RoadRaceJosh

Figured I'd start a new thread instead of hijacking another. My '87 Sport is getting a Magnum 318 and a Supra turbo 5 speed. The car has already received new shoes in 235/45R17 and 255/40R17, new KYB AGX dampers, RS-R race springs, a TII diff and axles and DTSS eliminator bushings. The car has lost it's climate control, sound system, sound deadening, about 20 lbs of wiring and every ECU and control module there was. This is going to be a track and autocross toy so the creature comforts are largely absent.

I fabbed up the motor mounts, but still need to jack up the engine and mark their final position before welding them in. I have to buy a custom clutch disc and fab a pilot bearing adapter. The exhaust manifolds fit fine, but I want to fit headers for more power. The short block is all together, but I need to get on the ball with the heads and a good oil pan. I have a Flowmaster Y pipe and will run single 3" exhaust. I also have a NOS Super Powershot system that should help get the car into the 11s.


In the driveway with my '72 Dodge B300 van and my '91 Talon TSi AWD. Not a great looker, but she was free.
Motor mounts need welded in and the plastic bag needs to be replaced by a real tie rod boot.
Small blocks fit easily. The Magnum 318 has a shorter water pump and will give better radiator clearance. I may be able to run a mechanical fan.
Not much to see here. Just a gutted interior. Weight is the enemy of performance!

razorback

what heads are you gonna use on the motor?

looks good btw.

RoadRaceJosh

The mock up that's in the car is an early 360 out of a motorhome, but I'll be using a 1998 Magnum 318 with ported Magnum heads redrilled for a standard LA intake manifold. The magnum exhaust manifolds are bolted to the mock up so I know they'll fit. I'm using all the Magnum accessories as it makes the engine about 2" shorter, I get a light weight 100 amp alternator and I'll have just one belt.

The motor mount to engine brakets are from the motor home, but cut down 1.25" The chassis side of the mounts are obviously square tubing and angle iron. The angle iron is there to distribute the load better than welding the square tubing right to the chassis.

A Supra R154 5 speed bolts right to an AX-15 (mid 90's V6 5 speed) equipped Dakota bellhousing. The trans itself weighs a healthy 100 lbs and at $300 was cheaper than a tremec and much cheaper than a T-56. It's also a lot stronger than a T-5. A T-56 would be nice with a .62:1 6th gear. It would mean an overall 2.54 high gear ratio in my 4.10 geared FC rather than the 3.08 overall with the Supra box's .75:1 5th. I have 255/40R17 rear tires. Without overdrive 60 MPH requires 3303 RPM, the Supra R154 drops 825 RPM to 2478 and the T56 would be 2046. The 318 will provide plenty of torque to push a little FC along at 2046 RPM let alone 2478.

Thanks for the compliment! I'm hoping with all the weight reduction the car weighs in under 2800 lbs with driver. If I can crack 12s without the nitrous I'll be happy. It's going to be close and I might not make it with this engine, but it shoudl still be fast and fun.

gnx7

iTrader: (10)

Good luck with your project... you are one of the few Chrysler powered RX-7 swaps. If you had aluminum heads/intake/waterpump I could see you getting close to 2800lbs. You will need an aluminum hood and other weight saving tricks to get there I think.

My old '87 FC with Buick GN power (no a/c or p/s) (460lbs approx for complete engine, 145lbs for the trans), manual windows, alum hood, T2 pumpkin (20lbs more than n/a easy), '87 T2 rims (24lbs each plus tires) was 2725lbs without driver. It had no carpet or soundeadening/tar in the driver/pass area and only the stock driver seat. '86-88 RX-7's are about 125lbs lighter than '89-91 models. Little lbs here and there add up. Try to run a lightweight muffler and headers if they'll fit (loose an easy 15-20lbs there).

Mark

razorback

look into getting 360 heads(cant remember the exact casting, but ill look) i don think you will be disappointed.

as far as my heads if i want a really really good head im gonna have to get the indy sr 440 head that retails for 2300 for the set..saves me 40-60 lbs off stock head weight. and i only know of 2 chrylser motor swaps. mine and his.

TonyTurboII

Wow, very interesting. While im still a fan of the rotary I cannot deny the temptation to put a V8 in and Rx7. I still have a little piece of my heart for american muscle. Anyway it looks good, I hope it all goes well.

RoadRaceJosh

The car has an AL hood, but the heads are iron. The Magnum heads flow better and have smaller chambers for more compression than the older LA engine heads.

http://www.compcams.com/Community/Ar...?ID=-360770234

2725 lbs without driver isn't bad. My tires are heavier than what will fit on a TII wheel and I forgot to weigh my wheels before mounting the tires. They might weigh a little less than 24 lbs or maybe a little more. I have no AC, no heater, have removed probably 20 lbs of wiring and will be using an aluminum intake manifold and very small battery. The single exhaust will help the weight a little too. I'd love AL heads, but that's 50-55 lbs I can't afford to loose. The Edelbrock heads are over $1500 once you buy the right head bolts and gaskets.

Thanks for the encouragement guys!

RoadRaceJosh

Update time. I've been working on cosmetics lately. The floor has been painted Krylon Rust Tough Battleship Gray. The picture is with the front of the floor in primer and the back of the floor before priming. I'll have to go take a new photo of the final coat. I still need to get my cylinder heads done so I can finish the engine. In the mean time I really should pull the automatic trans and mock up the 5 speed so I can build a trans mount and get the engine mounts welded into place.

digitalsolo

iTrader: (2)

Lookin' good. Can't wait to see her all put together!

razorback

ok what dodge motors, bolt up to what toyota transmissions. my uncle has a sickly v6 in his 93 t100 that could use a dodge v8

owen is fat

awesome work man!
if you want to shed a few more pounds you should look into the cheapest version of a lexan hatch (and even a winsdhield) from Percys Speed Glass online and it will shave a good 30-40 pounds off the car and in a relatively high location... plus the install is easy-peasy for someone who can fab up his own FC-Chrysler motor mounts!

nice!

RoadRaceJosh

Ha! A friend's V6 T100 will out pull my 318 powered B300 van. Once I put 4.10s back in the van that may change though. The 3.54s really killed the towing and acceleration.

The bellhousing I'm using is fron an AX15 equipped V6 Dakota. I think it's a 1994 model year. The AX15 is built by Aisin as are most Toyota trannys. The R154 5 speed out of a Supra turbo will bolt to any AX15 bellhousing. If you want Chrysler power in the Toyota you'll need the AX15 Dakota bellhousing too. Like me you'll end up with a custom clutch disc and pilot bearing adapter.

RoadRaceJosh

The glass winshield needs to stay. I just don't have the time to maintain any kind of plastic windshield. I'm also going to be able to drive this in the rain so the wipers are staying and that would be hell on Lexan. I wouldn't mind loosing more weight, but it has to be cost effective. Removing the sound deadening has been labor intensive, but relatively inexpensive. I've also picked through the wiring harness and removed a lot of unnecessary copper. I was considering fixed headlights so I can ditch the motors and mechanisms, but I haven't deemed that cost effective either. Once the car actually runs and drives I may go for fixed headlights and a Lexan hatch window, but those things are low priority right now.

Here are the pictures I promised of the painted floor.

razorback

not this v6, it struggles to pull itself seriously it gets down to 15mph going up hill, with foot on the gas, its pathetic. i need to do some serious diagnostic to it but i dont have the time or have access to it for long periods of time.

btw nice work, thats the exact same color i painted my engine bay.

RoadRaceJosh

Wow, that is bad performance from the Toyota. If it has good compression and isn't misfiring I'd see about a plugged/melted cat.

I saw your engine bay in gray, but I didn't know it was the very same paint.

Thanks for the compliment! I need to get my a** in gear on the engine. I need to call Hughes Engines for valve spring retainers and get the heads to my machinist. I also need an oil pan and pickup, but I really must get under the car and see if the Kevko pan I want will fit. Since this car will corner severely I must have ample oil capacity and control.

razorback

yes, its a pos. i think a timing belt is off or something. not sure. it runs really rich, idles like **** and is overall a nice piece of ****. the 89 buick skylark 2.5 liter has more power than it (i hate that car)

maybe it was the primer, sun or thickness it was put on with. dunno. but yeah i used that color.

that oil pan is a killer. i still have to get one, i thought i had one but he sent me a front sump, not rear, i HAVE to have a rear sump. so ill just buy a new one. pretty much all i have left is stuff with my motor/transmission. pistons, machine work, etc adds up.

have you tried mancini racing?

http://store.yahoo.com/chucker54/engine.html

they have some stuff that not alotof other companies have. summit is cheaper on some things though.

RoadRaceJosh

Sounds like the Toyota needs a thorough checkup and probably and O2 sensor and cat.

Front sump? To the best of my knowledge only the '70 and older pickups used those. My oil pan is probably going to be Kevko. http://www.kevko.net/mopar.htm It's got gates, and diverters and baffles, crank scraper and a windage tray. I do not want to loose this engine to oil starvation.

I've bought stuff from Mancini, Summit, Jeg's, Earnhardt Dodge, and others in the past. I'm going to order up some Magnum valve covers with the Jeep logo as they can be had for $80 less than the Magnum logo valve covers. I'll mill off the Jeep logo and put something else in there.

razorback

the toyota has a new o2 sensor, but its throwing the signal that its messed up, so i dunno.

actually for the big blocks i think most/all had rear sumps. ill just buy a new one for 100 bucks and that comes iwth everything. right now i dont need anything as elaborate at you do, since i wont be autocrossing my car yet, plus im not paying 300 bucks for an oil pan, unless i was going all out with it. like dry sump or something.

what are you doing about the driveshaft? a company sells a flange that adapts the stock flange to the mopar std size i forget the size something 60..

RoadRaceJosh

I lost an engine due to oil starvation while road racing and I don't want to do it again. So I'm not skimping on the oil system.

Passenger car oil pans were center sump. Truck and van (after 1970, 1971 respectively) were rear sump. My 360 mock-up is from a van so that pan fits fine. I think the big sump on the Kevko pan will fit, but I have to measure the car before I spend the money.

I have the TII driveshaft to match the diff, but I didn't get a driveshaft with the Supra trans. Parts to build a driveshaft are expensive, but it can be done with all new stuff. Six States Distributing in Portland is a Spicer distributor and they have a driveline shop. Here's the parts list if I go with a brand new custom driveshaft.

Toyota slip yoke Powertrain Ind. 1303-23, $83.00
Toyota front U-joint (Spicer) 5-1510X, $30.74
Toyota weld yoke for 2.56" dia .065" wall Powertrain Ind. 1326-20, $33.60
Mazda weld yoke Powertrain Ind. 2626-26, $36.55
Mazda U-joint Powertrain Ind. 2651-60, $25.00
Mazda rear flange for conversion joint 2602-41, $50.00

That's $259 just in parts. No tube, no assembly, no balancing. So I'm looking for a Toyota driveshaft I can mate with the Mazda driveshaft.