eyecandy

iTrader: (19)

What would you suggest?

I may be purchasing a RX7 that needs a new engine and I am not sure what kind or who I should go to for an enigne. I am not looking to put a huge turbo or get alot of horsepower out of the engine, just an intake, downpipe, high flow-cat/exhaust. But, IF (big IF) later on I may decide to put a single turbo on it I would like it to with stand the added boost.

My other thought was to maybe just spend the few extra bucks now and street port the engine and just stick with the intake, downpipe, and high flow-cat/exhaust.

To maybe make this easier I am not the person that needs the fastest car or the most horsepower. I am more the person that like driveablitity, and have control. I will probably going to take it open track days so horsepower is not the key for me, I want the car to beable to handle more than it can pull.

One last thing would street porting an engine allow it last longer or does it make no difference?

Also, I am would like to get the best deal possible for the least amount of money, because right now I have limited funds.

Any help would be greatly appreciated, I tried use the search but I could not really find anything that could help me.

suprfast

well i stopped at the first line and just decided to post. i dont know what else you wrote but i just felt that i had to get this out as fast as possible. DO NOT EVER, EVER, BUY A MAZDA REMAN. now i am sure that you want some support as to why not. let me show you my 1480.00 bill from my shop(rotary specialist in pleasanton). first off the mazda reman that was put in before i bought the car wasnt even boosting right. has 14lbs in the first turbo and 2 lbs in the second. well i get that fixed. after a season of autoxing i started noticing oil that was never dripping. well turned out that it came from the timing cover seal. well this is a common place for the oil to leak. cost me a total of 140.00 in parts(i broken solenoid) and 1330.00 in labor. i gave up and finally let the shop do it as i spent 2 months searching for this leak. well he also found out that the spring in the oil pump that controls oil pressure snapped in half. i was cruising with maybe half oil pressure. the nut that holds the oil pump in place is the type that must have an ear bent on it to keep it from spinning off. well the ear was never bent. could have dropped and my car would ahve been without oil pressure. well this was found within my MAZDA REMAN by a shop that is damn good. get it rebuilt. dont mess around with crap. let a shop that deals with rebuilding rotaries do it. mazda is good at fixing miatas, not rx7's. so to recap, DO NOT BUY A REMAN. end of my anti-mazda-reman speech
kris

Dougie_fresh_007

well im not havin ne problems wit my reman, but i got it for cheep so i couldnt pass it up, but id look wit shane racing, they sell a badass fully built engine for like 4200 and pinapple racing sells nice engines too. only reason to get a reman is a warrenty those are alwayz nice

SanJoRX7

I have a factory reman engine too, no problems. I don't abuse my ride, and I change the oil often. I have perfect boost, and no problems. The only thing done to the reman engine was to reseal the oil pan, since it's a well known fact that they leak from the factory if you don't.

It's hit or miss, maybe, with the remanufactured engines, but if you have a mechanic that you trust, they should be able to look at the new engine a bit and make sure that everything's in line. If you're in Northern California, PM me and I'll clue you in on the details of stuff up here and why I'm so happy.

Patrick
http://pb.kenjim.com/rx7/

eyecandy

iTrader: (19)

Thanks for the info. Well it seems that a Mazda Reman is like buying the car new again, well atleast that is what from you, suprfast.

Yeah a warranty would be nice, but I don't want the problems to go with. When I was doing the searching on the page i found alot of people on both sides. I have been reading that a handful of people got NEW engine or parts from Mazda in the engine.

Anyone ever deal with KD Rotary? I was thinking of trying them cause one, they are close to where i live and two there prices don't seem to be bad..I am not going to be racing it so i don't need a race built one, just an engine that can with stand some hard runs.

Thanks again!

karken29

I installed a Reman motor this past November, which I purchased from Malloy Mazda, http://www.malloyautomall.com/ (Speak only to Ray Crowe) and haven't had a lick of trouble to date. Now, I've put approximately 3,500 miles on this motor, so consider that in your decision. As Dougie Fresh 007 said, it's nice to have a warrenty to work with.

Also, consider that your level of mechanical expertise should be a factor as well as the size of your budget. onsider.

As for performance, I'm running a D/P, Apexi Filters, Stock Cat, and Drager Exhaust with a PFS ECU. @ 12lbs boost I put down 290 RWHP as measured on KD Rotary's Dyno-Jet....

So, while mine ride isn't the fastest REX on the road, it's no slouch either; plus it's reliable!

Good luck

Turbonut

iTrader: (1)

Dave is good. Just too busy. Resonable cost. Probably the best of both worlds is to buy a Mazda reman and have it torn apart for a start, but extra $$$. His prices are listed. The cost rises very quickly. Condition of trans, clutch, turbos??? Best to get some costs before hand.

Decay

Dave at KD is, well, the man. But if you are in Pitt. he is on the other side of the state, probably at least 6 hours away.

You should try George at Sevenspeed, I hear only good things about him from the western PA and Ohio guys. I think he is in Washington, PA??? About 20 min or so from Pburg I believe.

sevenspeed.com

eyecandy

iTrader: (19)

Well, with the good replys on the Remans i might go that route, it seeems you guys are happy with them. BTW what type/how long is the warranty with a Reman?

Yeah, KD is about a 4 1/2 hour drive which isn't that bad its just that it is closer to home, you know what i mean.

I know George from Sevenspeed, a friend of mine was going to have him put a 13 turbo into a 1st gen. We spent a few hours talking about his experinces with his various cars and such, he can tune like a mad man! But I am almost postive he doesn't rebuild them himself, he sends them out somewhere.

I am pretty hand with cars myself, but i have never done anything like this on a rotary, but i have enough contacts in the area so if i get stuck they can help me out. Plus, I want to learn the car and i always look forward to a challenge.

What is it gonna cost to get turbos rebuilt?

jabbasbmfrx7

what i dont under stand about REmans is when ever someone has good luck they thinks its gods gift to REs. at 3500 miles any rebuilt motor should be running well. its after 35000 miles when the reman needs to be remaned. I live near Delco in Jacksonville and i can tell you 1 person there knows his stuff. Very smart man, the other 15 well i wouldnt have them work on my motors. I have taken too many REmans apart to find lousy clearences, lc to make the compression right. GET a professional to do it.

TTurboXfd3s

i'd say rebuild, but the thing is you can never really know how many miles it really has

eyecandy

iTrader: (19)

What do you mean by that?

I am just all confused now..All I know is that I want to keep costs down as much as possible, but still get an engine that is going to last.

artguy

eyecandy...let me get this straight!!...you live in PA and are considering passing on one of THE top engine building shops in the country?? kdr is just down the road homie....dont waste the dough on a junk reman.

Last time I was at my shop they were replacing another mazda reman that failed...they told me it was four of the last six. they no longer will warrantee their work if you take them the maz remans. that says something...they were tired of the junk.

a streetport..catback..hiflow cat...boost controller...intake...ecu setup will get you plenty of power for the street. your car will amaze you compared to stock.

get it done right...cheap way out means you get cheap stuff.


j

eyecandy

iTrader: (19)

Does anyone knoe how long the average remanufactured and rebuild lasts? Or is a reman like bascially getting the orginal engine, but worse. And is a rebuild better than say a "new" mazda engine?

7racer

When I blew my engine in Cali I went through the same issues...

The cost is a big factor. Reman was a cheaper route...rebuild was more expensive...

Old remans have had a bad reputation as stated above...but some newer ones have gotten alot of good praise...it might just be a luck of the draw...

do a search and you will see what I mean.

I decided to bite the bullet and rebuild...

Is your credit card ready?!?!?!?!

SleepR1

I just had my motor fail a few weeks ago. Here's what I did:

Called Ray Crowe of Malloy Mazda www.malloyautomall.com. Had Ray order me a reman motor for $1950 plus shipping.

Had motor drop-shipped to KDR Performance Inc. Kim Barninger tore down the reman motor and inspected everything. Turns out the motor has 95% new parts. The only used part was a center housing which was in very good shape (according to Kim and Dave)

I had Kim enlarge/polish intake, exhaust ports, oil/coolant passages, replace o-ring gaskets with silicone material, perform the eccentric shaft mod.

I had KDR ship the motor to Rx7 Store. Zavier Neeley and Jason Baughman performed the motor swap, and added a bunch of mods.

For the swap you'll need new gaskets (full kit $370) and possibly a new engine wiring harness, $470.

If money's tight. Don't bother with a port job, because if you port, you'll need an Apexi Power FC. That's the only safe way to run a ported motor, while taking advantage of the enlarge ports (retard trailing ignition).

With a ported motor, and depending on your IC, turbo, and intake and exhaust mods, you may also need to upgrade the fuel system to 1300-cc injectors and ND Comp fuel pump.

My suggestion for you is to go with Ray Crowe at Malloy Mazda and order a reman for $1950. Have him ship the reman to KDR Performance. Have Kim tear down the new motor and perform the reliability mods (oil/coolant passage porting, eccentric shaft mod, silicone o-ring gaskets). That way you'll KNOW FOR SURE WHAT YOU GOT, and that you've modified the motor for durability and reliability.

As for ported motors durability. They'll run hotter because they put out more horsey at the midrange. This is why the reliability mods are MANDATORY for a ported motor job.

For you the reliability mods for a stock reman will add more life to your reman.

Costwise, $1950 for Malloy Mazda reman, ~$900 for KDR's labor to tear down, add mods, and reassemble. Add new gasket kit, new wiring harness, and $1500 for labor to swap out motor, we're talking $5200. FWIW Ray does not charge the $1000-core fee up front. He's going off of trust that you'll be sending your old motor back to Malloy Mazda for the core.

What kind of life is left in the turbos? You should consider this, as this may affect the overall performance of your car.

FWIW my original motor and turbos had 102,543 miles of strenuous use before ultimate failure. I replaced the twins with Japan spec Type RS sequentials (only recommended with Apexi Power FC, and upgraded fuel system).

BTW, turnaround time for Ray Crowe was 3 days to get the reman motor to Kim and Dave (Christmas holidays). KDR took about a week (during the first of the year). Rx7 Store took 2 weeks to install everything.

I recently got the car back last weekend, and my FD--formerly dubbed "Sleep R-1"--is a real joy. She's running better than when stock

Kim Barninger built the motor, so my car's a "she". I'm currently looking for a new name, as she doesn't look like a "sleeper" anymore with an Rx7 Store Greddy 2-row FMIC peeking out from the nose

eyecandy

iTrader: (19)

Wow! Thanks for the help, SleepR1!

I might try that route, minus the porting, cause i know i won't have the cash for that..I wonder what the odds are of me getting lucky like you with the engine..that was a pretty sweet deal you got for a Reman...

Now i assume the $900 from KDR is including the portimg so it will prolly be a few hindrend less.. if that is the case that is the price range i was looking to get into..

Why would i need a new engine wiring harness? and what is the gasket set for?

JimmyJimboJet

if you are going to get a reman, i think it would be a good idea to get it rebuilt and ported at the same time. even though you just said you don't wanna do the porting. yeah, it's gonna be expensive, but like Manny said, you will KNOW what is in the engine. most shops will replace worn-out parts (non-salvageable).

the only reason i say to get a streetport at the same time is because what IF you wanna go single in the future? a mild streetport would help the turbo, easier to spool-up, if i'm not mistaken.

a new wiring harness? why not, you're getting a 'new' engine.

i bet you will be happier in the long run if you save up some money for a rebuild/port w/ reliability mods to be done all at the same time. and ~300 rwhp for a street car that weighs 2800 lbs is pretty damn nice.

artguy

do it right or dont do it at all.

you obviously havent had the car long or you would know NOT to go for the drawing of the straws.


j

SleepR1

The Malloy Mazda reman motors come in nearly new condition. Because Ray does SO MUCH motor business, he usually gets the best of the pickings. $1950 is a discounted rate. You won't find that price for a nearly new parts motor.

Quote:

Now i assume the $900 from KDR is including the porting so it will prolly be a few hindrend less.. if that is the case that is the price range i was looking to get into..

No $900 is for the reliability mods. Enlarging intake, exhaust ports is $300 more. The $900 includes the silicone o-ring gaskets. Total for a complete port job plus parts will run $1200 plus the "block" from Malloy. If you can't afford to do the Apexi Power FC/Commander keypad ($1300) with a ported motor, you really should NOT enlarge the intake and exhaust ports. There have been many blown street-ported motors with inadequate fuel and improper ignition timing.

Quote:

Why would i need a new engine wiring harness? and what is the gasket set for?

The gasket kit includes every gasket you'll need to to do a proper motor swap. There will be a few gaskets that you won't need, but like me, I just held on to them for future use. The motor wiring harness on your car may have cracks in the insulation that are beyond repair. If that is the case, you're better off buying a new harness rather than patching wires. An electrical problem is not worth foregoing the $470 for the new harness.

If you're having your motor swapped @ KDR Perf Inc, Dave can order each gasket separately, but in my experience it's cheaper to order the whole kit, rather ordering each gasket separately. Dave will also tell you if you need a new harness. It really depends on your current harness's condition.

BTW, Dave is backed up 40 to 50 cars deep with motor swaps. If you're interested in KDR, you'd better get on their calendar soon.

I've read positive comments on Sevenspeed from Dale Black, West Penn Rx7 Club. Not sure about their motor swapping abilities, but they do everything else, plus they have a nice go-fast parts selection, and a very nice waiting area. All the waiting area needs are some Hooter girl waitresses serving beer, and the shop will be a BIG hit http://www.sevenspeed.com/

SleepR1

You could just have the reliability mods done. That way you can still have the reman cracked open and inspected

Quote:

the only reason i say to get a streetport at the same time is because what IF you wanna go single in the future? a mild streetport would help the turbo, easier to spool-up, if i'm not mistaken.

Yes the ported motor will help you make more power single or twin turbo

Quote:

a new wiring harness? why not, you're getting a 'new' engine.

My point exactly

Quote:

i bet you will be happier in the long run if you save up some money for a rebuild/port w/ reliability mods to be done all at the same time. and ~300 rwhp for a street car that weighs 2800 lbs is pretty damn nice.

This is what I did. Did it right...no compromises

SleepR1

Yes, I absolutely agree. If the current motor is still driveable, ie has not failed to the point that it will not start, I recommend saving your money and doing it right. I replaced my turbos at the same time. Budget $15,000 for a proper job WITH mods (single turbo kit).