Rebuild advice!
 

Hey guys, I have an 88 t2 with stock turbo, Haltech sprint re, 3" turbo back exhaust, emissions/OMP delete, 1600cc secondaries, LS truck coils and a wally 255. Basically I got it all pieced together and had been driving it for about a month. I had an Auto-X on Sunday and the car ran really well. I was running about 8-9psi the whole time and my AFR's are tuned at 10.8-11.2. I was at the event for about 6 hours with runs after runs after runs. Car never went above 200 degrees and I was pulling 15-17inches at 900rpm idle the whole time.

I tried starting the car this morning, after letting it sit for a day. Nothing, I basically had to shoot ether into the vacuum port to get it going. Now it sounds like its missing, I drove it around the block and it feels better when I give it gas under load. I haven't checked compression or plugs because I ran out of time. (didn't even hook up the laptop).

Basically whether it's blown or not, I want to piece another engine together. I've searched some buid threads and kind of have an idea of what to use. However, there are a lot of people in this turbo section with sweet setups. So I'd like your input. I'm pretty confident in my engine building skills. I used to build 400-500whp DSM's at a shop. Also my car was bone stock when I got it, and this isn't my first rotary.

I'm shooting for a bulletproof 375-424whp car.

Thanks guys!!

If you suspect the engine is blown/damaged the smart person would compression test first and drive it around the block guessing later (or not at all). Anyways...

Sounds like stock ports and an efficient turbo (gt35, TD61, TO4S etc) / IC setup. maybe a little A/I for good measure.

sounds like plugs to me

and or the ECU needs some tuning in the start/warmup maps.

did a compression check. 85psi on all faces So its fine, i had a fouled leading plug on the rear rotor. I didnt check earlier becuase a freind was in possesion of my only compression tester.

I still kinda want to piece a spare engine together. id like to use:

oem mazda rebuild kit
RA super seals
stock ports
maybe some alky injection.

some sort of 60-1 or bigger. id be pretty stoked with 375rwhp, as well as a high boost AI map for 450rwhp. as well as not worry about blowing up.

i know Haltech doesnt support knock sensors, any one have advice on a good knock monitor? Ive seen an ebay one that looks ok, as well as a unit from summit racing.
thoughts?

Forget knock.

It ran fine at the auto-x, drove home fine. After sitting for a day it started funny, so I took it around the block. NBD.

Turbo II Rotor, care to elaborate? I'd like to maybe throw a bigger turbo on my current motor and shoot for 350hp. Taking into account the engines age i'd like to have some sort of idiot light. I've read that timing is best left on the conservative side. I've also read that, low oil and coolant temps as well as plenty of fuel are pretty much the basics needed in keeping the triangles spinning...

Thanks.

What I assume Turbo II Rotor was referring to is the fact that using a knock monitor to protect your engine is like using a pregnancy test to protect your daughter. By the time it lights up the damage has been done.

The only way to effectively incorporate knock monitoring is if you have an ecu (read: motec, link, MS?) than can detect, interpret, and react to knock, altering the running conditions of your engine and doing so quickly enough to actually prevent damage.

Yes. keeping coolant and oil temps in check are key to long engine life. "Conservative timing" can mean different things to different people and there is a point were running too rich, or running too little timing actually increases the risk of detonation, so as far as tuning goes I would find a reputable tuner in or around Michigan and discuss your goals with them.