4AG rebuild video

[legend]

Soo what are you working with then

[Mux213]

Legend, I'm currently building a system to plan all sorts of work and keep an agenda for employees.

[legend]

OOO ok

Damn I feel geeky when you call me legend.

My name is Jonas by the way do you only work with a AE86 or you do some work with the RX7 and the delorean too.

How is the RX7 too work with by the way is it much different from a standard engine (not wankel then)

[Mux213]

Jonas,

I do all the work on the RX7 together with a mate of mine. The DeLorean I usually have an expert look at because it is worth to much to ruin by inexperience although I want to do what I can do safely myself.

The wankel engine is very different from a piston engine but in the end its just a combustion engine. A rebuild is very different from a piston, in many respects easier, in some respects much more difficult. The rotary engine is a little less tolerent, you do have to have someone with experience next to you or you will make a costly mistake. The biggest issue here really is that there is just so much more information readily available for piston engines, rotary engines demand you to figure things out yourself. Get it wrong, byebye engine. (there are some really good rebuild video's out there though that guide you through it step by step). Rotarie rebuilding also demand you buy some special tools. You can do most things without, but for a complete rebuild you will need them.

If you want to get into the world of rotaries and work on the engine itself but are new to them I really would stress to start with an n/a. The turbo engines are very easy to break by setting them up wrong and when they break because of this you probably are in for major $$$ as you easily damage the expensive irons. Mind you, when setup right and treated good these things are solid! Rotary engines got their bad name because of abuse and (Mazda) garages simply not knowing what to do and making lotsof mistakes. Even today you run a big risk when bringing your rotary in for repairs at a Mazda dealer. The RX8 has improved knowladge alot but being relatively rare most Mazda dealers do not have the experience but do have overconfident mechanics that underestimate this engine.

The n/a's on the other hand dont brake so easilly, when setup wrong you can break an apex seal but usually they dont do as much damage in an n/a then in a turbo'ed car. It will still set you back a couple of hours work and maybe 100/200 euros but you really have to do something weird to get them to brake. Mind you, put a rotary engine back together the wrong way and you can easily destroy it, but the same goes for piston engines. Follow the instructions on a good rebuild tape to the letter and it cant really go wrong.

Last bit of advise is to start off with a 1st gen or with an RX3 or RX4. The reason is very simple, these cars are carberator 12As and 13Bs. They are relative easy to tune for a beginner and have almost no complexity to them whot so ever. Stick on makumi carbs and a dual exhaust and you're 12A will push out over 150hp at the flywheel with little trouble, stock is around 100hp, "breathing is the key to n/a rotary tuning", forget what you know about piston tuning, the rules dont apply. Parts are also pretty well available in the 2nd hand area especially in the states. Mind you that the 13B model of the 1st gen RX7 that was produced in the last 2 years has a slightly different engine and some parts for it are very hard to find.

I've gone for an RX7-FC (2nd gen) which means I have to deal with a complex EFI and emmisions setup. I've removed most of the systems for emmisions because I simply dont care, my car is gonne be a track car. It will be nice if it passes MOT but it probably wont because emmisions are screwed up. But if you want a dialy driver, and you are new to this, you may want to skip this stage until you've become comfortable working on a carbed rotary.

Just dont go turbo unless you have someone next to you who's worked on these engines for ages, or really know what you are doing.

[legend]

Ok thanks for the intel.

Im gonna get me a AE86 first now but im thinking of getting a wankel as a track car.
Mostly because its a bit different and get too now the wankel engine.

thanks alot for the info again and im still waiting for the rebuild video on the 4ag engine.

he he

[NoHachi]

@Mux, in case the 20v falls through....Are the 12A engines easy to find around here? How about parts? I know that you can buy complete bridgeported 13B's inc headers and intakes relatively cheap from the US. Is the after market support for the 12A similar? Any links?

Those engines sure sit nice and low in the engine bay! I've seen 12A equipped KE20's do wheelies on the dragstrip, so there must be some way to extract both power and torque from them...

[Mux213]

NoHachi,

I'd have to check with Bart but he used to have a 12A with mikumi carbs in his sa but he build in a jspec 13B-RET in there so he may have it around. He also has some contact in belgium for getting these engines.

There is very good aftermarket support for the 12A and 13B in the USA. There is a whole culture around it. Support in europa however is alot less great. There are some great shops in the UK and the guys in Tjech have alot of 2nd hand stuff in stock and alot of experience. In holland you have Euro-Rotor, great guy but self tought and he knows he's the only one so he really charges alot. I'd go there if I want to buy a good stock car and maintain it, want something special its much more fun to figure things out yourself and get the knowladge online or from the good USA/UK shops.

I wouldn't go bridgeported, that is some serious alteration to a rotary, you will have no low end power, totally unusable for street. Bridgeporting is only alot of fun for racing. A mild port on a 12A can already bring it near the 200 horses if done properly but it'll be more thristy then a 70ies american V8. Also bridgeport engines don't live very long.

I do wonder where you can get em cheap though, I know some shops sell rebuilds where they've taken an engine, put in new atkin seals and a new gasket kit, do some porting on them (with templates and a dremel tool a baby could do it, well almost) and sell them in the order of 1500 to 2000 dollars. But they reuse the rotors, housings, etc. Which is not a bad thing mind you, if it was a good engine to start with, I will do exactly the same when I do my rebuild but the engine will never be as good as a rebuild with machine work done to the housings and rotors or replacement if needed. But shops doing that sorta work will charge WAY more then 2k for a rebuild engine (but you will have an engine better then new).

When shopping keep in mind a rebuild will set you back about 600 euros in parts (thats the price of the atkins rebuild kit, asfar as I know the cheapest kit with all apex seals and all gaskets and good quality too). Getting a running 2nd hand 12A should cost you only a few 100 euros so doing the rebuild yourself can pay off when you do it right.

Also BIG BIG recommendation, GO PREMIX! Takes a bit more trouble everytime you fill her up but its well worth it. Your engine will perform alot better over time.

Transplanting a 12A into that corolla will be relatively easy, putting a 13B with EFI in a bit more difficult because there is a big lump of junk ontop of the engine and alot more electronics to deal with. Do keep in mind a rotary bolts up a bit weird, crankshaft of a piston engine is low in the engine, eccentric shaft in a rotary is in the middle. There are good adapter plates for it but you may end up with an engine that sits to low. Its worth checking out if its possible using a tranny from an RX7.

Anyways, if you are serious check the other rotary section on http://www.rx7club.com and post a hello message in the europian section. There is alot of information about rotary transplants in that other rotary section, and most of the cool europian guys hang out in the europian section (only the british are hiding away on their own forum which is also worth checking out, have to look up the URL though)

[legend]

OK mux what has happened to the rebuild video time too bring it up here.

[Mux213]

legend, ARGH! I totally forgot about that, I still need to get that BT tracker up and running

Man I need more time......

[legend]

He he im really laughing no joke and no hurry enjoy teasing you a bit.
Im still lookin for my ae maybe foundone now tough so if i buy it im gonna pressure you he he.