My first Wankel, my 1984 gsl project
10-21-13, 11:08 PM
#1
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
My first Wankel, my 1984 gsl project
Starting my 1st gen project, lately i have wanted a quick, nice handling car with a stripped interior to take out and beat on on the weekends, had a friend with a 1st gen and really enjoyed driving the car so i set myself up with a project to strip and begin modifying an old 1st gen.
(see picture number 1) My project actually started with an old truck i found in my grampa's pasture, years ago i had attained this old gem from my grampa, it was a hunk of junk when i bought it with a terrible screech in the tranny and a burned out clutch. I replaced the tranny, clutch, and transfer case with the help of my bud and got it really driving more like a normal vehicle.
I sold this work of art for 960$ and immediately began searching for a 1st gen which somebody had lost interest in, there were several options, i had almost every single first gen in the greater seattle area in the palm of my hands with cash in hands, (it is amazing how far people will go down on their price when you have a strict budget of cash in hand).
I chose a 1984 GSL with a 12a, it had been sitting for years but started up and ran when warm. This told me that the problems were likely due to the carburetor or old fuel, something i could fix.
The man i bought the car from was a stud, i got an extra 12a with good compression, a relatively fresh transmission, and LSD rear end as well as many other odds and ends for 900$!! i felt as if i got a pretty good deal, I drove the car home! (I premixed the gas as i did not know if the OMP was functioning at that time)
Immediately after getting the car home my bud and i started stripping the emissions from the Nikki, it was a tedious procedure as we had never done this before and forgot to buy gaskets first! We blocked off all of the emissions seemingly effectively but the car was barely able to move under its own power at that time. I ran out of time and had to go back home to college. The car was parked at my friend's house and he offered to clean up the carb for me and get the vacuums adequately blocked. I was impressed with his work (see picture 2), no more vacuum leaks after he finished. The car was idling at the time he finished but having problems under power still, we were concerned for a timing issue.
When i had left we had to cut off the exhaust after the exhaust manifold as we had a clogged cat and muffler, we were being smoked out of the shop. With my next weekend visit we would need to fabricate an exhaust.
Last picture is my car (orange one on the left) next to his (Black one on the right)
(see picture number 1) My project actually started with an old truck i found in my grampa's pasture, years ago i had attained this old gem from my grampa, it was a hunk of junk when i bought it with a terrible screech in the tranny and a burned out clutch. I replaced the tranny, clutch, and transfer case with the help of my bud and got it really driving more like a normal vehicle.
I sold this work of art for 960$ and immediately began searching for a 1st gen which somebody had lost interest in, there were several options, i had almost every single first gen in the greater seattle area in the palm of my hands with cash in hands, (it is amazing how far people will go down on their price when you have a strict budget of cash in hand).
I chose a 1984 GSL with a 12a, it had been sitting for years but started up and ran when warm. This told me that the problems were likely due to the carburetor or old fuel, something i could fix.
The man i bought the car from was a stud, i got an extra 12a with good compression, a relatively fresh transmission, and LSD rear end as well as many other odds and ends for 900$!! i felt as if i got a pretty good deal, I drove the car home! (I premixed the gas as i did not know if the OMP was functioning at that time)
Immediately after getting the car home my bud and i started stripping the emissions from the Nikki, it was a tedious procedure as we had never done this before and forgot to buy gaskets first! We blocked off all of the emissions seemingly effectively but the car was barely able to move under its own power at that time. I ran out of time and had to go back home to college. The car was parked at my friend's house and he offered to clean up the carb for me and get the vacuums adequately blocked. I was impressed with his work (see picture 2), no more vacuum leaks after he finished. The car was idling at the time he finished but having problems under power still, we were concerned for a timing issue.
When i had left we had to cut off the exhaust after the exhaust manifold as we had a clogged cat and muffler, we were being smoked out of the shop. With my next weekend visit we would need to fabricate an exhaust.
Last picture is my car (orange one on the left) next to his (Black one on the right)
10-21-13, 11:21 PM
#2
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Exhaust beginnings
Got some more work done 10/20/2013, bought an exhaust system for the car, decided to head over as i had a free weekend.
Decided on a pacesetter header, 2.5 inch 16 gauge aluminized steel straight pipe (bent over the axle) and a straight through magnaflow muffler.
Pulled the car in the shop and put it up on blocks (see picture 1).
Removed the exhaust manifold and i realized that pacesetter sent me a 13B header!! effin a cotton, it would likely cost me the price of another header to send it back and get it replaced with the 12a version so i just fudged the bolts over. Just wanted to mention that fudging the bolts over it much harder than i expected, we started with a drill bit but quickly realized that this was not the right way to go about things, we later tried a stone fitting on a dremel but broke multiple bits, decided that this was not the way to go either.
Finally went over to my grampas house and used an acetylene tprch, this is now my favorite toy, made short work of extending the bolt holes over, made the metal into molten lava real quick like.
Decided on a pacesetter header, 2.5 inch 16 gauge aluminized steel straight pipe (bent over the axle) and a straight through magnaflow muffler.
Pulled the car in the shop and put it up on blocks (see picture 1).
Removed the exhaust manifold and i realized that pacesetter sent me a 13B header!! effin a cotton, it would likely cost me the price of another header to send it back and get it replaced with the 12a version so i just fudged the bolts over. Just wanted to mention that fudging the bolts over it much harder than i expected, we started with a drill bit but quickly realized that this was not the right way to go about things, we later tried a stone fitting on a dremel but broke multiple bits, decided that this was not the way to go either.
Finally went over to my grampas house and used an acetylene tprch, this is now my favorite toy, made short work of extending the bolt holes over, made the metal into molten lava real quick like.
10-21-13, 11:24 PM
#3
Senior Member
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: May 2013
Location: Kelowna, BC
Posts: 434
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Congrats on buying your first rotary! You've now joined an exclusive club of car owners whose vehicles spend more time in garages and on jackstands than actually out on the streets and whose wallets and bank accounts are routinely plundered buying goodies and trinkets to pamper their awesome Wankel rotary engines! That being said, I wouldn't give up my FB for anything! Love these cars. Every day is another adventure . Every stumbling block encountered in the quest for greater performance is another learning experience and vital knowledge to pass on to others walking the same path.
Read the FAQs and follow the build threads young grasshopper and you too shall become wise and rotary savvy
Read the FAQs and follow the build threads young grasshopper and you too shall become wise and rotary savvy
10-21-13, 11:42 PM
#4
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Continued exhaust system
During my trip over there continued tackling the exhaust, next project was the pipe.
At first i had researched sand bending, i figured i had 2-3 bends, i just needed to go over the axle and did not think making these bends would be that complicated.
I was wrong. We started with a sand pack, tacked some sheet metal on both sides and tried to bend the pipe over an anvil heating it up with propane initially. Propane was not hot enough so we made a furnace with a shop vac, some coal, and a brake drum. This was not hot enough either. Finally we moved to trying acetylene, acetylene was hot enough but did not cover a large enough area to create a bend over an anvil. We finally gave up on this project and opted to an exhaust shop.
We went through the greater snohomish county area, went through 8 exhaust shops before we found one that would bend the pipe. Spend 30 dollars on the bends in the end but spent half a day trying to find a shop to bend it!
Finally got it bent, our header was able to bolt on at this point, and we were about ready to install the exhaust.
we did not have a flange from the end of the header to bolt onto the pipe, time for some more jerry rigging!
We welded a 2.5-2.5 coupler to the end of the header. Not the right way but made a seal with a good weld, got it all hung over the axle and it looked as if it would fit pretty well.
At first i had researched sand bending, i figured i had 2-3 bends, i just needed to go over the axle and did not think making these bends would be that complicated.
I was wrong. We started with a sand pack, tacked some sheet metal on both sides and tried to bend the pipe over an anvil heating it up with propane initially. Propane was not hot enough so we made a furnace with a shop vac, some coal, and a brake drum. This was not hot enough either. Finally we moved to trying acetylene, acetylene was hot enough but did not cover a large enough area to create a bend over an anvil. We finally gave up on this project and opted to an exhaust shop.
We went through the greater snohomish county area, went through 8 exhaust shops before we found one that would bend the pipe. Spend 30 dollars on the bends in the end but spent half a day trying to find a shop to bend it!
Finally got it bent, our header was able to bolt on at this point, and we were about ready to install the exhaust.
we did not have a flange from the end of the header to bolt onto the pipe, time for some more jerry rigging!
We welded a 2.5-2.5 coupler to the end of the header. Not the right way but made a seal with a good weld, got it all hung over the axle and it looked as if it would fit pretty well.
10-21-13, 11:55 PM
#5
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
After pushing the pipe into the couplers we realized that we needed one more bend, Uh oh!
The header came out at a different angle than the pipe at the end was coming up at. This caused some problems as we noticed at 9:00 at night and there were no more exhaust shops open. Time to learn how to weld!
We decided to cut a "v" into some of our spare pipe, cut it deep, and bend the pipe together. We would then weld the seam after we had found that the bend was adequate to make our pipe come to the back.
You are looking at my first weld don't judge! Gonna get lots more practice in the future welding.
Finally got everything mocked together and welded it all in place, first time since my first drive that i got to hear the car with an actual exhaust system, dang it is loud but i kinda dig the sound (no noise ordinances before 10 pm here!)
The header came out at a different angle than the pipe at the end was coming up at. This caused some problems as we noticed at 9:00 at night and there were no more exhaust shops open. Time to learn how to weld!
We decided to cut a "v" into some of our spare pipe, cut it deep, and bend the pipe together. We would then weld the seam after we had found that the bend was adequate to make our pipe come to the back.
You are looking at my first weld don't judge! Gonna get lots more practice in the future welding.
Finally got everything mocked together and welded it all in place, first time since my first drive that i got to hear the car with an actual exhaust system, dang it is loud but i kinda dig the sound (no noise ordinances before 10 pm here!)
10-22-13, 12:04 AM
#6
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It was tough to keep the car running, the carburetor was flooding the engine horribly, took out the spark plug and saw it was black and wet with gasoline, wire brushed all of the plugs and started researching what we may have done wrong with the Nikki strip.
Found out that we did not connect the solenoid on the driver's side of the carb, apparently this causes the secondaries to just dump fuel, connected this and got the car to idle at 900 RPMs, it also was finally moving under its own power, all in all with the exhaust and getting the car into driving position, it was a very productive 2 days in my eyes.
Drove her around the block for the first time in a month, she sounds fierce with the exhaust. May add a cat to quiet it down a bit however.
Found out that we did not connect the solenoid on the driver's side of the carb, apparently this causes the secondaries to just dump fuel, connected this and got the car to idle at 900 RPMs, it also was finally moving under its own power, all in all with the exhaust and getting the car into driving position, it was a very productive 2 days in my eyes.
Drove her around the block for the first time in a month, she sounds fierce with the exhaust. May add a cat to quiet it down a bit however.
10-22-13, 12:05 AM
#7
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Trending Topics
10-22-13, 12:06 AM
#8
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
^this is what she sounded like before we were finished, sorry for the video quality, not sure if i even took the video on purpose!
Last edited by ShoenJackson; 10-22-13 at 12:12 AM.
10-22-13, 12:14 AM
#9
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
1st gen rx7 2.5 inch open exhaust, magnaflow - YouTube
after exhaust was placed, not too loud at an idle, hits you in the chest when it revs and you are behind it.
Fuel delivery still needs work, gonna replace fuel lines, filter (for the 3rd time) and clean the bottom of the tank next time i am over (she is fuel starving pretty bad on hills now)
after exhaust was placed, not too loud at an idle, hits you in the chest when it revs and you are behind it.
Fuel delivery still needs work, gonna replace fuel lines, filter (for the 3rd time) and clean the bottom of the tank next time i am over (she is fuel starving pretty bad on hills now)
10-22-13, 12:51 AM
#11
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
10-26-13, 11:14 PM
#12
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yesterday was my birthday, my car was still "doglegged" on the west side of the state and in no state (in my mind) to get over the pass to my house in Ellensburg. Somehow it was arranged for my bud Ghooble to get it over here. Four hours later it arrived at the party which was thrown for me, that was kinda suprising, it died in the driveway as it was not idling. Kinda insane that he got it here and i give him all kinds of props for managing that for me!
He spoke of setting off car alarms in Everett, somehow he was not pulled over. Awesome.
Anyways he got it here and work began at cleaning the fuel system, he had cleaned the gas tank already and replaced the fuel filter (after clogging 3 of them) so we replaced the rubber fuel lines and sprayed out the metal sections as well as the pump and regulator. It seemed pretty free flowing at this time and the fuel finally appeared clear in the filter for the first time. We added a second filter just before the carburetor and started it up!
Still didn't idle and had absolutely no power to get into gear, had neighbors staring as i moved it over to my house (a few houses down).
We ran some seafoam through it, smoked out my entire house, this didn't seem to help at all either.
Finally we got it to idle at 1500, there was clearly still something wrong. Started spraying some carb cleaner around the intake manifold, and noticed the idle lifting as i sprayed the underside of the manifold, looks like a vac leak!!
We removed the carb and intake manifold, the paper gasket at the bottom of the manifold appeared cracked, the bolt on the bottom of the manifold appeared loose. Probably a pretty impressive vacuum leak. (we had made a gasket out of cardboard to begin with as we had no gasket material, didn't expect it to last long)
Had some extra gasket material laying around and utilized the printable 12A gaskets to make a new one. Blocked off the Shutter valve in the top of the intake manifold while we were at it. Put it back together and we are now waiting for the sealant to dry.
Aaah almost forgot! The lady friend got me a little present to leave in the car, i know this whole project is about weight saving but this little guy will hang out on the dash and join the little rx7 adventure.
He spoke of setting off car alarms in Everett, somehow he was not pulled over. Awesome.
Anyways he got it here and work began at cleaning the fuel system, he had cleaned the gas tank already and replaced the fuel filter (after clogging 3 of them) so we replaced the rubber fuel lines and sprayed out the metal sections as well as the pump and regulator. It seemed pretty free flowing at this time and the fuel finally appeared clear in the filter for the first time. We added a second filter just before the carburetor and started it up!
Still didn't idle and had absolutely no power to get into gear, had neighbors staring as i moved it over to my house (a few houses down).
We ran some seafoam through it, smoked out my entire house, this didn't seem to help at all either.
Finally we got it to idle at 1500, there was clearly still something wrong. Started spraying some carb cleaner around the intake manifold, and noticed the idle lifting as i sprayed the underside of the manifold, looks like a vac leak!!
We removed the carb and intake manifold, the paper gasket at the bottom of the manifold appeared cracked, the bolt on the bottom of the manifold appeared loose. Probably a pretty impressive vacuum leak. (we had made a gasket out of cardboard to begin with as we had no gasket material, didn't expect it to last long)
Had some extra gasket material laying around and utilized the printable 12A gaskets to make a new one. Blocked off the Shutter valve in the top of the intake manifold while we were at it. Put it back together and we are now waiting for the sealant to dry.
Aaah almost forgot! The lady friend got me a little present to leave in the car, i know this whole project is about weight saving but this little guy will hang out on the dash and join the little rx7 adventure.
10-27-13, 11:23 AM
#14
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
10-29-13, 07:39 PM
#16
No Exhaust Leaks
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2013
Location: Ellensburg
Posts: 17
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Cleaned the carb again, rid myself of all vacuum leaks over the weekend.
Got rid of a leak from the return fuel line (with a boat load of RTV) and fired her up.
can get a clean sounding idle at less then 500 rpms now, still does not respond like it should though. She's quick when you drive at WOT through the gears but does not give fuel correctly at the low RPMs.
Drove it to work today and feel like i am going to go deaf (went from Ellensburg to Yakima). Passed an old man near the redline in 3rd, he smiled at me while i passed
Got rid of a leak from the return fuel line (with a boat load of RTV) and fired her up.
can get a clean sounding idle at less then 500 rpms now, still does not respond like it should though. She's quick when you drive at WOT through the gears but does not give fuel correctly at the low RPMs.
Drove it to work today and feel like i am going to go deaf (went from Ellensburg to Yakima). Passed an old man near the redline in 3rd, he smiled at me while i passed
