I'm considering buying a friend's girlfriend's '80 for $400. The motor is hard to start and smokes like crazy. He says it runs for 20 minutes then dies.

I've been surfing the net learning everything I can about the RX-7s and rotary engines.

I was wondering how difficult it would be to swap in a 13b motor. What years should I look for and how much should I expect to pay?

Thanks for your help.

 

The frame on all the First Gen cars were the same. All the 12a Manual transmissions were the same. Im not sure if the 84-85 model 13b had the same bolt pattern on the tranny or not but the engine and transmission will drop right in. Although you may have to modify the shifter panel a little, I believe the 13b transmission for atleast those two years had the shifter remote mounted a couple of inches farther back. Its better to keep the transmission for the engine anyway because the gearing is alot different. And you will have to pull the wiring harness and install it in the car with the 13b.



So is it hard? no

Is it worth it? Theres gonna be alot of tuning b.s. to do afterwards, hope you know rotarys.....and fuel systems...and ignition systems. all of which are mildly to wildly different than a piston/cam shaft engine.

If you have the maual for the car I would get used to looking at the wiring pages for both the car you have and the donor for the engine....thats gonna be your hardest obstacle.



And if you actually go for it...please ....get someone to take lots of pictures.

Good luck!

 

http://www.rx7.org/public/1st-gen.html



Heres a link to a really good start.

 

Jus tuse the search funtion on this section.Been covered a million times with all your answers needed.

 

What type of car ya wanna put it in?

 

an '80 SA.

 

That would work out good