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EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/15/20 3:07 p.m.

Seems like the thing to do these days is to make a general thread for all projects instead of individual build threads for each project. 

Makes sense for me as most of my builds threads stall out or take forever with a lot of time between updates. This way I can condense everything into one for general updates. 

The name is the same as a youtube channel I do with a friend, some projects will be the focus of videos there, others will be random other project cars. 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCDoZ8ZMgkp8S-mCNxS5N04g

 

chandler
chandler PowerDork
3/15/20 3:28 p.m.

Looking forward to it!

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/15/20 4:05 p.m.

First up is the most recent. After ignoring it as long as I could, Knurled and I made the trip from Columbus to Northern Virginia to pick up a FC RX7 from Moxnix. 

From the description of the spare parts and "all the RX7 parts I have" I thought it would be easy to fit in the truck and car on trailer. In reality it was much more volume than I anticipated. After some time we managed to get it all packed and started the 7+ hour trip home. We hit snow and got routed to some mountainous 2-lane back roads in the dark but ended up home eventually. 

With much help from Knurled, all the parts have been unloaded into my basement. Now I need to build the extra shelves I have been putting off for awhile. 

When cleaning out the car I found some dust masks in one of the storage bins. Maybe I can sell these for big money to offset the cost of the car. 

The hatch even stays up with no assistance.

After everything was put away the first thing I had to do was remove the pipe flange from the roof. It can be seen in this picture from the ad:

I removed the 4 sheet metal screws and pried off the flange, after scraping away most of the adhesive that was holding it on I covered the screw holes with a sticker for now. 

Next up is to collect parts and build the spare engine that came with it. 

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/15/20 5:26 p.m.

Also, seeing the tire and wheel storage that Moxnix has made me realize that I really need to do something with mine. I'll have to do some racks for these while I do the shelves for all the parts. 

mazdeuce - Seth
mazdeuce - Seth Mod Squad
3/15/20 5:33 p.m.

You may have a wheel/tire problem. 

moxnix
moxnix HalfDork
3/15/20 5:54 p.m.

Yeah he does not have enough wheels for all the tires. 

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/15/20 5:57 p.m.
moxnix said:

Yeah he does not have enough wheels for all the tires. 

That is the proper way to approach it. 

Professor_Brap
Professor_Brap SuperDork
3/15/20 6:23 p.m.

I am slowly catching up to the amount of cars and wheels as you. 

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
3/15/20 8:31 p.m.
EvanB said:

From the description of the spare parts and "all the RX7 parts I have" I thought it would be easy to fit in the truck and car on trailer. In reality it was much more volume than I anticipated. After some time we managed to get it all packed

Soundtrack:

 

(or the better version with 100% more palm muting and fingertapping)

Ransom
Ransom UltimaDork
3/16/20 12:07 a.m.

In reply to Knurled. :

Since I think this is a recurring theme, another good one.

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
3/19/20 2:48 p.m.

I made a thing.

 

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/19/20 4:22 p.m.

In reply to Knurled. :

I was just researching how to make those types of things earlier this week. 

The thing I made (terrible picture since I turned off the light that was shining at the camera).

Now to get a detailed inventory of all this before it fills up the shelf. Because if I don't do it now, it will never happen. 

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
3/19/20 4:26 p.m.

In reply to EvanB :

Before you do that, clear off the workbench in the engine room, so we can determine exactly what you need to rebuild that engine.  Then I can help ID 90% of the stuff in the crates.  Doesn't need to be the whole thing, just half or so.

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/19/20 4:30 p.m.

Guess my office tomorrow is going to be the basement room then, there are perks to working from home. 

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
3/19/20 6:28 p.m.

I promised I'd offer all of my resources if you bought the car, I figure this counts smiley

Mainly I know from experience how easy it is to lose focus on something if one fails to keep momentum.  (Remember the GTI that I bought?  I often don't...)  Depending on your financial situation, if we can put together a bill of materials needed this weekend, it might be possible to have an assembled engine next weekend.  I know we talked rough estimates and IMO those rough estimates are still valid.  The bits and pieces I saw in passing looked quite good, and if they turn out to be duds, I probably have something that works, given that I acquired some FC stuff but everything I run is '85 and earlier.

Stampie
Stampie UltimaDork
3/19/20 7:05 p.m.
Knurled. said:

In reply to EvanB :

Before you do that, clear off the workbench in the engine room, so we can determine exactly what you need to rebuild that engine.  Then I can help ID 90% of the stuff in the crates.  Doesn't need to be the whole thing, just half or so.

One day when I grow up I want to have an engine room.

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
3/19/20 7:17 p.m.

In reply to Stampie :

I built a Ford 9" in there because there was a workbench AND a hydraulic press.  I used a Ford 351W harmonic damper as a press mandrel, still have no idea how that found its way amongst all the Volvo and Miata parts.  Also I swear I saw a Ducati in that room, although that may have been sunflower-seed oil infused cheburek fumes clouding my vision.

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/19/20 8:40 p.m.
Knurled. said:

I promised I'd offer all of my resources if you bought the car, I figure this counts smiley

Mainly I know from experience how easy it is to lose focus on something if one fails to keep momentum.  (Remember the GTI that I bought?  I often don't...)  Depending on your financial situation, if we can put together a bill of materials needed this weekend, it might be possible to have an assembled engine next weekend.  I know we talked rough estimates and IMO those rough estimates are still valid.  The bits and pieces I saw in passing looked quite good, and if they turn out to be duds, I probably have something that works, given that I acquired some FC stuff but everything I run is '85 and earlier.

Well, If you are up for it I have no problem buying all the parts to get this thing together sooner than later. I already have enough projects that have lost momentum, I don't need any more. 

This probably isn't the right time to mention that I am thinking it would be fun to port it just a little bit....

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/19/20 8:50 p.m.

Also:

 

I need a super large triangle bass. And accordion.

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
3/19/20 8:57 p.m.

In reply to EvanB :

Trust me, it wouldn't be.  BTDT.  It doesn't make any significantly more power with porting.

The 6-port engines have a whole lot of "You can't get there from here".  A long ways back, I built a max porting effort FC 6-port.  The ports were opened up as far as you could go without things falling in where they shouldn't be.  It felt pretty much like a stock ported engine.  That engine also died in the span of one week (and a very dusty 2-day rallycross at NTR) because I was still learning about air filtration.

This was also before I started bridge porting things, but I still don't believe in bridge ported 6 port engines, even after having done it twice.

To be frank, an stock FC 6 port engine with decent compression and a decent header will probably make more power than the POS engine that I have in my car right now.  I figure my engine is making maybe 190hp by the feel of it, and Improved Touring racers can make more than that.

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/19/20 9:04 p.m.

Yea, as much as I watch youtube videos and think how cool it would be to port it, it would be much cooler to have it running in a few weeks. Even more so if it doesn't improve things much. 

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/22/20 4:19 p.m.

I found myself looking at motorcycles for sale today. Then I reminded myself that I already have 2 projects in the basement that need to be finished before I get any more. 

Since I have been putting off working on these, partly because I don't like laying on the floor while working, I decided to build a motorcycle table in the "engine room". This had the side benefit of using up a good amount of wood from the pile of extra wood in the basement that was just good enough to not burn. 

The Ducati is up first, it needs new cables for everything. I have a new cable set from a Lambretta that I am hoping I can make work. 

The CT90 has the new Lifan engine mounted but needs a wiring harness. Since I can build the wiring harness with it off the table it will be off to the side for now. 

I still have some organizing and cleaning to do to make it easier to work on them but it is already much nicer. 

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
3/22/20 4:44 p.m.

I couldn't get out of the house this weekend and the lockdown thing makes me unsure if I can get down there anytime soon.  Much uncertainty.

EvanB
EvanB MegaDork
3/22/20 4:46 p.m.

I figured that was the case. I suppose that worst case I could take good pictures of everything to narrow down what I'll need to buy just to get it on order. 

Knurled.
Knurled. MegaDork
3/22/20 5:08 p.m.

Well, I can give you a quick Knurled EZ Engine Assembly Parts List, and quickie imspection guide.

You will need.

2mm apex seal and spring kit.  I strongly recommend the Mazda seals, even though they are like 3x as much as Atkins, because they have lower friction (more power, less heat, less wear) and they are much MUCH more housing friendly.  I use the Atkins seals because they are proven to be okay at 10k+.  You are not going to spin your engime that fast.

Side seal and corner seal springs. Use the FD (flat spring) type corner seal springs, they stabilize the rotor better.

You really should replace the corner seals, they wear as much or more than the side seals do.  Use Mazda, not aftermarket.

Mazda intake manifold gasket.  Much easier to buy than make because of the little FU passages for the injector bleeds.

RX-8 front cover gasket.  It's metal.  Solves the front cover O-ring blowout problem because there is no O-ring to blow out.

A certain amount of 2.2mm Viton O-ring cord stock, I think it is like 2 or 3 feet times four, for the inner coolant seal.  You can cheap out and use 2mm neoprene/buna cord stock for the outer coolant seal since it doesn't get exposed to combustion heat.  The Viton is over 10x more expensive so you can shave bucks by not using it.  It comes to about $20 an engine for everything you need.

 

To inspect:

The biggest thing to inspect are the coolant seal lands on the iron housings.  The inner walls can break away and leave the O-ring unsupported.  I did a cursory glance while I was concentrating the engine and they all seemed okay, but I didn't look very close.

I think I mentioned before what to look for as far as side seal grooving on the side housings goes.  This is probably what killed the engine in the car as I noticed there is a K&N filter sticker on the airbox, if you do not clean and reoil for every event the dust that gets by will eat the engine.

Side seals need to be inspected for gap to the corner seals and height.  Side seals are select fit to every slot, so they much be kept in order per rotor.  This is why I suggested ample workbench space.  The gap is ideally .002" or so but to be honest anything under .004" is fine, and half of that would be from worn corner seals anyway.  If the gaps are .006+ then it is side seal time.  Likewise, measure each side seal's height. Mazda does not specify a height, just a protrusion, but I don't like that.  Measure the height at the ends and in the middle.  I pitch seals that have more than .001-.002" taper at the ends.

The tighter you can get the side seal clearances, the more low end and mid range torque the engine will make.  The difference is pretty dramatic.  At high RPM any slapped together junk will run, but you need tight sealing if you want to make power anywhere else.

The oil control O-rings all looked awesome.   But I do not know if I put the front rotor in the front and the rear rotor in the rear.  The only difference is the side seal springs, they are directional and have a locking tang to keep the O-ring housing from spinning.  So if you do pull it apart before I get there, that needs to be determined before any documenting happens.

 

Eyeball the bearings for flaking.  I doubt there are issues but look anyway.  It is 100% normal for the layer of Babbit or whatever it is to be worn away at the seams and in some places.  Flaking and scoring is bad though.

 

(edited)

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