th3jok3r

iTrader: (3)

I need help. I bought an FD because its been my dream car. I grew up in the Honda game I have been growing out of it now that i have this car i dont wanna bother with a Honda. The car is savable its horrible for soemone who knows nothing about rx7's but im very knowledgable with cars and i can pick things up quickly.
The good I own a RX7. it has a vmount set up, full exhaust down pipe, greddy exhaust, feed wide body rear fenders/quarter panels, feed front bumper. after market headlights.

The Bad: needs front fenders, the ******* got water in the power steering rack, harnesses are chewed up hacked and just f*ed up. interior is there.... but its not solid lots of broken tabs. Vacuum lines are a total disaster and huge mess. car has an ebay vmount. intakes dont fit so i need to re pipe the intercooler. needs to be painted. need relay/fuses box in the front, front harness is chopped up has the fan wired into the diagnostics.. i dont know why this guy rigged this car like that. BUT I WANT TO SAVE IT AND I KNOW I CAN. I just need guidance and help along the way.

my question is what should i do? i ordered the banzai emissions removal kit. how do i gett he water out the rack? can i just eliminate that and the a/c? i plan on replacing all the harnesses that are jacked up. do i need the apexi pfc to run/drive the car? I hear its not like a honda you cant just bolt things up and run rich until you save up the money for the pfc. the car runs it had 98 compression for each rotor/housing. do i need to upgrade the fuel system at all? my goal is not 500hp 450 whp my goal for this year is to have it running good working properly and bring everything up to spec so if i do want to upgrade it . I know where to begin.

so my questions how to flush rack and pinion of water... or what do i do with that eliminate p/s and a/c..... do i need the apexi pfc now? do i need to upgrade the fuel system at all???? and if you guiys have any of these important parts... i.e harness relay box... let me know
thank you ive searched alot and found some answers but my situation is all jacked up

GreatShamanGT

iTrader: (9)

You probably won't need the fuel system right now. At least not until you turn up the boost. If you are still running the stock twins then you could just keep your current system.

In order to reach 450-500whp, you're going to need to go single turbo, which means money. You're ebay vmount probably won't be able to hold up. With a single turbo, you won't have as many vacuum lines, so that might be ok. What happened to the relay box up front? did the guy just eliminate it completely? ( that's retarded)

Once you replace the harnesses the fuse box and the fan wiring should be all good. If you're looking for someone that sells the harnesses, contact Fritz Flynn. My harness is also hacked up right now, but I'm going to wait a bit longer before I order a new harness. In the future I'm going to do a wire tuck.

Did he get water in the rack and pinion or the power steering itself?

I would keep P/S because this car is completely different from Hondas. It's easy to drive hondas without the power steering, but it's almost impossible to turn without it in the FD. Try removing the belt and driving around without it, you will sorely miss P/S. AC is easy, just remove the lines on the passenger side of the firewall right next to the down pipe, and then remove the rest of the system.

If you plan on upping the boost, you will definitely need an Apexi PFC. If you want 500hp, you will need the pfc.

If you want to sell the FEED body parts as fund for fixing the car let me know. I might be interested =D

Lemme know if you need more help!

th3jok3r

iTrader: (3)

thanks so much.... so i dont need an apexi pfc? with the vmount and full exhaust? some guys told me the car would low the engine and they are suprised when i drove it hom i didnt blow the engine.... ill try to get a hold of fritz as i do need the front harness he jacked it all up its a horrible mess as well as the dash harness they are just horrid i cant believe anyone would do that to an rx7 unless they were trying to destroy it

hwnd

iTrader: (4)

you're missing two major factors here:
1) looping the p/s lines
2) arms.. you've probably got girly arms

Dont believe that hype about 'em being too tough to drive - it's depending on a few things but with all being equal - it isn't as he describes.

GreatShamanGT

iTrader: (9)

Don't worry, my front engine harness and dash harness are jacked up too, but I continue to live with it until I get more funds =P

In my opinion, if you aren't upping boost, then you shouldn't need the pfc. There wouldn't be any need for the increase in fuel, your stock ecu should be able to compensate for it. I'm pretty sure the Vmount will only help with better cooling but colder intake temps could cause you to run slightly lean, not sure how much effect that has here though, but coolness is good for a rotary. Gotta keep them running cool.

I THINK, don't take my word for it though, the full exhaust might cause boost creep. I cant remember if FCs get it or FDs, or maybe both, porting the wastegate would help it though, but as I said before, I can't remember if it's FCs or FDs that do that. i think you should get a boost controller, whether it be EBC (electronic boost controller) or MBC (manual boost controller) Boost gauge if you don't have one yet to monitor the boost, and possibly fix the harnesses before you do anything further. If you don't fix it now, going single turbo or PFC isn't going to fix your problem =P

GreatShamanGT

iTrader: (9)

hahaha, I might have exaggerated a little bit , but I don't see a benefit to removing the PS other than the fact it will save weight and a "better feeling for the road" Are there any other benefits? I did think about getting the atomic rex manual rack, because it'll help remove some of the stuff in my engine bay though, but then I saw the price

th3jok3r

iTrader: (3)

thanks so looop the power steering gotta find the how to for that dont want to half *** anything... how would i remove the water? and remove the belts.... all ac components... replace harnesses.... get a booost controller and gauge.... sounds goood to me for a start im trying to pm a bunch of ppl about harnesses because right now thats my main concern...

o yea and hit the gym a little more to make up for loss power steering haha

rdahm

iTrader: (6)

Can u post a pic or two of the engine bay? Focus on wiring? I'm interested to see the carnage. :-D

GreatShamanGT

iTrader: (9)

I enjoy my powersteering =P

To remove the belts, just loosen the tensioners. There's a bolt to the left of the power steering pulley, just turn that screw left or right. To remove the main belt on the alt and airpump, just move the bolt on the bracket that's touching the alternator. It should be the bolt behind the bracket.

To get to the main harness up front, you're going to hvae to remove the dash because most of the plugs, plug in on the driver and passengerside behind the dash.

And yea, pics please =D

th3jok3r

iTrader: (3)

ill post pics fellas be prepared your jaws gonna drop.

rx927

iTrader: (3)

If you remove the power steering the right way you will get all the water out. There are a few write ups on how to in the 3rd gen section. Search.

FYI, The front harness that runs through the front end is well over $2,000 new and supposedly there are only a few in the US. I know this becuase ive dealt with front harness work.

The suggestion i would make is simplify as much as you can in terms of wiring and engine bay.

th3jok3r

iTrader: (3)

yes i saw that! OMG i ended up buying one on ebay for 500 bucks I will search when the time comes as i do not have a garage and its way to cold to play mechaninc im just ordering everything i need for now and when warm weather gets here ill tear her apart and make her brand new again!

hwnd

iTrader: (4)

Thats exactly why I did! For me, it was a night/day difference. So much so that I'm willing to toss $900 (whatever the going rate) is on a manual rack (ie: Atomic).

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

To get water out of the PS system, you'll need to drain and bleed the system. The challenge there is getting the water (if any) out of the rack itself since its the lowest point in the system. Maybe you can remove the lines and try siphoning it out. Regarding the Atomic Rex rack, since that is out of the budget you can get the rack modified by Maval to be a manual rack for ~$300. Supposedly that is better than looping the lines. Check the FAQ thread for threads on that topic or Search.

I enjoy my PS also

You should be able to find most of the parts you need here on the Classifieds in the forum w/o resorting to ebay.

arghx

iTrader: (3)

Hondas have a lot of cheap options in terms of highly reprogrammable stock ECU's. The S300 Hondata for example has more functionality than the Power FC and costs less. You don't really have that option with an Rx-7, not right now.

Pull the motor and clean the engine bay out, redo the vacuum routing, check the condition of the harnesses. Really examine what you have and post up about any questionable parts. Don't think of this project as one huge task but rather a series of smaller ones. But your mindsight is good--get the car running right first.

Also, the interiors are always messed up on these cars unless unless they're low mileage and have spent their life in a garage. You've been spoiled by Honda, the EG's and later are much higher interior build quality than an Rx-7.

Howard Coleman

iTrader: (6)

first off, congrats on purchasing, appreciating and deciding to save another potentially magnificent FD supercar. you can mod a honda til eternity but it will never be a supercar since over 62% of the weight sits on the front driven wheels.

you have a long journey in front of you should you decide to complete the FD project. i bought my FD in 99 and am still enthusiastically workin it. i suggest you do all your homework before you do anything. develop a long term plan that assumes it doesn't get built in the next two weeks.

everything you need to know is on this board. and lots of things you don't want to know.

for instance:

"I would keep P/S because this car is completely different from Hondas. It's easy to drive hondas without the power steering, but it's almost impossible to turn without it in the FD. Try removing the belt and driving around without it, you will sorely miss P/S."

manual steering is one of my favorite FD mods. i have been manual since 2000. the FD, above all, is a sportscar. it's entire suspension is straight off the racecar design board. after purposely giving the FD such a suspension somehow someone at Mazda decided to add PS and took all of the road feel out of the car. an absolute sin.

yet it is so easy to fix remove the PS pump. locate the two hydraulic lines at the rack. cut them. place a pan under the rack and turn it lock to lock a couple of time to remove much of the hydraulic fluid. loop the lines w a rubber hose. that's it.

welcome to road feel.

what not to do is what is posted above. you do not remove the belt and go for a drive. because you are pushing non assisted hydraulic fluid through the system the car will be almost undriveable. this is NOT how it drives after removing the system

so, as far as steering, you have a win win. get rid of your water in the system, and the system, while gaining steering road feel. you will love it. BTW, i run 9.5 inch wheels in front so if my steering was heavy i would know it.

if you can live without AC i strongly suggest you ditch it too. the AC heat exchanger sits infront of the radiator blocking incoming air. the removal of the AC and PS allows you to very easily remove sparkplugs.

bottom line, welcome to the club, good luck w your project and search this site for your answers.

howard coleman

GreatShamanGT

iTrader: (9)

whoops >.> bad information, sorry! and I didn't know there was a cheaper alternative for the steering rack. Maybe I'll go manual rack soon =D

rx927

iTrader: (3)

Also, get your self familiarized with the factory service manual for removing that front harness and the dash.

Go the extra step and make sure all the major sensors and wiring are within spec. Simple multimeter and Ohm test will do for the most part.

Post some pics of the car and the carnage.

th3jok3r

iTrader: (3)

rthank you all i must say out of all forums ive been on from clubrsx-240sx0to b20vtec this one has been the most welcoming. I just started my new shift change so ill try to get pics up somethime this week. I ordered the front harness and waiting for all the other ones. I am happy to own an FD I know its not a honda thats why i bought it and i know the day my fd is put together and reliable and operates properly i w ill feel very very accomplished.. I cant wait for spring so i can start taking her apart then put her together and give her new life the right way. i will post pics up as i promised and please feel free to bash the hell out of her as i bought her how she stands and i cannot wait to have updated pics with my progress.

arghx

iTrader: (3)

Mazda really screwed up the power steering on the FD. They went backwards from the FC. The FD power steering isn't much more communicative than my Infiniti Q45. It's one of the few handling things that Mazda downgraded between the generations.

On the 2nd gens it was completely different (especially series 4). I have had both an OEM manual rack and OEM variable assist power steering on my FC. The two racks drive almost exactly the same once you get out of a parking lot (over about 20mph). The FC power steering feels like a manual rack when you need it, but it's very light and easy to drive when you are at very low speeds and don't want to be bothered by extra steering effort. The FD power steering by comparison is simply numb in high performance driving.

hose4dub

iTrader: (8)

wow could be one of the first noob threads where the noob doesnt get bashed or gets told to use the search feature...instead getting a lot of helpful info!

GreatShamanGT

iTrader: (9)

When one person starts helping, so does the rest of the community. When one person starts bashing, the bandwagon follows =P


But he also had legit problems, and was asking for advice, not asking whether or not he should get a 3rd gen, or asking if the reliability on these cars are really bad =P

black06g85

iTrader: (3)

nice man, yo if you're around on the weekend I can swing through with my car to go over the wiring and whatnot, (offer still stands from last thread) I live right near ya.

also can stop by after work, but after 7 and can't stay out too late cause I get up at 3:30 for work lol

blackscorpio

Just my opinion, but if you are going to redo most of the wiring harness anyway and you are eliminating the emissions as well as want more power. I would recommended going with a haltech (maybe 1k used) and going non seq. May be cheaper than buying a 2000 harness. And it will leave you room to grow. if you aren't doing significant harness repair, you can go with a pfc (about 750 used) .If you get a used supra fuel pump for about 120 or so you should be able to make 320 - 350rwhp, anything beyond that I would recommend getting upgraded 1300/1600 secondaries (about 200 used). That should get you to 400 rwhp at which time you will be limited by the stock twins. Good luck with your project.

I once had my PS steering belt break. I drove without it for a while, but its a pain, especially in parking lots. I love my power steering

th3jok3r

iTrader: (3)

hey whats up man. reason i could never take your offer is i was working weekends 5pm till 6am now i work midnight to 7am. the car isnt drivable right now so i cant moveher. Its cold and been snowing lateely so i cant work on her just ordering all my pieces but you are more than welcome to see the carnage up close and personal. You can see the hell i have to deal with lol and as I stated before i would love for anybody with great knowledge to take a look.
thanks i got the main harnesses i needed for decent prices so far all i think i would need is the 2 door harness i dont think i need the main engine harness yet i think it was just one bad connector the coolant temp sensor.. so ill replace that wiring wasthe main prob followed by vacuum lines. i might convert the twin turbos to simplify the vacuum lines some more i dont have the funds to go single turbo as all my money has gone into bringing my fd to life again.. this fri thanks to supranak ill get alot of stuff for a great price leaving me with

door harnesses, radio, speakers, couple connectors, paint job, feed front lights idler pulley to eliminate air pump, key cylinders and keys left to purchase
and then just putting everything on her harnesses, all 5 of them eliminating emissions, modifying/simplifying the turbos, getting the intercooler pipes fabbed, and when its all done , beautiful and running great, smacking the **** out the previous owner for trashing this car to almost the poin of no return. what a great weight to carry when you know nearly nothing of a particular vehicle and take one that was basically "vandalized" and try to transform it