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I finally started to make good use of my VHS copy of Bruce Turrentine's FD3S engine R&R video. Yes, it has 9/11 radio news as background audio. Had to un-dust the ol' VHS player and big, heavy tube 26" TV to play it. Thankfully Bruce used good quality VHS tape, image was as clear as VHS tech could muster back in the day. Bruce's video is a HUGE time and effort saver: just not having to go through my "pocket-sized" copy of the NA Mazda shop manual to figure out what needs to be disassembled makes it worth every penny I paid for my copy a decade ago. I would even go as far as to advice NOT to start an engine R&R on an FD3S without a copy of this video if this is your first time. A must have tool for this job. Rotary Aviation still sells it (now in DVD format!) for the measly sum of US$25.95.
Assessed rust damage and found almost no rust on the body white that wasn't already there when I "parked" it. All the rust that is attributable to the last 10 years of sitting are located on the exterior flat surfaces: the roof, fenders, and doors, and all are only surface-deep. Mazda did a very good job of galvanizing this body. Bolts and brackets haven't fared as well: most bolt heads are completely covered in rust, even though their threads are almost all nice and shiny. Radiator, front stabilizer bar, and clutch and brake pedal brackets' surfaces are very rusted, but their integrity don't seem compromised. Will restore all these pieces with Evapo-Rust, rust-proof flat black paint and spray-on zinc coating depending on their original finishes. Most hydraulic bolt-down fittings are also rusted on their hexagonal wrenching surfaces. I won't even try to wrench them loose without a proper tubing wrench. Sub-frames are also developing some surface rust. Did't check the PPF, hope it hasn't rusted. Overall, everything is in much better condition than I expected.
With all the contradictory info I have searched about my RZ's brake disk sizes, I went down and checked on the car and found out it has the normal 294mm disks all around. Bugger. At least all calipers and rubber hoses look Ok, but I will need to rebuild the brake master, repaint the booster, and replace the clutch master, slave, and rubber hose.
On the interior, both control stalks' plastic "clicking" bases broke, so they are both hanging loose. All electrics seem to work, but the engine didn't start, which is the same condition it was last time I tried to start it many years ago. Passenger's side's window switch's outer trim is broken, while that same side window's control on the drivers' master switch broke off (same thing happened to my Type X's). Found a cheap Chinese replacement for the master switch on Ebay that has auto control for both windows for less than $40. Built doesn't look very solid though: circuit board's electric tracks and the wires leading to the plug look too thin to sustain the needed amps. Might just as well source the correct OEM switches.
As a side note, I tried to start my Type-X, and it ran, just as I parked it 10 years ago: belching white smoke as crazy while it tried to maintain a stable idle. Guess Sta-Bil really works. Smoke smelled like thinner, though, instead of raw gas. I was ecstatic when it turned over and ran, as it means that all engine electricals are working. But the slushbox's "Hold" light was blinking, so I guess there is trouble in Jatco town (I didn't try to run it down the gears). The tranny was giving fists when I took delivery of the car anyways, so an eventual repair was unavoidable.
One thing I am realizing is just how simple FD3S are. They sure don't make them like they used to anymore.
Almost ready to take out the engine and transmission in one piece, only the 4 nuts holding the tranny to the PPF, the shifter assy, and the 2 oil cooler lines are yet to be disassembled. I incorrectly remembered Knight Sport as the ECU chipper, it was actually Pan-Speed:
Only obvious engine mods that would have needed an ECU reprogramming are a cat-back (HKS if I remember correctly) and an M's dual cone filter kit.
I see the Panspeed phone number. Perhaps give them a call. I recall Mine would check the tune they did if you sent them the unit.
I'd be scared to open that ECU up.
The oil cooler lines should come off easy by lifting the c-clips.
I suspect the banjo bolt will be a tough nut (no pun intended) to undo.
If you have twin coolers, try to preserve the 18" line running off the block toward the right cooler.
It often gets cut (out of frustration) and is not that easy to replace.
Thanks Redbul for the advice on the oil lines. It was actually the short one coming from the LHD cooler (passenger side on my RHD, twin oil coolers car) that was giving me some work, as the rubber part of the line is very short and it was hard to wiggle it out of its quick coupler. BTW: quick couplers for the oil lines. And stock from the factory. It's the first time I've seen such things. Proof again for me that Mazda knew from the start that these engines would need repair/replacement often. Proof, too, are the relatively easy and simple steps/procedures needed to prepare for an engine removal: no need to remove almost anything from the engine: just unplug things and only remove and set aside the alternator, the power steering pump, and the clutch master (this last one is mentioned in neither the USA Mazda service manual nor Bruce Turrentine's video, obviously because mine is RHD). Plus the relatively "affordable" reman engines that Mazda USA used to sell at about $1,200+usable core. The 13B-REW's short service life was, apparently, designed into the FD3S by Mazda from the word go. I only rant about this because I also own the polar opposite of the 13B-REW in reliability/service life: Toyota's 2JZ-GTE, though, granted, this uber reliable engine got installed in a less exciting car than the FD3S: the JZA80.
I am removing the engine with the transmission still attached, which as per the service manual should have needed the removal of the PPF and the driveshaft. I skimped on these steps to great results: the PPF is being prevented from dropping and hitting the floor thanks to the rearmost cross-member (the one that goes through one of the PPF's holes) left attached: no need to support the diff with a jack. The driveshaft did fall to the ground, but that's no big deal. The upper PPF-to-transmission studs stayed on the transmission after removing its nuts with my brand new Milwaukee "stubby" 1/2" 12V impact gun (model 2555-20, highly recommended), but the lower studs did come out with their nuts. I also left the front cross-member attached to support the transmission from dropping too much when the final PPF nut came out, while the PPF itself dropped down enough to clear the still attached upper studs.
I did need to remove the center cross-member to be able to remove the cat to facilitate access. The cat is almost completely clogged, perhaps due to the air pump delete I performed early in my ownership. I ordered a set of cheap down/mid ("test") pipes. I have read that these Chinese downpipes don't clear the RHD steering yoke, but I saw at least 2 different types of products on eBay: the cheapest, no brand name one, seemed to have almost no length of pipe sticking from the flange, while the twice as expensive OBX brand one seems to have about a 1/2" of pipe sticking from the flange. At least that's what I could infer from the pictures in their descriptions. I'll see how much it sticks out compared to the OEM RHD downpipe and will document it here. Weird thing though: there were 4 vendors selling the same set or something very similar, all had slightly different prices and all listed as "Last One". As soon as my order was confirmed the other 3 postings were removed.
RZ stickers for yoju
08-23-21, 11:30 AM
