RotaryRocket93

iTrader: (7)

Any ways i have had my car about 3 weeks or so and found most of the bugs such as turbo hesitation and the secondary kicks in late.... Plan on getting the Vacuum lines all redone with the Silicone lines sometime within the next few weeks. Does anyone have any idea what that might cost me to do? I know of a shop up here that said they could do it and they where experienced with theese cars, but just to make sure that im not getting screwed over does anyone know how long it should take to run the hoses? I think they charge $90 a hour to do the work and I already have my own hoses....

Also i have done some mods since i bought the car, nothing serious tho, its mostly for fun for me. I replaced all the emblems with efini emblems... lol i know it sounds dumb but it looks nice, I bought and installed a Greddy Turbo timer, and bought and about to install the greddy strut bar. Someone here told me to take their advice and wait a year or so before doing mods. And thats pretty much what im deciding to do. Also im going on a 7 month Deployment in Feb, so the car is going in the garage and not getting touched at all. But before i go theese are what im planning on doing...

Replacing the Clutch
Replacing the AST
Installing new vacuum lines
Making sure the Twins are running right

Also, whats the benefit of setting the twins to run in a non sequential setup vs a sequential setup? There is a guy that can do it for me free and might possibly run the vacuum lines for free also. A good hookup through a friend and i likes it....

But while im gone on deployment here is the list of things im going to purchase....

Apexi N1 Dual exhaust
Greddy Boost, fuel/oil pressure, and temp guages
Tripple pod for the guages
Apexi Power FC
Greddy Type rs bov
Greddy intake
Extreme Fuel system

I posted theese things so if anyone has had experience with one, and didnt like it they could let me know although i dont think anyone is going to disagree with much of that i think its all good stuff. All opinions would be appreciated and if anyone can answer my questions it would be awesome. Im very excited about this car, its already a timeless classic and soon it will be a dream machine...

baggedoutmazda

i think u should replace the vac lines yourself, it's not as bad as it looks, there are alot of vac diagrams on here to help you, a shop will probably charge 5-6 hrs, probably more if there not rotary mechanics, just take your time, label everything & you will be fine. as for non seq setup, if your stk sequential system works, leave it alone, i ran mine stk, then went non seq, sure you get rid of alot of crap under hood, but i think stk seq was more fun to drive. if your ''FRIEND'' that will work for ''FREE'' is not familiar with rotary's, tell him to stay far away, u will soon learn rotary shop, or yourself with alot of reading/learning should be the only fingers under the hood free help or cheap help usually = something fucked up imo

RotaryDreamz

iTrader: (29)

I definately would not let your FD sit for 7 months without storage preperation.

DMoneyRX-7

iTrader: (2)

1st)
For the vac lines, if you have any experience with cars (I take it you do because you installed a turbo timer), you should do this yourself. Doing it yourself will help you save money and also allow you to start learning how to work on your car. Trust me, your gonna need it. Here is a reference for doing the vac lines.
http://fd3s.net/vacuum_hose_replacement.html

2nd)
Make sure you store your car properly if your going to be gone for that long. Here is proper maintenance, storing, and un-storing procedure for the FD. http://fd3s.net/maintenance.html

3rd)
I would suggest getting a clutch setup that will be able to hold up to any future mods so you don't have to go back and upgrade. I run a single turbo setup and use an ACT Street Strip Clutch with a Heavy duty pressure plate http://www.rx7store.net/product_p/zx3-hdss.htm and it's doing fine. It is a great clutch too for anything below 400rwhp too.

4th)
Either you can replace the AST or eliminate it all together. For an AST though I have the Pettit one and don't really like the look all that much (bulky and painted ugly) so I would recommend the Fighters Garage AST which you can find here http://www.fighters-garage.com/rx7.html. It's been used by alot of people and they all seem very pleased.

5th)
I ran my twins in non-sequential before upgrading to a single. Basically the benefit is that you are less likely to have a turbo problem. Going non-seq eliminates the majority of the parts that fail in the sequential setup. It also allows you to remove most of the solenoids and vacuum lines which clears up alot of space under the UIM. However, if you have a strong running sequential system and have replaced all the vacuum lines then I would just stick with that setup. Although I really enjoyed my non-sequential setup because it cleared alot of clutter and made me worry less when driving, the boost wouldn't be full until about 3500-5000rpm depending on the gear I was in. Non-sequential is good though for road racing. Also, you could compromise for the lag seen in a non-sequential setup by running a full exhaust and porting the wastegate. Another added benefit of non-seq is that the car is louder/throatier.

6th)
For the parts that you plan on purchasing...I would try to follow the mod procedure outlined here http://fd3s.net/stages.html.
But if I you need a new clutch, go ahead and replace it. Also, the AST does need to be replaced.

I would not go with a Apexi N1 Dual exhaust. They are very loud and raspy. They make the Rx-7 sound like every other rice burner. If you are looking for a good Dual Tip exhaust I would go with a Racing Beat Dual Tip or a Re-Amemiya dual dolphin tip. But if you are just looking for a good exhaust I highly recommend Blitz Nur Spec. I run this and it is IMO the best. Makes a rotary sound how a rotary should sound while retaining a clean look. But, almost any catback is good. Just depends on what your going for. However, I just wouldn't go with any Apexi N1. If you want a higher performing exhaust get an Apexi GT Spec.

For gauges, Greddy's are awesome. I run the amber color ones. Here's a tip to save you some money though. If you are going to get the PFC and a commander then their is no need for the water temp gauge because the water temp is one of the possible readouts on the commander. I run a Greddy Boost and Fuel Pressure gauge and I feel like that is all I need.

What triple pod? If you are wanting to run it on the driver a-pillar I suggest you sit in someone else's FD who has that before running it. To some people it blocks out alot of road vision on the left side but to some it isn't a problem.

The PFC is always a great investment, especially if you are doing more mods down the road.

A new BOV is a waste of money at the stage your in. If you want to hear the BOV releasing air just vent it to atmosphere. A new BOV would just be there for added looks and a different sound (actually the Greddy RS is almost the same sound as stock). You should save that money and spend it elsewhere.

The Greddy Intakes use foam filters which are known to break apart and get sucked into the turbo when they get older. Instead I would recommend the Fighters Garage CAI, Blitz CAI, or HKS RS CAI. The Fighters Garage intake is the cheapest and probably the best though. Even though the HKS RS (racing suction) CAI uses a foam filter, I always wanted it because it came with polished pipes and it just looked badass.

For fuel, I don't think you should go that big just yet. I would upgrade your fuel pump and do a rewire first. I run a milled stock primary fuel rail with 850's and 1300's on my stock secondary fuel rail and love it. I did not need to go to elaborate and I saved alot of money. For what you have right now I just think that upgrading your injectors is unnecessary.

7th)
Some recommended mods at this point

Get a Downpipe ASAP. This mod is probably the best when I was in the twin setup. It was a reliability mod by getting rid of the precat, engine bay wasn't as hot, added hp, and made the car sound better.

Upgrade your spark plug wires, I run taylor pro's and they work fine. Their isn't much of a difference in plug wires but I do suggest upgrading them.

You need an aftermarket radiator. This mod is a must. Koyo's are run by the majority of people with great results so I would suggest going with that.

Replace stock rubber couplers with silicone aftermarket ones. Stock ones are known to fail especially in the crossover pipe area.

Upgrade your engine grounding. You can either get a kit or DIY. Either way you should do this because most of FD's run into the 3k hesitation problem.

New Differential bushings. You are going to run into this eventually, they might already be out, but spend money on it now before going crazy on upgrading your engine.

Complete as many DIY and part elimination procedures as possible. Such as fuel filter relocation, disable/remove double throttle, remove throttle body coolant, disable EGR, and remove PCV.

Also, go through your car and replace anything that is missing, broken, or soon to fail. If you do this early on you won't have to worry about it when after you have spent all your money on mods. Make sure you have an undertray, some people get these cars without them and they are really needed for adequate cooling.

If you don't care about smog or can get away with it I suggest removing your air pump and emissions. This adds a small amount of hp that you can notice on the butt dyno and also frees some space in the engine bay.


That's about all I have to say about that.

4CN A1R

iTrader: (6)

this was put very well

i did the vac hose job 2 weeks after owning the car. its not hard, just very time consuming. these were mentioned but need to be stressed:

LABEL EVERYTHING(take pictures too if you can)

BE VERY CAREFUL WITH ALL THE VAC LINES GOING TO THE SOLENOIDS(the nipples on the solenoids break very easily and are expensive to buy new. around 70ish each)

BE MINDFUL OF THE RESTRICTER PILLS IN THE PRESPOOL AND WASTEGATE VAC LINES.(your car wont boost over 7psi if you leave them strait open. also, dont get them mixed up. they have different inlet AND outlet sizes)

TAKE YOUR TIME(i became frustrated after 5 strait hours of work and started breaking things cause of being careless and trying to quickly finish up)

i hope this helps

RotaryRocket93

iTrader: (7)

Damn, well i appreciate the mass amount of help and time everyone put into this... The "friend" that i was talking about is actually a friend of a friend. But they guy use to work at a local place up here on rotaries, and now lives and works in North Carolina in another rotary shop. I will take a look at doing this vacuum line job and see if i can brave it.

RotaryRocket93

iTrader: (7)

When you run the vacuum lines, can you just do them one at a time so you dont screw up and forget to put some in?

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Read the FAQ thread stickied in this forum as most of your questions are answered there.

I personally didn't feel comfortable jumping into doing the vac lines myself until a couple of years after I owned the car. Depending on your abilities you might want to explore getting a pro to do it. Doing the hoses one at a time is probably the best way to approach it. If you are going that deep into the rats nest, you should consider replacing the FPD. Search FPD or read the FAQ to understand why. Be ready to replace broken solenoids and having the car down for a while when other hard brittle plastic bits break.

An extreme fuel system and the bov is arguably a waste. I'm on the stock fuel system with enlarged 1300cc secondaries and fuel pump and have enough fuel to safely put down 350 rwhp.

Read the FAQ before wasting/spending your money.

RotaryRocket93

iTrader: (7)

agreed on the fuel system not that many people use them....

rotorypolo

iTrader: (1)

do the vacuum line job will alow you to open up the UIM and understand about our cars. you will need to take apart, remove, install the UIM many times anyways as you own your car, so why not start now and document everything so you dont mess up. I dont believe in non-seq. so I wouldnt convert if you have a perfectly fine running seq. system. Running non-seq. is for those who doesnt want to take the time to trouble shoot the seq. system or too poor to go single. If you go single..then why waste the time going non-seq. Good luck

oo7arkman

iTrader: (2)

Most every post above has lots of good info in them. I agree with a lot of what is said here. Do the vac lines yourself. It sucks, takes forever, and is back-braking b/c you are bent over for so long. But in the end you learn a lot and with the twins you may need to trouble shoot a boost issue and it is a lot less intimidating if you have already been in there and seen all the lines. YES, you can do it one line at a time and that may be the best way for you. Download a copy of the FSM (factory service manual) that can be found here on the site and print out the pages for the vac lines to use as a reference if you need them.

I reccommend staying sequential if your system works properly. The car is more fun to drive IMHO. I loved mine up until the day I went single.

BOV - waste of money. Pull the hoses off the stockers and vent to atmosphere, they sound cool enough.

Triple pod, will rob too much view if you get the apillar one. If you need three gauges get the tripple pod that sits in the middle of the dash where the stock center speaker was.

Fuel, do the rewire and upgrade the pump if you really feel you need better fuel a drop in a nippondeso pump and it will suppourt up to 400rwhp no problem.

AST is a must. Radiator really isn't THAT major of a deal although most ppl swap them out. The stock radiator always did me good even running 12psi and a few minor mods to get me to ~320whp. Car always stayed cool. Just make sure you NEVER get rid of the underplate.

PFC or other standalone will become a necessity later if you plan on doing any modding.

Downpipe is a MUST. leave the cat if it is in good shape, if not get a highflow. Catbacks are mostly pretty good just get a name brand one. Personally I have an Apexi N1 (not the dual tip) and it is not raspy or ricer-sounding at all. Even with a resonated midpipe. It is pretty deep and has a nice tone that is not anywhere near as loud as a lot of the other rotaries in my area.

Replace engine oil, filter, spark plugs, spark plug wires, fuel filter NOW... Always a good idea.

MORE IMPORTANT THAN ANYTHING.... Before you modify Anything, read, read, read, read... Rotaries are not as forgiving as you would like them to be. It is a great motor if set up properly and heartbreaking if not.. There is so much information on this site, if you can think of it it has PROBABLY already been done and just takes a little searching on here to find it. Read all the faq's and they will be your best friend.

WELCOME TO THE CLUB!!!!

RotaryRocket93

iTrader: (7)

Man i really am appreciating all this help, when you guys are telling me to take the lines off and vent to the atmosphere what exactly are you talking about? Has anyone done a write up on this?

94touringFD

iTrader: (30)

I was looking for a few of these tips. Glad I ran across this. Time to keep researching.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

Sorry DMoney. In general good info, but I have to disagree with this^.
True you gain space and reduce weight...a little. But issues involving removal of the AP while still on the stock ECU vary from none at all, to hesitation on acceleration, poor idle or both. Removal of the AP definitely will reduce belt contact to your waterpump, which will force you to get an oversized/underdrive pulley set. And that brings with it another set of potential issues. And if you still have the stock cat, it will probably hurry it's failure.

Also, I disagree that you'll see any real gain in power. The AP free-wheels at 3250 rpm...essentially becoming an idler pulley.

So IMO, if your on the stock ECU...and absolutely if you have emissions, keep the AP.