supra to rx7? newb questions
 

heres the jift of it. iv owned a supra for a few years now and i want to try something new. problem is i dont no anything about these cars. iv never even sat in one. iv done some research but its all about the stock car. cant find anything about bpu, possible engine swaps, max hp, problem parts ect. so i have some question i would like to ask.

im looking at a 90 turbo II and i was wondering. are the engines form the turbo II the same in the north american model as well as the rhd japan model?

max horse power?
would it be wise to buy a certian year?
would it be wise to buy differant engine?
is there anything you suggest i s do to the engine when i first get it?(problem that need to be fixed)
Another thing. i know nothing about rotary so is there things i should not do like boost increase? or something that is now good for rotary engines?
what is fuel cut?
suggested performance upgrades to do or not to do?
iv been looking to buy a car from tyeeimports.com and i wanted to no if anyone has bought from there and car vouch for them? or if you want to take a look and tell me if there fair prices.(prices are in canadain)

or anything else you think i should no

any and all info given is very appreciated.

suggest links would be nice aswell.

Thanks

Travis

are you a good driver? and will you be able to spend money and take car of it because if not taken care of these engines (specially turbo) are fragile

Not so. Both N/A and turbo FC engines are very reliable. But a lot of people get lousy RX-7's and don't good care of them. Turbos can be especially screwed up if not taken care of. I like and have used this buyer's guide:
http://www.rx7.voodoobox.net/infofaq/bguide/bguide.html

Practically speaking, 200-250 HP N/A, 500 HP turbo. But it can get as high as 300 HP N/A and even higher on turbo with a bit of insanity.

86-88 = S4. 89-91 = S5. S5's have more horsepower due to higher compression, higher rpm rotors. S4's are lighter, thanks to more aluminum. In general S5's are quicker. But if you're doing an engine swap/upgrade, then you should start with an S4 shell. S4: 146HP N/A, 180 HP turbo. S5: 160HP N/A, 200HP turbo.

You can get a 20B for about $6,000. I hear it's $10,000 including installation but that info might be outdated. They produce 300HP N/A. Turbo engine swaps are also popular, as they are usually an easier, simpler and cheaper alternative to forcing a turbo onto on N/A. For V8 engine swaps, check the "other engines" section. Putting in a V8 will screw up the "front mid-engine" benefits of having a tiny, lightweight rotary engine.

Check www.aaroncake.net and this forum's FAQ. It'll have a ton of things to do. It also has a buyer's guide. Mostly just do standard things, like changing all the fluids. Besides that, be sure to get an OEM thermostat, since your common auto-store thermostat will lead to problems if the last owner installed one.


When boosting, be extra careful about tuning conservatively to avoid knocking. One good knock can kill a rotary. N/A's come tuned very conservatively, so knocking isn't really an issue. Some people tune them leaner to grab HP and mpg, but that comes with increased knock risk. One good overheat can kill a rotary too, so pull over immediately if the car starts to overheat; don't wait for the turn-off. Temp gauge: For the s4, 1/4 is normal, but it doesn't overheat until 7/8 (1/3 to 3/4 is "okay", but probably not good in the long run). For the s5, 1/2 is normal, and unfortunately the needle doesn't move as much before overheating. Keeping your oil and coolant topped off are important, as are regular oil changes. Also search for "fuel pulsation dampener". If you get a leaky one, you need to fix it before it starts a fire. Chasis electrical problems abound in the FC; a result of substandard soldering. If you don't mind losing some of your lights, gauges and buttons it's not a problem. Or you can resolder or replace the relevant electronic boards. Other than that these cars and their motors tend to be pretty reliable.

Pretty much the exact same as what you'd do to a supra. Rotaries can't handle as much boost as a supra engine. A quick search will tell you exactly how much they can take. You can use this forum's search tool to find out more specific information on any upgrade. There are also some FC specific quirks that you'll have to deal with:

• 5th and 6th ports. N/A only. Similar to VTEC. Provide 25 HP that you don't want to lose. s4's: exhaust backpressure activated, must provide alternate means of activation if installing a new exhaust. s5's: air pump activated, don't remove your air pump and you'll be fine. Turbos: don't have 5th and 6th ports, so don't worry.
• DTSS: "Dynamic traction steering system", or something like that. Rear wheel steering. It improves handling, but makes hard turns feel funny if you're not used to it. And if the DTSS bushings fail, you'll get a dangerous level of oversteer and possibly some instability problems at speed. You can get DTSS eliminator bushings for $40, or you can replace the whole system (bushing + control arm) for $180 from Mazda.
• VDI: Used in the s5 to get a little HP. You can install it onto the s4, too.
• Engine related: You can get a street port for a great deal of power, at a minimal cost to mpg and emissions. Higher compression and higher rpm rotors can boost power too, especially with a port job. Bridge ports and peripheral ports are more extreme ports that give more power, but come with major cost, mpg, low-rpm power and emissions problems as well.

In Canada you should get your RX-7 undercoated to protect against road salt. More info on undercoating is in the FAQ, if you need it.

lmao eric you're a champ

wow. your a machine. thanks for the imput

Travis

please refrain of using "BPU".

There really isnt much different that is worthwhile. Compression ratio is the same, etc. Its just that you take a gamble when you import one of these engines. The 89-91 TII is all the same car. Unless you really want 1990 model year for some reason.

I assume you mean turbo cars, seeing you want a tII. Well, stock ports have been at the 400 hp point. How long it last is questionable though.

S4 chassis's were made better and a easier / cheaper to come across. S5 motors have lighter rotors, made more power but are lots more complex.

for what?

Maintence. And don't F with the vents in the dash.

The stock exhaust and intake doesnt quite a bit to lower the boost levels, so messing with either of these and lead to higher boost levels. Also see "fuel cut" as the computer will cut fuel once it exceeds its preset boost level. Rotaries are not a forgiving engine!!!

go to google. type "fuel cut". read.

replace 20 year old parts!

never heard of them. try to google their name and see if any forum posts come up with reviews.

if you go into the lounge, dont be a pansy.

this is kinda misleading. at a 200-250 N/A WHP level, your car will be damn unenjoyable to drive on the street. And youll get tickets every two miles.



you mean 300hp with their twin turbocharged-ness.

I meant flywheel HP, but 200 wHP is fairly do-able with basic mods, a street port and an SAFC, for example. No biggy. After all, I was giving a practical upper limit. My own goal is a mere 180-190 flywheel HP (155-165 wHP, I think). That's with bolt-ons only.

20B: No, 300HP N/A, or so I hear. I hear removing the twin turbos doesn't do much. And most people prefer it that way, b/c of the hassle of getting the turbos working. Maybe the engine is under-rated w/ the turbos, I dunno.

Rouxel: You're welcome. It's a result of evening boredom, I think. I saved this thread in case I'm not so bored the next time someone asks.

can some one go to tyeeimports.com then once you there look at the blue 89 rx7. looks really clean (not a fan of the spoiler) but other then that i think it looks good. let me know what u think

man... your in alberta, get a JDM,
i got mine off this site and they're nothing but awesome

www.importconern.ca

and with you living in alberta you could just pick it up yourself, they have 2 dealers, one in calgary and one in edmonton... check it out, great prices too

The upgrade list looks good, but you'll need to grab a buyer's guide and check it out in person to see what kind of shape it's in. Besides the one I linked to before, there's also one at www.aaroncake.net. I'd use a buyer's guide regardless of where you get your RX-7 from.

Having made the same switch from an 87 Supra to an 88 RX-7 (both NA), I'll skip the numbers and use the reliable butt dyno. The obvious differences are evident, the supra's power delivery and maximum power surpass the RX-7 by a long shot; the Supra feels at home on long and straight roads. RX-7s are ligther and thus more reactive on winding roads (as long as its not uphill). So, if your going for something different, these two are almost polar opposites. But pick the one that best suits the drive.

Stay on top of oil and redline every now and then to do a carbon cleanup.

thanks for the advice everyone

Travis