reepuu

Im thinking about buying a repu that needs a motor, what is the best way to does this [$]? do the jdm takeouts fit right in? or are they diffrent than the older 13b's? I will rebuild if not.

1988RedT2

I'm not an expert on the ease of fitting a newer model 13B into a REPU. My vintage rotary experience is limited to tinkering on an RX-2 sedan many years ago. But it seems to me, that the easiest part of restoring a REPU would be fixing the engine. My primary concerns if I were considering such a purchase would be--How is the rest of the truck? Body? Trim? Interior? Ultimately, these parts will be the hardest to find replacements for.



BTW, Welcome to nopistons!

phinsup

Yes I would say that engine would be a small consideration in the scheme of things. A jspec wont be a "direct drop in', but i would seriously recommend staying away from jspec rotary's,, maybe 1 in 5 actually runs.

reepuu

thanks for the advise! the truck is very clean! the only problems are the engine and the rear window is missing

reepuu

whats the best place to buy rebuild parts from? I see alot of places selling parts but they are for the newer 13b.

1988RedT2

mazdatrix sells rebuild parts for the early 13B's. I'm sure there are others.

reepuu

what should I do if it needs major parts, rotor housing, etc. finding parts seems to be a challege! Ive never rebuilt a rotory what are the chances that it needs major parts or are most rebuildable?

75 Repu

NEWER engines all fit.. as we all know the 13b size is pretty much the same, doesn't matter the year car/truck it came from.. the problem is the way its mounted. the old 13b/12a engines mounted to the frame from a crossmember that would bolt up to the front cover. the newer 2nd gen and third gen had the mounts moved from there. soooooo this just means you can do a couple of things.. get the used engine.. or jspec.. whatever.. (lots here have had bad experiences with those jspec) and



A: get a old style front cover so that you can bolt onto the crossmember.(will require gettin the corresponding oil pan and pick up tube.. or modifying it)

B: modify the current fc front cover by welding a plate to the front so you can bolt the crossmember to it.

C: make mounts or a subframe to use the existing engine mounting locations.



red t2 made a good point.. the engine mounting is basically limited by your skills/equipment...



check out this link: i had a similar problem on my ongoing everlasting repu project.. you might get some ideas. https://www.nopistons.com/forums/ind...howtopic=68000

Crit

You're buying one of the craigslist trucks from Denver? I noticed that it looks pretty complete outside the rear window. Personally, I'd rather find a slider window for a Courier and call it good.



Nice Find.



Any 13B with a FB front cover and 13B oil pan can work. I can't recall whether the REPU is front-sump like the GSL-SE or rear-sump, but you could even redrill the pan and spin it 180.

Jeff20B

An FC pan won't fit. GSL-SE or old style 4 port 13B pan will. Front sump.