noob5,000,000's 1986 Mazda RX7, the clean one from Texas

[noob5,000,000]

Don't you just love surprises?

So today I was taking out my driver's seat (again) so I could get easier access to the underside of the dashboard (to unbolt the brake booster). I noticed the carpet on that side was all wet and gross smelling. I pulled the seat out and peeled back the carpet. The sound deadening attached to the backside of the carpet was soaked and falling apart. I also noticed that there were a few cracks in the hard sound deadening. When I first saw this, I was scared to death that I'd see a massive rust hole in the floorboard or something. Luckily it turned out to just be a factory plug in the floor board that was popped out, most likely because of some douchecock that jacked the car up wrong and put dents in the floor and popped that plug out.


dent in the floor, most likely caused by improper jacking technique, which caused the sound deadening to crack.


The factory plug that was knocked out of place, letting water in


Wide view


Some of the gross wet carpet sound deadening


As it sits now. Keep in mind the hard sound deadening stuff usually needs to be frozen with dry ice before it can be chipped off. I guess some water got between the metal and the hard stuff, so a bunch of it just flaked right off.

I'm glad I found it now, before the moisture started to rust the metal. Eventually I'll pull out all the carpet, chip off the rest of the hard sound deadening and lay down some Dynamat. Worst part is, I never got to the job I was originally going to do.

[theholycow]

What kind of douchenozzle jacks the car by the floor pan? I don't even feel right jacking a car by the proper jack points when they're made of sheet metal...

[LHOswald]

What kind of douchenozzle jacks the car by the floor pan? I don't even feel right jacking a car by the proper jack points when they're made of sheet metal...

i concur wholeheartedly. (to the rest of you, that means +1)

i always feel like whenever i jack up a car no matter where i put it im gonna do damage. im such a tard

[theholycow]

Depending on what kind of work I'm going to do, I like to jack by a major thick piece of structural metal going to the wheel or a similar piece that's stationary on the car.

[.fortune]

This thread is full of awesome. Outside of a dedicated Mazda/FC forum, I don't I've ever learned more about the car elsewhere. Good luck with the project, can't wait to see/learn more.

On a side note, is there a generally accepted hard point to jack up a car? Or does it vary from model to model?

[noob5,000,000]

This thread is full of awesome. Outside of a dedicated Mazda/FC forum, I don't I've ever learned more about the car elsewhere. Good luck with the project, can't wait to see/learn more.

On a side note, is there a generally accepted hard point to jack up a car? Or does it vary from model to model?

Thanks! Hopefully I'll be adding more meaningful stuff soon. I'm kind of just putzing around with it for now, taking stuff apart, cleaning, etc.

As for jacking the car up, I'm not sure for every car, but on the FC, I always lift the front end from the crossmember and the rear end from the differential (as specified in the Mazda FSM). I'm sure a similar rule could work for most cars.


And that Turbo donor car that I was going to buy... totally gone. So it looks like the turbo swap has moved back to 'years from now' where it belongs .

[theholycow]

We don't take kindly to spam around here.

[LHOswald]

definitely win


holy shit epic win


and i just thought this one was weird, but still cool. seems like to many moving parts though

[noob5,000,000]

Wait, what? Spam? I'm guessing it got deleted before I saw it. Thanks for looking out.

As far as that next generation rotary design goes, I like the idea but the thought of running raw gasoline through an important engine passage concerns me. When my FC ran on 1 rotor way back in the day, the non-functioning exhaust port was spilling out black carbon-goo, it seems like it would get clogged over time.


a slight possible update:
I'm thinking of doing a mean-ish n/a setup on this car before I get to turbo swap. I'd probably be better off doing that first and waiting till later for the turbo swap (for financial purposes).

So, I might be picking up an S5 ('89-'91) n/a intake manifold set for only $40. It has a system called VDI (Variable Dynamic Intake or something) that changes the length of the intake runners at high RPMs, which extends the powerband to ~7500-8000, rather than dropping off before 7000 like the S4 ('86-'88) n/a's do, hence the reason the redline was raised by 1000 RPM in S5 n/a's. The manifolds basically bolt-on, but I'll have to come up with a way to activate the aux ports and VDI. I like the electric air pump method, but it is kind of expensive, looking at about $150-200 in parts. Once I get that done I'd like to pick up an RTek ECU chip (it allows adjustment of fuel and timing parameters in the stock ECU) and a wideband. N/A FCs run pig-rich from the factory, so a decent amount of power can be had from leaning out the mixture a little bit. Couple that with a good header (with proper length runners) and I should be doing pretty decent. Maybe I'll try out a DIY street port somewhere in there.

[noob5,000,000]

The same guy who's selling the intake is also selling a Racing Beat header for $150 (~$100 less than brand new), currently debating whether I should splurge for it. If the guy ever posts in his FS thread again...

EDIT:

So I've been lurking craigslist and the for sale section on RX7 club for the last hour or so, and I've made a few discoveries:

-On CL, I found a rebuilt, unported n/a engine for $400, 30 minutes away
-A set of S5 n/a rotors on RX7club for $100 shipped. S5 N/As are the highest compression rotors out there, besides the renesis rotors (but those require some machinging to work in older-style rotaries.)
-Add on that possible S5 n/a manifold set for 40$. I saw the same thing for sale from someone else for $170 I hope this part works out.

So, theoretically, I could purchase all of the above, crack open the rebuilt engine and install the S5 n/a rotors (I'd also need to acquire an S5 n/a flywheel and counterweight) and put it back together and basically have myself an S5 n/a engine. Since it's rebuilt, I can reuse most of the seals, I'll just need to get a set of coolant o-rings (equivalent of head gasket) to reassemble, as they often tear upon disassembly.

After that, I'd need to replace the shifter bushings and return spring in my current transmission (I'm pretty sure those parts are very cheap from Mazdatrix). And a new clutch. Probably something just a little stronger than stock, no need to be a ricer running around with an insane clutch on an engine making less than 200hp.

That's all I'd need to get it in the car, then I'd have to create the aux port and VDI actuation system. I'll need 2 Summit RPM switches, a lumbar support pump from a Crown Vic and a relay and a few lengths of wire, should come in under $150. Then I'd be set for a while!

EDIT 2: Just noticed someone asked about the S5 n/a rotors in the thread. Hopefully the guy still has them... It was only a day ago.

[1974Alfa5spd]

It has a system called VDI (Variable Dynamic Intake or something) that changes the length of the intake runners at high RPMs, which extends the powerband to ~7500-8000, rather than dropping off before 7000 like the S4 ('86-'88) n/a's do

Rotary VTEC?

[noob5,000,000]

^Basically.


FFFFFUUUUUUUUUU-
Rebuilt engine - SOLD
S5 n/a rotors - SOLD

Oh well, I'll still probably pick up that S5 manifold so I can have it for later, and start working on an electric port activation scheme.

[noob5,000,000]

Small update, if you could even call it that:

I started breaking down my front suspension today. Got the wheels, struts, and brake calipers off. That freed up enough weight to allow the front suspension to be managed by one person (it was previously sitting on dollys, it took 2 people to move it all around without them.) It's just barely light enough now . When I called it quits (early darkness FTL ) I had to half-deadlift, half-curl the whole subframe, control arms and steering knuckles w/ brake rotors off the ground. It was tough, but luckily the steering rack housing is a perfectly centered lifting point . Since it's so wide, it was doing that thing where each side has enough leverage to pull you around when you pick it up. It felt really weird when I was walking it back to it's resting place, I was swaying like crazy.

Anyway, nothing very interesting to report. Struts came off easily, rotors pulled off with a little prying, but those damn tie rod end links are really in the steering knuckles. It's going to take some creative prying/beating. Expect an interesting update when I get new bushings though (involves fire).

[LHOswald]

(involves fire).

this is when i subscribe to this thread

[theholycow]

{heavy stuff}

Recipe for back injury.