So I was taking apart most of the upper portion of the motor and removed one of the hoses and I came across this. Now my question is, is there a fix? Is it salvageable?

 

Its just pressed in there. Ive seen people remove it then drill/tap the iron to accept a barb fitting. So yes it is fixable.

 

Am I able to repair it with out disassembling the motor? I fear metal shavings may fall in

 

The one person i saw who posted doing a drill and tap used grease to help catch the metal shaving. It may not even need the drilling part if you find the right size barb that would only require a tap. Since the coolant lines are disconnected you should be able to flush/blow it out using the driver side rear iron coolant port.

 

There are a few people that have done it with the engine still together.

https://www.rx7club.com/general-rota...t-iron-941657/

 

Shavings in the coolant, as long as they're kept to minimum, really shouldn't be too big of a deal. I imagine they would settle out somewhere and wouldn't keep circulating for long. It's not like they're in your oil.

 

If you have an engine stand, turn the engine upside down and drill the hole and tap it from underneath. The chips will fall out from gravity. Just use WD-40 to lube the tap this way, grease can be too heavy and stick the shavings in the hole and be tough to get out.

Turning the engine upside down is the same method that Toyota wants their dealer techs to use when drilling out the head bolt threads. The 2AZ-FE engine in a Camry has an issue with pulling the threads out, so Toyota has the techs drill new bolt threads with the engine inverted.

I would not try and press in a new nipple though. Either thread it for a barbed fitting, or plug it.

 

I guess a better question would be, what is its purpose? Do I need if I have most all emissions deleted?

 

wd-40 is NOT a lubricant. Do not use that ****. General engine oil is better, you'll cook drill bits using wd-40.

 

It circulates through the thermowax, then through the bac and then to the front iron. If you disabled the thermowax then its really not needed. The coolant flow through the bac isnt really needed (prevents sticking of the bac valve in extreme cold temps) Most people loop the coolant line from the rear iron to the front or plug both iron nipples.

 

This is how it was when I go

t it. Excuse the mess of electrical tape. The PO wasn't very skilled at repairing things. It's all being gone true and repaired.

 

Yep they looped the lines. You can either plug them or keep them looped as long as you arent planning to have the thermowax functioning properly. Not really a big deal but some people like it, i never cared for a functional thermowax, they tend to stick, cause a looping idle during warm up and are generally inconsistent. Dont forget the plastic spacer required when you bolt that primary fuel rail down.

 

If the thermowax is still intact on the throttlebody you have to screw the fast idle cam all the way in or the car will hold a high idle forever. This is only if its still intact on the throttlebody and you arent running the coolant lines though it.

 

Thanks for all the great info. Really helpful. On a side note I'm looking at this turbo for sale and I'm wondering if it looks usable.

 

I use it for tap lube. It's easier to remove than grease. You are right though, it should not be used for drill bits. It is, however, a lubricant, even if it is a very light one.

Taken from the WD-40 site

 

I mean, you can use a cell phone as a hammer if you want.

Check the shaft play of the turbo. Is there any axial and/or lateral play? If not and it spins freely, you should be fine.

Used turbos are fairly cheap, but you will want to port the wastegate or look at getting an S5 turbo instead.

Here is a guide on wastegate porting.

Extreme S4 Wastegate Porting

 

I guess i over looked that part that you said for tapping. I was never a big fan of wd-40 besides using it to prevent rust on parts sitting around.

Some lateral play with turbine is likely and acceptable to a certain extent. Axial play is never good, that should always be tight. It is highly advised to port the waste gate on s4's to prevent boost creep but also isnt a bad idea to do on s5's as well.

 

Cast iron usually turns in to very tiny chips and dust when drilled, unlike steel that usually yields large curly-Q's. If you use one of those super strong rare earth magnets you should be able to magnetize the drill and tap. Use a magnet-on-a-stick to grab the rest of the chips that fall inside the block. If you use tapping paste like the stuff made by Rapid-Tap, you'll catch most of the chips the tap produces in the flutes of the tap.

Another option entirely would be to find a new section of tubing that is the correct outside diameter to press into the iron.

FWIW:
WD-40 has similar lubrication properties to kerosene. So... barely any. The only time I use it as a 'lubricant' is when machining aluminum. It keeps the material from sticking to the tool, aiding in surface finish. Otherwise, it's usually only useful for cleaning or rust prevention. I would not recommend using it on any cutting operation that involves cast iron.

 

^ Your method is better and easier than trying to flip the engine. Do it that way.

 

Regular old motor oil is recommended by my tap set for tapping in cast iron.

WD-40 is absolutely not a lubricant. It's great for what it is designed for, Water Displacement, successfully formulated on the 40th try. So really good to prevent tools or bare metal from rusting, to dry out distributors or switch, etc. But lubricating capabilities are dubious at best.

Having tapped many rear iron holes, generally I just let the chips fall where they may and then go into the hole with a magnet on a stick afterwards.

If the iron is on the engine, I would recommended tapping for a STRAIGHT thread, not an NPT thread. NPT taps put a lot of stress on the casting as the taper forces itself in. It would suck cracking a rear iron in that area (seen it happen) while tapping if the engine is assembled. Straight threads are far kinder. Then just hit the top surface with a Dremel/sanding disk to flatten it. A combination of Teflon tape on the threads and a Dowty seal means it will never leak.

 

All I can say is either tsp and plug the fitting in the rear and the water pipe housing like I did . Don't put just a cap . After time they crack and blow coolant all over the place . Ask me how I know . I did find a off the self water hose from the parts house to make a nice clean intake bypass . The hose has a few 90's and a long straight to run under the intake . So if you do reinstall s nipple you can go this route .
Since then I've done a rebuild and tapped and plugged both holes . I wouldn't worry about shavings in that back port . Keep adding water and it flows out .