1987 RX7 Chumpcar with a 3400 LA1 engine

Good Day!

I am in the process of putting a GM 60 degree V6 in a 2nd gen RX7. The car runs well and handles great... It needs more POWAH!

The engine in the car currently is a S4 NA that made 146 HP at the wheels and 135 lbft of torque on a dyno.

The engine going into the car makes 185 HP (crank) and 210 lbft of torque.

I will try to get pictures to work here, but I am having a hard time finding a photo hosting site that doesn't crash every 2 minutes....

Anyway, I have acquired the engine (a 1997 Chevy Venture engine) and the trans that I plan to use (1999 Chevy Camaro V6 T5 WC). I am in the middle of tearing the engine apart to complete the following:

Engine Checks:

Check rod /main bearings

Replace Head gaskets

Replace intake manifold gaskets

replace valve stem seals.

Controls:

The PCM is getting sent off to sinister performance so that it can be simplified to whatever is needed simply to run the engine in its new home.

Shifting / Trans:

I will be running a T5 WC out of a 1999 Camaro for a few reasons. The starter pocket is in the correct place for an LA1 engine. The trans bolts to the engine. I can run a HTOB (with about .300" of spacers for correct actuation of the clutch). The spacers are necessary because I will be using a flywheel from a 2.2L S10 (bolts to the engine and is neutral balance, which I need). The flywheel is thinner than the Fbody flywheel (which is NOT neutral balance on a 3800). Running a stock 2.2L style Exedy clutch. I am trying to hook all of the hydraulics up to the stock Clutch master cylinder in the car. This MAY or MAY NOT work. Won't know until I try.

Research Required items:

I am still not sure what to do about a driveshaft. I can find a rear flange for the RX7 differential, but it uses a 7260 type ujoint ("small dodge"). I can not find a conversion ujoint that would work with a cutdown Fbody driveshaft (uses a 1344 type Ujoint). I may just need to go full custom drive$haft...

I know I will also have to do some research on moving the alternator and finding a proper serpentine belt setup.

Finally, an exhaust is going to be somewhat difficult. The 3400 were never in RWD cars. Therefore any "Good" exhaust is setup for FWD and not usable. There are some conversion headers for MGB's but they are $$$! I may end up getting a set of older V6 headers and hacking them up to work on the car...

Any advice is appreciated!

Are you sure the 3400 wasn't used in 4th gen Camaro and Firebird?

AngryCorvair wrote: Are you sure the 3400 wasn't used in 4th gen Camaro and Firebird?

It was, 1993-95.

Something tells me any off the shelf headers f-body headers (if they exist) will still require plenty of adjustment due to a 4th gen F-body and an FC being slightly different.

81cpcamaro wrote:

AngryCorvair wrote: Are you sure the 3400 wasn't used in 4th gen Camaro and Firebird?

It was, 1993-95.

Nope, never was.

The 3.4L V6 (not a 3400) was used. Totally different engine basically.

The heads (iron, not aluminum) have round ports in the 3.4, starter is on the other side, flywheel is different (larger diameter), intake is different, all the front accessories are different, etc.... It makes like 20 to 30 HP less....

You can modify 3.4 Headers to work with the 3400, you just need to make sure the primaries are larger than the D port 3400 heads. You also need to slot the mounting locations of the manifolds.

car looks familiar, did you run up at Pitt in the past 3 years in chump?

Yep. Every year but this one. We do races all over the east with this car.

More potato pics coming your way....

Engine front view...

Engine rear view (with writing) Anybody know if this is junkyard or factory writing?

Engine intake valley view (With RTV... I think somebody has been here before...)

Trans I am using...

I also just received the flywheel, headset (with new bolts), clutch kit, oil pan gasket, HTOB, intake gasket kit, etc...

Let the games begin!

In reply to wvumtnbkr:Cool well I will see you out their in a Black E30 this year.

Make sure the intake gasket you're using is the revised metal one, not the plastic one. Otherwise, you'll be back in there soon.

FooBag wrote: Make sure the intake gasket you're using is the revised metal one, not the plastic one. Otherwise, you'll be back in there soon.

Good advice. I got the best Fel-pro has to offer for the head gaskets and intake manifold gaskets.

New day, new update...

Here is the pic of the rotary that being removed...

I am taking it out tomorrow.

This next picture is of the clutch master / brake master area and it horrible area to work in. This will be made cleaner once I have coils (not using) out of the way.

Here is the slightly modified stock airbox. I am unsure if I am going to use it or mod it or remove it.

After the old engine is out.... If I am feeling Feisty, I may throw the new engine and trans in the car just to check first initial fit. I have zero idea if the oil pan is going to fit, or if the steering rack is going to fit, or where the engine will actually sit in the car at the moment. I would like to get to this point sooner than later!

Anybody need to buy a complete "drop In" ready to go rotary engine / trans / controls / ecu, etc...?

In reply to wvumtnbkr:

Interesting choice of an LA1 for the Rex. It should scoot right along!

This could be the start of a great movement.

Taut, great handling chassis + torquey, unloved(cheap or free) but robust powerplant = Killer track car, poverty rod.... or only one like it at the next cruise in.

Now let's see the: MG's + V6 Ford Ranger Spitfire + 4 cyl Tacoma TR7 + GM S10 combos!

if crap blows up we have an 04 3400 cheap.

hemihauler20 wrote: In reply to wvumtnbkr: Interesting choice of an LA1 for the Rex. It should scoot right along!

Yea, this should be fun! However, this is the same amount of work as putting in an ls....

Chump now charges points by pwr. This is as close to toeing the line as I want to get right now.

This car has numerous race wins as it was. I don't want to become a car that is more than competitive..

This probably sounds like a brag, but the fast cars in chump have a tendency to get smacked down...

patgizz wrote: if crap blows up we have an 04 3400 cheap.

What's cheap? I might be interested as a spare....

P.s. if anybody has ideas how to make this thread better, i am all ears.

This is my first build thread!

Easy 4 process for a better thread

1. take pictures
2. Load pictures
3. Repeat 1 & 2
4. Repeat 3

So, you're doing good so far.

wvumtnbkr wrote:

patgizz wrote: if crap blows up we have an 04 3400 cheap.

What's cheap? I might be interested as a spare....

Probably $75 would make it disappear from my dad's garage.

Is this why you suggested a rotary for my NA?

Hmm... We might could come to some sort of arrangement about that over the summer if you don't have any plans for the motor you're pulling.

In reply to RevRico:

Probably because he's gonna have a couple of them to get rid of

Rob, C4 'Vette driveshaft seems to be the solution for the LS swap. I think the v6 f body guys like to upgrade to the aluminum driveshaft from the LS1 cars, so that should, by extension, indicate it would fit your t5 as well. It uses a 1350 u joint and 1350 to 7260 u joints are available.

Boom. Great advice.

I will have your vehicle prepped today for pickup whenever, Mr. Furious. I was just going to put the spare parts in boxes and load them in the hatch.'

Awesome, I'm trying to make arrangements for next Saturday if that works for you. Actually yesterday, by pure coincidence, I ended up about 10 miles up the road from you making a last minute, unplanned run to pick up parts for work. Wish I would have known ahead of time, could have saved an extra trip!

Mr. Furious.... your car is outside and ready...

We tried the new engine and trans in the racecar today..

Swaybar is.... fine. Crossmember to oil pan cockatiel event is non existent.

The crank pulley clears the steering rack by .5 inches.

I need to cut the shifter hole by 1.5 inches.

Everything works awesome except the alternator. .. it will stick through the hood about 2 inches unless I can find a way to mount it where the ac compressor was.

So far, awesome!

This should be mechanically easy!

Pics to come monday!