Hey guys I'm about to get started building a motor and I was wondering what little projects I should do while I'm building up the motor. Some of the things I'm already going to do is remove the FPD, street port, and remove the air pump and replace with a idler pulley. This is all I can think of at the moment. I'm keeping the motor basically stock for now till I can afford a new intercooler then I already have a gt 40 turbo and a new fuel system. Any help would be much appreciated.

 

I would replace the secondary injectors with 1300's while everything is apart. It won't effect your idle, and will save work later on.

 

I already have a new fuel system with 850 primary's and 1680 secondary's but I don't need them till I upgrade the turbo. But thanks for the info.

 

Ceramic coat intake manifolds
Relocate coils
Test, reloom, & retape wiring harness
Dual oil coolers (if not already)
Proper gauge setup

 

When your engine is out it is a good time to:
Upgrade the clutch and flywheel, it save you a bunch of labor later. With a GT40 you are going to need a good clutch.
Upgrade the radiator, AST and hoses
Install an oil pan brace
Clean and flow test your current injectors since they are going back in for the interim
Vacuum line replacement and/or simplification with BOP kit, to get you ready for your single conversion.

 

^Replace fuel Pulsation Damper or delete ala Banzai's instructions
*Clean and re-wrap engine harness
*Replace plug wires and coil harness
*Replace OEM OMP lines with stainless.
*Thrust bearing and washer
*Pilot bearing and dust seal.
*New clutch fork and throw-out bearing
*New rear transmission seal
*If you keep the OEM flywheel, it's a good time to have it re-surfaced.

 

Yeah do a very thorough inspection of your engine wiring harness.

 

Also, replace all old OEM coolant lines.

 

^Good catch.
Especially the turbo coolant hoses...which are pretty cheap too.

 

Also, try not to get too carried away. Having the motor out you can get into a world of small projects to improve things - there's literally no end to the money and time you can toss in at this point. Be reasonable and get the car back up and running.

I've seen many cars go from a blown engine to sitting rusting in the backyard due to creeping featuritis. Stay reasonable with it, set goals and a budget as well as a timeline, and get the car back on the road.

Dale

 

I removed everything in the bay, cleaned it 3x, sanded, cleaned again, sanded, rinsed, dried and layed 3x coats of chassis paint on my engine bay. made a world of difference and actually gave me a sense of pride I previously didn't have in my project. I would also reccomend a buffing wheel and green rock compound, then go to town polishing parts.

 

Clutch, Engine Mounts, Oil pan Brace, new throw out bearing, Thermal pallet plug, oil pressure regulator mod.

 

Is there a special kind of paint that would be best to repaint the engine bay with?

 

I just cleaned and hand polished the upper bay with rubbing compound. The frames rails and down I hit with flat black 900 degree engine paint. The MB was destroyed anyway. It turned out nicely.

 

If the previous motor failed, determine the root cause of failure and fix it.

Jack

 

My builder told me the most important thing to a motor build is to identify what you're going to use the car for. After figuring that out you can easily break up that want/need list.

 

lovin this thread, even though i'm sure it's been addressed before. it's nice to ready fresh advice.

 

I used VHT (brand but stands for "very high temp") chassis roll bar paint. 2-3 coats/cans works as a paint and primer in one, I'm very pleased with the results

 

Replace all coolant and fuel lines
inspect all wiring and plastic/rubber components
replace all internal and external seals and gaskets
Call me at the shop and I wil be glad to help.

 

I would like to thank everyone for their comments.
I completed my nerve racking rebuild (my first one) and I did a complete rebuild new seals everywhere and I got RA super seals and springs. I replaced the stationary gears with rx8 ones as they were cheaper than new FD ones and they are an upgrade. I did full emissions removal as well as the thermowax and FPD. For the Thermowax I pulled out the coolent nipples and taped the holes and put plugs in(If anybody wants I'll do a write up on this). I replaced the OMP lines with stainless steal ones and added the omp adapter. I did replace the turbo coolant lines. And that is all I can think of right now.
Please keep the comments coming for future peoples builds.

 

yes sir

 

Nice thread, I am pulling my motor out and overwhelmed with cracked wiring harness, brittle connectors, brittle tabs, hardened hoses, engine bay rust, rusty fasteners, worn out a/c compressor, etc, etc!! Think the engine bay was originally painted with the factory base coat clear coat? Looks that way in certain spots.

 

Now would be a good time to upgrade your clutch/flywheel/motor mounts. A new oil pan is almost a must to avoid leaks, flattening out the old one is a crap shoot. If your throwout bearing is original or making noise, replace it. Original clutch fork and installing a stiff pressure plate? Consider buying the new upgraded unit from Mazda. They can (and will) break. I've seen it many times.

Lots of people forget to replace things like the rear main seal, rear stat gear sealing ring, and the pilot bearing & dust seal.

Internally, there are so many little things--- proper clearancing of seals, thermal pellet in the e-shaft, oil mods, checking that the squirters on the e-shaft are tight (most aren't), spec'ing the metal control rings (most are worn out), checking rotor weights, checking and replacing bearings, checking and replacing the oil pump and chain etc etc.

Also the original throttle cable and hood release cable seem to be reaching the end of their life in most FDs I've seen..... not a bad idea to swap them out before you have an issue (motor in the bay or not).

 

EXACTLY! So many people have an engine failure, spend all their money redoing everything, only to have the same failure happen 2 months down the line because they didn't figure out the cause of the original issue... next step after that, "up for sale" or "time to go v8"... So typical, so LAME.

Also, do NOT forget to flush your WHOLE oiling system including, but not limited to, the oil cooler(s). Also, I would recommend buying a NEW engine harness rather than just "retaping" it.

-J

 

Oh dale, you lanky sumbitch Ask me where my CW FD is... I don't like it when you're right


-J