LOTS OFQUESTIONS!
07-10-2006, 01:59 AM
#1
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 3
Hello everyone, I am about to acquire a 1985 RX-7 GSL-SE (1st gen) which has a 13b non turbo engine and 5 speed manual.. it runs strong but is mostly stock except for a high performance exhaust and some mods to the intake filter.
I have a few questions for anyone who is willing to answer…
First of all, as mentioned this is a non turbo car from the factory. I plan to buy a turbo charger to put on it, but my question is, what mods do you have to do to a non turbo rotory engine to make it able to use the turbo… in piston engines you have to put heavier duty pistons and rings as well as shorter piston rods with less compression and adapt the heads, etc etc…. the guy im buying the car from tells me I can literally just bolt it right on and it will work with the engine… for some reason I don’t believe him, just knowing what you have to do to a piston engine before you can use one.
Also, the car is running really rich and is blowing gas-smoke out the back, tends to flood when starting, which to me seems like the fuel injection needs to be adjusted… how do I go about doing that???
The next question I had is about rims.. from what he tells me, the bolt pattern on that car is the same as the 86 second gen because its got the 1.3 engine instead of the 1.2 and not to look for 1st gen rims for it because they don’t fit etc… I guess my question was though, from personal experience of the people on the forum, what is the widest tire that will fit under a 1st gen rear and front. I have my eye on a set of 17” rims, but they are 17X7 and I have no idea if they will fit….
And if they DO fit, what size tire would I need to not screw up my speedometer?
17’s may even be a little too big, but its gotta be better than the 15 inch rims that are on there now…
final question! (for now) does anyone happen to have a passenger side front fender laying around that isn’t dented ? preferably in or around central texas? Or at least know where I can find one?
Thanks in advance for the help!
mitch
I have a few questions for anyone who is willing to answer…
First of all, as mentioned this is a non turbo car from the factory. I plan to buy a turbo charger to put on it, but my question is, what mods do you have to do to a non turbo rotory engine to make it able to use the turbo… in piston engines you have to put heavier duty pistons and rings as well as shorter piston rods with less compression and adapt the heads, etc etc…. the guy im buying the car from tells me I can literally just bolt it right on and it will work with the engine… for some reason I don’t believe him, just knowing what you have to do to a piston engine before you can use one.
Also, the car is running really rich and is blowing gas-smoke out the back, tends to flood when starting, which to me seems like the fuel injection needs to be adjusted… how do I go about doing that???
The next question I had is about rims.. from what he tells me, the bolt pattern on that car is the same as the 86 second gen because its got the 1.3 engine instead of the 1.2 and not to look for 1st gen rims for it because they don’t fit etc… I guess my question was though, from personal experience of the people on the forum, what is the widest tire that will fit under a 1st gen rear and front. I have my eye on a set of 17” rims, but they are 17X7 and I have no idea if they will fit….
And if they DO fit, what size tire would I need to not screw up my speedometer?
17’s may even be a little too big, but its gotta be better than the 15 inch rims that are on there now…
final question! (for now) does anyone happen to have a passenger side front fender laying around that isn’t dented ? preferably in or around central texas? Or at least know where I can find one?
Thanks in advance for the help!
mitch
07-11-2006, 02:38 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,114
I have a few questions for anyone who is willing to answer…
First of all, as mentioned this is a non turbo car from the factory. I plan to buy a turbo charger to put on it, but my question is, what mods do you have to do to a non turbo rotory engine to make it able to use the turbo… in piston engines you have to put heavier duty pistons and rings as well as shorter piston rods with less compression and adapt the heads, etc etc…. the guy im buying the car from tells me I can literally just bolt it right on and it will work with the engine… for some reason I don’t believe him, just knowing what you have to do to a piston engine before you can use one.
Sure you can do that but the SE came with only 2- 680cc injectors. There really is not enough fuel IMO. There are other routes that you can take though. If you are serious about a turbo we can explore that later. My advice is to enjoy the car for what it is now and start from the ground up(suspension).
Also, the car is running really rich and is blowing gas-smoke out the back, tends to flood when starting, which to me seems like the fuel injection needs to be adjusted… how do I go about doing that???
The higher mileage engines tend to flood easier. How many miles are on the car?
The next question I had is about rims.. from what he tells me, the bolt pattern on that car is the same as the 86 second gen because its got the 1.3 engine instead of the 1.2 and not to look for 1st gen rims for it because they don’t fit etc… I guess my question was though, from personal experience of the people on the forum, what is the widest tire that will fit under a 1st gen rear and front. I have my eye on a set of 17” rims, but they are 17X7 and I have no idea if they will fit….
And if they DO fit, what size tire would I need to not screw up my speedometer?
17’s may even be a little too big, but its gotta be better than the 15 inch rims that are on there now…
17x7's should fit but it will depend on the offset.
Hope that helps a little,
Z
First of all, as mentioned this is a non turbo car from the factory. I plan to buy a turbo charger to put on it, but my question is, what mods do you have to do to a non turbo rotory engine to make it able to use the turbo… in piston engines you have to put heavier duty pistons and rings as well as shorter piston rods with less compression and adapt the heads, etc etc…. the guy im buying the car from tells me I can literally just bolt it right on and it will work with the engine… for some reason I don’t believe him, just knowing what you have to do to a piston engine before you can use one.
Sure you can do that but the SE came with only 2- 680cc injectors. There really is not enough fuel IMO. There are other routes that you can take though. If you are serious about a turbo we can explore that later. My advice is to enjoy the car for what it is now and start from the ground up(suspension).
Also, the car is running really rich and is blowing gas-smoke out the back, tends to flood when starting, which to me seems like the fuel injection needs to be adjusted… how do I go about doing that???
The higher mileage engines tend to flood easier. How many miles are on the car?
The next question I had is about rims.. from what he tells me, the bolt pattern on that car is the same as the 86 second gen because its got the 1.3 engine instead of the 1.2 and not to look for 1st gen rims for it because they don’t fit etc… I guess my question was though, from personal experience of the people on the forum, what is the widest tire that will fit under a 1st gen rear and front. I have my eye on a set of 17” rims, but they are 17X7 and I have no idea if they will fit….
And if they DO fit, what size tire would I need to not screw up my speedometer?
17’s may even be a little too big, but its gotta be better than the 15 inch rims that are on there now…
17x7's should fit but it will depend on the offset.
Hope that helps a little,
Z
07-11-2006, 06:36 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Sep 2004
Posts: 218
If your looking for a fender try http://www.mazdarecycling.com/ or you can go to www.blackdragonauto.com (they have a lot of stuff for restoration).
07-12-2006, 03:05 AM
#5
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 3
as far as moving my post thanks! i apreciate that.
as far as the engine, the guy im buying from said that within the last few years that engine was put in there totally rebuilt, but he wasnt quite sure how many miles were on the rebuild, probably between 20-50k miles. i'll ask again to be sure. as far as the turbo, i am really interested, but i think what i'll do is buy an engine that is already equipped with it since it maybe cheaper than the labor id pay to have one rebuilt somewhere locally.. which subsequently there isnt really anyone in austin who works on them.. maybe 1 business and i dont know what all they do... most businesses charge an arm and a leg and claim to work on it, but really ship the engines and transmissions off to this place in dallas to have them repaired.
however i know people who will help me replace the engine with one i bought for free... then again i may be wrong.. it may be cheaper have rebuilt... i havent priced yet... either way, it'll be a while until i can afford that.. and there are more pressing matters like the transmission which will eventually give and the AC is a must to get fixed.... like i said.. Texas in JULY!
as far as wheels, after closer inspection of the car today, it seems like 7'' may CLOSELYl fit under the rear assuming its average "normal" offset, but if it is even a little in either direction they wont fit or will scrape the fender on bumps.. and i dont really think that anymore more than 6" will fit under the front, but i may be wrong... i didnt turn the wheels with it on a jack to test clearence.
as far as tire size, i really dont know how to judge them... what is the proper height to keep from having to change the speedometer. the tires on it currently are 205/55 r15 i know r15 is the rim size.. other than that i dont know what the other numbers mean..
and finally, as for the link, thats awesome!! thank you..
thanks to everyone else so far also!
as far as the engine, the guy im buying from said that within the last few years that engine was put in there totally rebuilt, but he wasnt quite sure how many miles were on the rebuild, probably between 20-50k miles. i'll ask again to be sure. as far as the turbo, i am really interested, but i think what i'll do is buy an engine that is already equipped with it since it maybe cheaper than the labor id pay to have one rebuilt somewhere locally.. which subsequently there isnt really anyone in austin who works on them.. maybe 1 business and i dont know what all they do... most businesses charge an arm and a leg and claim to work on it, but really ship the engines and transmissions off to this place in dallas to have them repaired.
however i know people who will help me replace the engine with one i bought for free... then again i may be wrong.. it may be cheaper have rebuilt... i havent priced yet... either way, it'll be a while until i can afford that.. and there are more pressing matters like the transmission which will eventually give and the AC is a must to get fixed.... like i said.. Texas in JULY!
as far as wheels, after closer inspection of the car today, it seems like 7'' may CLOSELYl fit under the rear assuming its average "normal" offset, but if it is even a little in either direction they wont fit or will scrape the fender on bumps.. and i dont really think that anymore more than 6" will fit under the front, but i may be wrong... i didnt turn the wheels with it on a jack to test clearence.
as far as tire size, i really dont know how to judge them... what is the proper height to keep from having to change the speedometer. the tires on it currently are 205/55 r15 i know r15 is the rim size.. other than that i dont know what the other numbers mean..
and finally, as for the link, thats awesome!! thank you..
thanks to everyone else so far also!
07-12-2006, 11:10 AM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: Jan 2006
Posts: 1,114
as far as moving my post thanks! i apreciate that.
as far as the engine, the guy im buying from said that within the last few years that engine was put in there totally rebuilt, but he wasnt quite sure how many miles were on the rebuild, probably between 20-50k miles. i'll ask again to be sure. as far as the turbo, i am really interested, but i think what i'll do is buy an engine that is already equipped with it since it maybe cheaper than the labor id pay to have one rebuilt somewhere locally.. which subsequently there isnt really anyone in austin who works on them.. maybe 1 business and i dont know what all they do... most businesses charge an arm and a leg and claim to work on it, but really ship the engines and transmissions off to this place in dallas to have them repaired.
Sounds like you have a strong motor. GSL-SE engines are know to run past 200k miles. I would just upgrade the NA platform that you have and then turbo later. A header will give you around 15-20hp.
however i know people who will help me replace the engine with one i bought for free... then again i may be wrong.. it may be cheaper have rebuilt... i havent priced yet... either way, it'll be a while until i can afford that.. and there are more pressing matters like the transmission which will eventually give and the AC is a must to get fixed.... like i said.. Texas in JULY!
Yeah, that is a must. Start with the small things, get your suspension in line first and then move on to engine. You will be surprised what 130-140 to the wheels can do without the proper suspension set-up.
as far as wheels, after closer inspection of the car today, it seems like 7'' may CLOSELYl fit under the rear assuming its average "normal" offset, but if it is even a little in either direction they wont fit or will scrape the fender on bumps.. and i dont really think that anymore more than 6" will fit under the front, but i may be wrong... i didnt turn the wheels with it on a jack to test clearence.
I have seen 8" in the rear with a 45mm offset(I think that he used a spacer as well) and 7" up front(can't remember the offset). SE's came with a FWD offset so that makes thing a little esier for you...honda's are good for something
as far as tire size, i really dont know how to judge them... what is the proper height to keep from having to change the speedometer. the tires on it currently are 205/55 r15 i know r15 is the rim size.. other than that i dont know what the other numbers mean..
IIRC it is typical to decrease one profile size for every inch increased. So if you have 55 series at a 15" rim you would need a 45series for a 16" rim and a 35 series for a 17" rim. If I am wrong someone please correct me.
as far as the engine, the guy im buying from said that within the last few years that engine was put in there totally rebuilt, but he wasnt quite sure how many miles were on the rebuild, probably between 20-50k miles. i'll ask again to be sure. as far as the turbo, i am really interested, but i think what i'll do is buy an engine that is already equipped with it since it maybe cheaper than the labor id pay to have one rebuilt somewhere locally.. which subsequently there isnt really anyone in austin who works on them.. maybe 1 business and i dont know what all they do... most businesses charge an arm and a leg and claim to work on it, but really ship the engines and transmissions off to this place in dallas to have them repaired.
Sounds like you have a strong motor. GSL-SE engines are know to run past 200k miles. I would just upgrade the NA platform that you have and then turbo later. A header will give you around 15-20hp.
however i know people who will help me replace the engine with one i bought for free... then again i may be wrong.. it may be cheaper have rebuilt... i havent priced yet... either way, it'll be a while until i can afford that.. and there are more pressing matters like the transmission which will eventually give and the AC is a must to get fixed.... like i said.. Texas in JULY!
Yeah, that is a must. Start with the small things, get your suspension in line first and then move on to engine. You will be surprised what 130-140 to the wheels can do without the proper suspension set-up.
as far as wheels, after closer inspection of the car today, it seems like 7'' may CLOSELYl fit under the rear assuming its average "normal" offset, but if it is even a little in either direction they wont fit or will scrape the fender on bumps.. and i dont really think that anymore more than 6" will fit under the front, but i may be wrong... i didnt turn the wheels with it on a jack to test clearence.
I have seen 8" in the rear with a 45mm offset(I think that he used a spacer as well) and 7" up front(can't remember the offset). SE's came with a FWD offset so that makes thing a little esier for you...honda's are good for something
as far as tire size, i really dont know how to judge them... what is the proper height to keep from having to change the speedometer. the tires on it currently are 205/55 r15 i know r15 is the rim size.. other than that i dont know what the other numbers mean..
IIRC it is typical to decrease one profile size for every inch increased. So if you have 55 series at a 15" rim you would need a 45series for a 16" rim and a 35 series for a 17" rim. If I am wrong someone please correct me.
07-22-2006, 05:08 AM
#8
Junior Member
Join Date: Jul 2006
Posts: 1
I'll post this for now. Theres alot that it shows, but you need to remeber that tires dont always come in the "perfect" size. http://www.miata.net/garage/tirecalc.html
I was told that the second gen wheels wont fit on the gsl-se, if 4 lug, because the GSL-SE has larger lugs, therefore not allowing the wheel on. I yet to get my hand on a set to try though.
Get a from racing beat or http://www.iscracing.net/ and do the 3" all the way back like they recommend. I have it on my car, its awesome. Really thoaty.
Get your suspenion atleast freshened up, its worn out right now.
Does this sound like a repeat?
I was told that the second gen wheels wont fit on the gsl-se, if 4 lug, because the GSL-SE has larger lugs, therefore not allowing the wheel on. I yet to get my hand on a set to try though.
Get a from racing beat or http://www.iscracing.net/ and do the 3" all the way back like they recommend. I have it on my car, its awesome. Really thoaty.
Get your suspenion atleast freshened up, its worn out right now.
Does this sound like a repeat?
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