I picked up a used pair of Efini turbos from someone on this forum. I put them on my parts shelf next to a pair of stock turbos....they look exactly the same. So I start thinking, "Are they really Efini turbos?" My question is...is there a visible difference between the two? How can I be certain the ones I bought are really Efini turbos?

 

you have to measure the diameter of the compressor turbines also i think you have to take them apart and measure the diameter of the exhaust turbines. one should be slightly larger than the other but measurable. i believe that is the only difference between the two as turbos on the pre 99's were identical.

 

Look at the part number engraved on the secondary compressor housing. It should start with N3G1 if they're RZ turbos.

 

You can look in the intake side, if you see what looks like black plastic on the compressor housing around the compressor wheel area they are 99+.

 

I'm pretty sure the Efini turbos are exactly the same as the USDM ones. The '99 spec ones are different, but those are Mazda, not Efini. Efini was only used for the first couple years of the FD in Japan.

 

I thought Efini and 99 spec were the same thing? And I've never heard of RZ, what is that? The ones I bought are 99 spec according to the seller.

 

+1

that is the easiest way to tell. there are some old threads with pics if you want to search for them also.

people call them different things - efini, RZ, 99 spec, RS......

 

I was Just About to ask the same question and this clears it up. Thats great cause I was kinda bummed When I was loosing a "bran-new" Efini with 10K but guess I need a rebuild god knows where the cat I bought the car from picked up the turbos. But Hell at least he did not lie about one thing.

 

I attempted to interpret this, but failed.

 

Well, I do have efini turbo's so the Person I bought the car from was telling the truth. However the condition they where in might not be so new as one's fried.

 

No, Efini and '99 spec are completely different. Efini is the brand that RX-7's were sold under outside of north america. In 1999, the RX-7 had some cosmetic and performance changes, so '99 spec refers to parts that were available on RX-7's from '99 and on.