So i really want to get a turbo 2nd generation, but my concern is how long the engine will last. What I want is a somewhat stock turbo rx7 with some bolt ons getting the full potential out of the stock turbo (figure like 200-250 whp in theory), what kind of mileage could one expect to get out of a 13b s4/s5 engine ?

I see lots of turbo rx7s for sale but many have like 160,000 miles or around there, and it having a rebuild is questionable. Basically what I'm saying is i want a car I can daily drive without forever thinking im in a time bomb (when's this thing gonna blow up, i hope not during this drive)

I know from experience that rotary engines are very tempramental , and depending on maintainence and how well the person has it running, will ultimately determine the engines life.

(my last rx7 was an na/streeported , it blew the coolant seals after 25,000 miles after being rebuilt, and i believe , but not sure, it was because i overheated it several times after the engine installation, which i couldnt figure out the problem until i overheated it several times, turned out it was the clutch fan, ive also been told it could of been one of the irons thinning out and breaking, i sold it and never had it fixed because i was just sick of wasting money on an na...sometimes you learn things the hard way)

If I get one I think it would be best to get it compression tested to see what kind of numbers im working with assuming 90-100 psi (near dead), 100-110 psi (alright but not great compression), and 110-125+ ( would be pretty healthy and have a decent amount of life left in it).

My question is how much life can you expect out of these engines if taken care of properly ?

Though most of them arent always getting the attention they need, sometimes you can get lucky and find one that isn't completely on the fritz ready to die. I've seen some people say they've got 180,000 miles out of a turbo engine but im not sure how believable this information is.

 

it's a loaded question which you answered yourself in the last 2 paragraphs.
You don't take care of it and it won't last long.
Take care of it and it will last just as long as a average engine would.
My N/A was at 180km and I sold it.It is still running and that was 4 years ago.

 

Yeah i know i kind of answered it myself, but my brother is really big on pistons , he has a 240sx s13 with a sr20det redtop , he seems to think at higher than stock hp levels a piston engine will by far outlast a rotary engine, im trying to see if i can disprove that theory.

 

It all has to do with the quality of the build (**** in, **** out) and how well it's tuned.

I'd say treat the car right, don't push more power than the system is built for, run moderate water injection and enjoy it.

I've had 3rd gen motors that lasted a good 50-60k miles with me beating the **** out of it (with a good tune, proper maintanence, and diligently letting it warm up), and I've had them last 3k before warping apex seals and puking side seals (I think the side seals were bad from the start, and the apex seals warped due to a TERRIBLE tune).

I'm sure you know this already, but you get what you give when it comes to turbo rotaries.

 

^Exactly the same goes for an SR though. I've seen them grenade with moderate levels of boost, and a **** poor tune.

Essentially, it's just like any other engine, albeit a little more finicky.

 

I'm trying to find a blown s4/s5 13bt and gonig to rebuild it myself (this will be my first time), with that said i'm shooting for it to last me at least a few years before i have to do another rebuild, im planning on just having it close to stock from the start running a stock turbo setup, which would probably be around 200-250whp.

I'm not sure if i'll try streetporting it, as im not sure sure how well id do since ive never done it ,and i know a stock port turbo is very capable of making a decent amount of power.

 

If you overheat it several times before you figure out you have a bad fan it will last about 100 miles. Period. Do not overheat a rotary. Hint "aluminum". If you keep it proper temp. The skys the limit. I got 183000 out of my first "new" engine. Rebuilds figure half that. Turbo is less. Treat it right and it will you.

 

Again overheated rotary = rebuild if your lucky . Never overheat a rotary. Call a tow truck if needed.

 

I know I'll probably have plenty of people disagree with me on this, but I'd honestly say that you don't really need to streetport your engine if you're going to be turboing it. ESPECIALLY if you'll be doing the porting yourself, and you're not confident in your abilities.

If you think about it, you port out the motors so that they can flow more air. When you're dealing with NA engines that is really your only option. When you're dealing with forced induction you have an alternative, and that is to size your turbo appropriately for the power that you're looking to achieve then run the correct amount of boost. Between a properly sized turbo and increased boost you can make oodles of power.

There are guys in Australia (Rice Racing) making over 600whp on stock ported REWs with a good turbo running competent pre-turbo Water/Meth injection (pre-turbo injection is a separate can of worms as it will change your turbos efficiency map). Porting your engine and throwing on a bigger turbo will net you higher peak power, but at the expense of shifting your power curves to the right, higher in the RPM range. That's just fine in race specific applications (like drag racing) when you'll be spending the majority of your time at the top of your rev range, but for a street driven car it may not be as effective since your trading mid-range (rpm wise) power for a peak number that you only have for hundreds of rpms just before red line, as opposed to thousands.

And this is coming from a guy who's got a streetported motor. Like I said, I'm sure I'll get a good degree of grief for stating the above, but it's something I've read and I'm inclined to believe it.

 

^^^ Listen...I was there

 

This is true but yet i managed to get mine to 225 on a mechanical gauge quite a few times with coolant pissing everywhere a few years ago and mine still runs like a champ to this day as a daily driver. If i recall thats fairly hot, not crazy hot though. But you have a point, dont get them to hot or its bye bye. These motors are a mix of metals and do not like to be overheated!

 

it wasnt terribly overheated, it was just to the point where the coolant would be gurgling after i shut it off after driving it.

 

i like how you measure power. haha

 

if you pay or take the time and do the mods very meticulously and put monitors in the car then it's easy to make almost the same original mileage that a brand new engine made @ 125-180k miles.

problem is most people throw on a FCD and crank up the boost to 14psi, it may last for weeks, months or even years but it will eventually die when conditions aren't ideal. many people get lucky, throw a **** pot together and run it for a bit while the engine tries to cope, many people are not so lucky.

 

good info guys ive gota 20k mile fd3s, stock boost just with a pfs intercooler anda 3 inch exhaust, with a proper radiator and metal AST think i can see 100k miles?

 

Good info on the street port for turbo engine...

 

I currently have 189576 on my FD and she's still running strong!! It's pretty much stock, cai and cat back and a hks intercooler, I have a aluminum rad to put in and I'm going to get a pfc and water/meth injection keep stock boost, this winter she will be getting a rebuild

 

i have 198357 stock motor original, still running strong, only issue i had was the vacuum lines (now replaced) single now. running strong

 

Nice man! Long live the rotary haha, I've had some lines replaced but not all off them(soon to be done) Id like to hit 200k before winter but do not think that will happen as this winter running or not she's getting rebuilt

 

Long live! you will make it, just my opinion honestly what i do to all my cars

-weekly car washes
-every month and a half oil change
-lots of loving

will get any car high millage