RX7 drawing me back...
 

Hey everyone! My first car was an '86 RX7. Absolutely loved that car (despite being expensive to fix), but was totalled in a head on collision. Now I've been into vw watercooleds and jeep offroading for a few years, but the RX7 bug has always been there.

Now I'm pondering another 2nd gen but I want something with more punch AND it has to be reliable. Someone was telling me about a three rotor 'cosmo' engine? Will this physically fit in the engine bay (with some accessory/radiator relocation) and mate up to the stock transmission in a 2nd gen? Where can you find these motors and the associated intakes/exhausts/fuel,spark management? I'd prefer a nonturbo for reliability and longevity, since a car that breaks down every week is no fun. If this is a fesible swap let me know, or if it's just insanely complicated point me in another direction. Hope to hear some great feedback!

Hamilton

many people have done 3-rotor eunos cosmo engine swaps, there are two here in AZ. Speedmachine offers a set of mounts. theres alot to it, but it yeilds insane amounts of power and more torque than a 2-rotor, gas mileage is kinda bad though

yes the swap is very possible and rewarding but your looking at around $10,000 to get it in there. A swap more within reach is the 13b-re. Its a 2 rotor twin turbo form another cosmo. Kinda like a 3rd gen engine for the 2nd gen. Cheaper and easier to do. may never have the same potential but more bang for your buck IMO. then again I still consider myself a newb.

For the price, i'd do the 13b-RE swap. Cheaper to do and can potentially yeild as much power as an REW without the hassle of swapping an REW into your 2nd gen.

It would be nice to do the 20B swap though....if you have the $$ that is...

Plenty of punch in your turbo 2. What is your HP goal? 600? 700? Have lots of money? Then go for the swap. Otherwise, the turbo 2 will serve you plenty fine. I generally consider 400 as the upper limit of the turbo 2.

More info on swaps can be found at http://www.fc3spro.com/TECH/SWAP/swap.html

I'd like a naturally asperated motor (for reliability and longevity) and I hate turbo lag. The stock motor in '86 was rated at 150hp I believe, so if I could get 220hp or so that would be great. I'm getting motor designations mixed up, since it's been 8 years when I last had my head under a roatry hood. How about the motor out of an RX8? I beleive those are about 215hp and nonturbo?

the 20b would probably be cheaper then a renesis...

The 3 rotor cosmo engine are called 20b's and are all turbocharged from the factory. I think you could remove the turbos and everything but that seems like a waste. The horsepower limit for a NA motor is about 200, after that it becomes rather economically unfeasable to continue. A peripheral port NA can reach 300 hp but they are generally considered unstreetable and eat gas.