Ice_Wolf

Alright, I've seen that there's many different engines that can be swapped into the FC and was wondering which engine is "the best"? I figured the stock engine is the best way to go, since the car originally came with it, but I've seen V8's go into them, which seems like a dumb idea. I also saw something about a 13B, which I have no clue what engine that is, and also a few other engines too. Could someone give me a list of the engines that have been successfully swapped into this car? Thanks!

WonkoTheSane

iTrader: (2)

13b is stock, 13bt could also be stock (the T stands for turbo), so that depends on your car. 13b stands for 1.3L, "B" revision motor. the first gen rx-7s had 12A (1.2L "A" revision). There have been countless swaps between the two, 20B (2.0 L, 3 Rotor) engines (expensive), and anything up to a V8 or a v10.

If you have to ask, though... it honestly doesn't sound like you're ready for an engine swap. . Start reading (i'd start with the FAQs up at the top of this section).

Have fun.

are_one

Just use the original 13B if possible. S4 were 86-88, S5s were 89-91. Stick to your model year, so you dont have to swap ECMs and wiring harnesses

91mazdarx7

if your doing a swap i'd suggest the 13bt which is the stock turbo engine or the 13b re which is a 2 rotor twin turbo engine a good hands on guy can do the whole swap for around $5,000

gingenhagen

http://fc3spro.com/TECH/SWAP/swap.html
Excellent site full of engine swap info. I read it, and realized that I would never be doing an engine swap. Hehe. Though I'd still like to do the 13B-RE swap someday when I've got 10,000 to blow.

dajusta

20b

Icemark

That is incorrect. A and B (and even J & G) are widths, not revisions.

That is why there were 10A, 13A, 15A, and even 21A Mazda rotary engines.

Please do not post incorrect information like that. It only hurts newbies that might actually believe you.

Marc936

i suggest you learn about your car all around before you even think about swapping an engine........... sry but i would do more reading before i go into engine swapping

Ice_Wolf

I doubt I would ever put a cylinder engine into the RX-7 because that would make the car completely different. You couldn't even say you had an RX-7 anymore. It would have to be like a CX-7(cylinder). What car did the 13B-RE come from? What car did the 20B come from? From what I know, the 20B is a monster engine. I'm guessing it's from an FD? A 20B would be the ultimate swap, but it seems insanely expensive. So from what I can tell, for me it's narrowed down to the 13B-RE and the stock engine. But $5,000 is still a lot to be spending to do an engine swap. I'm guessing the 20B is somewhere around 8K? Thanks for the fast answers!

casio

sticking with rotaries, you're pretty much left with 12A, 13B, 13BT, 13B-RE, 13B-REW, and 20B.
the 12A is a downgrade.
13B is stock n/a 2nd gen.
13BT is stock turbo 2nd gen.
13B-RE is upgrade and mildly pricey (from earlier Cosmos; not american)
13B-REW is upgrade but a waste of time and money (more expensive than 13B-RE) in my opinion from what i've read (stock 3rd gen motor)
20B is crazy expensive and obviously an upgrade (for power possibilities; stock later Cosmos)

Ice_Wolf

What is a Cosmo and how much are we talking for a RE? I seriously doubt I'm gonna get an REW because FD motors are hella expensive.

casio

well the -RE is an import, so its not cheap.
http://fc3spro.com/TECH/SWAP/COSMO/13b-re.html

i mean, it depends how deep your wallet is. i would love an -RE, but its not cheap. the cheapest turbo route is a 13BT. its still a few grand to do a good swap, though. all depends on your goals, though.

its not the price of the FD motor (-REW), but also the fact it doesnt drop in. i wouldnt even consider it. same goes for the 20B, plus other factors.

Ice_Wolf

What is a Cosmo then? I guess it looks like I'm just sticking with the stock engine then. I can exactly afford a crazy expensive engine. I'll keep in mind though that if I do get the money ump-teen years down the road, I'll do a 20B swap. Thanks for the help!

casio

a cosmo is a car never seen in american dealerships. to me, its like a 929. has that luxury family car look, also similar to some lexus. i've never seen one in person, though. earlier models had twin turbo 13B engines and later models had twin turbo 20B engines. the 20B was rated at 280hp and 296 ft-lbs of torque.

eViLRotor

iTrader: (2)

Mazda Cosmo:



Engine is this particular Cosmo:

cds00bsmg

iTrader: (1)

If your looking to get a 10th AE car like your sig. says, then stick with the stock 13bt. If the motor needs rebuilt, or replaced, then just tackle that problem. There will probably be many other areas on the car that will need attention besides just the motor. If you do luck out, and get a nice running 10th AE, then I say stick with stock until you learn more about the car.

I guess I should ask if you have a Rex or not, and if so what model, year, etc.? Anywho, look for a TII, or 10th AE if you don't have a Rex yet, and are set on a FC chasis. Read the FAQ's, and find a car that is what you are looking for, and within your budget. Then do the basics to it, such as an oil change, plugs, fuel filter, wires, etc. Also try to set aside some extra $$ for insurance, and any possible problems that you may encounter. Don't go blwing your wad (haha) on a bunch of high performance stuff right off the bat.

Back to your actual question though. Stick with stock, it will be the most cost effective solution most likely. If you need to rebuild, then you can look into porting, etc. to increase power. There are a lot of options, just read, search, and research everything. Good luck with your decision though, and whatever you decide!

~Chris

Ice_Wolf

Hey thanks for the information! Yea, my plan is to buy a 10th AE or a S5 TII, and just stick with the stock engine and possibly rebuild it. I can't afford a 5,000 dollar engine swap right now, so stock engine it is. I just want to find a strong running car, with a good trans and engine. The only thing I'm really worried about is the transmission, because those are expensive to fix or replace. Yea, when I get it, I'll just start off with the normal maintainence things, then start working towards performance parts. When I first buy the car, I couldn't afford the expensive parts anyways, so it's no big deal. Also, since the car already has tons of zip stock, I think I'll be pretty set. Thanks for the good information guys!

cds00bsmg

iTrader: (1)

My suggestion to you is if you can save and afford to, get a s5 car that has decent mileage on it. Or at least a rebuilt motor. A s4 car is a good car as well though. Try to find something close to stock, or with minimal modifications, then you don't have to worry about how the previous owner set the car up, or worry that the car has underwent a lot of abuse. Thats kind of hit and miss however, even a stock car can be beat to hell...

Also, a transmission isn't completely obnoxious to replace. Rebuilding one, I would assume might be pretty costly, but as far as getting a JDM lower mileage tranny for a TII, they are to be found in a vast array of places. Such as ebay, importers, and even this forum or other RX-7 forums. Good luck finding a car that suits your needs and wants. Just look at a few, look around, and save those $$

Ice_Wolf

Right now, I'm looking at about 7 different cars that look promising. I'm looking to get a car with an engine that's rebuilt, so that I don't have to worry about the engine taking a crap when I buy it. Basically, all I worry about is not having to deal with the tranny, and replacing interior parts. Unlike metal, plastic and leather can't be fixed, so good interior pieces would be harder to find. I would love to get a car with leather interior, so that's kinda what I'm shooting for. Repainting won't be a problem, seeing as how my dad worked in a body shop for a few years, not to mention he does his own custom jobs on his motorcycles. Also, I'm going to be going to college for 3 years to become a mechanic, body, and interior specialist, so I could would have plenty of time and knowledge to fix the car up. I'm pretty sure by the end of this coming summer, I could have the car all paid off. I could also store the car too in the winter and such, because right now I just have a 92 Cavalier for my daily driver. Once again, thanks for the support and help.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

they should have imported the cosmos into the USA, people would kneel before the power of the rotary...

Icemark

They were going to under the Amanti line, but that went stillborn when the depression of the 90's hit.

The three cars that were going to be Amanti were the Millennium as the entry level sedan, the Cosmos as the Lexus SC beater 2 door sports coupe, and a 929 based ultra luxury sedan.

IaMtHeRuThLeSs1

$5,000? for a 13bt swap, damn that sux... I'm doing a V-8 swap for less than 5k...325hp on a stock engine...

-TAL-

But a v8 swap is a v8. Once the rotary is gone, the uniqueness of the car is also

RX8SS

When you are standing outside the car watching it go by, your telling me you have xray vision and can tell this. It takes brains, good mechical skills and many other talents to perform a swap like this. In my case I still have less than 6000 in the whole car with the swap including the price of the car and it runs 12.8 in the quarter mile and still gets 18 to 20 mph. The car is still very unique and to me even more unique because it has a v8. With an ls1/t56 you actually loose weight and maintain the balance, But this has been proven over and over and that is not what this is about.

If it were not for the hard core rotary cry babies I would be at the Revolution so you could see it first hand. Since I can not run my car in the events I am not going to drive 1000 miles to watch everyone else run. Yes I know about friday night, would you drive 1000 miles to do it?

Just my .02

Later

cwsttu

i dont have xray vision or anything but id know you dont have a rotary..... you forgot the sound of a rotary is like no other, its a dead giveaway