I too, am interested in this from a weight perspective. I already run the Banzai brace in addition to the PPF, so if the PPF is redundant then with the addition of a diff brace, that's a pretty significant savings.

PPF would only be redundant if you swap to the Sikki mount. banzai brace is just meant to be a brace.

Are you talking about the Sikky diff mount, or is there a Sikky trans mount/brace as well?

​​​​​​There are two main options:

Banzai Trans, PPF, Banzai Diff "BRACE" or
Banzai Trans, NO PPF, Sikky Diff "MOUNT"

THe Banzai diff mount is not that beefy and is only meant to add additional stability to the PPF while the Sikky mount acts like a traditional diff mount.

I feel like the sikky mount plus adding in some type of girdle support like HPP would be best if both worlds.

either that or do the ronin 8.8 but that’s a lot more money and effort.


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...156596892.jpeg

I don't think you can stack the HPP in addition to the Sikky mount. We will be upgrading to the Ford 8.8 diff. There are far better LSD options out there for the Ford.

The next installment is live!

Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 9 – Air Pump Removal and FFE Idler Pulley

To make a simpler and more reliable off-road (track-only) engine setup, we removed the factory Air Pump and Air Control Valve, then installed the Full Function Engineering’s Idler Pulley Kit -which is a MUST, as well as FFE's block-off plates.

https://motoiq.com/project-fd-rx7-restomod-part-9-air-pump-removal-and-ffe-idler-pulley/

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...8a350c058b.jpg




Enjoy and stay tuned!

The article link is about the clutch, not the air pump. Is it the correct link?

https://motoiq.com/project-fd-rx7-re...-idler-pulley/

the link text shows the link above but the linked url is for the clutch... could just be a glitch in the matrix but the link above is the one he meant to post

Nice!

I used the Pineapple Racing idler pulley and bought the full set of block-off plates from Banzai Racing (didn't need them all but might and wasn't too many more bucks for the full set)

no, the same brand LSD is the best for either one; the OS Giken

they just may not be sponsoring the effort :suspect:

.

The OS Giken is arguably the best traditional mass-produced "clutch type" LSD, but there are better clutch type LSD for the Ford 8.8 as well as far better options for a dual purpose car that don't clunk like the OSG. I'm replacing my OSG with a Wavetrac in my NSX, which seems promising and the FD will get something different in the 8.8" Ford housing.

For the FD diff housing, the OSG is probably the best current option.

Curious to see what you do for your 8.8. I have a ronin kit on the way.

The next installment is live!

Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 10 - Engine Fire Update

Owning an RX-7 is like riding a motorcycle. It’s not a matter of “IF” (the car catches fire) but rather “WHEN, and how bad?”. A small engine fire changed the path of our entire build, for the better?

https://motoiq.com/project-fd-rx7-re...e-fire-update/

https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...42495b09f4.jpg



Enjoy and stay tuned!

Yikes!

That picture right there with the bobo parts store fuel hose and a plain hose clamp makes me hella mad.

If the previous person working on the car would have just kept the stock line and clamp this would all be fine.

Those worm drive clamps have ZERO BUSINESS on an FD fuel system. Hell, they have zero business on the cooling system either. Those clamps are garbage.

Dale

It's worse than you think.

1 - It's HEATER HOSE, not just 'parts store fuel hose'.
2 - It was done by a big-name shop in the community.

Takeaway: Be careful who works on your car, and always double-check things. Which isn't the solution for enthusiasts who are not experienced mechanics and put their trust in shops (the previous owner of this car). Unfortunately I inherited these issues, didn't get to upgrading the fuel system before it failed, and am paying the price for their shoddy work.

Wow. That's bad luck but also super lucky it wasn't worse.

Can't believe they used heater line. Should post the name of the shop so everyone knows not to go there.

Good thing the whole car didn't go up in flames. That "big name shop" should be publicly outed... Using anything less than an SAE 30r9 spec or better hose on a fuel injection system along with those dinky worm gear clamps is criminal negligence or at least gross incompetence IMHO.

Sad to hear of the fire but looking forward to the comparison with newer cars on track when this is finished. It would have been really cool to see the different between the twins and single too, but it was not meant to be.

The Sikky braces and conversion to a traditional motor mount setup is interesting and seems like it would be an improvement. The stock drivetrain is pretty floppy.

What is wrong with worm clamps, exactly?
Seems to be they'd be more reliable than the 30-year-old stock clamps as long as you don't overtighten them.
Sounds like the issue was using heater hose instead of fuel hose. Big no-no.

1. They tend to loosen up over time with vibration if NOT over-tightened to the point of distorting/binding.
2. They tend to cut into the hose, causing weak points for future damage/failure.
3. Unlike a spring type clamp, they are not a constant tension design - i.e., they don't expand & contract with the OD of the hose and pressure is applied unevenly around the circumference of the hose.

The OEMs all use spring clamps because they work & last a very long time when they are removed & installed with the proper tools. I've reused OEM spring clamps many times with no problems; if I find the spring clamp tension a bit weak after removal, I just replace it with a new one. New spring clips are not that expensive, and fuel plumbing is not something worth half-assing with a cheap worm gear clamp to save some time.

Has anyone had chassis flex issues removing the PPF using just the braces? This would change the load path from the subframes. With the PPF, both front and rear subframes see the same forces. Without the PPF, those forces are separate and rely on the chassis of the car to carry the twisting load differences between them. Hope I'm explaining this clearly.

Ultimately, why did Mazda even tie the drivetrain together this way? Clearly it wasn't that good of an idea, given how frequently PPFs crack and fail. A number of shops in Japan offered reinforced PPFs back in the day. A few still do. Kind of wish I held on to my spare instead of selling it for peanuts...

I kind of doubt that that it would have that much of an effect on chassis flex.
Ultimately, its tied to the subframes, which are tied to the chassis...

Of course, my cars drivetrain mounts are all solid aluminum, so maybe that's why I haven't had many issues...

Fair 'nough.

Agreed, if this in fact is the case, how many other customer cars are out there that are ticking timebombs. I know I would want to know if my car had a very high chance of going up in flames. This is also another example of why I am the only one that works on my cars.