Here is my problem my dirt track rules say that i cant run a rotary but i can run mazda parts with mazda parts. What i would like to do is put my rx-7 chasi on the track with a miata piston engine in it. I was wondering if it had been done or not and if i have to find a miata engine or engine/trany or engine/trany/rearend.

 

Yes it can be done

Engine and tranny are your best bet as bell housings may not matchup with mix-matched engine tranny

Stock rear-end will be fine with custom driveshaft

No it might not be worth it

 

Rotaries have been banned from several racing entities over the past 35 years due to the "unfair advantage" (insert snicker here) they represent.

If I were you I'd just pick up a Miata for the race and wear a T-shirt that sez "My rotary is faster but they won't let me race it." Shame the bastards into reconsidering...

 

Thanks for the info. just a couple of questions. 1 y wouldnt it be worth it? too little engine for the weight? and is there any other sugestions on engines that i could use. here is the link to my tracks rules ill do any class.
http://lassenspeedway.bravehost.com/index.htm

 

Id just find a beat up Miata and run that.They are getting cheap.
Itll fit easily,hell guys run V-8s and 20B's in 1st gens,a little 4 banger outta fit fine.The Miata engine is OK,but its nothing to write home about.Only reason its fun is because the car as a whole is super small and light.In a first gen,itd probably be boring.

If you wanna run a grunty Mazda engine thats cheap and easy,how about an old B2200 4 banger?
Basically the same engine but with more displacement so itll be torquey,simple carb and distributor systems and its junkyard cheap.
My pop's old 88 B2200 runs like new with 190K miles and its no slouch even in a 3000lb truck body.In a lightweight,stripped 1G race chassis,that would be a pretty good puller.

 

An FE3 is probably a better engine to use. It's bigger than the BP.

 

9 ENGINE: Four cylinder only. Must be stock. Maximum of one 2-barrel carburetor. Fuel injection legal only if car was originally equipped. No alterations to system. 2500 cc maximum. Headers or exhaust must extend past drivers seat. Must run mufflers. (Not to exceed 95 DB at 50 feet). No exhaust through firewall or body panels. Must run Toyota with Toyota, Ford with Ford, etc. (exception: Ford Couriers may run Mazda engine, Chevy Luv may run Isuzu, Dodge D-50 may run Mitsubishi). No rotary engines.

Bummer

 

Ya just might wanna consider getting involved in a different racing entity than this one...

 

Thanks for the advice. It is all good stuff and I think I have decided to use the pickup engine in it. I would like to get involved with other racing entity however I with 80+ miles to travle to get to another track it is a bit pricy.

Definitly On shirts and on the roof of my car.

 

[QUOTE=steve84GS TII]


If you wanna run a grunty Mazda engine thats cheap and easy,how about an old B2200 4 banger?
Basically the same engine but with more displacement so itll be torquey,simple carb and distributor systems and its junkyard cheap.
My pop's old 88 B2200 runs like new with 190K miles and its no slouch even in a 3000lb truck body.In a lightweight,stripped 1G race chassis,that would be a pretty good puller.

Is your dad's pickup a standard cab or is it the extended cab? Just wondering, because I have a '92 extended cab (exact same truck as the '88 except for the factory upgrade to fuel-injection) and in my truck, which I assume is heavier, that engine is a gutless wonder.

At highway speeds (about 3500rpm) downshifting for hills or to pass does no good--- anything above that rpm just makes more noise because by then torque is a thing of the past. Coming off the line it takes forever to get up to speed.

It appears that torque down low on these vehicles was achieved at the expense of lower differential gearing since at 70 mph the engine is already spinning at 3500 rpm. The 1st gen RX7s also have relatively low final-drive gearing (3.95 for the 12A and 4.10 for the SE) for the same reason.

Do you know what the stock hp for the B2200 engine is or at what rpm it is achieved? I don't, but for the track a 16-valve 4-banger that produces high hp at higher rpm would be just fine. But it would not be sufficient for drags.