After looking in the FSM, videos of how to check these, and researching here and through Google, etc, I decided to take a video and share it. I am sure I will need to pull all of this, as well as the auxiliaries and clean it all. Lord knows if it has ever been done. I have hesitation at around 6k rpms, probably due to this. I bought the car with Autolites in, but have NGKs are on the way. Any comments, suggestions are welcome, but only on how to fix it. I am not racing the car, not looking for more power, not weight loss. More than likely a RB complete system in the future will be about all I upgrade, but only if I can keep all this stuff working as intended. Thank in advanced.

 

Im not sure about your hesitation, but as to the 5th and 5th port actuators I prefer to just remove them completly.

 

Thats what i did. It does let the lower rpms suffer, but not enough to make it undriveable

 

Thanks guys. But I plan on giving it shot at getting them working as I intended. That is, as long as the actuators are good. Hope to test them today with some air pressure into them. I noticed I could not find any for sale at this time, if mine were to not be work working, which I hope it's not the case and it's just the sleeves buggered up in there. Butt before taking the LIM and all of that off, I want to get the the gaskets and have them in hand. Which reminds me to ask, can anyone verify the only one I "Should" need is the LIM gasket to the motor, or will I need the get others, like the upper manifold, TB...? Thanks in advanced.

 

Good news is the actuators are fine. Took them off, and they worked just by blowing in them, and definitely when using my air compressor dialed low and with little air in it. But my sleeve rods won't budge by hand, and I did not want to force it. I will be getting gaskets, dissasemble, and fix.

 

also new gaskets for where the actuators bolt to the intake manifold

 

Make sure the pressure tube is present on the main converter. It runs from the cat to the intake manifold. It supplies the needed backpressure from the exhaust to actuate the 5th and 6th ports. Get a set of Pinapple Racing sleeves and clean the carbon out of the intake manifold at the same time. What a difference!!!

Anyone suggesting to remove the actuators should research how the system works and what the purpose of the dynamic chamber is. The engine is designed to run with the actuators. The dynamic chamber stores pressure and at a certain rpm, releases the pressure into the engine for a supercharging effect. The SE is a pretty quick car when the system if in good working order.

 

i don't know why someone would go through the trouble to remove them instead of fix them, it's the same amount of effort either way, except one gives better results.

 

I removed mine because when i got mine the exhaust was already replaced with non oem and didn’t have the air hose for it, so i figured bye bye

 

Mazdaverz and isightful I am 100% with you about keeping it all. It has factory exhaust with all the plumbing like it's supposed to. It all looks factory, in decent shape, and working, except the sleeves that seem to be seized. This car was owned by older folks. Aside from some rust on some of the exhaust heat shield, it all looks good and I could not find any leaks. But I was thinking about getting the Atkins full sleeves and be done. Not a fan of gluing parts unless it's the only way, or temporary fix. I am also looking for suggestions on dressing up the intake in terms of just painting It. Thinking of color matching the upper parts, not so much the LIM, between the interior browns and the almond exterior colors. Too cheesy? If not, suggestions on paint? I will be doing it all, from the cleaning and light polish, to either rattle canning or brush painting. I just don't know how much heat car creates on those parts. No money for ceramic or powder coating, guys. Thanks in advanced.

 

i wouldnt paint the manifolds unless they are really nasty looking, paint flakes off no matter what you use and winds up looking worse than before.

if you really must paint them, look into powder coating.

 

Painting the manifolds on such an original GSL-SE would take away from the value and detract from the beauty of the engine bay. If I were in your shoes and wanting to dress up the engine bay, I would polish the manifolds to give them a chrome look. I prefer things to be all original, as that holds the most value and garners the most respect from enthusiasts. The only modification my 1980 RX-7 Leather Sport has ever seen is the exhaust. Went with a full Racing Beat exhaust simply because the exhaust parts were no longer available. It is your car however and you can do whatever you would like.

 

Funny, because right after posting my questing, I thought the same thing and decided I would just clean, polish and leave it in its natural state, just cleaner. It was a suggestion by younger ones like my son and his friends. Silly old man, lol.

Any ways, thanks for keeping me grounded. Deep inside I am sure I would not have done it.

 

I want to start off by saying I do not have any experience with the sleeve inserts. If it were me I would just put the stock sleeves back in.

 

from what I've read on the forums here is they don't add much of anything. I can't see how much of a difference they can make at the higher RPMs that they are actually used at. You may see a slight increase on a dyno, but the ole' butt dyno probably wouldn't be able to tell the difference

 

Duly noted. Thanks guys. On the same note, I was perusing the Atkins website and saw a "6 port actuator SEAL" that have never heard mentioned before on any thread about port actuator, etc. Not the gasket, but s round seal. Is this something that I should have before I take mine out to clean, or of it something that is rarely need. Mind you, I don't think mine have ever been touched, so good chance any gasket I mess with will probably crumble. Just asking in case I have to order them since the website states there are only a few left and the part is no longer made. Thanks in advanced.

 

when i took my sleeves out I did not have an issue with the black round seals that the rod goes through. But its always good to have and not need than to need and not have, like insurance.

 

Agreed. I thought there was no need to tempt "Murphy" into making a visit and impose his "laws", so I ordered them. Now just waiting "Santa", I mean to mailman, to make his drop. Thanks.

 

So you like to decrease your low end torque by about 30%, which absolutely no gains up top? Not to mention slightly destabilizing the idle, lowering fuel economy slightly.

Why would this be the preferred operation?

 

THE ALMIGHTY HAS SPOKEN, I look to all your post for advice. In my case my car has a RB header with no port actuator tube and
straight exhaust, yes I lost low end but nothing the old but dyno could tell with my old worn out engine, and as for fuel mileage the last highway trip I took I averaged between 18-22 mpg, in the city no so much. But I didnt buy a rx for the fuel economy.
With this guys car being stock and still having everything intact he is on the right path for getting his working properly and one day when I rebuild mine I will probably work mine back in. I actually removed mine because when trying to free up the sleeves I broke the rod with the sleeve was about half open so out they came. I have also removed smog pump, acv and egr... its just what I did with the situation I was in.

 

Thank you, littlebit, for your advice and sharing your experience. I think it's wonderful to hear/see how everyone has a different way of doing things and express themselves, even through little things small modifications on their cars, and the ability to do them. But most importantly, that we have the FREEDOM to so. No God's here, I am sure of. Just knowledgeable folks willing and able to share their opinions, tastes etc. Thanks to forums like this folks like me with little knowledge can decide which way we want to take. Please forgive me, but I chuckled a little when I read your post, it of some pride of knowing that after 23 years of service, I somewhat put my "drop in the big bucket" of how preserve that FREEDOM. Again, thank you, sir.

 

Thank you sir,
I would like to say that I am in no way shape or form taking a stab a Aaron Cake, I really do look to a lot of his post and his website for info. I was actually praising him it made me feel good that someone of his status commented on one of my post. I just try to give knowledge of my experiences good or bad. Cake is correct in everything he said about the low end and Idle, the fuel mileage doesnt bother me. In my opinion or my theory, Low end, what is low end 2,000 - 4,000 rpms well Im not usually giving full throttle that low in the
rpm range, if Im driving that hard I am in a lower gear usually above the 3,500 mark. So maybe in normal driving conditions I have lost some low end but agian everything I have done to my car it was not something I was worried about, Like I said, when I rebuild it they may find there way back in, or I might bridge port and leave them out, I dont know. It will depend on what mood I am in at that time, I may even decide to turbo, but according to Aaron Cakes write up that seems like more trouble than it worth for me atleast

 

Much appreciated, sir. In reality, if this car had anything more done to it than the Chinese oil cooler the owner put on it (which I hope to rectify most rickitick) I would probably experiment more with modifications. But the fact that it is so mint, do factory, I cannot bring MYSELF to change what it is. Way I see it, this just also give me an excuse to get another one more "molested" to play with later on. 😉

 

Having a header and removing them is a lot different then saying "but as to the 5th and 5th port actuators I prefer to just remove them completely.". As this is the new user forum, newbies would read that and interpret the statement to mean that aux actuator removal is either beneficial or consequence free.

 

Agreed and in the future I will make sure to give information accoridngly. After finding out that his vehicle was pristine stock condition that changed my outlook on his situtation and the lack of information on my situation could be interpreted different than I intended.
I have recieved a lot of information and help from many members and post on this forum. I am jist trying to return the favor with my littlebit of knoledge and experience. Thanks Aaron Cake for the insight and help.