RX-7Impreza

with all of the motors i seem to have floating around i waswondering how hard it would be to put one into a miata, i know its been done before and if i can find a junk miata body in good shape i would like to try the swap.....

anyone????

Justin

go_speed_go

It can be done, but it's nothing resembling easy.

There a lot of fabrication to be done for motor mounts and moving the opening in the tranny tunnel for the shifter.

check out www.rotarymiata.com

SonicRaT

iTrader: (6)

I did a lot of research on this, and decided it was just all out nuts. You have to cut the firewall, and you lose the heater core if I remember correctly, though it would be one badass miata!

go_speed_go

It might be worth the effort if the motor in it wasn't so good. With a FI kit (there's many of them) and the right tuning, you can easily put 225+ to the wheels on all stock internals with no big worries about reliabilty. And, if you do manage to fry the venerable little boinger, they're so prevelant in the market, a brand new short block can be had for less than $1k.

FPrep2ndGenRX7

It may be possible to install a 13B in a Miata without cutting the firewall but the horizintal lip/shelf that surrounds the motor will definetly have to be seriously trimmed. The reason the miata at www.rotarymiata.com had the trans tunnel and firewall cut into so much was to get the engine as far back and low as possible. That car is an all out racecar. You don't have to mount it the same way he did but you would have to take some good measurements to verify hood clearance. It definetly isin't something for an ametuer(sp?) to tackle but is doable.

RX-7Impreza

i will research more

Justin

13BMiata

everything FP2G said is true except for one thing. The firewall will have to be cut to some amount if you do not run a dry sump setup. A first gen 13B oil pan flipped backward and some creative heating/beating of the Miata subframe is what determined the location of my motor. It was a conveinient 'side effect' that my motor ended up lower and farther back than the original 4 cyl. You will have to enlarge the trans tunnel either way, since the centerline of the eccentric shaft is located much higher in the chassis than the piston engine. I did this by heating the underside and a liberal application of a sledgehammer. The end result was the top of the tunnel became rounded, and added about an inch of clearance all the way down the tunnel to the shifter hole.

There is more to it than this. See link posted above.

Notes:
It is alot of work, but enjoyable if you like this sort of thing
The payoff is big in performance
Rotary= more low end torque than the turbo'd 4cyls. My car runs quicker 60' and 1/8th mile times than the 230+ RWHP turbo Miatas. I attribute it to my car's lighter weight and rotary torque. I havent run a 1/4 mile, but I suspect the Turbo 4cyl Miatas would catch and pass me. Some of those things are seriously strong 1/4 mile cars.


Thanks
AB

itzweapon

Ab.. do you know the hp @ the rw of your miata?
What rear end are you using?

13BMiata

err, I have a pretty good idea but I dunno the exact numbers. Using the following:

87 T2 block, stock port
SDS EFI
Atkins 7" blower
MSD 6BTM
93 octane/premix
dunno exact timing

I am in the neighborhood of 220hp at the rear wheels. Torque is the same number. The curve is flat, if plotted it would not have the S shape like a turbo car, just a pair of arcs across the page.

Currently has 3.90 Clutch type LSD, on stands now getting a 4.44/Torsen diff. Gears are from 87 4x4 truck.

later!
Alan