My new s4 n/a project
09-27-09, 01:38 PM
#1
My new s4 n/a project
I picked up this 87 from a guy on craigslist. After many emails and trade discussions, I was able to trade him my 1992 rm250 for it. I payed a measly $300 for back in April. It is going to need some work to get in the shape I want it in, but none the less, I love it. The most pressing of issues are that it is not getting fuel on the front rotor and the interior needs some tlc. The electrical system needs some going through also as it seems that someone decided to make a bunch of grounds with random gauge wire and with twice the length of wire needed. The a/c is partially removed as is the air pump and other parts of emmissions. It is my first rx7 and I am eager to dig in. My preliminary plans for the car are:
-remove injectors and send to witchhunter
-check voltages from ecu and at components
-remove chains and get proper muffler hangers
-interior cleaning
more to come.
-remove injectors and send to witchhunter
-check voltages from ecu and at components
-remove chains and get proper muffler hangers
-interior cleaning
more to come.
09-27-09, 06:49 PM
#4
Damn, that is truly a project. Good luck!
I'm not sure if I want to mess with finding all of the emissions parts and reattaching them. That will include pulleys and probably some more rewiring. It's that or make it a race car because I have to have pass emissions for it to be legal for at most, the next two years. Today, before work, I drained the old oil, removed the pedal covers and began removing the UIM. I will add some more pics once I get the manifold and injectors out. I need to find a new steering wheel and probably some seats while the injectors are being cleaned.
09-27-09, 07:01 PM
#5
You grunted and heaved while your friend removed the filter?
For the pedals...go to Home Depot (or your local equivalent) and get a roll of "stair tread" tape- it's black and has what looks like sand embedded on the surface)- and apply to the pedal face.
It wears like iron -and is easily replaceable when necessary- and is also grippy when wet.
And cheap.
For the pedals...go to Home Depot (or your local equivalent) and get a roll of "stair tread" tape- it's black and has what looks like sand embedded on the surface)- and apply to the pedal face.
It wears like iron -and is easily replaceable when necessary- and is also grippy when wet.
And cheap.
09-27-09, 07:21 PM
#6
What's under the steering wheel cover is worse... the pedal covers are equally ugly also. The oil filter was practically welded on there. After much grunting and heaving though, I was able to get a friend to remove it for me.
It is but it also shouldn't take much to get it running. That is my first priority.
I'm not sure if I want to mess with finding all of the emissions parts and reattaching them. That will include pulleys and probably some more rewiring. It's that or make it a race car because I have to have pass emissions for it to be legal for at most, the next two years. Today, before work, I drained the old oil, removed the pedal covers and began removing the UIM. I will add some more pics once I get the manifold and injectors out. I need to find a new steering wheel and probably some seats while the injectors are being cleaned.
It is but it also shouldn't take much to get it running. That is my first priority.
I'm not sure if I want to mess with finding all of the emissions parts and reattaching them. That will include pulleys and probably some more rewiring. It's that or make it a race car because I have to have pass emissions for it to be legal for at most, the next two years. Today, before work, I drained the old oil, removed the pedal covers and began removing the UIM. I will add some more pics once I get the manifold and injectors out. I need to find a new steering wheel and probably some seats while the injectors are being cleaned.
09-27-09, 10:54 PM
#7
You grunted and heaved while your friend removed the filter?
For the pedals...go to Home Depot (or your local equivalent) and get a roll of "stair tread" tape- it's black and has what looks like sand embedded on the surface)- and apply to the pedal face.
It wears like iron -and is easily replaceable when necessary- and is also grippy when wet.
It wears like iron -and is easily replaceable when necessary- and is also grippy when wet.
you live in frikin newnan ga. i didnt think they needed emissions there.
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09-29-09, 11:07 AM
#11
To more permanently solve the problem relay the window motors, which will remove the high current draw through the switch and keep the contacts from wearing.
If you're ambitious remove the carpet entirely and go to town on it with carpet cleaner and water.
If you're not so lively, remove the seats and use a hand held steam cleaner.
09-29-09, 12:44 PM
#12
The switches can be disassembled and the contacts cleaned...that will usually get them working again.
To more permanently solve the problem relay the window motors, which will remove the high current draw through the switch and keep the contacts from wearing.
If you're ambitious remove the carpet entirely and go to town on it with carpet cleaner and water.
If you're not so lively, remove the seats and use a hand held steam cleaner.
To more permanently solve the problem relay the window motors, which will remove the high current draw through the switch and keep the contacts from wearing.
If you're ambitious remove the carpet entirely and go to town on it with carpet cleaner and water.
If you're not so lively, remove the seats and use a hand held steam cleaner.
I'm not sure which ones though. Pics to come.
12-18-09, 11:23 PM
#13
Update:
I realized the car is a GXL based on the fact that it has AAS and the GXL wheels. This is good news because I want the car to have a LSD.
I removed the UIM to get to the primary injectors. Now I have all four injectors removed and I am going to ship them off to Witchhunter this week.
Took out the seats to give the carpet a good run through with a vacuum and it looks much better!
I am thinking I will remove the OMP and injectors and premix but I'm not totally sure yet.
The car is going to need quite a few small interior pieces along with many of the grounds being redone. In addition to most emissions being removed in the car right now, I still have the wires going everywhere that could pose a problem when I get the car running. I am trying to decide what I should do drivetrain wise because I have no hope of making the current 13b pass emissions unless the ethanol trick works. That being said I want to try and get the car to pass emissions because I'm only about a hundred bucks from having it running. If it fails though I'm considering a few things
Start the slow/costly process of turboing the six port since it will be two years before the car will be out of emission laws. (must be 25 years old)
T2 swap- easiest and cheapest option. More than likely my best bet because I bought the car to get to know rotaries and go turbo eventually.
LS1/t56 swap- solely because it would be an automatic 300+ hp.
With as little flaming as possible, what say you all?
I realized the car is a GXL based on the fact that it has AAS and the GXL wheels. This is good news because I want the car to have a LSD.
I removed the UIM to get to the primary injectors. Now I have all four injectors removed and I am going to ship them off to Witchhunter this week.
Took out the seats to give the carpet a good run through with a vacuum and it looks much better!
I am thinking I will remove the OMP and injectors and premix but I'm not totally sure yet.
The car is going to need quite a few small interior pieces along with many of the grounds being redone. In addition to most emissions being removed in the car right now, I still have the wires going everywhere that could pose a problem when I get the car running. I am trying to decide what I should do drivetrain wise because I have no hope of making the current 13b pass emissions unless the ethanol trick works. That being said I want to try and get the car to pass emissions because I'm only about a hundred bucks from having it running. If it fails though I'm considering a few things
Start the slow/costly process of turboing the six port since it will be two years before the car will be out of emission laws. (must be 25 years old)
T2 swap- easiest and cheapest option. More than likely my best bet because I bought the car to get to know rotaries and go turbo eventually.
LS1/t56 swap- solely because it would be an automatic 300+ hp.
With as little flaming as possible, what say you all?
12-20-09, 08:30 AM
#18
I'm not sure if I want to mess with finding all of the emissions parts and reattaching them. That will include pulleys and probably some more rewiring. It's that or make it a race car because I have to have pass emissions for it to be legal for at most, the next two years.
Just make sure your idle and timing are right and you should be fine.
12-23-09, 12:34 PM
#20
I went to look at a possible parts car for the interior today. He told me he would drop the price from $1k to $500 if I would just get it off his property. I was thinking it would be a good deal because I could use the interior, which is flawless, then sell the rest of the parts off the car and make a nice profit. Turns out the pulsation damper is destroyed and the fuel just gushes out when the car is running. The engine looks like one that has been sitting for several months and the car doesn't have a title. I'm going to offer him 200 and I'll get my hundred dollars or so of interior parts and sell the rest. Sound like a good idea?
12-23-09, 06:28 PM
#21
zoom zoom go boom
If a full interior is what you want then sure. My $300 na was gutted when I bought it so I said screw it. I've got 2 race seats on the way. So there will just be the dash,2 seats, and a headliner.
Motor wise? What I'm bout to say is going to **** off tons of people. Consider the ls1. Don't get me wrong, I've owned 5 prior 7s before this one. I love rotary engines. But you can't beat the bang for the buck of the swap.
Motor wise? What I'm bout to say is going to **** off tons of people. Consider the ls1. Don't get me wrong, I've owned 5 prior 7s before this one. I love rotary engines. But you can't beat the bang for the buck of the swap.
12-23-09, 06:55 PM
#22
The owner of a NA is between a rock and a hard place when it comes to rebuilding the engine.
Assuming the major hard parts are usable, a rebuild with some minor porting and a few upgrades (Turbo oil pump, headers, etc.) will run in the neighborhood of $2500-3K, including labor.
When you're done, you have a fresh engine that makes @160HP and gets 17-25MPG.
Throw in a stock LT1/LS1 with a six speed, and you have double the HP and same fuel consumption.
Not to mention torque.
The chassis weight distribution/balance is hardly affected at all but you will need to beef up the diff (depending on what's in there now).
The swaps are incredibly well documented and not particularly difficult and of course, rebuild/speed parts for V-8's are cheap as dirt and can be had anywhere.
Yeah, I agree...it's certainly something to think about.
12-23-09, 11:55 PM
#23
zoom zoom go boom
Glad to see someone else here who can methodically rationalize the available options to a na owner. This is exactly the dilemma I myself was going through. I've now decided to ditch the 6 port in favor of a 5.3l LM7 V8. Iron block so it has a lil more weight but I'm counteracting that a lil since there will be no p/s or a/c. A z06 cam, tube headers, exhaust, bigger maf, bigger tb, and a tune should hopefully get me an easy 400 horse. Did I mention the motor is $500 complete to my door? That's cheaper than the cost of the rebuild kit my motor needed.
But like I said a lot of people don't like hearing it. They get pissed about you removing the rotary engine from YOUR car and sticking a domestic piston engine in it. Ill admit I used to be like that when I had my turbo cars. But now that I'm na...it just makes sense.
But like I said a lot of people don't like hearing it. They get pissed about you removing the rotary engine from YOUR car and sticking a domestic piston engine in it. Ill admit I used to be like that when I had my turbo cars. But now that I'm na...it just makes sense.
12-26-09, 12:44 PM
#24
The reason I've all but decided against that is I don't have to spend that to get the car running right now. I got the car to use the rotary engine. There are plenty of s13 shells around for ls1 swaps.
Does anyone have any of these parts for sale?
s4 steering wheel, oem shift ****, window switches, or driver's door handle
Shoot me a pm.
Does anyone have any of these parts for sale?
s4 steering wheel, oem shift ****, window switches, or driver's door handle
Shoot me a pm.
12-26-09, 01:17 PM
#25
On one hand, we celebrate the advantages of the rotary (and there are many) but simultaneously treasure the frailties (of which there are several).
For me, the biggest conundrum is the rebuild cost.
How does an engine with but 3 moving parts require a rebuild kit that costs north of $1000?
Simplicity certainly has a price.
Furthermore, as an NA owner one faces the difficult decision about a viable upgrade path.
Stay NA and your upper HP limit is going to be @200, beyond which there be dragons.
Swap in a Turbo (complete from front to back) and you're looking at a considerable chunk of change and a relatively easy 300HP.
Convert to a V-8 and you start at 300 HP and more power is comparatively cheap and infinitely easier to acquire.
For every single capable/experienced rotary tech there are probably twenty V-8 gurus (conservative estimate) and the same ratio holds true for part suppliers.
As my engine approaches 200k miles, this is a decision I have to seriously consider and I've wavered between the options.
I need to get proactive but just can't commit yet.
Sigh.