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For the sills, those shouldn't be too hard to find used. Or get the stock aluminum ones or the CF aftermarket ones. I got some of the CF ones ages ago and they look and hold up great.
Dale
Quick WTB ad on the forum, and about a week later I had a practically brand new set of black OEM sills for a very reasonable $75 shipped - courtesy of forum member tomsn16. Highly recommended seller!
Funny though, another guy responding to the ad wanted to sell me a set of used OEM sills for $285 shipped; if I wanted to spend that kind of coin I can get brand new CF sills shipped from Garage Alpha! https://garagealpha.com/collections/...x-7-door-sills
Just checked off another item off my FD's lengthy "to do" list - got the dual external waste gates recirculated into the down pipe, so I no longer have to hear it scream when the gates crack open. Since my very limited welding skills were not up to the task, I had to find a shop to do it for me. Spotted a nice turbo MR2 at a local cars & coffee that had dual recirculated waste gates very similar to what I was looking to accomplish with my FD. Since I was impressed with the workmanship, and how the piping was designed to minimize back pressure, given the space constraints I asked the owner who did the work, and it turns out he works at the shop that did it. Anyway, I had him take a peek under the hood of my FD, we chatted about what I wanted to accomplish and exchanged biz cards.
Fast forward a few months, and I decided to have them do the job for me. Basically they quoted me about 5~6 hours of fabrication labor and parts, such as V-band clamps, a bellows section, couple of mandrel bent stainless steel piping sections etc. I didn't give them a hard specification, but I thought we were both clear on the expectations - my dual Turbosmart Comp 40 40mm external gates needed a smooth flowing, low restriction dump path into the DP, and it should enter the DP at a smooth angle so as to minimize back pressure in the DP when the waste gates are both closed.
Short story is I was NOT happy with the end result of version 1. First of all, the labor to fabricate this thing went up to about 8 hours, which I didn't have a problem paying, but the piping job was very amateurish at best. The pictures will explain my ire with the shop:
Here's the 2-into-1 "Y" from the waste gates. Note that the diameter of the outlet is still the same size as the dump tubes, NOT a larger diameter pipe. Here's the connection into the DP with a single pipe... And here's the hack job they did to connect the now single skinny dump tube to the DP - I went nuclear when I saw this!
So after getting the car home and taking a close look at this mess on my lift, it was obvious to me that this abortion would result in a very constipated boost control setup, and boost creep would very likely be an issue. I had a nice belt of single malt scotch, chilled out a bit, and went back to the shop the next day to discuss with the owner. Turns out the owner of the shop is a decent guy, and we agreed that if I had any issues with boost creep, I could bring it back and they would do it over right at no charge. So I went out to do some boost pulls, after setting my MAP limiter/engine protection features to cap the maximum boost at 12psi, and after installing brand new 7psi springs in the waste gates. Testing boost running on just the springs, a decent flowing waste gate recirc setup should have limited my boost to about 7~10psi, and should not creep much beyond that. Instead I got this result from my logs:
From the 14.24 to 14.26 time index (Min/Sec), you can see where I started the boost pull; I held a pretty steady throttle at 55~60% on a relatively flat stretch of road in 3rd gear. During that time, boost ramped up in the same 2 seconds from 0 to 11.5psi, when the MAP Limit/engine protection kicked in (yellow cursor bar). So clearly there is no boost control going on here - you'll note that TPS was actually DECREASING while boost was still steadily climbing, right up to the MAP limit. If I didn't have the MAP limit set, I could have blown the motor.
So back to the shop I went with my laptop & logs, chatted with the owner and he set me up to get it done right. Turns out the last time I was there, his fabricator guy wasn't around, so someone else did the work - hence the breakdown in communications and the lack of quality. Version 2 took them two full days to complete, and is much more effective. Below are the pictures, but this time around they had each dump tube expand into 2" piping, and each 2" pipe enters the DP individually. Driving the car and doing some boost pulls like the prior one I did satisfies me that I have no creep issues - boost on springs alone seems to level off at about 8~9psi and stays there; at least until I run out of road and have to back off throttle.
Here's all the parts - modified DP, and the new dump tubes before I wrapped them with lava header wrap. Parts after I wrapped them Here's the patch they had to do to fix the hole in the DP from the failed version 1 attempt. Detail of how the 2x dump tubes mate up with the DP This detail shows my heater hose relative to the dump pipes. There's at least an inch+ clearance there, and the hose is secured with clamps so it won't hit the pipes, but I think I'll be replacing that heater hose section with some aluminum piping. And fully installed, view from below.
Last edited by Pete_89T2; 12-01-21 at 08:27 PM.
Reason: fix some typos
Yikes. I am glad you had them make it right, the first pair of tubes is a complete hack job. No other way to describe it. New ones look much better!! I'm sure recirculating twin gates on this chassis is a PITA but I agree with you - it's a must have.
Oh man that first attempt was poop!
Yes, rerouting twin wastegates into the downpipe is no easy task... Nice to see they owned up and fixed it.
Really makes me appreciate the simplicity of my EFR with IWG !!
If I were building this car from scratch, I absolutely would have went with an EFR 8374, and the short runner cast exhaust manifold & DP setup. Probably the best combination of parts out there today for my use case and what I want to get out of this FD. Before plunking down the cash for the WG re-circulation job, I ran the numbers on what it would cost me to buy a complete EFR 8374 kit and then recover some of the cost by selling off all my SXE turbo parts my car came with as a kit (turbo, dual WG's , mani & DP). Depending on what I could get for my lightly used SXE setup, the numbers weren't too bad. But timely availability of all those parts, plus the fact that I'd have to re-do all my intake & IC piping fabrication meant the car would be down for a long time, and most likely not ready for DGRR this spring.
IMO the "best" setup is recirculated EWGs anyway. I think the 1.05 housing suits the 13B better and every IWG EFR I've had wants to blow the gate open up top so you're usually limited to how much boost you can run out the top, especially if you want to run a flat curve with a reasonable gate pressure.
All said and done, how is the car with the recirc'd dump pipes? It has to be WAY quieter. Can you notice a difference in boost response?
I had an open waste gate on my FC back in the day. That was fun for about a week .
Dale
It's orders of magnitude quieter when the WG's crack open, that's for sure!
As far as performance, more miles & logs are needed to see just how consistent and creep resistant this setup is under all conditions, but so far with my new 7psi springs, it looks like boost consistently levels off at a pretty steady 8~9psi if I keep the throttle planted on a 3rd gear pull. Feels pretty damned good though! Haven't played with the Link's open or closed loop boost controls yet, as I really need to baseline how it behaves on springs alone. Sucks not having a chassis dyno in the garage!
Speaking of tuning, I recently signed up for a monthly subscription with Evans Performance Academy - his training videos are outstanding! https://evansperformanceacademy.vhx.tv/
He pretty much has courses for every major ECU platform out there, and the ones I watched so far for my Link G4+, and AEM Infinity (which runs my FC) were super helpful. The courses dive deep into the weeds on how to make the best use of these ECU's in a very easy to follow and intuitive training style, and it really speeds up the learning curve. The only downside is he doesn't cover some rotary specific tuning aspects (e.g., staged fueling for a rotary application, trailing timing, OMP's, etc.), and none of his "hands on" example course feature rotary builds (has a bunch of high power turbo & NA piston cars though). But since I've been playing with rotaries for such a long time, and am confident in all those areas his courses lack, it's not a big deal to me.
Wow just read thru the whole thread...you are doing this car justice! How many miles do you have on it since acquiring it?
Thanks! On the miles, I put about 2700 miles on it so far. When I got it, the odometer was at 67,910. So the engine is now fully broken in, and I plan to put another 2000 or so miles on it going to/from the Deal's Gap Rotary Rally this year - giving my FC a rest!
REALLY hoping to see the FD this year at DGRR! I've got my cabin booked
Dale
Originally Posted by estevan62274
Same here! Pete’s been doing a great job with his FD👍👍
Thanks guys! I'm planning on taking the FD this year, registered & got my room booked at the Microtel already. Right now, I'm tuned (VERY conservatively) up to WG springs, but that will be good enough to get me there & back and enough for having fun down there. Just need to fix a pesky diff/axle seal leak, do some preventive maintenance and I'll be ready. Would be nice to get in a good dyno tuning session before then to fully sort out boost control and optimize my tune for power.
Figured I'd post an update as my FD (&FC) winter hibernation period is officially over - just drove both cars this past weekend for the 1st time since before the new year. Anyway, not too many ambitious projects going on with the FD, but here's what I've been up to with it over the winter.
Fuel Injector Upgrade - My Christmas present to myself, lol
I replaced a perfectly good set of Bosch primary & secondary injectors I had with new Injector Dynamics ID1050XDS (primary) & ID1700XDS (secondary) injectors. The reason I decided to do this was the new ID's come with accurate & repeatable DATA - not just flow rates vs. pressure, but latency/dead times data vs. both pressure & voltage, and short pulse width adder (SPWA) data. With the Bosch injectors, I only had static flow rate data from when I had them serviced, and only an educated guess based on lots of Googling the webs for the latency data, so I had to live with fairly course 2D latency data. With the IDs, I could get the most out of my Link G4+ ECU modeled fuel equation & modeled multi-fuel modes by setting up high resolution 3D latency & 3D SPWA tables. Since I have a fuel pressure sensor fitted with the ECU, the 3D latency & SPWA tables give me much finer control of fueling than I had before. End result is better idle under all conditions, better transition when the secondaries stage in, and overall better performance.
Next up for winter hibernation was a couple of repairs. I've had a squealing noise from the belt drives that was coming from the PS/AC belt tensioner pulley, and my Pineapple Racing ALT/WP belt idler pulley. In both case, the fix involved buying the appropriate bearings and installing them. For the PS/AC pulley, I posted a how-to thread here: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...ulley-1154492/ For the Pineapple Racing Idler Pulley, you'll need 2x #6302-2RS bearings which are available anywhere, just get a quality brand. This thread has good info on how to remove & reinstall the new bearings with the Pineapple pulley: https://www.rx7club.com/new-old-prod.../#post12505280
My last "big" winter repair job on the FD was replacing a leaky differential/axle seal on the passenger side. Ended up replacing both sides; not the easiest job but it wasn't too difficult. Another link to that adventure: https://www.rx7club.com/3rd-generati...stion-1154915/
And finally another little project that made the FD so much nicer to drive - replaced the shabby looking old OEM steering wheel with this sweet Nardi wheel purchased from forum member ZE Power MX6. Couple of before & after pictures:
Out with the old... And in with the new!
It's funny, but the new wheel is only a few mm's in diameter smaller than the original wheel, but it feels orders of magnitude better when driving, and just looks so much better than the old brick of an airbag wheel!
Very nice Pete! Great updates!
One of the first things I did was to get rid of that stock steering wheel👍
Got the same one that I picked up from ZEPowerMX6 too.
I like that it updates the look and keeps the cruise control which was a must for me.
Aside from the feel and look, one other thing I like about the newer style steering wheel is the horn placement. Mid 90s Japanese car like to have horn button on both side of the steering wheel near your thumb, it works great when you are going straight, but there are times when I don't know where my horn button is when I need them during a turn, not in the FD but in my old MX-6 but still those are usually scary situation!
Aside from the feel and look, one other thing I like about the newer style steering wheel is the horn placement.
^This! With the original wheel, I found that during spirited driving with my hands at the 9 & 3 O'clock positions, the base of my thumb where it meets the palm would sometimes rub/brush one of the horn buttons, resulting in unintended horn blasts. Very annoying.
Yesterday I inspected my rubber shifter boot(s) as I knew at least 1 of them was torn, so I'd know what to order next time I call Ray Crowe. Got an interesting surprise during the process - my FD is equipped with a B&M shifter! I didn't even know B&M made ANYTHING for the FD - always associated them with 'murican muscle car parts.
Here's the shifter:
Anyway, I'm going to need a new lower shift boot (the one attached to the metal plate); the middle boot is fine, and it appears to be one that came with the B&M shifter, and the outer boot (the one that stretches a bit to fit over the lower boot) looks fine.
FWIW, the B&M shifter shifts well enough, with a good positive feel and short throws. But it has me wondering about where I would get replacement service parts for it, such as bushings which tend to wear out over time - anyone know if B&M still sells & supports this shifter? Or does it just use OEM FD shifter bushings?
Have you tried contacting B&M directly? They may be able to supply you rebuild parts even if they are not listed.
I did - called their tech support line (B&M is part of Holley these days), but the shifter has been discontinued so long ago that he couldn't get me a replacement parts list from their system without me giving him a part # for the whole B&M short shifter unit, which I had no luck finding so far. He was able to find an exploded drawing of it (based on it being for the FD application), and from looking at that, we both concluded that the only replaceable bushing would be the one that goes on the bottom of the shift lever shaft that makes contact with the FD transmission's innards, and that is most likely a OEM Mazda piece, as B&M would have had to design the thing to be compatible with the FD's transmission. Internally, it looks like all the moving/contact parts in the B&M short shifter tower are aluminum (no nylon bushings).
Fortunately it's been working fine and not giving me any issues, but I'm going to try to find that B&M shifter part number and call back to get the replacement parts list. Never know when I'll need parts for it in the future.
Fortunately, it's been working fine and not giving me any issues, but I'm going to try to find that B&M shifter part number and call back to get the replacement parts list. Never know when I'll need parts for it in the future.
Please continue to share... your fellow B&M-mates are interested.
Please continue to share... your fellow B&M-mates are interested.
No luck finding the part # or any documentation on the genuine B&M short shifter yet, but I stumbled upon this one "how to" write-up where a guy installed a used B&M shifter in his FD, and he opened the B&M shifter up so you can figure out what parts are in there - see link below. Bottom line is there are a couple of springs and some metal inserts that go under the springs, but it's all metal-to-metal contact internally, no plastic bushings that will wear out quickly. Looks to me that the thing should last a very long time with just some periodic greasing. That plastic bushing on the bottom of the shift lever that goes into the tranny is just the OEM FD part.
In that picture the lower left corner looks like it has hit the frame in the past. May be worth a drive around the block with it opened up to see if that does actually hit or rattle. The sheet metal can be bent a bit if you need some clearance.
In that picture the lower left corner looks like it has hit the frame in the past. May be worth a drive around the block with it opened up to see if that does actually hit or rattle. The sheet metal can be bent a bit if you need some clearance.
Dale
I noticed that too, and did just what you suggest - none of the sheet metal there makes contact with the shifter when driving, and there's plenty of clearance there. My best guess is one of the PO's probably removed/installed the transmission with the shifter still installed and it made contact then. That's probably when he realized it would be smarter to remove the shifter first.
11-30-21, 06:27 PM
https://garagealpha.com/collections/...x-7-door-sills
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