capsoval

I have preformed an 13b -to- aircooled vw engine swap, and have been searching these pages for months on ways to get just that extra 1 or 2 hp, I now I want to post something that I just havent seen up here yet. I have been seeing alot of people talk about the "Pineapple sleeves" and let me tell you they only could benefit top end air flow, but I dont like spending money just like all of you out there so here is what I did.

1: removed 5th and 6th port sleeves.
2: cleaned extensively
3: Drilled a series of small holes in the restrictive end only around an imaginary contour of what I felt would best suit air flow.
4: Used a counter sinking bit on the drilled holes on the outsides of the sleeve only. these holes will be used as ancors.
5: Ruff up the inside of the sleeve at the end with all the holes.
6: Fill the end of the sleeves with devcor steel putty or any extremely hard drying, none shrinking, High temp , fuel and oil resistant putty you want to use. While still wet, use your finger to conture the putty into a nice smooth conture into the port opening, also be sure to push the material firmly enough to make it protrude through the holes drilled and flatten the material that squeeses through on the outside of the sleeve.
7: After drying gently file or sand the excess putty off of the sleeve, and shape -n- smooth the inside of the sleeve.
8: reinstall sleeves.

Good luck.
The Captain

mode5rx7

get a carb up to 50 extra hp but low end will sufer a little

capsoval

This post wasnt to discuss wether FI or Carb is better. Keep to the subject at hand.

FC3AZ

basically, you made a ghetto Pineapple Racing 6-port sleeve. Yes, that does help power a little.

Samps

Idea is good, but the PR sleeves are not very expensive and are of excelent quality. Your method could also lead to some pieces to work thier way into the motor if not done right. But it is a easy way to save $50; and it's probably not that hard. I like the peace of mind that a proffesional rotary mechanic designed these and they work. If you are hard up for $50; your best bet is to just leave the intake alone. Just changing the sleeves will cost you about $50 in gaskets and misc. parts you break along the way. But your idea does have some merit. Mazdaspeed7 did this to his, but still recommends others to just buy the PR product. I guess it's all up to the individual.

sunshine

iTrader: (3)

kudos for the creativity. But I'd go with the PR ones too, 50 bones is not too much for the peace of mind that nothing will fragment into the engine.

Bambam7

I am planning on the same thing- exept I am not using the sleeves as they are.
Since I noticed an incease in high rpms power with the sleeves completely removed, It's logical to asume that the sleeves are a bit of a restriction- whether it be the smaller effective inner diameter, or mismatching of the valve-housing when they are open.
Anyways, I am just going to cut the sleeves basically in half , just leaving a bit of material, and the end plate, enough to form the epoxy up to. IMO it should work better- if I can find my damn sleeves again!!!
I'll let you know next week.

pp13bnos

iTrader: (1)

Once again, i say spend the $50 and buy the sleeves. If everyone where to make getto sleeves, the guys who make cool things for the old Rx-7s, won't waste there time anymore. Spend the $50, and get the peice of mind that the peices are flawless, and support our vendors. Rob in this case, who happens to be a close friend of mine. CJ

Bambam7

Absolutely, I totally agree with you. I definately belive that the pinapple sleeves are a better alternative to my expoxy formed sleeves- except that I am a university student, and while I am not terribly hard up for cash- I do beleive that anything that I can do cheaper for myself, and get a decent result from it- I'll do it. I am definataly a do-it-yourself-er.
Anyone else though- that may not have the *****, tools, or knowhow to do things theirselves... go the pinapple sleeve route, they are a great product targeted at a VERY narrow market (that needs support)- for an excellent price. What other mod gets you 5 HP for 45 bucks????

pp13bnos- Don't worry- not everyone has the facilaties at hand to make these things. I can make a "ghetto" substitute- but it definately isn't CNC machined aluminum.
There are a ton of people out there that don't want to bother fabbing these sort of things themselves. Just a few of us.
I'm sure the CNC program didn't take more than an hour to complete anyawys- He didn't spend tons of $$$ of R+D, it's pretty simple- but effective.

capsoval

Thank you for the support BamBam7.
It's not that I dont think that the pineapple sleeves are a great investment, It was only suppost to be dirtected as a 5 dollar compromise for those who maybe don't have that extra 50 dollars, and for those who like to do things by themselves. Hell, if rotary owners just went out and payed other people to do there mods, people might mistake you for a honda owner. Just in case anyone wanted to know what a Half-way modded 13b runs in a VW bug, my only time at sac was an 11.2 @ 114 mph, that was the only time they would let me run because I didnt have a roll bar.

Bambam7

Oops- I just noticed a typo in my last post.
I meant to say "there are *NOT* a ton of us out there that can fab things themselves... just a few of us.."
My mistake.
Definatly not enough of us DIY'ers to cut into Rob's business.

mazdaspeed7

I made mine out of a nylon rod, and pressed it into the sleeves. I am currently using these in my vert, and while you wont be awed by the hp increase, I still think its definately worth doing. I did something similar, but without the sleeves in my coupe, and it raised my gas mileage from 22 to 25 mpg, and made a very noticable inprovement. The bottom end increase was amazing, and it made my car run so much smoother.

Sniper_X

22 -25 mMPG?

this is the exact same increase in milage i get ever time i just CLEAN the sleeves in dirty intakes.

Were youe sleeves clean and working to begine with? or sis you notice the absence of their function and then do this mod?

Obviously a good cleaning was part of the process.

If so, then you might be seeing this increase just becuase of the cleaning.

fasthack

Bottom end increase?
Those ports aren't online in your bottom end.....
Or are you talking about the bottom end of your top end, er , yeah...please explain

Maxthe7man

I posted the devcon/jb weld mod on the FC3s list about 4 mnths ago and got all sorts of wierd paranoid responses about things dropping into the motor, bottom line, if you can't accuratley read and comprehend the simple instructions on the back of the package, don't do it.
I guess everyone forgets what RB and Mazdatrix plugs off the factory ports with when they build a Peripheral port motor..Max

mazdaspeed7

My coupe doesnt use the 6 port sleeves, actuators, or any of that other stuff. I dont have an air pump, so they wouldnt work even if I did have them. I removed the sleeves, and put in a shaped piece of nylon to replace the sleeves. All of my ports are always open. Before I did that, I had the sleeves removed. And my intake was spotlessly clean, as it always is.

Sniper_X

Okay, its the very fact that they ARENT open in the bottom end, that gives the engine low end power.

When they open, its like getting a port job becuase you get more air when the engine needs it.

If there is more air available in the low end, then power in that band is lost.

So, actually, the ports are in use at ALL times.

Bottome end uses them close, top uses them open.

mazdaspeed7

I was referring to my coupe, and that car has not had operational 6 ports for a long time. I removed the sleeves, and that killed my bottom end. Then I made the nylon inserts that I made to REPLACE the sleeves. The sleeves are not there, but the nylon piece makes the transition from the runner into the port smooth, instead of ending in a dead end, like it was when I just had the sleeves removed. Doing that made a huge increase in my bottom end power, and smoothed out my powerband.

My convertible has working 6 ports, using the sleeves from the pic in my first post. The 6 ports werent opening before, so I dont really have anything to compare it to now, but let me say that it drives SO nice. And there is a noticable kick when the 6 ports open.

Ronac

How did you put the nylon into where the sleeves used to go?
How did you get them to stay?