How to drive a FD?
 

Hello Folks, I purchased a 93 FD Twin Turbo over a month ago with a blown engine and just finished off a JDM motor swap. This is my first rotary engine car and I am sooo amazed by the Power, super fast too. I been told by alot of people that I need to drive it hard. How should a FD be driven? Shifting at how many RPM? Please give me tips on how a Rotary engine should be driven. I dont want to do any damages. Thanks

Just drive it like.... a car. If you drive it like a complete granny all of the time, it will carbon up on you (like any car, but worse given the rich AFRs a turboed rotary runs). Just "enjoy" driving it without abusing it and you'll be fine.

I rarely WOT my car....I'm guessing after reading this I should put the foot down more often as the car is driven once a week at most.

Hey, are you Kevin? Me and Jeff stopped by and gave your car sleepy eyes and left :P I drive a white FC and a black FD. If you're ever interested in meeting up, give me a shout. Red line once a day to blow out the carbon. Later.

You don't have to drive it hard, but once in a while you should probably get on it hard just to keep things from building up inside. This isn't a big problem with FDs as much as N/A rotary powerplants.

The other thing to know is you shouldn't drive hard (full boost) for at least 5 min after startup, and probably in the last 2-3min before shutting down. Turbo timers are totally unnecessary if you simply observe this practice.

Let the car warm up completely before boosting. Drive the car as you would drive a normal one. Ocasionally getting in the upper RPM's is good. Carbon is much less of an issue with a turbo rotary. But it's important to not lug it arround town constantly. As said before, it's a turbo car. If you have been driving the car spiritedly let the engine idle for a few minutes before shut-off. Not doing this will starve the super hot turbo berrings of oil. The turbo will fail prematurely.

Enjoy your car....congrats

In regards for "how you should shift", it all depends on what type of driving you are doing. But like any car, just avoid "lugging it", i.e. keeping it in too high of a gear for the rpm, these engines have little torque comparitively so if you were used to a big V8, you'll need to adjust how you drive it, where you keep your rpm, etc. You will figure it out pretty quick, actually. It is pretty natural.

I DD my FD and drive off boost pretty much all the time... and have been for a while without doing a WOT, or hitting redline... saying so... I just took my FD out, drove it hard, first thing I noticed it was hestitating in 4th at 3500rpm.. by the end of the drive... everything was fine... goes to show how these cars are meant to be driven...

I think RX-8 user manual says to redline car once per day.
I gladly do it with my FD :)

....drive it like you stole it!

+1

Personally, I subscribe to Homer Simpson's driving technique: "Gas, brake, honk! Gas, brake, honk! Honk, honk, PUNCH! Gas, gas, gas..."

;)

First car?

I would agree to redline it once a day

+1 to internal comsucktion engi

Hahaha...

The only car I know that the manufacturer has stated take it to redline atleast once a drive :)

i just gotta say it again.....like you stole it. There is no other way.

My FD is my weekend car... so when I drive it, I drive it pretty tough.

I suggest going to an empty parking lot and testing its limits where its relatively safe.

Driving a car "like you stole it" implys taking it to 9/10s every time, which realistically can't be done legally on the street....not in this car. It also keeps the temps much higher, much longer.
As dgeesaman and others have suggested, it's a sports car, read the stickies, learn about the car and perform all the reliability mods. Be careful about maintanence, stay out of boost until it's up to operating temp, and be sure to run premium fuel (91 ron or better) only. Then drive it like a sports car. Have fun, run it through the gears on the freeway on-ramps or on some nice twisty highway.... but with some common sense.

1. Don't use full throttle, and don't boost, until the car is warmed up (at least 180F). If you don't know your engine temperature or boost level, but and install gauges ASAP.

2. Don't use full throttle in the middle of a corner, especially in 2nd or 3rd gear: this is when the twin-turbo powerband is most likely to surprise you.

3. Don't drive fast with low-quality or worn-out tires. www.tirerack.com has ratings to help you decide which tires are good enough.

4. Don't drive fast on unfamiliar roads, especially blind corners. If it is raining or has rained recently, familiar areas areas should be considered unfamiliar roads due to debris that gets moved around. (this should be common sense, not RX-7 specific)

5. Don't use full throttle, and don't boost, for the last 3-5 minutes before parking your car. I try not to turn the engine off when coolant temps are above 200F.

6. I use every freeway on-ramp as an acceleration test, if it is safe to do so. I don't corner hard on the streets, that's what autocross events are for.

7. Don't drive fast when you shouldn't: don't EVER try to keep up with someone, impress someone, race someone, etc... Don't drive fast because you're angry or depressed or worried about being late to work. Drive fast because it's fun when you do it safely.



-s-

If I had stolen a car, I think I would drive it "inconspicuously."

Scotty305 said it best. Think about other people around you. And don't be ricey about how you drive. Be safe and have fun.

Drive it with common sense.

now that its winter here and ive done the ducting on my car, the temps will stay at 80c all night!!! only in peak hr traffic will it go to 84. does this mean on the highway i should not be boosting it/ redlining even after an hr of driving!!!

I've never driven my car in the winter, but doubt there's anything to worry about. Is 80 c. your water or oil temps?

80 is my water temps taken from both power fc and greddy gauge hooked up right next to the cap.