The reliable daily driven FD recipe (for beginners)
 

The general public and sadly even some of our own RX7 enthusiast feel that the FD is a great car with the exception that the rotary engine is a pile of junk that leads to many reliability problems. However that’s not the case if you follow these FD reliability laws that don't include installing a V8 (that's right I played that card early hehe)

Purchase a nice low mileage unmolested car which will fix 99% of the reliability worries. If you happen to be that lucky or smart depending upon how you want to look at it you don’t need to do anything but add a boost gauge and properly maintain the car fixing things along the way that need addressing so pretend that you did exactly that. You bought a car with say 20k miles on it and it needs nothing.

Here are the things that are bad from the factory and can and will eventually go wrong. You can fix them now or live with any issues the car has.

1) Replace the stock ecu with a pfc and commander. The PFC is great because it fixes the annoying 3k hesitation that every single FD ever made in the USA has. As a bonus you will get 16 to 17mpg (versus the normal 12 to 14), a boost gauge, boost controller and temp gauge via the commander along with many other important engine readings like volts etc…. Most importantly it’s a standalone engine management system so once you’ve set your car up with the mods you prefer you can get your car tuned specifically for those modifications which should be done ASAP after installing the PFC.

2) Even though the PFC has a boost reading buy a boost gauge to make watching the boost and vacuum much easier.

3) Replace the stock precat with a DP (straight 3 inch down pipe) because it will eventually start to clog (probably already has to a degree) causing the exhaust flow to slow down/heat up the engine bay and suffocate your cars power and further cook your engine bay accessories and electronics. Rotaries run really hot giving off tons of carbon etc… that clogs up both the precat and midcat but the precat gets it the worst and was put on because of the strict emissions constraints in the us. In japan the FD didn’t have a precat at all for good reason.

4) Check your AST and the plastic side tanks on the radiator if they are faded/cloudy replace them with quality aluminum parts if not just wait until they are and replace when needed. If you are a worrier replace them now because they will eventually split.

5) You notice a boost problem and it’s the check valve under the pressure tank so you replace it with a viton check valve from Dale or find one on your own. The check valves either split or go bad so you can replace them now or later. Or its a split hose or disconnected dried up vacc hose so you replace all the vacc hose with high temp silicone hose or viton that you source from mcmasters or somewhere else. Get lots a 1/8 and the ¼ ID thick walled hose.

6) You notice slow boost response (laggy turbo) after several hard pulls and discover the midcat is clogged so you either jump up and down with joy because you live in a state that doesn’t test for emissions so you can remove all the emissions BS or pray that replacing it with a HF midcat will allow you to pass emissions.

7) The midpipe is causing the car to run like a raped ape and boost is creeping up to 12 psi, the air intake temps are rising, it’s cutting out/fuel cut in hard left handers and also under acceleration when the tank is getting low and also you notice the clutch is slipping on those cold mornings heading into work .

8) So you take your car to the tuner and he notices your fuel pressure dropping and your duty cycle hitting low 90s, AIT are above 60c, clutch slipping etc… so he recommends a supra TT pump, a nice VMIC (why not lets go all out) and some stock bored out 1200cc injectors that he sent off to RC engineering, ACT SS clutch with HD pressure plate and then he tunes the car up to 14 psi and its making 340 hp and now you can’t stop smiling.

9) Until six months later because 340 just isn’t enough so you come back to the tuner and ask for more power he says you can’t get more power without going single so that’s what you do and boom Sean at Aspec sells you a killer 500r and you go away making 400 hp and are smiling bigger than ever.

10) The turbo was killer alright it killed your motor and now
you’re back at the shop for a port etc because you want 500 hp………

OK the lesson here is if the power hungry guy in you can’t rest then you will never have a reliable FD because frankly this engine, driveline and chassis wasn’t meant to make double its stock HP and remain reliable, FACT, PERIOD, end of story so if this is the road you choose don’t malign the FD because it’s your fault for not starting with a corvette or viper to begin with ;) I find that most of the reliability issues are poor mods, poor maint or big power.

Another problem this car has is the gadget guy who adds 15 gauges, stereo with big amps and subs, alarms, auto locks, sleak head lights etc…..etc…. 1st don’t do that to this car unless you’re an electric engineer or are very good at faking it because this car doesn’t stomach tampering with the wires because it has electric issue that we call grounding problems, I have no idea what is going on, maybe it’s the small aluminum block iron combo or the thin sheet metal, combined with a monocoque chassis or more than likely it’s simply possessed but whatever it is don’t temp the electric gremlins in this car or they will surely cause you major headaches: trouble starting, gauges malfunctioning, fuel pump problems etc….. ALSO leave the battery in the stock location and if you must relocate it run all wires through the engine bay back through the fire wall up high staying committed to the exact same setup as stock with simply a long positive wire and a ground to one of the thick seat belt holder spots in the back. Most important thing for success and your relocated battery is to keep the wires short and dry.

Speaking of electric issues the engine harness is a major problem on these cars with 100k plus miles because of it’s age and the large number of heat cycles it’s suffered through so look that over because it can cause lots of scratch your head type issues which are always the most frustrating kind or the something is wrong and I can’t figure it out sort.

So in summary here are my top 10 or so mods for fun and reliability:

PFC tuned by a pro

Boost gauge is a must have for any turbo car

Full exhaust for more heat reduction but it also reduces weight by 50lbs or more and increases boost response by increasing exhaust flow so there's nothing better you can do to increase the power on a turbo rotary than opening up the exhaust because as mentioned above it creates LOTS of exhaust/heat so the quicker you get rid of it the faster that turbo will spool and the less time it will sit in the exhaust chamber/manifold creating heat. So with that said go 3 inch front to back with a HF cat if you need to

DON'T give up on the twins because they are the single coolest thing about this car for street driving from the down low response/torque to the super cool feeling that the extra boost of the secondary coming on line provides (priceless stuff and one of the hallmarks/trademarks of this car). I've driven them all and nothing comes close to a really nice twin turbo FD for having fun around town or out in the country/mountains.

Upgrading the intercooler is extremely important because IMO the #1 out of the blue engine killer is pre detonation from hot air intake temps. So buy a SMIC, FMIC, VMIC…….or whatever works to keep your AITs at or below 50c and one that also doesn’t interfere with your radiator air flow or raise your water temps.

Upgrade your fuel pump(supra tt is a direct drop in it has good flow and it is reliable) because the stock pump doesn't flow enough for a 300 HP car which for me is the perfect power level to get the most out of this car and maintain reliability throughout entire car to include; driveline, bushings, PPF, oil pan leaks etc….

Aluminum AST or delete and replace coolant with evans (do a search and make up your mind). The stock AST is made of plastic and after it's baked in the rotary oven (engine bay) thousands of times it become brittle and cracks usually at the worst time causing your precious rotary to overheat (never a good thing search) so unless your tank is nice and dark and not faded and cloudy you will need to replace the AST and the radiator which is also made of plastic.

High quality aluminum radiator which may need custom ducting but your temps should stay below 100c when driving hard and never exceed 110c other than hot starts

Add a second oil cooler if you don't already have one. Rotaries run extra hot because of all the extra air and fuel they need (inefficient engine) which means you need lots of cooling and a second oil cooler is mandatory for your rotary engines long life.

IMPORTANT and probably the most important thing you can do for the longevity of your engine and driveline keep the boost set at 10 to 12 psi (will creep with a mid pipe). The duty cycle will be in the low 90s to even mid 90s so I'd advise upgrading the stock secondaries with 1200 or 1250cc injectors. For some reason when the stock injectors are bored beyond 1250 or at the 1300 limit they can stick and also the spray is less consistant so I recommend 1200 which is all you should need.

At the 300 rwhp level the stock clutch is on the edge of slipping. I like the ACT SS clutch with HD pressure plate and retain the stock fly wheel for better street drivability. The LWFW isn’t worth having more difficult launches, back lash under light throttle etc…..

Once you've done the above mods you will have a super fun car that's very reliable and will keep you smiling each time you drive it but beware of the voices especially the one whispering for the need to increase the boost and power. Listen to the voices that suggest simplifying the car and reducing weight and most importantly the voice commanding you to slow down before you kill yourself, the one that convinces you to go to the track to really learn how to drive etc… :D

For those that can’t get rid of the 1st voice that one begging for power hehe:

If you must have more power IMO the power limit for safe reliable street use is 375 and you'll need:
a singe turbo or upgraded twins
Igntion amp (i like the twin power)
Colder plugs (i like NGK 10s)
10mm wires
A spare trans and spare diff LOL

Sure you can go to 400 and up BUT add water or meth injection along with a spare motor to your must have list and lots of patience.

500 plus HP see the drag racer forum where they replace motors, diffs and transmissions like gas and oil so if you need that sort of power that's your best bet for reliability discussions :)

Things to have on hand and replace while modding or making repairs especially if your car has 100k plus miles (lots of stuff at the 100k mile mark in the engine bay is damaged by heat and should be replaced):
Variety of oil resitant high quality thick walled silicone hose
Factory water hose kit
Fuel filter and relocate after you change
Low mileage OMP and new OMP factory lines (aftermarket ss lines are a PIA and the factory lines are good for atleast 100k miles if not damaged by you working on the car) or delete it and run premix (1 oz per gallon if you use the cheap stuff at walmart or 1/2 oz per gallon if you use expensive synth stuff like amsoil).
Low mileage good engine harness
Fuel pulsation dampener, fuel hose, engine harness....

MAINT:
Oil every 2500 with cheap castrol GTX or something similar 10w 30 winter 10w 40 summer (this car pollutes the oil with gas really fast so no need for expensive oil as frequent changes are necessary)
Plugs every 15k miles (NGK 9s all around)
Premix 4 onces per tank if it helps you sleep at night and or you daily drive your car and live in a high traffic area (lots of idling)
Every 30k miles: fuel filter, gear oil
Belts when you see cracking (don't over tighten)
Bushings and pillowballs when you can shake any of the wheels or hear clunking etc.... (usually around the 50 to 75k mark)
Coolant hose if bloated and soft
Fuel hose if hard and cracking

In summary don’t get caught up in the power game and or crazy electronic mod game and you’ll have a nice fun relationship with this car otherwise beware.

PS Lots and lots of little things (like popping your hood when you can to let the heat out) I didn't mention but the above is the bare bones top 10 ingredients to make your TT FD a fun reliable DD car.

Mr. Flynn,

The above should be published in hardback. I violated only one of your reliability rules... stayed with the stock ECU. But, after 106 K+ miles, she runs and sounds like a new FD on her original engine.

Yeah, make sure your wastegate hose doesn't pop off and then push 40 psi thru your motor and blow a seal.

Good call on the AST. Ive gone through 2 or 3 AST's and they all break on the same spot.

:worship:

Yep no doubt the stock ECU will get the job done but the mileage and hesitation issue along with the fuel limitations are things I can't live with. I don't need much power but I do prefer 300 and the stock ECU won't manage that. However if you don't have a really good tuner stick with the stock ECU :icon_tup:

No doubt you've been there and done that 10 times over so you can certainly relate to this one :) Water injection or meth injection can't hurt UNLESS the car is tuned for it and for some reason you run without it. My biggest pet peeve with water injection is the mess, the leaks, the hassle etc.... At at my power levels with a good nice IC it's not needed. I'm from the school of keep it simple and any other injection besides fuel is far from simple.

When you go single absolute must to use AN fittings with nicely wrapped hose :nod:

:icon_tup:

thanks

Make this a Sticky :)

I agree with about 99% of this. The only change I would suggest would be at least STAYING with the stock ECU in the event your ONLY mod is a downpipe. I put 3 years of research into FD's before I bought my first last year December. I picked up a 93 touring with 39k mi on it. The previous owner had taken excellent care of it and had receipts for work done. It was always garaged and had awesome compression. My first mods were close to $2300 worth. They included new turbo coolant and radiator lines, aluminum AST, Hose Techniques silicone hose kit, Azeknightz turbo control solenoids [damn near the best $600 I have spent on this car], Dale clark check valves, new pulsation damper, fuel filter, Defi boost and water temp gauges, pettit 3" down pipe, new plug wires and plugs, and an FC thermoswitch. I may have missed some things, I can check my files [I save all my receipts and document all maintenance].

Back to my supposedly absurd suggestion of keeping the stock ECU with a SINGULAR mod of a downpipe. The stock ecu has a closed loop control of boost. With a singular flow mod, the control is very mildly compromised. The highest boost I've seen on my PRIMARY turbo was 14.5psi. The factory ECU runs mildly richer for both emissions and safety purposes. The factory ECU also contains KNOCK CONTROL. The stock computer can pull up to 7* timing under knock detection. This can save your motor as a PFC does not have knock control. In the event you just cannot take it anymore and must mod your car further, then I believe a PFC would be a good addition. I have no plans to further modify my 7 until I undergo a full build. I say this because I feel anything past a downpipe requires supporting mods. An intake or exhaust would cause a flow increase and be cause for a boost controller. EBC's are LOUSY at controlling sequential boost. Dual ball and spring MBCs appear to be the best route you can go if you absolutely MUST add another mod and CANNOT afford a PFC. The PFC would be my ideal choice for controlling sequential boost.

My next purchase for my 7 will be a fast reacting IAT sensor from wannaspeed. This will quell the nasty heat soak experienced by both a slow reacting sensor and the heat soaking abilities of the rotary. Its a drop in plug in sensor and should return much driveability in hot weather. I would also like to invest in a Ron Davis "mazdaspeed" aluminum radiator. It's drop in, proven, and keeps water temps down. Next would be a dual oil cooler set up [I have a touring model]. This will also reduce operating temps. Don't forget, oil is both a lubricating and a cooling fluid. I will either invest in the SBG kit [fantastic company with proven products] or I will piece together my own kit.

Everyday when I get home from work, the first thing I do is open the oven door [the hood] and let my engine bay cool off. This GREATLY increases the longevity of underhood components. I'm not afraid to drive 45 min to the mall and then sit in the parking lot for 5 min with my hood open before I go inside. Its habit now. I don't call it crazy, I call it smart. Let the heat out before it kills everything around it.

As much as I would LOVE to add additional mods to my 7, I have held back on doing so. My reasoning is as follows:

If I get an intake or exhaust, I'll boost spike. To fix that I need either dual MBCs or a PFC. $200-1000 just to put on an additional mod. Anything further then that requires fuel mods and tuning. More $$$.
The modding game is expensive. I just concentrating on keeping mine on the road and running how I want it to. It's plenty fast for me as it sits now.

I hope my advice can help someone with their 7.

Matt

Good stuff and I agree with 100 percent of this :)

I've yet to try the solenoids but I've heard great things. In my case I have boxes full of stock solenoids laying around so if something goes bad I have a replacement.

The stock ECU has it's merits no doubt and along with the things you mentioned it has a stellar idle. However I'm referencing my ideal power level for a street/DD FD and even if you only have a DP if there's a good tuner in your area you can get him to set up all kinds of safeties in relation to boost that will cut fuel on the PFC.

BOTTOMLINE: once you've experienced a well tuned 300 to 320 rwhp twin turbo FD there's just no replacement in my experience for the overall vibe. I also live close to a GREAT tuner (ray at PFS). I just had one of my cars tuned that had a decent map on it and it's not like the power really increased it's more about the overall full throttle, light throttle no throttle etc.... experience that a good tune can make and most importantly having a flat line safe AFR etc..... I'll post up the dyno when I get a chance.

I've always been taught that your car and mods are only as good as your tune. All my maintenance discipline has trickled from my work on F-16s to my personal work on my car. Now if only I can get my brother's good tuning to rub off on me a bit :P My brother is well known in the late model GM/LS motor series community. I would love to do my own tuning but I'm thus far too chicken to risk a motor rebuild. Do you know of any good tuners further south?

Thank you for sharing your experience and guidelines for a good DD FD as well. :)

Matt

nice try...

Very nice! This is a good addition to people that are just buying an FD for the first time. I'm glad that I have most of the pegs in place on my car. I wish I had the sequential still, as the previous owner removed it. But it still rips NS.

Feel free to add in your thoughts I have thick skin :icon_tup:

Yep sequential is a the only way to fly in my book but many would consider running a non sequential or going a single a necessary reliability addition or subtraction depending upon how you look at it hehe I'm just too fond of the twins for street use to ever consider a single turbo DD car.

Singles are the only way to fly at the track unless you have a REALLY well sorted twin car but even then at your 1st opportunity I'd go single. My track car is night and day compared to my street cars.

Ok what is AST and where would you get upgraded twins? I want my car to be very fast but I also want to be reliable and keep the integrity that is the RX7.

meh, 500+WHP isn't like changing oil or gas. but you will have to pay for it and the reliability that comes with it as well as the bad luck that sometimes plays in.

AST is the air separation tank.

If you want big power or anything over 350 go single.

I couldn't keep a car running for 1/2 hour at the track if it had a 13b in it making 500 rwhp if the engine didn't blow the trans or the diff would explode. Clearly YMMV and drag racing or street driving with a few hard pulls is not like taking a car to the track and raping it for 1/2 hour sessions. I have enough bad luck (cough cough) with 350 HP ;)

i thought this was daily driven cars as per the title.

yes, hard launches and quick throttle snaps on the track will eat up the transmission and differential. many daily driven cars in that range have to use a little common sense like throttle transitions and rolling pulls versus hard launches and dropping the clutch to engine brake then hammer the throttle.

one of my customers drives a 500whp FC, with the inferior FC engine and he has managed more than many FD owners get with less power and every time it comes out of the garage it uses every pony. he puts about 25k miles a year on it, not a garage queen by any means. almost every week i hear another kill story, and everyone in his vicinity knows the car, heh.

This should've been included in the owner manual.

thx for the pointers. this is my first rotary and so far i love it, tho i do have some electrical issues. curious about the engine bay heating problem...i was considering buying a scoot style or similar vented hood, would this help with the problem?

The FD can be reliable. Ive got one with a chevy 350 and one thats getting a NA 20b...

(Fritz hope your still slanging parts casue I need a few, I'll PM you in a few weeks)

Hey you just described my FD! Well, okay I run an M2 ECU (that I bought from you) and not a PFC, but otherwise... :)

It is and it isn't much different from a regular car. It is in such a way that cars need regular maintenance. It isn't in the way that if you neglect the maintenance on a rotary, its going to bite you back. You also need to be more sensitive to the way it runs. If it starts running funny or doing anything crazy, don't assume its a good idea to go boost it to 10 psi and think it'll be ok. Just be wary of your car and how it runs. Its that simple. Fuel filter every 30k, plugs every 15k, oil every 2.5k, tranny and diff every year [by my standards at least].

I'd also like to add another regular maintenance item to check; your OMP oil nozzles. If the built in check valves fail, then oil will not be introduced to the combustion cavity under boost. Another reason to premix at least a half oz per gallon. To check if your nozzles are functional, one of the vacuum lines running to your primary turbo inlet pipe is the breather line for them. If you can blow through it but not suck, then your nozzles are ok. You MIGHT be able to hook up a mity vac to the line to test them, but DO NOT apply a ton of vacuum to it. The check valves are a rubber stopper type. If you suck on it too hard per say, it'll get stuck and you'll break the nozzles. I've been considering adding an external check valve to my oil nozzles in the event the internal ones fail. Adding the check valve as close to the nozzle as possible would be more beneficial, but according to my home rigged tests, the oil should not back track up the breather line so long as a functional check valve is in place.

Matt

Cool, apparently your friend has a gem of a car with many kills under its belt and in the right hands a 500 hp rotary can be reliable but those hands just don't belong to me :icon_tup:



This forum is the owners manual :nod:

A vented hood will only add to your electric issues :) Keeping things as dry as possible is even more important than letting the heat out. Just open the hood when you can.

Hi Mike,

Of course I'm still slanging mad amounts of FD parts so let me know when need something :)

Hi Matt,
It's a good thing you have the m2 ecu with those mods hehe but once you pick up a PFC and take it to Ray for a tune you'll be smiling ear to ear :)

The only reason I installed a boost controller is to bypass the factory wastegate and pre-control actuators and lower the boost. With intake, smic, downpipe, HF cat, and a ported wastegate it's rock solid at 10 psi on stock sequentials. I rely on the M2 to deal with the additional airflow even if the pressure is stock and so far it seems to be working. The 3k rpm stutter is still a thorn in my side -- PFC some day; I'll let you know when I'm in the market :)

As mentioned by the other Matt above the stock ecu is very safe and for what you do sticking with the m2 isn't a bad play but you happen to have a really good tuner close by so the PFC makes sense. Peter Hahns been running 12 to 14 psi on track with twins for years (with a Ray tune) and he actually has a pretty agressive tune 11.7 AFRs and he drives the car hard. He runs easy sub 2.10s at VIR in a pretty basic car.

I have had some good luck with Mazda's tech bulletin regarding intermittent misfires. Reference: Posts #42 and subsequent in this forum thread.

Great read! I am one of those "unlucky" people who purchased a high mileage one (over 120,000 miles). The price was right and I'm one of those who likes to work on my cars, making it my own. Some of the reliability mods were done, such as downpipe, hi-flow cat, RB catback, fluidyne radiator, new AST, silicone hoses, relocated fuel filter and boost guage. However, I have come across a few things that high mileage owners should be aware of:

1. Remove and clean all grounding points you can find. My car had some weird issues and this solved most all of them. 3 in the engine bay, including replacing the one from the UIM to the firewall, the one for the fuel pump (test your voltage while you're there) and the ones from aftermarket gauges. The previous owner had installed an air/fuel ratio gauge and my car would periodically throw code 17. I replaced the O2 sensor, triple checked my fuel lines and pressure, changed the fuel filter but in the end found that this gauge was poorly grounded.

2. Clutch Fork- I had immediately put in a new engine w/act clutch and pressure plate. The increase in holding capacity showed the weakness in the clutch's hydraulics within a couple weeks when the slave started leaking internally. I replaced the master at the same time. What I didn't know about these cars was the weakness in the factory clutch fork. It started to split right where the cotter pin is. Fortunately I felt the change in the clutch pedal before it completely broke. So if you're doing an upgrade clutch and pressure plate, spend the extra $100 and put in a new fork if it's still the factory one.

3. Turbo Control Solenoid - If you have slow boost response and/or no to little boost on your secondary turbo when starting from a higher rpm (above 4000), this is the place I would start. It's under the UIM (which most of you will know) and takes less than 2 hours to change. It felt like I had new turbos afterwards, response was short of incredible.

I'm sure I'll run into much more in the future as this is only the first summer I have driven this car. I would also like to say, that coming from owning a FC TII for 7 years and an RX-8 for the past 4, the FD is an entire different animal in terms of complication. I too am one of those people who like things simple....hard to be simple with a FD.

Thanks for the link! I do have an aftermarket grounding kit on the car but I haven't reworked that factory ground point in the back of the engine bay so I'll take a look at it.

I'm with Gordon, but you and I went to the same school.
A simple boost activated WI system is inexpensive, reliable, and can be installed in an afternnon even with pizza and beer breaks. I've had no problems with leaking, and the only clue to it's presence is the line running to the nozzle at the intake elbow...and two little LEDs for system monitoring. Along with knock suppression you get cooling and carbon control too. Based on my experience, I would add this to your list, which otherwise describes my car and philosophy pretty well.

Awesome Guide! , but following the whole making more HP craze .. I think you should add..

Rewiring the Fuel Pump..

Better grounds, cleaning the ground etc... help but it's a problem no matter what you do but I've heard of rare instances of guys like you finding a cure but I haven't experienced it my self. In my case I'll think it's fixed and a month or so of DD it may rain so I turn on the lights and wipers and OH DANG some hesitation at light throttle around 2500 to 3500 :(

Yep both the clutch fork and the clutch line will suffer on high mileage cars especially when you add the HD pressure plate.

Here's the list on a nice 52 miles FD I just bought:
bushings and pillow balls in the rear (front still good)
Fixed wiring to fuel pump (don't mess with wires) Car was doing a great and out of no where it wouldn't start. After ripping into the wires I found a cut off switch that had gone bad.
Removed stereo and sub
Removed auto unlock (was jaming up locking the car)
Rebalanced the wheels
Alignment
Tune
Oil change
Bled brakes



I can only go on my experience which is every single car I've purchased with water injection leaked, had really cheap wiring and was a nuisance. AGAIN just my exp. :) Every car I've owned and driven hasn't needed it and I track one of my cars pretty often in 100 degree weather (car only makes 350 max). The only frequent issue I've had is killing transmissions and I'm hoping it's as simple as keeping the fluid temps lower.

If I was worried about fuel pressure I'd install a pressure gauge (2 of 3 FDs I currently own already have 1) and check the pressure and fix the problem. Any sort of electrical issue with the fuel pump is crazy bad for this car and will also kill the pumps. Again I try my best to leave the stock wiring alone and it's proven successful and in the cars that I've owned with wires hacked everywhere I tend to find problems that require lots of time and effort to sort out. I've probably daily driven 50 or so FDs over the last 13 years.

I have a Miata for the track and bought my FD for a fun street car. It was a single owner all stock (except for stupid stereo and sub) CYM R1 with 101k miles on the original motor. I have begun a lot of the reliability mods, but am at a crossroad. I would like to autocross the car as well as street it. At the one event I did, I learned how bad the stock IC is. I've been looking at IC choices and have decided for my power goals of approx 300 HP a SMIC is what I would like to use. I was about sold on Petit's till I read your thread about the battery. I am no electrician, so I was not looking to relocate. What do you recommend for a good IC that would work in my roles.

At the autoex I also started to smoke under hard boost and it was suggested by a few guys that I install a catch can. I have been doing research and it looks like the correct way would be to have one with two lines, one from the oil filer next and another on the other side using one of the stock turbo oil drain lines. Is this what you recommend if using the stock twins and if yes, which line do I tap?

Thanks for your time!

My current mods are:
Koyo NFlow
RX7 wrapped down pipe
Apex N1 dual tip exhaust
Bones Hiflow
New Pillow balls
Eibach Springs
PFC (base tune) hesitates when tipping in the throttle tbd

Have to install:
Azeknight solenoids
New Silicon Vacume Hose

Can't figure out how to install:
Old M2 air box (new radiator conflicts with airbox

Intend to buy after your post:
1200 CC secondaries
Denso or Supra drop in
Maybe a FPD to throw in while I have the UIM out just to be safe

I intend after doing the hoses, solenoids, IC to take it down to Banzai for a proper tune.

There are only two ways to fix heat soak whether around town or auctocrossing and that's with a VMIC or FMIC and both of these will will help over all power anyway so it's not a bad idea to bite the bullet and go for it. If you're just going to auto cross the car and not track it I'd recommend an apexi FMIC (really well made and efficient and doesn't require cutting up the car) or the Rotary extreme VMIC. Both will probably require you to go with a turbo jeff style battery tray but that will also cut weight. Once you've installed the FMIC or VMIC take the car to a race fab shop and have them design some custom ducts (a must have) for your setup or do it yourself if you have the skills.

Regarding the m2 intake you may need to lower radiator using washers and bending the tabs on the radiator mounts to comply or breaking out a cutting wheel. The cutting wheel and the hammer get lots of use in my garage hehe :)

As for the catch can it's not needed (i get blasted for that statement and my remedy all the time) just don't go higher than 1/2 way up the dip stick (or 1/2 a quart to 1 quart low) but to be safe go with a high quality oil like amsoil, mobil 1, VR1 racing etc..... I have a catch can on my track car and the only time it catches anything at all is when I put too much oil in (I run my car most of the time at the bottom of the dip stick adding a little oil every other track session or so). If you aren't comfortable running the oil low (most are not hehe) then do a search on catch can installation lots of thoughts here but again I like the simpler the better as in leave everything stock and run your catch can in line with the stock system with a filter on top :)

PS Water injection will help with heat soak, detonation, keep the engine clean, etc...etc... but for reason already mentioned I like a simpler approach.

and one of the best reliability mods to date: get rid of the stock 3 piece OEM seals.

The cliff's notes version:

1. Don't get greedy
2. Keep it simple
3. Don't take short cuts
4. Don't assume aftermarket = better

So who are some of the best power FC tuners in the country?

So far I have had great luck on the stock ECU and never had any 3,000rpm hesitation. I actually prefer the safety precautions built into the stock ECU that I would lose with the Power FC (mainly the functional knock sensor feedback).

Only issues I had were when I went back to "stock" class Auto-x (stock everything with drop in K&N panel filter and 3 1/3" catback).

It over boosted in 3rd and above and cut fuel so it was a pain to drive on the street but worked ok in auto-x (1st, 2nd and only lower part of 3rd) and it had terrible 2ndary transition which led to poor power delivery- hard to race around boost spike on transition.

Now I am back to K&N panel filter, downpipe, catback and most importantly the awesome Hallman Pro RX boost controllers for wastegate and 2ndary prespool actuators for the perfect 10psi boost and seemless transition.


Mazda was on crack building a complex and sensitive sequential turbo system and not referencing boost for turbo control.

That's easy I'm not even sure if they are still made :)

Speaking of seals I keep hearing great things about the ALS seals so they could also be a strong contender as a reliablility mod as more data comes in.

You may of already tried it but you can adjust the wastegate and turbo actuator rods to correct some of those boost issues but it's a PIA.

My only experience is with Ray at PFS and he can flat out tune a rotary engine.

:nod:

Yup. Heard of PFS and the other guy I heard was one of the best is Brian from BDC. But I'm trying to see if there is anyone else that's a little closer to Oregon.

there's a number of alternative seals more durable than OEM, OEM being the best for longevity sake as mazda needed to be sure the cars would make it to the 100k mark rather easily. the 3 piece seals did get revised back to 2 piece seals and mazda no longer sells the 3 piece seals.

the engine is a big part of the reliability of the car, sometimes you get a car that was well taken care of, if it was abused and not well taken care of then the engine won't be long lived even if you throw as many reliability aspects as you can at it, it will help though. many people have gotten healthy motors and beat the snot out of them, others have bought garage queens that coughed up seals weeks after buying it while putting the car back to use, luck of the draw.

Say once you have achieved a reliable engine at 350RWHP, how do you address the Transmission and Differential to hold up as well?

there's too much information here but it's like a gold mine!

I know you mentioned getting the v8 thing out of the way, but is a v8 conversion a more reliable option? or does it also have its drawbacks?

apples to oranges, different power curves suit different people. most piston engines are reliable and make more torque, but they cannot rev as high or as effortlessly as a rotary engine can.

i compare these engines to 2 stroke dirt bikes versus 4 stroke bikes. they require engine rebuilds more often but they rev happily to the moon. a 4 stroke counterpart requires less attention to the engine, grunts when you apply the throttle but is limited and begins to fall flat if you push it too hard. race the 2 head to head and each has its benefits and drawbacks, but size to power ratio the 2 strokes actually came out ahead. my 1200cc triple 2 stroke jet ski puts out just shy of 150 crank horsepower, that is more than our daily commuter 1.8L 4 stroke car. 2 strokes and rotaries both have a bit if inefficiency to them at lower RPMs but they are not constrained by moving parts to rev as high as you can feed air into them.

smaller 4 stroke engines are becoming more rev happy, but they are also becoming more like rotaries, less torque but more power higher in the RPM range. they do have the advantage of adjustable camshaft timing which offsets some of that low end torque loss but they will always be limited by valvetrains.

Sub'd for later reading. I like what I'm reading so far...`

Change the fluids occasionally, maybe some bracing. IMHO, the FD transmission and differential are pretty robust. Now...if you're talking 4k launchs, all bets are off.
I'm only at ~ 300 whp and about 115k with no issues other than the original 5th gear synchro changed about 10 yrs ago. I have a friend who's putting down around 425 whp w/a single turbo (+ other stuff) and thrashs it pretty regularly on the track without alot of issues. It's got about 200k + on it now and I THINK he's changed the transmission once. That's not a bad record for ANY car.

Awesome post Fritz!

Good cliff notes Pete!

:D

The trans and diff can easily handle 350 on a street car so no need to worry about the drive line at that power point. 450 and up I'd start to worry though.

When it comes to the reliability of anything it's largely dependent upon the user/abuser and cars that see track work see nothing but abuse so the ceiling on abuse must be raised considerably. Track rats are basically the test pilots for any cars true weaknesses because the entire sport is geared around getting everything you can out of the car so they've learned through trial and error what works, what never will and what needs to be changed.

This forum can never have too much info :icon_tup:

I have no experience with V8s but usually when I see a car up on jack stands at the track it has a turbo attached to it ;)

What up? My car is still on jack stands. I take 1 step forward and 2 steps back LOL.

I'm heading to the FSR event in two weeks and will likely be in a twin turbo daily driver variety.

How's married life :icon_tup:

wow, hats off to you for doing this.... sticky?

Some will have you believe they eat housings in 3k miles or so like some other unbreakables. I just looked in my exhaust ports yesterday(pulled motor to replace clutch and install single setup) and at 17k+ miles with ALS seals the housings looked great. I rebuilt the engine with the original 61K mile housings and these housings now have 79K miles on them and looked great when looking through the exhaust ports.


But I USED to sell these seals so some think I have some vested interest in these seals and not just makeing people's experience with the rotary a lot better.:(


On a side note, great thread that is spot on. I am a huge advocate for water injection as a safety net. I dont think guys who DD their cars should tune for it, instead get a nice tune then add a simple small water injection setup for extra safety. You may lose a couple HP but you can beat on the car and not worry.


To those who dont buy the sub 40k mile cars(very few left these days), I am seeing these cars become more restoration/peformance builds than just performance these days. A new wiring harness is one of the best maintenance/perofmance/stress reducing things you can do for these cars these days.

I dont know how many people I have met over the years that are so scared to drive their FD due to believing the rotary is so fragile, I simply wouldnt own a car I was scared was going to break everytime I drove it. Do the simple stuff Fritz recommends and enjoy. This car delivers a thrill factor that is rarely matched by other cars, and for a fraction of the cost(initial purchase anyways :) )

because most people don't pay attention to the fine details. most importantly the fuel system, because a 15+ year old fuel system can't be expected to work as it did when it rolled out of the factory many years ago. first thing people should do when not knowing the history of the car is to focus on making sure the fuel system is functioning properly. this involves checking fuel pressure/voltage at the pump, change the fuel filter and last but not least service the injectors.

follow that up with the boost gauge so you can see if you're not overboosting.