21)
Old 01-13-21, 01:49 PM
  #8  
Full Member
 
racerx01's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2016
Location: Louisville, KY
Posts: 225
Received 18 Likes on 15 Posts
RAD Potential Youtube channels has episode on rotary specs, believe it has the link.
The following 2 users liked this post by racerx01:
LEGALIZECHEY (01-13-21), Ricardo Correia (02-01-21)
Old 01-13-21, 09:31 PM
  #9  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
Originally Posted by racerx01
RAD Potential Youtube channels has episode on rotary specs, believe it has the link.
That's great, for people who don't know how to read I guess.
The following 4 users liked this post by peejay:
LEGALIZECHEY (01-13-21), Spetz (01-14-21), t_g_farrell (01-14-21), yeti (01-14-21)
Old 01-15-21, 11:26 AM
  #10  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts


The following 4 users liked this post by peejay:
j9fd3s (01-16-21), LEGALIZECHEY (01-18-21), mazdaverx713b (03-25-21), t_g_farrell (01-15-21)
Old 01-15-21, 06:49 PM
  #11  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
The f'ed up part is, I bought over a half a dozen 12A engines, including one that was "rebuilt" (very, very poorly) in 2008 or so and never run... and these are the rotor housings that were in the blown engine that came with the car. I had them up for sale for a while but there were no takers, and when I found someone with a stash of 12A rotors last summer, I knew what I had to do and bought two pairs from him with good slots. The original side housings have been resurfaced/re-Nitrided by Chip's, and I had him do my bridge ported housings at the same time so I can have the fun engine back in the '84.

If it wasn't for finding these rotors, I was seriously contemplating swapping in a B6 engine from a JDM NB. You can find those drivetrains very easily on eBay for not much money, I guess nobody in the US wants a 1.6 for their Miata... Either way, putting Lumpy McAngryson in the '84 is entirely contingent on making the '81 a pleasant car to live with, since my knees aren't too tolerant of driving a bridge port in the city anymore.

Last edited by peejay; 01-15-21 at 06:54 PM.
Old 01-16-21, 09:40 AM
  #12  
Moderator

iTrader: (3)
 
j9fd3s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
Posts: 30,848
Received 2,609 Likes on 1,851 Posts
Originally Posted by peejay
I was seriously contemplating swapping in a B6 engine from a JDM NB. You can find those drivetrains very easily on eBay for not much money, I guess nobody in the US wants a 1.6 for their Miata...
the NB 1.6 has smaller valves, lower compression and round cams, its rated at like 98hp. and then all the electronics were upgraded, but the Miata is different from the Rx7, with the Rx7 we have the SAE papers, Service Training books, and the shop manuals. the Miata guys have nothing, they thought the mitchell manual was the factory one

so i guess point 2, is that nobody knows how to hook up the JDM electronics

of course the block, crank, rods and head are all the same, so its a good start for a build
Old 01-16-21, 07:09 PM
  #13  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
I have plenty of Miata friends with 1.6 engines lying around for their cams, and I'd do a Megasquirt anyway, because it is hard to have a B6 or BP and NOT turbocharge it at some point.

One of said friends has a Mazdaspeed engined '90 that I've driven a few times, including as a daily driver for a month or so. It's very nice.



(you can sort of see the snow on top of my RX-3 in the first new seconds of that second video.... off in the back, between the panda Montero and "Oktavia von Seckendorff" my ex-Volvo S40)

Last edited by peejay; 01-16-21 at 07:30 PM.
Old 03-21-21, 08:10 PM
  #14  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
Almost ready...
The following 2 users liked this post by peejay:
hawk 7 (03-22-21), t_g_farrell (03-21-21)
Old 03-21-21, 08:57 PM
  #15  
Waffles - hmmm good

iTrader: (1)
 
t_g_farrell's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Lake Wylie, N.C.
Posts: 8,783
Received 282 Likes on 232 Posts
Lookin good PJ!
Old 03-22-21, 05:28 AM
  #16  
Senior Member

 
1BADRX7's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: somewhere
Posts: 642
Received 51 Likes on 48 Posts
Almost time to drop it in!
Old 03-22-21, 12:57 PM
  #17  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
Would have been in yesterday, but the hose I bought to repair the MOP lines was the wrong size, and I really don't feel like dealing with them in-chassis.

Got a box full of a disassembled Nikki in the mail today. I bought it for all the solenoids and linkage and choke pulloff stuff that disappeared in the past 40 years. Sadly it's all faded, not nice bright plating like everything else on my carb, but what can you do. People love to rip this stuff off and throw it away, then complain that their car runs poorly... anyway it was literally the only Nikki on eBay that still had everything on it.

Last edited by peejay; 03-22-21 at 01:00 PM.
Old 03-22-21, 09:09 PM
  #18  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts


And so...



My goal is 150hp with the factory manifold. I have a strong dislike of headers on what is supposed to be a pleasant car.

Last edited by peejay; 03-22-21 at 09:11 PM.
Old 03-22-21, 10:29 PM
  #19  
Rotary Freak

iTrader: (2)
 
j_tso's Avatar
 
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Austin, TX
Posts: 1,757
Received 249 Likes on 167 Posts
Originally Posted by peejay
My goal is 150hp with the factory manifold. I have a strong dislike of headers on what is supposed to be a pleasant car.
That rotary engine gives you quiet power!

Old 03-23-21, 08:06 AM
  #20  
Moderator

iTrader: (3)
 
j9fd3s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
Posts: 30,848
Received 2,609 Likes on 1,851 Posts
weird, that thing has the factory installed AC, it is unusual. like a horse with one horn
Old 03-23-21, 12:29 PM
  #21  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
You sure about that? There is a switch in one of the lines on the passenger side, and the wires going to it are just sort of draped over the engine, not part of any harness.

It does have the compressor for factory air, according to Rock Auto's catalog, but the catalog has been wrong before.

What are the defining traits?
Old 03-23-21, 03:26 PM
  #22  
Slowly getting there...
iTrader: (1)
 
Maxwedge's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: SE PA
Posts: 1,638
Received 352 Likes on 259 Posts
I've only seen one AC on a 12A car and I had to kill it because,.. it seemed so wrong and foreign in that environment.
Old 03-23-21, 05:32 PM
  #23  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
Originally Posted by Maxwedge
I've only seen one AC on a 12A car and I had to kill it because,.. it seemed so wrong and foreign in that environment.
I kept the A/C in my '80 when I did the street port engine.
I should have kept the A/C in my '85, but I was poor and it went porous.
Some dilhole removed the A/C from my '84.
The main reason I picked up the '81 was because it has A/C.
The conversation went something like this:
"You need this car."
"Well, I gotta think about it."
(three months later)
"You still have that car?"
"Yeah, you want it yet?"
"Does it still have A/C?"
"I'm in Alabama. Of course it still has A/C."
"I'll be down after Christmas to collect it"
Old 03-24-21, 09:21 AM
  #24  
Moderator

iTrader: (3)
 
j9fd3s's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
Posts: 30,848
Received 2,609 Likes on 1,851 Posts
Originally Posted by peejay
You sure about that? There is a switch in one of the lines on the passenger side, and the wires going to it are just sort of draped over the engine, not part of any harness.

It does have the compressor for factory air, according to Rock Auto's catalog, but the catalog has been wrong before.

What are the defining traits?
Nippon Denso compressor, and the lines are all different. There is/was a tax on imported cars with AC, so most Mazda's have A/C installed at the port, but not all. the common one is the GSL-SE and 12A cars with power steering, those all have the factory AC. Most of the rest have the Sanden system, but you do occasionally see one that is factory installed, like yours
Old 03-28-21, 08:03 AM
  #25  
Old [Sch|F]ool

Thread Starter
 
peejay's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Cleveland, Ohio, USA
Posts: 12,507
Received 416 Likes on 296 Posts
Huh.
My '85 had power steering, so it was factory A/C.

I don't remember now what my '80's compressor even looked like, but I do remember that the belt tension was adjusted with an idler pulley while this one's tension is adjusted by rotating the compressor. (The cars were built a few months apart - the '80 was built in May '80, this one is, IIRC, September '80)

All it needs now is plugs installed and it should fire today. Need to find/make an air pump to air cleaner hose, and do something about permanently capping off the unused ports.


Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
snivley whiplash
NW RX-7 Forum
2
04-17-11 05:12 PM
TonyTurboII
2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992)
2
02-10-02 07:48 PM



Quick Reply: Unicorn engine parts



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 03:33 PM.