My First Motor Swap...a bit scared
 

Tomorrow morning I will begin my first motor swap.

As some of you know, I have an 87 TII, and it blew up the other day at 126,000 miles. Luckily though, I have a "J-Spec" motor in my garage...I still haven't checked the compression on it, but I'm just hoping its good...as I was told. It came with my car when I bought it back in May of 2005, and has sat around in my garage since. I pulled the plugs and there was a bit of what looked like oil on them...didnt look old...just looked like normal oil...a bit black...but not bad lookin.

If my compression is good on the motor, what else should I do before I put it in? I really just hope it doesnt have a bad coolant seal, or oil seal...cause once I put it in i need it to last until I can rebuild my other one. What else can I check, or do to the motor before I install it?

What should I look for?

Does anyone have a good method of doing a compression test on a motor thats not in a car? Its tough to spin the flywheel and get accurate numbers...

Im a bit scared, as this is my first engine swap. Recommendations? Write-Ups?

Im going by the write-up at RotaryResurrection.com, but I need to swap my wiring harness over to the other motor. Im gonna remove all the emissions crap while im doing all that too...just seems like a good idea. Right now the engine is just the block, and the LIM is bolted to it. Should I take the LIM off, and put it back on after its in, or drop the motor in with the LIM on?

I dont really know what else I need to know, but any help or recomendations would be great.

Thanks,
-Matt

make a full tuneup on the engine...

new plugs, new oilfiter, fresh oil, new coolant...
check for fuel leaks when you have installed the engine...

you can check if it has compression on all rotors by spinning the engine with a socket+wrench... turn the engine at the front pulley... on three complete 360degrees turns you have to hear 6 strong POPS... took your leading spark plugs out for this test..

for an outside compression test it will be an idea to bolt on a transmission+starter, took a battery, gettho-hock up your starter to the battery, get some jumper cables and put them onto the battery terminals with a running car... then do your compressiontest with the spinning engine... (just an idea :) )

haha that sounds dangerous...could turn into a runaway rotary...

i am obviously replacing all the fluids, plugs, wires and all that crap...but as for install...i would like to see other write-ups...recomendations on how to do certain things...what is the easiest way to do it? I need some people with experience to tell me where they had problems, and how they got around them....

Thanks,
-Matt

here is the engine

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...d=159681&stc=1

Just double check everything. I forgot a few things and had to do the swaps while the engine was in the car which made it harder than needed.

I had to swap out my harness, injectors, UIM, and turbo manifold back to the US spec parts. If you have or want the cold start assist then you will need to swap the LIM as well. I stayed with the jspec LIM as it didn't have to have a block off plate put onto it.

Other than that I agree with the tune up and emissions removal. Do them outside the car. Anything you can do with the engine out is the best way.

Mike

bassicly you have to swap over everything. well mainley just intake manifolds if you want to run emissions, if not. just make some block off plates and delete everything.

When you have the motor in and are ready to start it, pull the plugs and turn the engine over with the starter to make sure you get oil-pressure. If you get no oil pressure, check to make sure the oil-pan hasn't been dented from having sat on the pan. I've seen a couple of motors with blocked oil pickups when stored that way.

You can also do a compression test then as well to know how much life is left in the motor. If it's all good, fire it up and go hammer!

should i just take the oil pan off and swap it with the one on my motor now?

couldn't hurt, make sure to put a new oil pan gasket in too

ok, here i go...

gotta make sure i label everything, and take LOTS of pictures on my camera along the way....ill keep you guys updated on how its going...you will get some pictures later today.


-Matt

clean the "jdm" engine before you put it in, nothing better than a nice clean engine.

who cares about a clean engine, this man needs a car to DRIVE!

I'm in a middle of my swap too. I'm down to bare block, labled everything, baggies into a box. I got lazy towards the end and lost a few bolts on the ground/where ever they went. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Make sure you have some PB Blaster, it makes it alot easier.

dont forget that the fuel lines hook up backwards on a JDM engine

hey man I wanted to wish you luck... I can only imagine I am still getting mine ready to be inspected but good luck man and I cant wait to see her when you have her all finished... port that wastegate while you are at it

fuel lines hook up backwards....not to steal a thread but whats that all about...im getting my jspec motor on wed and i never heard that before...can anyone elaborate...?

+1 , IMassuming this applies to my 13b-re

I've done it twice. the first one, I ended up having a seized eccentric shaft. Second one I have just completed and is now running. Don't be scared to touch anything. And make sure you read and ask questions. Too me, its not so bad after all, but I still would rather swap a miata motor or honda, its a lot easier but doesnt compare to the rotary overall. :)

basically on the jdm 13bt's the fuel flows into the top rail, and out the bottom.

Who cares about a clean engine?

Obviously your a typical teenager if you want to have a nice car but not keep it clean. It would be a good idea to tear it down to a short block and replace most gaskets, i.e. LIM, UIM, Turbo coolant/oil/in/out, oil pan, exhaust gaskets, their ALOT easier to change/ scrap the old gasket off when it's out of the car. But ofcourse once your jdm engine coolant seals let go after 5,000 miles then you could do it then :)

I really know nothing about the motor. All i know is i was told it was imported from Japan through a company called Japan Direct. Is there any way of telling if its a Jspec or a US spec motor?

Does a J-spec have the whole emissions rats nest? cause this engine did have it...but i removed it...i need to find out so i know how the fuel flows.

my next post will have all the pictures from the day...


-Matt

ehhh....too tired...you guys can wait till tomorrow morning....

Just get out there and do it, stop askin questions!

haha...i worked from 8AM to 12PM last night. The first motor is out, the other motor is in...had to swap the clutch over, and use some steel wool to clean the flywheel off. took a while to get it lined up in the mounts and in the tranny.

I have to have the engine lift back by 2 this afternoon of i get charged another 40 bucks for another day...

here are some pictures from yesterday.

what is that little sprayer thing in the last picture i uploaded? it was in the injector hole, but i popped it out. looks like its broken around the top.

here are the rest of the pictures...

and the second to last picture is where we left off for the night...

Look at the 2 lines coming from the OIL cooler...one of them twisted and snapped when i tried to get it off...any idea if i can get another one somewhere? or how to fix it? i need to figure the one out...

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...hmentid=159890

you have to buy a new OIL COOLER LINE or a set from mazdatrix. you obviously need to be more carfeul. $180 take your time.. rushing as you see can be more exspensive.. by the way your hands arent dirty enough..your arms should look like your hands