I sadly didn't see this build thread until today. You are pretty local too, can't wait to see your FD when it's done!

 

Where did you order the new expansion valve ? Is your a 94 R12 with mana system ?

 

I bought the Four Seasons 39054 Expansion Valve. It has a similar superheat value as the rx7 MANA system and is physically identical. Goes right in. Once I get the system charged up and running, I'll post an update!

 

Amazing build!!! I am starting a similar process, but I doubt it will turn out as good as yours.

 

dude thank you so much. Im ordering one !!
also you said your ac compressor faild. Did you get a new one as well ? If so where? What did you do about the drier and receiver? Reuse the original one ?

 

I did, here is where I purchased mine: https://www.discountacparts.com/Mazd...~01478_NC.html

I only wanted a new compressor, you can find rebuilt ones cheaper. Getting at the compressor is such a beast and recharging is expensive, Id rather do it once so opted to spend the money and get new. Unfortunately, theres no dryers left. I think its possible to retrofit a similar dryer and if it comes down to it...I'll have to do it. But for now, after i get the motor back in I'm going to bring the car to a specialist and have them hold it under vacuum for a long time to make sure all the moisture is pulled out and its leak free. Fingers crossed.

 

Thanks man. Once the weather warms up, I'm thinking of hosting an rx7 bbq at my place, will def hit you up!

 

hey. Thanks for the link !! The side port where the low line gose seems a bit strange. Dose the white part come off and the line connect ? Im asking because on my r12 mana system theres no white part on mine. Just bare metal

have you try hooking the line and see if it fits ?

 

The white piece is just the cap. The new compressors come filled with oil, so they are capped off for shipping. I left the caps on so it doesn't slosh and spill when I drop the motor in. I pulled the caps off and the port sizing is exactly the same as the old compressor I pulled off the car.

 

Hi Seth, I'm Seth too.

Signing on to follow the build from here. I like the cleanliness and attention to detail you have, it definitely goes a long way towards making an old car feel and drive like a "resto-mod". Good work!

 

thanks !! What about the rear port for the high pressure side ? I see the brown cap with a red little nipple. Dose that come off aswell ?

 

What about the chickens?

 

I just hopped in here after seeing this thread show up on the home page. Seth, Congrats on the girl! That's great news. I feel a bit like Uncle Rico as much as I talk about the AZ days and all the driving to Cali. I still don't have a running Rx7, but at least one is actively getting a new motor finally. My modded daily Rs7 (Audi) was rear ended and totaled about 6 weeks ago and I'm just now getting a new one back on the road. College students texting and driving = no bueno.

Seth, I always did admire your attention to detail!!

 

It does. Not sure why the cap is designed like that.

 

So Chris/Seth... just commit to attending SS in 2018. Chris, you can fly into either Phoenix and grab a jump seat in the caravan, or fly directly into Cali and we'll shuttle you from the hotel to the event and back. Seth, the drive from Half Moon Bay to SS & back would be probably similar distance-wise to what we're doing from Phoenix. This could work? Wadda ya say?? . At least think about it!

 

I'm glad to see more FD owners with chickens!

 

Are you getting eggs already? Or is that an old pic? Still too cold, short days for my hens to start laying yet. Freeloaders.

 

I'm down, I just need to figure out the logistics if my wife and baby want to come along haha. Last year was a non-starter for me with the new baby, but I'm looking forward to SS '18.

 

I have been getting 3-4 eggs a day and it has been in the 20s and 30s this week! I have 7 chickens.

 

Finally, an update. I managed to pick up that bad flu going around and then the baby got me sick a few times...been taking forever to get the car running. But, it runs. Amazingly, started right up, no fuss, no leaks, no issues. Been warming it up for the past few weeks, driving it around block a few times to get it broken in a bit and verify it runs and drives ok.

Last weekend after I'd warmed it up to temp, I gave it a quick compression check using my twistedrotors compression tester. Adjusted for RPM (250), got 120, 119, 116 on the rear and similar on the front. Pretty happy with the result and the consistency of the psi on each face. This was my first motor that I've built myself, soup-to-nuts, so I was happy I didn't **** it up

I still have to take it to the smog station and get the tested, so a few more weeks before its legal to drive again.

 

Passed smog! Its been pissing raining here for the past few weeks, so I finally had a nice dry day to take her out and get it smogged. I was a bit worried because the test only station did not to put the car on the dynomometer and ran a traditional sniffer test at idle and 2500 rpm (no load). Didn't matter, passed easily.

Drove the car 30 miles in total, so much fun. Going from a high flow cat, racing beat muffler to a stock cat, stock muffler, de-clunking the rear suspension and new (quiet) transmission makes for a dream. Its so much fun to drive. I kept it well under 4k to break it in, but I can't be happier. Car runs and drives brilliantly. Looking forward to many sunny weekend drives.

 

Hah...mine passed as well a few weeks ago. Very pleasantly surprised. I'm also driving mine today since it's perfect out. Your twin is just over the hill in San Mateo.

 

Beautiful good job on restoring the engine bay !!

after market downpipe right ? For some reason i need the stock catback main cat and a stock precat to pass. Cant pass with a 3inch downpipe ;(

 

Nice end result. Too cool Seth. Congrats!

 

Yeah, aftermarket DP. You should not need a pre-cat to pass. If you can't pass the sniffer test without the pre-cat, then theres something a miss. Everything else stock/oem? Might be a bad/dying main cat. The tune and everything being in working order is huge. Fresh oil, new plugs, no vacuum leaks, ACV verified in working order, it should pass with only a main cat easily. A few years back when I was putting the car back together, I pinched one of the vacuum lines going to the ACV valve and I failed the test pretty badly. If I had thrown an extra cat in there and ran some alcohol, I probably could have got it to pass...but the underline problem was the ACV didn't have enough vacuum to open up all the way. Once I fixed that, boom, car passed no problem.

Happy to help, let me know!