Hey all, I know little to nothing about this subject. Is it possible to put a 20B in, say, an '80?

 

http://www04.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/cf6...KAI/index.html

mike

 

Yes, and it would be pretty darn fast due to the lighter weight. This one has a custom-made 3-rotor, but the conversion would be pretty much the same with a 20B (but a whole lot easier and cheaper):
http://www.hitman.hm/rx7.htm

 

theoretically all you have to do is swap front covers, and fab up a front engine mount.

mike

 

... fab up a custom thermostat housing and front starter mount/spacer, install an FMIC and custom plumbing, install a larger radiator and electric fan(s), install a custom exhaust, install an upgraded clutch, swap a flywheel for the flex plate and possibly mill the counterweights, recalibrate or replace the tachometer, replace the drivetrain, etc.

It's still going to be a huge undertaking, but at least you don't have to custom-build the engine like The Hitman's car.

 

HOLY SEXY REXYS BATMAN!
Now that is a sexy car

 

Ironic that you said that... 'cause my black '80 looks like the batmobile from behind.

 

You assume it would be turbocharged....

 

Nope.. The 20B is of course alot longer.. and you canot push the tranny back that far without cutting the firewall..

Most people just make a custom engine mount like the second gen.,. Most people.. haha thats funny.. probably only a few in the world..


-Zach

 

if you look at the car in question, the motor mount is in the stock location on the subframe, and you can't see it but they must have made some sort of mount bracket to go between that and the engine. it's kinda theoretical anyways, i dunno if any of us are that crazy.

mike

 

Are you saying that you wouldn't want to put a 20B in a first-gen or that it would be more complicated than j9fd3s thought? Also, what would happen if you cut the firewall? Heh, I'm a total newbie. Sorry.

 

um, i am saying you could not just swap out the front cover with a 1st gen cover and mount it up..


You will HAVE to make a custom mount. or cut the firewall and make a custom driveshaft. and then you will have problems with the tranny shifter being in the right place..


If i where to do it. I would make a new engine mount. It would not be that hard.. I would not go turbo though.. It would be really hard to come up with the room for everything.. Maybe with a new front end you could do it..



Also, this will screw up your handeling pretty bad.. And you might also need a custom oil pan.

Other then that. it is about as easy as putting it in a second gen. except there isn't a company that already has the motor mounts that you can buy.



-Zach

 

Where? i don't see the 1st gen mount being used. the engine comes way to far forward to use it.. It would be easier and safer to use bolts off one of the intermidiate housings.




-Zach

 

http://www04.u-page.so-net.ne.jp/cf6...MUKAI/eng1.jpg

whats the round aluminum colored thing in front of the headers?

mike

 

I don't know.. but it is behind the front cover. so i doubt it is from the engine mount..





That is where they normaly come from and attach..

-Zach

 

Um, yes. Why in the world would somebody expend more work and more money, only to yield less torque, less horsepower, and more noise? That is totally retarded IMO.

 

You speak as if cutting the firewall in necessarily a BAD thing.

You should get plenty of trans clearance if you lower the engine. Not much room to work with, though, and the fabrication necessary (new mount plate, cut and section crossmember to the limit of the center link...) would probably make the stock 20B mounts look more viable. But it'd be nice to keep the front of the engine in the same spot as with the 12A...

 

You're not thinking fourth-dimensionally. How will it screw up handling? Understeer more? I'd highly doubt that... with the increased compression braking as well as increased torque, breaking the rear loose would be much easier either by letting off or pouring on the throttle.

 

Less torque and less horsepower than what? A N/A 2-rotor?

I figure that it's probably just as much money to put a well powered 13BT in there. I mean, either way, you need to fabricate, you need to upgrade the transmission, you need a new turbo, you need engine management.... if you're going to go the cheap way of doing a 13BT swap (all stock components) then you'll still just be running evn wih a well built N/A 2-rotor.

 

A Turbo 13B would be easyer then a Turbo 20B.

But a NA 20B would be easyer then a Turbo 13B..


An NA 20B swap that would be easy would also **** up the weight distribution pretty bad, because the only way you could get it in the car, it would be on top of the front cross member..


It would be a cool swap though.


-Zach

 

No, I'm saying that an NA 20B would have less torque and hp than a stock 20B-REW.

No, a turbo 13B would be much easier because some 1Gen's came with a 13B, so the mounting hardware is available. Also, the power output is much less on a 13BT, so you could get away with a stock ribcase transmission as long as you don't modify the engine much.

I think that a lot of you are forgetting that the 20B-REW comes with twin turbos from the factory. It would cost MORE money and take MORE time to convert it to an NA. Also, in order to get a lot of power out of an NA 20B, it needs to be ported and run at higher rpm's, which means extra work and expense for the porting, underdrive pulleys, dry sump, lightened rotors, etc. Even after all of that you would still only get about 475hp with a race-level deafening exhaust, as compared to the 550hp that Pettit gets out of thier STREET LEGAL stock-turbo street-ported 20B. I just don't see any purpose for an NA 20B unless you plan to race in a class that doesn't allow turbos.

The weight distribution thing is a myth. The only difference is a slightly increased polar moment of inertia. If you don't know what that is, then it's not going to bother you.

 

i havent really driven my fc much, because it has a deafening exhaust, but i havent noticed any "front heaviness" it feels like it always did.

mike

 

A NA 20B with the same power as a 13BT would be easyer then the 13BT..


for a 13BT you would need the following:
Intercooler+piping
BOV
Turbo Manifold
Turbo
Turbo Oil lines & possibly coolant lines
Wastegate
Downpipe
Haltech
Injectors
TII Tranny
Custom Driveshaft
13B GSL-SE front cover & oil pan.


Now for a NA 20B all you would need
Custom engine mounts
TII Tranny
Custom drive shaft
Carbs
Header


The 20B would cost a little more to get built though.



-Zach

 

Even with the sway bar disconected?? I should hope jsut for that reason alone it would feal different..

Driving in traffic through town probably wont show the weight or any other differences, but a nice power band

But if you pushed the car.. it would probably show it..


-Zach

 

Oh, and about building the 20B to NA spec.. that is lame.. all you would need to do is press new exhaust sleaves in.. and maybe clean up the ports..


TO do a 13BT you would also want to clean up the ports..


So the 20B would cost maybe 50% more..


-Zach