So last year I rescued a RX-7 from another board member who had come under a serious financial pinch. For daily driving the vehicle was okay even though there were some issues I felt were serious (boost leak, quality of DIY job of exhaust and turbo manifold, wiring, carb tuning), so I ended up storing it for the winter while I was out training.

I'm finally back home and started disassembling everything in the bay so I can get at the long block and get it out so I can overhaul the small block.

Pic of the Engine bay with hood, battery, turbo, headers, manifold, joiner, carb, hat, and turbo plumping removed.


Pieces from yesterday's hour I devoted to stripping stuff off the keg including the little T3/T4 turbo.


Carb/Turbo Hat up close (not bad for a diy job)


Mikuni 44PHH I need to overhaul


Another pic of the side draft


Intake


Turbo Manifold (yuck, heavy, wrong metal, stress fractures) that I'm happy to be rid of.


Bay Side with the Turbo Off


Alternator, Top Pulley, Ugly Compressor Joiner, Pulley Belts


Ignition kit


Full MSD Ignition Accessories and Distributor off

 

This morning after PT before going back to work.
Pulled this off this morning before heading back to work after PT.

Bay w/ Alternator off


Close up Alternator off, water pump still on.


Water pump off the keg


Water pump bye bye

 

This is the fun part of the puzzle... LOL
Looking good...

 

Yeah, I'm already not looking forward to the massive relabeling and tagging job I have for me this weekend on some of the wiring (thankfully wiring isn't too foreign to me).

 

that carb will not work well with boost, parts are hard to get and the needle valve is too small, larger ones are not available ..

 

I've worried about that for a bit since I picked up the car. I do like the idea of staying with a side draft, but will I fall into the same issue with a true weber (any reccommendations?)

Didn't really do anything today with it other than some eye shopping and failed attempts at planning some drastic changes to location of cooling and plumbing.

 

I don't know a damn thing about it, but how about that turbo pushing thru a Nikki? Why not? They're somewhat plentiful.

 

If I could find a good modded nikki with intake I wouldn't mind changing out my carb hat and hitting a 4 barrel.

 

The mikuni side draft it boost prepped from the factory so it will do fine with the turbo. However it is a bit harder to get parts for...... In the long run it would be more benificial to buy a weber side draft and have it boost prepped as you can buy parts for that everywhere. I'm building a half bridge with a side draft and I'm also thinking about going boosted as the car will be crazy anyway lol.

 

So the turbo exhaust manifold showed up from Germany today. I will be picking them up tomorrow morning during my first break at work (will take pictures then). My shop crane should also be showing up which I will probably build and prep for the keg pull tomorrow evening or Thursday evening. Will finally update this with a lot of pictures and correct the above pictures so they aren't tiny thumbnails (still don't know why I did it that way earlier since it is more work).

Sourcing a lot of info from wolf creek and after I yank and take the short block apart to see what naughtiness has gone in there I will finish the rebuild on the carb (have it stripped atm). Previous owner for some odd reason was running reverse fuel and air jets compared to what is commonly considered the best setup (he had 240 fuel and 200 airs). Even just the time I have taken with carb cleaner and the dental picks is amazing how clean the Mikuni is now. Yes I know, I will add pictures asap (work has been terribly busy lately).

Also been working on the older of the two main engine harnesses I have at the moment. I had originally just done a quick fix job on it in the beginning so I can daily drive my rex. I made sure to pick up a nice bag of various yazaki terminals from Eastern Beaver a while back and have set out de pinning the ECU xo connector and correcting the tracing scheme that came from the factory (unrolled this is an extremely ugly harness Mazda fabricated). Once I get it all electric and pet taped I will take pictures before and after looming it with some nice red automotive loom I picked up from the performance community shop we have here at Ft. Campbell.

Also does anyone know other than the stealership I can pick up a charcoal canister for my fuel line? I might not notice it, but I know my wife will complain about the stinkiness if I don't source a new one (original that was on the car has a patch of rot in the bottom all the charcoal escaped out of)?

 

So decided around 0300 this morning it was a good time to unbolt the transmission from the rear housing, and lift out the engine. I almost forgot about the little bolt that is sheltered annoyingly by the starter. Will probably take apart the clutch, pressure plate, and take the front housing and its contents off after breakfast.

 

Pic of my fitment check off the new exhaust manifold (minus the air filter on the turbo inlet). Will add the turbo downpipe to the test pretty soon once I weld up the bracket I have for it to go on the turbo.

 

nice setup on the turbo, exh manifold ,wastegate you have there.. who makes the exhaust manifold?

 

The manifold is actually one of Robert's from Rotary Shack, I just had it lifted out of germany from another shops project that fell through for super cheap. I definately like the orientation better than the custom made one that came on the car made from some old school racing beat headers.

 

nice, the shack manifold looks like a well made piece.. looks like it moves the turbo away from the intake manifold, keeps the heat from getting to the intake.. that will be great for reducing intake temps, more power, less chance of detonation