My 'Tune Up' list so far...
 

Hi guys,

So i am currently in the process of importing an FD from Japan. It is a totally MINT 1992 Enfini, fully bone stock, full service records, 79 000km, no accident, grade 3.5(highest for a used car) B exterior and B interior (again both the highest rating for a used car). I am very exited to get it. This is my 3rd import at this point.

I had imported a series 5 FC a few months ago, as soon as it landed i gave it a huge tune up of everything from maintainance to preventative maintance (ie. deleted emissions, vac hoses, grounds, fluids/filters, clutch slave, gaskets, water pump etc etc etc). I like my cars clean and in perfect running order, so i am obviously going to do all of the tune up/reliablity stuff right away before i put the FD on the road.


First things first... Tune Up (inspired by FSM Maintainance Schedule and memory)

Engine:
- Delete Emissions!
- TB Mod
- Viton Vac hoses
- Delete AC?
- Engine Oil... 10w40? Castrol GTX (5.7L)/OEM filter (i run 10w40 in my FC, seems to like it)
- Clean Oil Coolers?!
- Clean Oil injectors/new lines/ test OMP?!
- Seafoam Treatment (via TB vac hose)
- Redo All Grouds (thicker guage wire?!)
- Spark plugs (NGK{4x BUR9EQP or 2x BUR7EQP and 2x BUR9EQP??!})
- NGK spark plug wires
- Adjust Timing
- Adjust Idle
- Professionally clean Injectors
- New Fuel filter
- New Fuel Lines
- Check/replace FPR
- Intake... replace stock filter for now then go HKS
- Rebuilt Alt/starter
- New battery/terminals
- New drive belt/pulley kit?
- Mazdacomp engine mounts

Cooling:
- New H2O pump
- New thermostat
- New coolant (50/50)
- Flush Rad/block

Tranny/Diff/brake/clutch/power steering:
- Replace fluids
- New mounts (tranny x member?)
- SS lines (bleed and replace brake fluid)
- New clutch slave




Reliability Mods:
- AST
- V-mount
- Intake (thermal wrap intake piping)
- Exhaust.. full 80mm turbo back, thermo wrapped and ceramic DP (ceramic manifold?)
- Port WG
- Boost controller (run stock boost, nothing more until i get LT8/fuel system/engine:) )
- Guages (boost, water/oil temp, voltage, oil pressure, AFR?)
- SOLID BRAIDED LINES EVERYWHERE.
- Electicfan with the custom v-mount, also make custom ducting to maximize air flow efficiency
- Upgrade stock dual oil coolers? (are stock coolers in series or parallel?)


This is what i have so far.... I am sure there are a few things that i am missing either in the tune up or the reliability mods.


Feel free to recommened anything that i might as well do while i have the engine stripped down to the block.

The one thing that i am worried about is keeping the boost at stock level witha full exhaust/intake.


Thanks in advance guys,



=Ben

If you port the wastegate you shouldn't have a problem

What's "TB mod"? Is that removing the coolant line? Why bother?

I'd keep the AC, but I don't know if it gets all that hot in Canada. Probably helps resale value if anything.

What "timing adjustment" do you intend to make?

Replace the fuel pulsation damper while you're in there.

What tranny mount are you referring to?

I wouldn't bother with voltage, oil pressure, or AF gauges, but whatever.

Plan to check the brake and clutch components for wear. I'd replace the trans and diff fluids, and flush the brake hydraulic system.

Otherwise looks good, if not exhaustive.

+1

Don't forget to replace the coolant hoses. I don't think you can adjust the timing on a stock FD.

Personally, I'd put a HF Cat in there, but that's your call.

btw, only the R1's had the dual oil coolers (in the US anyways).

Does anyone know of any links/sites that shows you exactly how to port your wastgate? Thanks.

Only stock R1/2 models had dual oil coolers. The others had only one. You can get an aftermarket single cooler that has more than the capacity of the two R1 ones.

What about the JDM Type R... I thought i remembered somewhere that it was dual oil cooler, however i may be wrong.



Did i forget anything in my tune up list? what about reliability.


=Ben

Oh, i had forgotten an O2 sensor.. thats what i forgot..



FD guru!! Need input here.




=Ben

where did you get the vmount from?

This list is stuff that i plan on doing once my car lands... i have yet to do it. I am using this thread only as a form of information in regard to tune up/relibility stuff that needs to be done.


But to answer you question indirectly; I was hoping that i could find an apropriate radiator to construct my own v mount set up with custom ducting to the oil coolers and the rad/IC. I was also thinking about using an electric fan in the set up... Not sure at this point, but i can see that it can be done for possibly less than the price of a v mount kit.


Sorry for the confusion, i never made this 100% clear:shocking: .



=Ben

screw the new o2 sensor....just get a PFC or other ECU, and disable o2 feedback

That's quite an ambitious list. How much money do you have to spend on these "mods".

How old are you?

Well im an ambitious person!...


What relevance does your questions have with this topic??


I would have thought this topic would have attracted a lot of posts and opinions. Unless i nailed the topic on the head with my list already?



=Ben

It doesn't attract a lof of posts because 1)you don't have the car yet 2)haven't done one single mod you listed. Therefore, it comes across as someone that 1)has no clue what they're getting in to and/or 2)someone that is young in age making a "wish list".


Get the car and do your reliability mods. Then you'll probably get more help. As it is, it feels like you don't really understand the FD or the concept of how much all that crap you listed will cost you. MAYBE YOU DO, i'm just saying that that is the way your posting will probably appear to most folk.

Point noted... HOWEVER;

So based on what you saying if i had LIED initially and told people that i had my car and that it was stripped down to the block that i would be getting more advise?!?!?! That is rubish. It is quite evidant that i want to go ahead with all of this stuff as i have already bought 1/2 of it.



Why is it people start to think your a total NOOB just because you post stuff that you WANT to do??? :wallbash: Doesnt any mod start in the preliminary stages of an idea?


While i have my car completely apart i want to do everything that i can, i would rather keep the FD off the road and do everything it needs before ever driving it.... What sense is there in not planning out mods?? OBVIOUSLY i know exactly what i am getting myself into, an FD that needs a good tune up and reliability mods to keep that little 1.3L rew running good and long. If i was a noob and had NO knowledge of the FD i would simply buy the car and drive it without doing anything. Then get a 4" turbo back and intake and up the boost with a stock rad and IC... Then you would see a thread called

"my engine blew?! rotary is so gay and unreliable!!... WTF happened! also im leaking coolant/eating coolant/how do i add oil:scared:, my engine has a triangle in it!?? ?"


I know you are playing the devils advocate here, but im asking a legitimate question on a legititimate basis with legitimate logic! Ive being doing nothing but reasearch on the FD for the last 4 months and i have owned an s5 turbo for over one year and it has being 100% reliable with the overkill tune up i gave it.

You should have seen my Tune-Up list for my FC... and everything on that list got done in 2 weeks. I put the car on jack stands bought all the parts and started going to work.

Here is what i mean.
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=665507



I have done my research dont worry.. However i know that i do NOT know EVERYTHING, so this thread was simply an attempt to get second opinions ie. someone who has done all of this and knows if i am missing anything. Not to be questioned on my age/intentions/monetary situation...




If this doesnt make sense then screw it, i guess im on my own.







=Ben

Since you didn't bother to answer either of my questions, I wil make some assumptions:

1. You have no idea how much time, money, and work will be involved in completeing your list.
2. You are under 21.
3. You are obviously not stupid, but you are overconfident, and that may get you into deep trouble.

Since you appear to have some money, I suggest that you find a nice low mileage FD, and drive it, and drive it for at least 6 months before doing anything to it that will increase its power.

PS: Keep in mind that the car you are looking at will have coolant seals that are over 15 years old. They will likely need replacement (engine rebuild) within the next couple of years.

I think the Japanese cars were equipped like the US/Canada ones through the 1995 model year (except for the rear end and a couple of minor other things). So, there would have been one that had dual oil coolers. However, you did not say your car was the type R or whatever the R1 equivalent is called so I assumed the most likely case. That it has only one.

Well my FD is the type R, sorry i didnt clarify that. I beleive that it is the R1 equivalent.


The type X is the luxury model, Type S is the base model and the type R is the only one that is NOT offered in EC-AT/S 4 speed and NO sunroof.

http://www.rx7.net.nz/rx7netindex.html


So for this reason i think, and hope that it is dual oil cooler.



On a different topic i am still no closer to knowing if my tune up list is missing anything..... I am looking for an answer like this..


"umm ya looks good. But you missed 'this', and 'that'.... and also while your in there you might as well do 'this'"






:wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash: :wallbash:
=Ben

I am a firm believer in "cooler is better". I am not sure what boost pressure you want to run but you will be generating a lot more heat with all your planned mods. An upgraded oil cooling system would be helpful.

Well basically the plan is to run the car at stock boost, stock fuel and stock ECU. I plan to do this by first off completing a good tune up as per 'the list' haha. Then obviously reliability mods and strait through exhaust/intake then port the WG and control the boost down to stock level. I am not looking for big power, only maximum efficiency and reliability out out of the stock set up. 270-280rw is good enought for me.

I know that cooling is a huge longevity issue with the FD so a big part of my engine bay work will be around cooling. I want to ditch the stock rad/oil coolers and go to a V mount/parallel dual oil cooler as soon as i can, 99 spec front end for more air flow and some custom ducting work should help a lot too. Then of course heat wraping DP/manifold if its worth it.

I have a few questions...

1. Engine Oil... Ive narrowed it down to Mineral Oil. The FSM says 10w30 for my climate, however i know rotaries like a heavier oil. I remember reading somewhere that 10w40 Castrol GTX is a good way to go... What do you guys think about this.

2. Is it really worth using 4x BUR9EQP's or should i stick with 2x BUR7EQP and 2x BUR9EQP??

3. I cannot find any Urathane bushing kit for the FD on corksport/rx7store/rx7.net/mazdatrix/Banzai/RB/ anywhere... i know there are a few GB's on FD bushings, but is that all that is available?




=Ben

I'm doing something similar to my car. Completely unknown service history so I'm pulling the engine and replacing and inspecting just about everything. One thing I had on my list that you didn't is the Fuel Pulsation Damper. Might be good to look at.

Your list looks a bit long. I don't really know much about that background of what you are doing, but it might be good to go through the list and evaluate if each item really helps you get to where you want to be. Mods for the sake of mods just waste money. I have seen many car projects just slowly roll forwards aimlessly wasting money. Just hopping to whatever the most popular forum mod is that week.

Set a goal, keep focused.

Oil:
10w40 is a popular weight ... so is 20w oils. I think ive got a 20w50 in mine right now. There's also a synthetic following on here. Do a search for "oil" in the subject title. There's been numerous back and forths on the subject.

Plugs:
I run 2x BUR7EQP and 2x BUR9EQP. Here's what mazdatrix.com has to say on the subject:

"A common misconception of many people are the terms "Hot" spark plug, and "Cold" spark plug. The temperature rating of the plug refers to the running temperature of the physical spark plug - i.e. a "Hot" plug will retain more of the combustion heat in the plug itself, meaning not transfer the heat to the engine itself. This is why a "Hot" plug is needed for slower city type driving so the carbon deposits will be burned off the plug, and clean firing will still be possible even when combustion temps are low (idling, stop & go etc.). At the same time a "Hot" plug used in a highly modified engine that is driven hard consistently will simply retain too much of the extra combustion temperature and burn itself up (usually cracking the porcelain, and potentially doing major engine damage).


A spark plug that is too "Cold" for the engine/application will start harder, foul much easier, and generally be a pain to work with.

For engines that are not significantly modified for racing, we have had very good luck just running the stock plugs. For street ported engines driven hard on the street, the most we have had to do is move one or two heat ranges colder. This lack of change is because the engine is still driven at normal speeds and loads for 99% of the time.


Racing engines, for the most part, are above 7000rpm 100% of the time - these are the ones that require the colder plugs. Quite often a set of "hotter" plugs must be used to get the engine started and warmed-up, because the race plugs will not fire consistently below 4000rpm.

Spark plug choice, for any given engine, can then be stated as "Hot" enough to fire consistently at the lowest RPM and load normally needed (without fouling), and not overheat (and burn-up) at the highest RPM/load for the given application. This translates to : The "Hotter" the engine (turbo, modifications, load, usage, etc.) the "Colder" the spark plug needed. "


Bushings:
No clue. Got other mods to get in line before suspension.

2/3rd's of the way throught the list...

"- Check/replace FPR" Fuel pulsating dampner is accounted for.


This list is 100% on focus.. RELIABILITY!.



The comment about the Plugs is well apreciated. Looks like ill stick with the FSM on this one.



Suspension is after this list, trust me i am prioratizing.


Thanks,


=Ben

lol at " i have a triangle in my engine! "

I found the air pipe that comes from the turbos and connects to the intercooler cracked a couple of times before I swapped it out for the efini Y pipe.