I've had a bunch of people contact me about how my V8/3rd Gen is going. Since I've been so busy I haven't really had a lot of time to get back to people so I figured I'd just throw up a bunch of pictures for people to look at. If anyone has any questions about the swap, please feel free to ask. For those of you who think this is sacriledge..... feel free to comment too. It's an open forum. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

Here's the outside of the car. Notice the nose-high attitude.

Here's a closeup of the motor stipped down before I added the new heads/cam, etc.

Here's the car missing its "heart".

Just a few questions: Why did you choose to do the swap, other than the obvious reasons?

Didn't you use to have a pretty quick single setup on your car? And if so, wanna donate it to a good cause? https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

What tranny is that?

Last one...... unless anyone wants to see more.

P'cola, yeah I was running an almost identical setup to SPOautos, so the car was pretty strong to begin with. I decided I wanted something a little different. Plus, 450 ft/lbs of torque is hard to argue with.



Rotary, that's the Borg-Warner T56 transmission. It's found in the Vettes and Vipers most commonly..... also in the occasional RX7.

Looks like a Ford 5.0/T-5?

dac, yeah it's very similar to the older T-5. By the way, that tranny is no longer found in the C5 vettes, they use a transaxle. It was found in the C4's, F-bodies and the current Vipers.

How are you going to do the rearend? That thing is going to haul ass!

Actually, I'm going to leave the rearend as-is for now. If it grenades, I'll replace it. Lots of guys out there are launching at 7k rpms on slicks and haven't blown it up yet, although most of them are probably running stronger axles. I won't be launching it hard or with slicks so I should be able to get some good longevity out of it. With the car being so light, traction is going to be in short demand anyway, so no reason to force the issue.

So is that a 6 speed?

Yeah, sure is. Well, it has 5 "useable" gears, 6th is really just a huge overdrive. .50 actually. That's why you see 25-30mpg out of the big ole V8.

i wish i had the time/money to do somethin crazy like that...looks good though!

Well, to be perfectly honest, it's not really costing me anything except an ass-load of time. The difference between the total expenditure for all the V8 parts and how much money I got from selling all my rotary parts are within earshot of each other.



It really just comes down to having the time to do it all, and it IS extremely time-consuming.

all work and no play makes lost time a dull boy.all work and no play makes lost time a dull boy.all work and no play makes lost time a dull boy....hope you finish soon https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

...more like a pissy boy. I have been in a foul mood for quite a while now. That's the first suggestion I offer anyone that's going to attempt the swap; get yourself a xanax prescription first.

lol..xanax..that word is funny https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

What does the new engine and tranny weight?

<--------------------- you say something?

hehe..that movie scares me...HERES JOHNNY!!!!

Dave, the motor/tranny combo itself weighs ~550lbs or so. But since I've been able to remove ALL kinds of rotary/turbo related stuff (IC, manifolds, oil coolers, etc.) the car is actually going to be a little lighter AFTER the swap. Lower curb weight and more power, what more can you ask for??

Thats right, i looked into the swap myself. Plus the weight sits lower......can't remember the word for that now, its late https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

I don't like it, ONE BIT.

Just out of shear curiousity, what about it don't you like?

Thats cool, plus you gain a bit in the reliability department https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...DIR#>/wink.png

Not my thing ( ilike the look of a rotary in the bay) but cool non the less. :bigthumg:

I've never really understood why it is hated so much. Just cause it isn't a rotary? To me horsepower is horsepower...be it rotary or piston...doesn't matter a hoot to me. Nice thing about the v8 is the torque gained and the reliability as well.

I'm not advocating anything here, and I did enjoy the rotary, but when people ask me "why", the first thing(s) that come to mind are:



5k miles between oil changes

better fuel mileage

non-existant maintainence

sound (personal preference)

it's something VERY different

and of course the power, and although the torque figure is most noticeable, the hp isn't too shabby either. With the head and cam package I'll be running, ~410 RWHP is about avearage. God forbid I through a (relatively mild for a V8) 150-shot of NO2 on there, and now I'm around 550 RWHP and within a hair of 600 lb/ft of torque. Numbers like that should get anyone's attention. With a 2700lb curb weight, that's a traction-dependent mid-10sec 1/4 mile.

Enh, i've seen FBs, FCs, FDs with V8 swaps.



Hell, I've seen just about every Z car, domestic ecomomy, Miatas, Avengers, even an accord with a rwd V8. But, don't get me wrong, if it's what you want to do, go for it.

i think it makes the fd mor american, and if mazda had given up on the rotary, the new rx's would probablly have a 4.6 liter v-8 ( can u say mustang? )



are you keeping the parts in the ford motor family?

Nah, it would have been something like a 3.0 DOHC TT V6 or a 2.0-2.5L DOHC Turbo I4.



But I don't even see that happening. What about the Japanese market? You can't sell V8s in Japan, barely get away with V6'es, then the problem of two diffrent platforms...too much confusion. I doubt there would be an FD if they didnt want to use rotary anymore.

i was generalizing, a light weight ( not an american thing ), v-8...



are there a lot of modifacations needed to the mounting points for the new engine etc etc in doing it?

papasmurf, all the parts I'm using are straight from the local GM dealer with the exception of the new subframe and transmission mount. They are coming from Hinson Supercars, in Alabama. They have kits available that start with just the conversion parts all the way up to a drive-in, drive-out deal. All their parts have been exceptional quality and I've been very happy with everything I've gotten from them. With the new subframe and tranny brace, the 5.7/T56 combo just slides right in. No moving this, finessing that, no cutting/drilling or otherwise required. Hell, even the hole the shifter pokes thru is in the exact same spot. Some serious thought and planning when into their stuff.



I can't say I necessarily agree that the rotary engine makes an rx7 an rx7. I think the rx7 just happens to have a rotary motor. I think if Mazda developed an extremely lightweight, high output, piston-driven motor, you'd see it in the next version of the rx7. But that's a pretty tall order, which is why you'll probably see the 4th Gen rx7 with a version of the Renesis in it.

Rotary does make an RX-7, that's their uniqueness. Want a light Mazda road handling, piston driven 2 seater, with the same weight balancing? Miatia.



And, if there is going to be a 4th gen of RX-7, why was the RX-8 developed?

The rx8 has nothing to do with the rx7. They aren't even in the same segment of the market.



And how exactly does the rotary make an rx7? Is the rx3 an rx7? how about the Cosmo, is that an rx7??



If mazda had the capacity to make a lightweight, high horsepower, high torque v6 or v8 don't you think they'd put it in a sports car?

7's are 7's, no matter what makes them go really fast https://www.nopistons.com/forums/pub...#>/biggrin.png

There are plenty of V-8 japenese cars.



I like this swap, and good for you talking on such a swap.

The reliablitly is the key factor for me, I dont give a rats ass if

a FD has 500hp, if it doesnt start up and let me drive it 300 miles in a day,

then its useless.

Not too mention the fact you wont need a single hour on a dyno to tune your car! Maybe just to confirm the HP.



A cold day wont give you a boost spike and grenade the engine, a load of bad gas wont blow up the engine, I can think of more positives for this swap then negatives. How many guys with FDs are on thier 2nd if not 3rd engine, how many miles do they get out of them? I know there are guys on thier 1st engine, but they probably baby the car, Lost Time is doing a conversion that will let him drive the **** out of the car EVERYDAY.

They'd put it in something else. They have a lot of other platforms. The 626 for example. I mean, it's a tremendous shock to put a completely diffrent engine in a platform built, and notibly known for it's rotary engine. Not to mention a pain in the ass.



I already addressed the V6, V8 problem. Mazda is japanese too. Engines over 2.0 Liters are too expensive to market. (No, we do have a few, but it's a long story) Rotaries are a great awnser to that. Low displacement, and high yeild, for such low displacement. Why do you think Japanese cars are mainly I4s with either VVT, or DOHC. And the higher ends have turbos. Low displacement, power through either high revving engines or forced induction, or both. As for my "makes an RX-7" I wasint targeting that spesfically towards RX-7s. And I think you know that, my comment was in context, since I was speaking in refrence towards the V8 swap in an RX-7. Think about it that way.



Oh, by the way..Japanese V6 and light weight normally don't go together. They normally end up kinda beefy. I mean, why use the RX platform? Just develop a new line. Or use the 626, or 929, MX-6..etc





So, are they developing a new RX-7, when the RX-8 came out? Of course it isnt in the same demographic. The 2 seat fast as hell car isnt that popualr. Now we want a lot of speed, and a lot of luxury.



I apologize if anything was too offbase, and dragging this on. I'm a mitsubishi guy..But I know the import world.

when you say the v-8 is more reliable, does that apply to an n/a rotary, or just the turbo?



and I think a mazda salesman said they are discontinuing the 626 and 929, in favor of the 6 and protege...please correct me if I'm wrong