silverstreak

So Ive had my FD for about five years now, its a great car and all but I bought it to do track days and that has not panned out so im thinking about selling it.

I first took it down to buttonwillow and then willow springs the next day in 2004 (https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/desert-racing-preventitive-maintenance-302644/). Result: Blown motor. I was getting a little boost creep, but I think it just overheated. I looked down and it was fine, did three turns and it was all in the red, no coolant light on. Kaboom. The only mods I had were N1 catback and Koyo radiator.

$8k-ish later I had a new motor installed and I took it to Thunderhill. They pulled me off of the track as I was running really loud. When I hit the paddock steam just came pouring out of my hood. The seal I have on the overflow tank was old and dry and just ruptured. The radiator (koyo) had overheated and dumped all of its contents and I was about to fry my engine for the second time. I have downpipe, N1 catback w/silencer, Pettit ECU and silicon rats nest replacement.

Looking at the seals on the thing I think its just a matter of time before things just go boom again. I just dont trust it in the high heat- and living in California they tend to build the tracks in very hot places. Ive thought about dual oil coolers, but I cant imagine them doing that much. Is it practical to swap out all of the water seals?

TurboTagTeam

Stock intercooler??? Outch

Also, you can't realy on the stock water temp gauge. It's horrible.

alexdimen

iTrader: (13)

you've got a new $8k engine and you're going to put new coolant seals in it because your radiator "overheated". radiators don't overheat, they are heat exchangers. engines overheat when radiators don't work...

something isn't adding up here. what happened to the radiator? electrolysis damage?

rynberg

There's no such thing as bulletproofing a car.

If you want to track a 13-year old car in high temps, you are going to have to spend some money on maintenance, upgrades, and monitoring. It's that simple. You can't be hitting Buttonwillow or Thill in summer events with no gauges and with old hoses, stock IC, stock single oil cooler, etc., and expect the car to last forever.

I consider the reliability mods I've done (see my sig) as REQUIRED for tracking the car in high temps.

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

Depending on who you ask, the popular opinion is that oil performs 30-50% of the total engine cooling. The Rotary Power drift RX-7 is a good example: the car has a Fluidyne radiator, without any fancy ducting, AND a front-mount intercooler in front of it. There are also two huge oil coolers (Mocal, I believe) with fans on them, and giant bumper openings and a vented hood to increase airflow to all the various heat exchangers.


Your 13B doesn't seem to be the problem, but your cooling system might need some work. The Koyo is very thick, and it's likely that air is flowing around the sides of your radiator rather than through it, unless you've got the sides well-sealed (duct tape works in a pinch). There are countless cooling-related threads lately, I suggest you take a look at other people's cooling setups, especially people who are actually using their car on a road course.

-s-

Tanjo

Get a higher pressure caps. Lower temp t-stat. Distilled water and watter wetter. Silicone hoses, or at least new rubbers. Oil coolers, at the least the stock R1/2, or the gothams or whatever. See the thread on oil coolers. And GET RID OF THAT STOCK IC. Oh and some gauges. At least oil temp/water temp. And fab up some ducting. Sheetmetal/1000MPH tape is cheap and easy.

Mahjik

iTrader: (1)

https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generation-specific-1993-2002-16/fd-road-racers-only-your-upgrades-your-rationale-136678/

IaMtHeRuThLeSs1

Guide to bulletproofing your FD: http://hinsonsupercars.com/partsMain...gEquipment.htm

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

Yes there is...it's called a) having it made by Toyota, and b) specifically having a 2JZ

Scotty, actually the more knowledgeable the person I've spoken with, the higher the number I've heard. I've heard upside of 60% - 70%...and I'm talking about people involved w/ the development of Mazda rotary engines...waaayy up there.

scotty305

iTrader: (2)

Good to know, Ramy. Do you remember who this person was, or at least their affiliation or specialty?


-s-

axr6

I raced my R1 at Thunderhill, Sears Point and Laguna Seca for two full seasons without any problems (other than crashing it). That was when the car was NEW.

I had full 3" exhaust with CB, midpipe and downpipe, SMIC, Intake and suspension mods, stock ECU, modified pills. Stock radiator and stock twin oil coolers. As far as I know, the same, untouched, engine is still running fine for the present owner with less than 40K miles on it.

Albert

Edit: forgot that the person who purchased the car from me had also taken it to the track ocassionally before selling it to the present owner.

FDNewbie

iTrader: (10)

Scotty, most of these guys are from down under (Australia), where rotary technology is really quite advanced than what we have here stateside. One of 'em is a professional racer (3-rotors), and the other played a major role in the design of the 20B and the current 3 and 4 rotor engines Mazda uses for race purposes, including the design of the e-shaft, etc.

silverstreak

thanks all, yes I meant the cooling system rather than the 13b itself.