can anyone post a picture or list a link showing the order in which the componants under the front cover are installed much appreciated

 

Do you mean engine bay photos or photos of internal engine parts under the front housing? If you mean just engine bay pics, I'm sure you can find many in the vbGarage link at the top of the page.

 

Grab a Factory Service Manual (FSM):

http://www.iluvmyrx7.com/3rd_gen_manuals.htm

It will be basically the same for any of the years in that area.

 

0117 - washer...make sure bevel is in the correct direction.
0118 - needle bearing and spacer
0119 - thrust plate

 

0120 - 2nd needle bearing
0121 - counter weight and key
0122 - oil chain sprocket
0124 - OMP gear and pulley boss. (stack up)

 

BTW, I'm pretty sure there's a VERY thin washer on the back of the counterweight. It usually stays stuck to the counterweight so you never really notice it .

I believe Dubulup has it spot-on, though. BTW, that's a good thing to have documented the stuff under the front cover - I remember confusion with that the first time I rebuilt a motor, and the shop manual is a bit tricky to tell orientation and stuff.

Dale

 

hey, just a quick question about the counterweight......i know it is used to balance the whole rotating assembly but what exactly is it counteracting? I would think since there are two rotors that they would balance out, but they may not be completely out of phase with eachother. thanks.

 

Good point.
Yeah, thought about mentioning it...but since they usually say on (I've tried to get it off and couldn't, haha), I didn't want anyone going out and looking for it, thinking they lost it.

The rear counter weight...built into the stock flywheel.

I used a light weight fly, and had the rotors and front and rear weights balanced together.

 

Not exactly... in general: (very simplified) the front counterweight offsets the inertia of the rear rotor. The rear counterweight offsets the front rotor. But they all work together to balance out the entire rotating assembly. This is the reason that you need to have the assembly re-balanced if you ever alter the rotor weights (ie use lighter rotors).

When you use a light weight flywheel, you generally use the counterweight off of an auto car. Since this weight was designed for the BREW, you don't have to have the entire assembly balanced (although, it definately can't hurt. Especially if you're planning on revving extremely high, or producing crazy HP numbers).

-Rob

 

^ Thanks for that, makes sense...I never really understood, how you could just slap an auto CW on a manual with a light weight fly.

 

thanks dupulup have only built fc motors and just bought this motor in bits and wasnt sure about the minor differences

 

make sure that you don't rotate the engine BEFORE installing all of the components back together or you will have BIG problems down the road.

 

These pics are very helpful. Thanks.

 

A question, what is the difference between the front counterweights on automatic and manual cars - just drillings? Using the above reasoning, can't see why Mazda would need to produce two separate parts unless it was related to the flywheel/flexplate differences.

On a related topic, anyone know if the thrust washers and cover plate on the previous series interchange with the FD?

 

no problem! I take it progress is being made? When are you going to post more pics up in your other "thread" ?

first question, I believe you are confused with the rear counter weights...second question, I'd be safe and just buy an FD washer.

 

Front counterweights

N3A7-11-D61 (MT)

N3A8-11-D61 (AT)

Always in the past when putting on an aftermarket flywheel, just used a rear counterweight from the autos with no regard to the front counterweight and haven't noticed any ill effects - but maybe I was wrong.

The engine I've got has suffered an oil pump failure and the needlle bearings have disintegrated and damaged the front counterweight. The engine I'm getting parts from is a JDM auto import but will be used with a standard manual flywheel.

Given the propensity of these things to **** themselves would prefer to leave nothing to chance.

 

Just for future reference, the front auto counterweight is 1.4mm thicker than a manual one, must have something to do with the radial position of the counterweight on the standard FD flywheel.

Crap photo, might give you an idea.



Detail difference, auto-



manual