Wagonbacker9
Member
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- 2004 'Hoe
4awg to a starter should be more than sufficient. I think most factory starters are 8awg. I know for a fact my LS2 starter draws a LOT more current than yours, and its smaller than 4awg.
magnumP5's RX-7 Build Thread
- Thread starter magnumP5
- Start date
mymmeryloss
Member
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- 13bT Mazda B2600i
I really need to get in touch with u on your ems when u get this thing up and running!
PrinceValorum
Member
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- 95 626 FS, 89 Toyota Derux 4x4
I think you should be fine. Looking through the manual, the power cord on my welder is 8 AWG, and that's for 50 amps of 220v.
mymmeryloss
Member
- :
- 13bT Mazda B2600i
So why did u choose the sprint re?
I'm doing standalone research right now, and I'm not sure what to get for what I need!
I see banzai has a harness for the apexi power fc that will work with my truck.
A lot of people use haltech and aem. I'm just really lost with them I guess.
Sorry to clutter your thread, but I just figured I would ask y u chose what u did and how much u have in wiring and new connectors and all that fun stuff...
I'm doing standalone research right now, and I'm not sure what to get for what I need!
I see banzai has a harness for the apexi power fc that will work with my truck.
A lot of people use haltech and aem. I'm just really lost with them I guess.
Sorry to clutter your thread, but I just figured I would ask y u chose what u did and how much u have in wiring and new connectors and all that fun stuff...
Sorry I've been slacking on the updates. I'm still waiting for the interior parts to come in. Meanwhile the dash and center console are back in and mostly assembled. The parts on order are preventing me from finally installing the radio, gauges and the rest of the instrument cluster. I did another electrical system check and confirmed the blower unit and the radio work in addition to everything tested previously. Last night I temporarily mounted the electric fan and started running the wires.
The Power FC seems like too much work because it wasn't originally meant for the FC, but rather the FD (you have to modify the trailing coil). Also, because of the aftermarket coils I'm using I don't think I could use the PFC by default. Again, it really comes down to what setup you'll be running.
As for popularity, I see Haltech being used the most, probably then by Microtech and the PFC users. I'm not too familiar with people using the AEM ECU's in RX7's. There are a few guys out there running MoTEC's ($$$).
As for cost sunk. I'd have to go back and add it all up (not something I want to do). The ECU was <$900 and if you only consider the electronics I needed for the ECU (i.e. not battery relocation, gauges, etc.) that's probably another $200 at best, and I went out of my way with fancy connectors and everything. Get rid of those and the fancy Mil-Spec wire (because I'm anal about colors) and that additional cost could easily be below $100.
I chose the Sprint RE because I wanted the simplest (i.e. cheapest) standalone ECU that could do all the things I needed. That being said, the best ECU is the one that best fits your needs. I have no A/C, no P/S, no heater and I didn't need idle control. The only control I NEED is over fuel and ignition. The Sprint RE does both of these and has some conveniences like electric fan output and tachometer output that saves me some wiring, and several other things like two more digital pulse outputs (DPO's), a roadspeed input and and external MAP input, which I won't be using. By going up to the Sport 1000 I would have saved some wiring (all the relays are internal) and the only functions I would have gained would be the ability to do closed-loop idle control and input multiple wideband air/fuel signals (I'll be monitoring both, but only tuning off the front rotor). For me, this wasn't worth the $1400 price tag.
The Power FC seems like too much work because it wasn't originally meant for the FC, but rather the FD (you have to modify the trailing coil). Also, because of the aftermarket coils I'm using I don't think I could use the PFC by default. Again, it really comes down to what setup you'll be running.
As for popularity, I see Haltech being used the most, probably then by Microtech and the PFC users. I'm not too familiar with people using the AEM ECU's in RX7's. There are a few guys out there running MoTEC's ($$$).
As for cost sunk. I'd have to go back and add it all up (not something I want to do). The ECU was <$900 and if you only consider the electronics I needed for the ECU (i.e. not battery relocation, gauges, etc.) that's probably another $200 at best, and I went out of my way with fancy connectors and everything. Get rid of those and the fancy Mil-Spec wire (because I'm anal about colors) and that additional cost could easily be below $100.
mymmeryloss
Member
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- 13bT Mazda B2600i
how much do u have in machining and such, and rebuild price on the keg?
what seal kit are u going with, and r u having any porting done?
what seal kit are u going with, and r u having any porting done?
Damn, I'm amazed by this project. I have been reading through it for a few nights now and I feel inspired to do something with my 626, though I lack money and knowledge I feel inspired. Really enjoyed this thread and wish you good luck with the project, I will be following this. I also like how friendly most people are here, giving tips, advice and sharing knowledge. So far I dont regret getting a Mazda, hehe. 
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I'm probably at ~$900 with all the machining done. I've had the rotor housing surfaces machined true by Goopy Performance (~$200). The "irons" lapped and re-nitrided by Chips Motorsports (~$200) and everything ported by Defined Autoworks (~$500). I could have gone out and purchased the die-grinder and bits for the porting and done it myself but in the end it would have cost just about the same. The first two jobs aren't required but they should help with the poor sealing/starting problem rebuilt rotaries have. There's no way I could have done them myself.
I'm probably going to stick with OEM seals for the rebuild. I just don't think anyone else out there has put as much research and development into them as Mazda. The only seals I'd substitute would be ceramic apex and corner seals by NRS Motorsports but you're looking at $1200 for a set of apex seals alone!
The port I went with is actually a very aggressive street port (called "Circuit Port" by Defined Autoworks). You can see some pictures a few pages back. This setup supposedly made over 220 whp on a naturally-aspirated 13B-RE (JDM 2-rotor Cosmo motor). I'd be ecstatic if I could eek out the same!
Damn, I'm amazed by this project. I have been reading through it for a few nights now and I feel inspired to do something with my 626, though I lack money and knowledge I feel inspired. Really enjoyed this thread and wish you good luck with the project, I will be following this. I also like how friendly most people are here, giving tips, advice and sharing knowledge. So far I dont regret getting a Mazda, hehe.
I applaud your patience for reading through all my rambling. For knowledge my advice is to read and research as much as you can. Buy a factory service manual, lurk in lots of online forums and start small. The first thing I did to the RX-7 was a tune-up. Air filter, spark plugs, spark plug wires, etc. From there (as you've read) I've gone from installing a short shifter to overhauling the suspension, to rebuilding the entire rear end assembly, to swapping a transmission (thanks Marc) and now I've basicallt torn the entire car apart. Rebuilding the engine is the next hurdle and after that is rebuilding a transmission. Unfortunately, money isn't really something you can get advice on. I worked hard, got a good education, got a job and make decent money. This is also pretty much my only hobby so all my spare funds go toward it. I have a bank account separate from my wife's and my joint account that pays for everything so I don't run into the issue of not having enough money to pay the bills, maintain the house, etc.
On a lighter note, sorry for the lack of updates. I've wired the coolant sensor for the Haltech and all the gauges. The oil pressure gauge was reading maximum all the time and that took some playing with a multimeter, several emails and a phone call with the manufacturer to find out I have the wrong sending unit, so I have to wait for a new one to come in. The electric fan is wired, but I haven't tested it yet. Still need to figure out how and where to mount the coils so they can be wired in. All the other connections (injector, TPS, IAT) require an intake manifold and throttle body but so far no response from the vendors. I'm going to be ordering my roll bar today so when it comes in I'll finally be able to put all the interior trim back together.
PrinceValorum
Member
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- 95 626 FS, 89 Toyota Derux 4x4
That would be ridiculous in a nice stripped FC!
Hmm, Evan's having that same problem..
Yeah, I read that bit about the OPG and was like "Oh really?". I heard it's simply wired wrong or not getting a good enough ground but I tried a ton of different wiring scenarios and it still just goes to max. If you find a solution, please let me know.
mymmeryloss
Member
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- 13bT Mazda B2600i
Well I'm sure u will have urs up and running before I jump head first into my rebuild, so I can see how your works out!
Nice to see everything is going so smooth for you so far!
Nice to see everything is going so smooth for you so far!
My goal is to have the car down to 2600 lbs when I'm done. I'm sure lower is doable but I see no point in completely stripping it out at this stage. I'd like to think I can use this car through HPDE into TT and possibly PT so a full strip may be in the future. Still, 200 whp in a 2600 lb car should be quite fun
I did the same. The manufacturer was convinced I had the gauge wired incorrectly. It wasn't until I called them directly that we figured out I had the wrong sending unit. If you recall I while back I sent my original gauges back to the manufacturer to upgrade (and because I got the wrong color). At the time they said I could keep all my existing sending units and they'd just send me the gauges. When I called them I told them I was getting 5V at the signal wire (confirms it isn't my wiring) and that I was getting ~250 ohms off and ~50 ohm on. Apparently the latter is incorrect for my gauge and it should be the opposite, which makes me think it would read maximum if not grounded (mine currently reads zero).Yeah, I read that bit about the OPG and was like "Oh really?". I heard it's simply wired wrong or not getting a good enough ground but I tried a ton of different wiring scenarios and it still just goes to max. If you find a solution, please let me know.
I'm hoping it'll be ready to fire sometime late next spring. I was really hoping it would be sooner than that because now I'll likely miss the entire NASA season breaking in and tuning the car. Unfortunately the cost of this build has started to catch up to me
In other news, I heard back from the fabricator. The good news is we decided to ditch the Jenvey ITB's and we're going to go with an Australian company called EFI Hardware. The bad news is the throttle body and intake manifold together are going to run me ~$2000 and the manifold has a 3 month lead time! Perhaps I shouldn't have ordered the roll bar yesterday...
PrinceValorum
Member
- :
- 95 626 FS, 89 Toyota Derux 4x4
Will the IM put the power in a more usable band vs the ITB's, or what was the reasoning?
Still sticking with ITB's. I'm getting a custom IM made for them that will wrap around the engine (puts the filter on driver's side). None of the off-the-shelf IDA manifolds would be a good match for my goals.
Tee-hee!!! Awesome. I just want to see/hear it in person and a ride along when you're done, Jon. Freaking epic.
Sure. Whenever I DO finish that is...
Not really any updates. I'm kind of drained when it comes to this project at the moment; physically, mentally and monitarily. I've received, installed and wired the correct oil pressure sending unit, IM fabrication has been started, ITB's have been shipped and the rollbar should arrive any day now. Still no progress with mounting the coil packs or getting the few interior parts I'm missing. Also, I haven't figured out how to go about radiator/oil cooler/brake ducting, which has been bothering me for a while.
Other than that I've been thinking of removing the stock seatbelts. I've been weighing the pros and cons for a while now:
Pros:
-20 lbs weight reduction
-No more annoying automatic belts
-Reuseable mounting points for harness lap belts
Cons:
-Wires won't get removed (I'm not pulling the dash again)
-Holes left where automatic belt moved
-Inspection/law problems?
Last night I said screw it and started pulling everything out. I wish I came to this conclusion earlier as I could have removed about 15 more wires but I guess this way it's I could always reinstall the system for inspection purposes. Oddly enough all the seatbelt mounting points use SAE hardware (7/16" x 20). Most aftermarket harness hardware uses the same bolt diameter and pitch so I only have to drill/tap one hole for the 5th point. The bad news is I destroyed my a-pillar in the process of removing it and new ones are $90. I guess they can be broken and epoxied back together only so many times.
Too much text. I promise I'll take some pictures of the progress once the rollbar and throttle body come in.
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PrinceValorum
Member
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- 95 626 FS, 89 Toyota Derux 4x4
Eugh, the thought of epoxying old plastic back together makes me cringe. I don't envy that at all.
It wasn't so bad the first time when I was just epoxying old plastic. It's the second and third time when I'm epoxying epoxy that's annoying. I think I'm just going to have to shell out the $180 for new a-pillar but with as long as it's taking Montgomery Mazda to get my current parts I'm hesitant...
Got my rollbar last night and promptly went about test fitting it - no dice. I can understand being off a little as it was made from a jig but I don't see how this thing will bolt in without serious modifications to the car and the bar.
For example, here is a shot of one of the rear leg. You can see how the angle of the plate is completely off.
Here's the other side. Same story. I have since removed the insulation but that didn't really help.
Here are the plates for the main hoop. It's hard to tell from the picture but they're angled slightly to lean the bar toward the rear of the car.
No matter what I tried I could not get them to sit flat on the floor. This is also as far as I could push them back without destroying the trim on the b-pillar. I'm told they're supposed to be right up against the rear bulkhead, which is about 4" further back than pictured.
Lastly, here's a picture of the whole thing in the car.
Kirk Racing just called me and is going to review these pictures later today. When I get home I'll give them a call and play with it a little more.
Wagonbacker9
Member
- :
- 2004 'Hoe
Looks like everything would go better with the B pillar trim out?
PrinceValorum
Member
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- 95 626 FS, 89 Toyota Derux 4x4
That's what I was thinking, but it's hard to tell without being there. Good luck with the phone call.
