Tem120

iTrader: (5)

I know there are alot of recipe's to making your FD reliable , from meth injection to keeping things stock .

There are alot of great threads regarding how to make your FD's reliable like cooling mods , and a good tune , and heat removal , and going single .

But it also seems like Every day there is a new my engine went boom thread .

now I know of a few people that drive their FD's alot daily them abuse them on track .

I'd love to hear from you guys . howmuch you drive , howmuch you abuse the car , or if you are gentle with it ? And what you think made the difference in reliability on your car.

wolf_9782

got my car tuned with methanol back in summer 2010. havent had a break down since, just the usual wear and tear of gaskets on the turbo mani etc. the engine has held strong with tons of abuse from autocrosses, drifting, and driving it like i stole it on the expressway.

imo, if you want reliability go the single turbo route with methanol or water injection. search for howard coleman's "making the case for rotary reliability" thread, it has tons of information on there. if it wasnt for that thread, id probably be far behind the curve compared to where i am now in terms of reliability.

also remember to have a good cooling system besides the methanol/water route. get an undertray (shine auto project makes them), get good electrical fans that pull lots of air and can fit. currently, with that i can drive on the highway on a brutally hot 100+ degree weather and not break 190F out there. on cooler days ill stay in the 170s to 180F range.

what also helps is to wrap up the downpipe and get a turbo heat shield or a blanket. you'll see good temperatures and a happy rotary with the proper set up. even more so if you get a vented hood, which is something i am considering.

edit: as far as driving habits go, some times ill drive it daily for 2 weeks then swap to the daily. other times ill just use the daily especially if a time attack event is looming. but if i wanted to, i could daily drive my FD every day every week just the gas would kill me. redlining at least a few times keeps it good too

96fd3s

iv had my car for quite awhile now and its been pretty reliable.
It was rebuilt just before i got it and its still going strong now. Its mostly stock as far as the engine goes..its running a standard (16bit) ECU, 3mm apex seals, some intake & exhaust mods and suspension mods.

I daily drove it for a good 4 years, maby more, though not much distance, probably 30km each way to and from work. (I would be DDing it now if I was allowed to drive, a couple of months to go..)

A few key things about my driving it would be;

I would usually try to red line it every trip, or at least get it to high RPM.(not for an extended period)
I dont warm up my car before driving. I start it then feather it untill its warm.
I do not use a turbo timer. Depending on where I am I may leave my bonnet open after driving to let it cool a bit
I change oil/filter regularly, I use normal castrol GTX 15w-40 mineral oil.
Change spark plugs when needed..

thats about it really, iv had minor issues..starter motors, electrical problems, a couple of coolant leaks, some dodgy leads, hoses coming off etc etc etc

GoodfellaFD3S

iTrader: (213)

People are blowing engines in many cases due to owner error, improper build, and/or pushing the envelope wrt to horsepower with ill-advised parts.... These cars made 210ish rwhp stock. It's amazing that we can easily and safely DOUBLE this, but enough are ignorant enough to think TRIPLING this number can be easily done without paying attention to detail and getting all your ducks in a row. This IMO is foolish, and these engines and cars are extremely reliable at double the factory horsepower rating.

Go triple the factory rwhp in a corvette or evo and see how reliable and streetable it is

HiWire

I usually let my car warm up about 20-30 minutes before getting into the boost. Oil changes every 3,000 miles and I use Mobil 1. The car has a new engine (about 15,000 miles on it) upgraded intercooler and new radiator, second oil cooler, etc.

lOOkatme

iTrader: (19)

I think FD's are reliable, the problem are the people driving them and the modifications or the people who built them.

I drive my FD with a single turbo (high altitude) around 300-350WHP range. I run this range because it doesn't stress the system and my margin of safety is large.

If you think about the stock system, the margin of safety (overhead) of things is pretty large. fuel injectors, fuel pump, etc. Obviously things can be improved, but a lot of people take most of the components and run them to their limits which isn't good IMO. margin of safety isn't there.

450WHP out of a supra fuel pump. probably be smart to only run it to a max of 385-400WHP. have a fuel system which can support 500+WHP. keep the injector duty cycles low.

Keep the margin of safety and maintain the car well, everything will be ok.

jacobcartmill

iTrader: (6)

these cars are very reliable if you start from a good (or rebuilt) engine, do the cooling/safety mods, and keep the boost under 12psi on the stock ECU.

i have a single turbo, haltech, VMIC, oil coolers, etc. (~375whp) at 11.5psi, and the engine is solid and reliable. it's been to two track days at road atlanta so far without any issues (and RA has a 5th gear 160mph straight).

like goodfella said above, people start blowing stuff up when they're running 500+rwhp @ 25psi of boost on 93 octane gasoline and water/meth injection.

i've had a lot of different RX7s over the years (most of them turbo with aftermarket EMS), and i think the key to reliability with an FD (9.0:1 compression) is keeping the boost under 15psi. if you're going for 500-600whp, you're really just involved in a dick measuring/showoff contest, and you probably shouldn't be using a 20-year-old-design 13B engine. (read: XL8R's build thread on here). but if you want to make a 300-400rwhp track/weekend car, FDs are very capable, and they can be quite reliable and fast around the track.

SA3R

You know my thoughts on this one. They're well documented, sometimes to the extreme displeasure of others (the 500-600rwhp bleeding edge guys).

But, my car has continued to be reliable, no matter how that makes others feel.

I see a lot of the "My engine went bang!" threads from time to time. Its usually someone who tried to denigrate me in the past for my idea of a reliable rotary. Or its just plain user error.

**The exception to the above, are the poor guys who are new to the FD and rotary in general, and buy a car that has been sold off to them just before it grenades. Its not their fault. How could they have known what was done to the car before they bought it.

Rotaries don't tolerate ignorance or sloppy building or tuning. Buy a Toyota if you want to approach tuning with a "I'll bolt this on here and that looks cool, I'll do that!" approach and expect it to live.

Tem120

iTrader: (5)

you daily your car right? do you ever do any track days ? or perfomance driving

Montego

iTrader: (1)

Yearly carbon buildup cleaning (or A.I.) and coolant change, oil changes at 2K miles, boost set at 10 psi without spiking nor creeping, reliability mods, + all of the boltons with the stock ECU. IMO makes this car extremely reliable and decently fast.

XLR8

iTrader: (52)

I agree with what Jacob is saying. Keeping things moderate is really the key to helping 2 rotor reliability. Hell, keeping things moderate with a 3 rotor setup is the same formula for success; it just happens to make a bit more power in that form because of the increased displacement. Mazda knew this when they built the car they would have to warranty, which is probably why it cam with 230whp and not 430whp. The FD was designed to be a surgeon's scalpel, not a machete. After all, it is a 1.3 liter. Despite it's very cool unique design, it was not intended to reach the stars.

What I don't agree with is the statement of big power being "showing off or dick measuring". And I definitely dont agree that it should be associated with my build thread. Not really sure how I came into the conversation as the "example".

I am really no different than any other guy trying to make higher levels of power. It is ideal? Of course not. No more ideal than the old air cooled VW guys squeezing out 180hp from their 1.6 bored/stroked engines. But people have been pursuing more power from their engine of choice since pretty much the beginning of motor sports. The thrill and challenge is part of what makes that chase unique. Is a new paint job dick measuring? It's just a "hey look at me" modification right? We say it isn't but somehow it isn't lopped into the category of just another "idiot" trying to show off or say how much better his car may be.

Many that have ridden in a 500whp RX7 will tell you it is quite an experience. It was one that I wanted to enjoy every time I drove my car. Was it to go around town showing everyone what a real car can do? Of course not! It was because it is a freakin blast to drive! Absolutely exilorating! So I tried my best to build a car that I knew I would enjoy. In the end, I chose my new route because I want that power level, but life has changed enough financially that I needed a more reliable solution. We often find our time, money, and lives can't absorb the cost of our mistakes. I have never admitted to having all the answers or being the best. I'm a simple guy that is an admitted power junkie. And If I wanted to "show off", I would talk about how much I can bench...

djseven

iTrader: (56)

Boost control..... its that simple.

evotechnik

iTrader: (1)

No such thing! Lol

lOOkatme

iTrader: (19)

But the boost control must be applied to the owner, not the actual mechanics of it on the car

Tem120

iTrader: (5)

Power is addictive .. NO lie in that it feels wrong going back down in power after you've experienced it .. hah , But that can also lead to bad things. I'm 100% in the mildly modded group. My power goals are between330-350 . if i'm somewhere in that area i'll jump for joy , I doubt it will be much higher..

Montego

iTrader: (1)

12 psi on the stock ECU?

wstrohm

Other than stinky exhaust when cold, and a typical burning rubber smell when shut off after a long run, our '94 sounds and runs like new, 3K rpm miss and all. (See sig.)

HiWire

My street ported FD smells like gasoline (no leaks that I know of). I try to open the windows at least once or twice a car trip.

djseven

iTrader: (56)

Street port should not smell like gasoline while driving. Are the lines hooked up correctly for the charcoal canister?

HiWire

Thanks – I'll give them a check.

Monsterbox

iTrader: (6)

Iv been making 450-500rwhp between 18-20psi now for the past year going WOT at every opportunity with 660cc water/meth and large single on pump gas.

Knock on wood, iv yet to blow up.

The key is in the tuning. Tuned this car to a healthy AFR 11.2 around 20psi, and conservative timing, but not so low to cause high egt. timing blows these motors quicker
than mixture.

I dont particularly see that many "popped my motor" threads from 500-600hp relative to 300hp guys. Maybe I'm crazy, but if afr, timing, iat are in check, physical limits of this motor seem pretty high. Shouldn't be too much difference between 300 and 500rwhp if all the tuning variables are in check.

Things that blow motors the most:
-wastegate line popping off
-stock wiring to fuel pump failing (happend to me at the fuse box after 12v mod and then at the bulkhead!)
-poor tuning for weather changes
-too much timing on pump gas
-poor ducting and cooling/boosting from heatsoak environment
-crispy wiring harnesses, worn out fuel lines/leaks

And with that being said, as you raise the boost any failure point is going to have a stronger repercussion.

Tem120

iTrader: (5)

the number of 300 hp guys compared to 500 hp guys is like 10-1 lol

But yeah I used to own a miata and the my engine went boom threads I had never seen one LOL just doesn't happen hah well that often atleast LOL

ofcourse the miata is like giving someone a rubber stick and you're told go at it .. not much you can do with that rubber stick , being a an underpowered 4 banger with conservative timing , and no boost issues to mess with .

compared to an FD which is like a sharp knife that you give to kids and tell them try not to poke tomany eyes out .

Monsterbox

iTrader: (6)

Hahah! !!! Awesome post

lOOkatme

iTrader: (19)

Good analogy, but I think its worse than that.

Most rx7 guys rebuild basically everything on the engine and put aftermarket components all draped around the engine that was their first time engine build.

They then go to a tuner right after building the engine and try to max on the dyno.

To make matters worse the engine tuner might not be a specialist with rotaries. Tuning a rotary is very unforgiving with detonation and even retarded timing (EGT). So we have an inexperienced builder and an inexperienced tuner going for max power right after the build was performed. Not a good combo IMO.

that is why so many engines are blown. Not only do you have those two combo's but the rotary engine and drivetrain become questionable above 500WHP.

all it takes is a clogged fuel strainer or filter and you are done. Ask Howard about his recent engine. How about the high percentage blown engines in the build threads.


You know the magic trick where the magician pulls out the cloth from under the glassware and the glassware stays on the table.

Well the trick we are trying to do is pull out the table from under the glassware and have it suspended in the air with the cloth

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

The information in past threads on reliability mods in the FAQ are still accurate. Goodfellas got to the root of the issue. More and more you have guys throwing **** tons of parts at a car - just look at the Build Threads. However, few people ever bother making all the parts work right together and you get somebody with a single turbo putting out less power than a set of working stock or 99 twins.