cwsttu

hey, just selling my truck, (tranny problems...severe) my friend has a rx7 88 Turbo II and i have fallen in love with it. i want a rotary engine now!!! i want to buy an 88 turbo II, i want to buy one with a great body and working turbos but engine needs rebuilding. my friend said i can get the engine rebuilt at marvelspeeds in dallas and it would be awesome. now i need to know what else i should replace on the car. i want to totally restore the car to mint condition so it will be more reliable. ive thought about...
-a/c unit
-alternator and battery
-performance radiator
-rebuilding engine and pro tuned $expensive$ but worth it my friend says
-gas lines
-straight back exaust (no cat or muffler) 4" all the way
-fuel pump
-brakes
-i also need to know if i should replace the transmission (just a general opinion i know it depends on how it was treated in the past)
what else would i need to do because i dont know much about rotary or turbos. also if youve done this before can u give me a rough estimate of costs. i really appreciate any help or info u guys might give me

dvls-7

Sounds like u r willin to take on a complete project....all those u listed is good....however unless u want to go through all that expense u don't really need to.....it all depends on the car that u find......if u r lookin for 1 with a blown engine chances r the turbo will be gone too....there r some out there where the bodys r in very decent shape u just got to take the time to look....if u find 1 heres an option u could do.....get a j-spec motor u can drop that in and be on the road for a while (depends on how u drive)....and save some cash to do other mods or get another engine fully built.....ported, 3mm seals etc......your frien is rite it is worth it.....but if u r short on cash then u could try that route.....as far as tranny.....T2 trannys r pretty strong.....unless u luck out and get 1 that a total idiot had.....good luck bro....

scathcart

That's quite a list.
Finding an TII in that year may prove to be a little more difficult. The 87 TII's were almost identical, and are much easier to find. However, 89-91 TII's are more powerful and have a more attractively designed body, but they are more expensive and harder to find.
Ones with blown engines are usually fairly easy to find. You're looking at around $1000 for a stock blown one in good condition.
As for your list of things to do, I'll tell you how I see it.

With a blown engine, if you do get it rebuilt, have it street-ported. You will regret not doing it later, and it will make more power. Contrast to what is said below, do NOT put in 3mm seals for your rebuild unless the rotor's are screwed and need to be bored out. 3 mm seals are heavier and the centrifical force from the extra mass creates more friction on the housings, and makes engine wear increase. stock Mazda 2mm seals are great up to 500 hp, how much more do you want?

For your A/C unit, if the stock one works, the only real modifcation is to have it recharged with R134A Replacing the filter/drier at the time is a Great idea. The stock system is really quite durable.
Expect a 3-4hp parasytic loss from keeping the a/c, and 50 lbs of weight than can be removed.

For your alt and battery, a good modification is toconvert from your 70 amp alternator to a 100 amp 3rd gen alternator is a great idea. It is basically bolt on, with very simple wire modifications, and a pulley bore and swap.
Moving the battery to the storage bins is a common upgrade. Make sure to use proper connections and gauge of wire, and use a sealed battery (such as an Optima Red Top) for the safest results.

The stock radiator really is quite accetpable. An upgrade is really only necessary for tack use and when major horsepower is made. Many high performance TII's rely solely on the stock cooling system.

Do not worry about protuning. This is really only a modification when an aftermarket enguine management syetm is in use. For what you listed, the stock ECU should perform fine.

Stock fuel lines are fine, however a fuel pump upgrade and re-wire is a great idea. I personally run an inline pump system, but many people are more than stisafied with a Walboro stock replacement pump. For $135, its a outstanding value, and bolts right in. Rewiring the pump to see correct voltage is a very good idea.

As for staright exhaust, you're going a little big. Seeing as you did not list a turbo upgrade, 3" exhaust is MORE than addiquate for you. You may want to consider having it custom made as some kits are very expensive, and you may also wnat to consider switching to a single side muffler to cut down on weight. Expect a large increase in noise levels with a exhaust upgrade.

The stock brakes on a TII are really quite superior. Upgrades normally only consist of stainless steel lines and some good pads.
On TII's with ABS, it is common to find the ABS unit leaking. The units are very expensive, to replace are so far are not yet rebuildable. The most sensible approach in this case is usually to remove the entire unit and plumb around it.

The stock Turbo trannies are really quite beefy. A rebuild may be necessary for grinding gears, but often a switch to synthetic tranny fluid can prevent this. The stock tranny will handle power levels of up to 500 hp quite reasonably. Only replace the tranny if you know it is bad.

Expect around $2000-2500 for a rebuild. Costs may increase depending on how your engine looks inside and what needs to be replaced.

For full exhaust, expect $800-$1000, or $400 to have it custom built.

Radiator is around $500 for a aluminum replacement.

Sean Cathcart

scathcart

There are many other modifcations that acn be done to the RX-7 that you did not list.

A simple K&N intake filter ($40) is usually the first modifcation.
A good clutch upgrade, such as an ACT clutch ($400) is a great idea.
With the intake and exhaust modifcations, you will be making much higher than stock boost. It is likely you will hit fuel cut b/c of this (engine ECU sees too much boost pressure and cuts fuel to the rear rotor as a safety device, severely cutting engine power). The best bet for this is an FCD (fuel cut defencer, $100) and some larger secondary fuel injectors ($200). With larger secondaries, a tuning device is required, and the S-AFC from Apex'i ($350) is the best budget choice for someone with limited tuning ability and a low budget.

You can increase boost up to 10 psi if you have the right modifications to the fuel system using any aftermarket boost controller, but chanvces are with your mods the car will see that anyway.
In fact, with an 87-88 Turbo, the wastegate will need to be ported open in order to keep boost from rocketing due to boost creep and killing the engine.
You can boost higher, but a front mounted intercooler is really necessary above 10 psi ($1000).

Removal of some emissions systems, such as the air pump (and blockoff the ACV with a plate, $10) is quite common, and frees up some hp.
Many people remove the oil metering pump. This device sprays oil into the engine in order to lubiracte the rotors. After removal, you must add 2-stroke gasoline tyo every tank of gas to keep the engine lubed. This modification is great for the engine and severely cuts down on carbon build up.

Many people remove the A/c and P/s units b/c they can live without them. This frees up some hp loss and removes about 100 lbs of weight.

An aftermarket boost gauge is definitely a good mod, one of your first. It will alow you to make sure your turbocharger is running up to par all the time. and help in diagnosing low boost and vacuum problems.

There are many other modifcations I can list, such as suspension, intake porting, etc, but really, you should get the car first and do everything in stages. A full tune-up should be on the top of your list upon getting the car.
Chances are it will have problems, and chances are this list can help you solve them. Electronics is a common problem with these vehicles.

If you have any questions, I will help you in anyway I can. If you have a question you feel is too stupid to ask your, you can PM or email me (shutup_billy@hotmail.com) and I will give you a hand.

You will be happy with your choice in car. Although sometimes unrelaible, they are really amazing performance cars. Doing the work yourself and learning everything you can will be your biggest asset, and also you're biggest reward.

On behalf of all TII and Rx-7 owners alike on this board, congratulations and good luck with your choice of car, and welcome to the forum!

Sean Cathcart
1990 TII

scathcart

Getting a J-spec is always an option, if you are short on acash. A jspec is a used Jaopanese loong block that can be fit into your car. They make the same power, and come complete with most engine accessories and a compression test. Most of them have 30,000 miles on them or less. Look to pay around $850 for a 87-88 j spec.
Really, though, a rebuild is your best bet in a replacement engine.

As for the expense, only replace the parts as upgrades. Most of the time, the parts you listed will not go bad.

Also, when the engine blows, the Turbo does not usually go as well. Only if an apex seal is blown out of the exhaust is the turbo damaged. It is quite uncommon for the turbo to need replacing in a blown engine situation.

If you do find a non-running TII, there are sometimes a few things that can be done to get the car running without needing a new engine.

But really, this is all too much information. Get the car first, and then discuss what you need to do and what you would like out of the car. We cannot really help you with a car you are yet to own.

Sean Cathcart

cwsttu

Thank yall so much i will be sure to heed to that advice and i will post a new response when i purchase my rx7, i cant wait!!!!