Added to 3rd gen **** you's...
10-11-2002, 11:18 AM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Frederick MD
Posts: 6,331
Ok, now you have your RX7. I hope you got a compression check... 
Get the recalls done. Call Mazda; Have them run your VIN. If your recalls have not been performed, GET THEM DONE.
Do the fan mod. 1 Wire, 5 minutes. Unbolt ECU, find the 1 stray wire, hook it to a 2-pole switch, Ground it, DONE. Leave the switch on for 2 minutes before shutdown. Shutdown car. Fans will stay on. Wait 30 seconds, turn switch off. Fans will switch to low and stay on for 10 minutes. Engine bay heat removed.
Replace your AST with an aluminum one. Or remove it from the system. (Not recommended, but can be done.) The AST is a weak point in the cooling system. It will crack. I advise doing this BEFORE a downpipe, due to the fact that even though a downpipe will keep some excess heat from the engine bay, it will not keep the AST from failing.
Replace your downpipe. YES you can still pass the sniffer. The stock precat is a very heavy, restrictive pipe that retains a lot of heat after shutdown, and releases it into the engine bay. This leads to premature deterioration of vacuum lines, and wire insulation. The downpipe is fairly easy to replace, and can be done on jackstands, with hand tools.
Install a boost gauge, and a water temp gauge. There is a nipple on the intake manifold Mazda had reserved a boost gauge. Uncap it, USE IT. For the Temp gauge, either tap the filler neck for the Temp sensor, or cut the cooling hose running to the upper intake manifold and install a “t”. Don’t rely on the stock temp gauge. It is no good.
Flush the cooling system and REPLACE the Radiator. The stock Radiator has PLASTIC endtanks. They will fail. Replace it with an all aluminum one.
Replace ALL the cooling hoses. ESPECIALLY, the 2 going to the turbos. They can be removed, but again it’s not recommended.
Replace your thermostat. Self explanatory.
Replace vacuum hoses with silicone hoses. Or do the Non-Sequential mod.
3 MOD RULE: You may hear that you can run 3 mods with no ECU. It can be done, but is not recommended. If you have an exorbitant amount of cash, then don’t listen to me.
If you get three mods, your fourth should be an ECU. Enough said.
Please, do not buy an RX7 and think you rule the world. YOU DON’T. Take care of it. It is a VERY reliable car if treated right. If you want to be a statistic of the “ I heard RX7’s blow up at 60,000 miles…. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH….” Then pay me no mind. Happy Rotoring!
Get the recalls done. Call Mazda; Have them run your VIN. If your recalls have not been performed, GET THEM DONE.
Do the fan mod. 1 Wire, 5 minutes. Unbolt ECU, find the 1 stray wire, hook it to a 2-pole switch, Ground it, DONE. Leave the switch on for 2 minutes before shutdown. Shutdown car. Fans will stay on. Wait 30 seconds, turn switch off. Fans will switch to low and stay on for 10 minutes. Engine bay heat removed.
Replace your AST with an aluminum one. Or remove it from the system. (Not recommended, but can be done.) The AST is a weak point in the cooling system. It will crack. I advise doing this BEFORE a downpipe, due to the fact that even though a downpipe will keep some excess heat from the engine bay, it will not keep the AST from failing.
Replace your downpipe. YES you can still pass the sniffer. The stock precat is a very heavy, restrictive pipe that retains a lot of heat after shutdown, and releases it into the engine bay. This leads to premature deterioration of vacuum lines, and wire insulation. The downpipe is fairly easy to replace, and can be done on jackstands, with hand tools.
Install a boost gauge, and a water temp gauge. There is a nipple on the intake manifold Mazda had reserved a boost gauge. Uncap it, USE IT. For the Temp gauge, either tap the filler neck for the Temp sensor, or cut the cooling hose running to the upper intake manifold and install a “t”. Don’t rely on the stock temp gauge. It is no good.
Flush the cooling system and REPLACE the Radiator. The stock Radiator has PLASTIC endtanks. They will fail. Replace it with an all aluminum one.
Replace ALL the cooling hoses. ESPECIALLY, the 2 going to the turbos. They can be removed, but again it’s not recommended.
Replace your thermostat. Self explanatory.
Replace vacuum hoses with silicone hoses. Or do the Non-Sequential mod.
3 MOD RULE: You may hear that you can run 3 mods with no ECU. It can be done, but is not recommended. If you have an exorbitant amount of cash, then don’t listen to me.
If you get three mods, your fourth should be an ECU. Enough said.
Please, do not buy an RX7 and think you rule the world. YOU DON’T. Take care of it. It is a VERY reliable car if treated right. If you want to be a statistic of the “ I heard RX7’s blow up at 60,000 miles…. BLAH, BLAH, BLAH….” Then pay me no mind. Happy Rotoring!
10-12-2002, 02:14 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2002
Location: La Plata, Maryland
Posts: 9,725
I stick with old reliable.
1st change oil/fuel/air filters
2nd change plugs
3rd add boost guage
4th replace vacum hose w/ silicone
5th replace pre-cat with a downpipe
6th flush coolant and tranny fluid.
The list can really just keep going from there but that seems to me to be the best approach for getting your Fd set up for a nice future.
1st change oil/fuel/air filters
2nd change plugs
3rd add boost guage
4th replace vacum hose w/ silicone
5th replace pre-cat with a downpipe
6th flush coolant and tranny fluid.
The list can really just keep going from there but that seems to me to be the best approach for getting your Fd set up for a nice future.
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