FC thermoswitch for FD
02-19-05, 10:31 PM
#1
RX-7 Bad Ass
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It's official - do NOT buy a Miata thermoswitch until you read this!
OK, I guinea pigged this one, and all worked out for the best 
.
As you may recall, I posted a while back that I saw in a copy of RX-7 Magazine from Japan that they were using the '89-91 FC thermoswitch as an upgrade. This jogged my thinking...well, fast forward to today. I got the thermoswitch last week and installed it today.
Here's the deal -
- SAME operating specs as the Miata switch
- BUT, uses the stock FD plug - NO CUTTING OR HACKING. Unscrew old switch, screw this one in, plug it in, you're done.
It was about $50 from Ray Crowe at Malloy Mazda (1-888-544-3400). He didn't have it in stock, so it took a day or two for him to get it and ship it my way. But, I explained the deal with the switch to him, and he was VERY interested - I think if he gets an order or two, this will be a stocked item soon. Part number is PN41-18-840. It's for the '89-91 RX-7, non-turbo or turbo.
Dunno if you can see on the pics, but the FD switch has "108" on it, and the FC switch has "95" stamped on it. That's the switch-on temps - 95 deg. C and 108 deg. C. Fans come on sooner, car stays cooler, engine stays happier.
It was a little bit of work to install. I removed the crossover pipe and alternator, then had access. Unplugged the old switch (you have to hunt for the "button" to unlatch the connector - it was on the under side of mine), used a 17mm closed-end wrench to break it loose, then unscrewed it. Some water was lost, but it was just water in the top of the thermostat housing. Put a little oil on the O-ring on the new switch (came with the switch, and it was already on there) and screwed it in. Plugged everything back together, put the car back together, good to go. Pulling the alternator was the most time consuming part - it's a little tricky to get out of there.
Anyhow, this is a done deal - the Miata thermoswitch is now a "dead mod". Unless it's WAY the hell cheaper or something. I'd much rather have one that plugs right in just like stock!
Dale
.As you may recall, I posted a while back that I saw in a copy of RX-7 Magazine from Japan that they were using the '89-91 FC thermoswitch as an upgrade. This jogged my thinking...well, fast forward to today. I got the thermoswitch last week and installed it today.
Here's the deal -
- SAME operating specs as the Miata switch
- BUT, uses the stock FD plug - NO CUTTING OR HACKING. Unscrew old switch, screw this one in, plug it in, you're done.
It was about $50 from Ray Crowe at Malloy Mazda (1-888-544-3400). He didn't have it in stock, so it took a day or two for him to get it and ship it my way. But, I explained the deal with the switch to him, and he was VERY interested - I think if he gets an order or two, this will be a stocked item soon. Part number is PN41-18-840. It's for the '89-91 RX-7, non-turbo or turbo.
Dunno if you can see on the pics, but the FD switch has "108" on it, and the FC switch has "95" stamped on it. That's the switch-on temps - 95 deg. C and 108 deg. C. Fans come on sooner, car stays cooler, engine stays happier.
It was a little bit of work to install. I removed the crossover pipe and alternator, then had access. Unplugged the old switch (you have to hunt for the "button" to unlatch the connector - it was on the under side of mine), used a 17mm closed-end wrench to break it loose, then unscrewed it. Some water was lost, but it was just water in the top of the thermostat housing. Put a little oil on the O-ring on the new switch (came with the switch, and it was already on there) and screwed it in. Plugged everything back together, put the car back together, good to go. Pulling the alternator was the most time consuming part - it's a little tricky to get out of there.
Anyhow, this is a done deal - the Miata thermoswitch is now a "dead mod"
. Unless it's WAY the hell cheaper or something. I'd much rather have one that plugs right in just like stock!Dale
02-19-05, 11:38 PM
#5
RX-7 Bad Ass
Thread Starter
iTrader: (55)
Yep, comes on at the right temp and everything - has the same operating properties as the Miata switch.
Dale
Dale
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02-20-05, 12:10 AM
#10
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Originally Posted by skunks
what again does the thermoswitch do again?
Originally Posted by DaleClark
Dunno if you can see on the pics, but the FD switch has "108" on it, and the FC switch has "95" stamped on it. That's the switch-on temps - 95 deg. C and 108 deg. C. Fans come on sooner, car stays cooler, engine stays happier.
Originally Posted by adam c
Did you check it to make sure the fans came on at 210?
-Alex
02-20-05, 02:33 AM
#11
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Originally Posted by superior force
question is who cares?
the car runs fine with the stock switch
the car runs fine with the stock switch
If you havn't noticed our cars run pretty damn hot. The FC thermoswitch allows the fans to turn on sooner to help insure the car doesnt over heat. Especially people with front mounts, and heavily modded cars.
-Alex
02-20-05, 02:38 AM
#14
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Originally Posted by superior force
question is who cares?
Reliability is everything on an FD. Having the thermoswitch make the fans come on at 95ēC especially for people that live in hot sunny *** areas all the time. Or people that encounter heavy traffic going to or from work. Thats like saying, "Why get a bigger radiator? The stock one is fine." Again, maybe YOU haven't encountered close-overheating problems, temp. rising in heavy traffic on a hot day, etc. But MANY MANY MANY other people have noticed cooling differences and appreciate people like Dale in discovering more and more upcoming ideas, write-ups and information to help out the rest of the Rx7 community. Go do a search about the miata thermo-switch and see how many people love the earlier temp that the fans go on. You'll also find that many people question how to wire the miata thermo-switch due to the switch having two wires and not one. This FC thermo-switch makes things alot easier as to not stir up confusion during the swapping process and to also serve the same purpose as the miata thermoswitch. So before you go doing the whole "who cares?" thing, have some support for your statement so people don't just straight flame you for something like what you just did.
Mad props Dale. I was looking into the miata thermoswitch mod and now seeing this makes things alot easier with the wiring
. Annnd maybe the price?
Jeremy
02-20-05, 02:39 AM
#15
No it's not Turbo'd
Yes, Anyone with a Programmable Engine Management system, EMS...
Power FC, Haltech, Microtech, AEM, Etc... can change some settings in the programming of the EMS, to have the fans come on whenever you want.... so this is a Reliability mod for people with the Stock Computer (EMS).....
-DC
Power FC, Haltech, Microtech, AEM, Etc... can change some settings in the programming of the EMS, to have the fans come on whenever you want.... so this is a Reliability mod for people with the Stock Computer (EMS).....
-DC