RX7 LS1 V8 rebuild

[Mar71n]

Sorting out the fittings needed to pipe up the air con. found a air con place in Warwick that had the two fittings in stock that matched the sizes on the evaporator/blower unit under the dash as the Japanese use a different thread & fitting size to Europe.

Have spent a lot of time pluging in sensors on the engine, cooling & oil system for the Emerald ECU & the two SPA gauges. So ended up under the car getting covered in filler dust form the time the car spent at the paint shop routing wires & clipping them to parts that don't get hot or rotate.

Last job on Saturday was making a start on the air intake, it's a tight fit under the bonnet so had to turn it down immediately out of the throttle body. I've bought a round K&N air filter so just need to turn the pipe at 90 Degrees to run along the top of the radiator.

Getting close to firing it up so put 3 gallons of fuel in it! that will be the first time since 2010.

 

[Mar71n]

Wiring in & setting up the Emerald K6 ECU.
This is all Craig a DynoTorque's work, as wiring is not something i can do.

The car was originally on a K4 Emerald & as a lot of the wiring has been removed from round the engine bay & it now has a fly by wire throttle more can be controlled by the ECU.
First start up, it took about 12 goes to get to this point, bled the air out of the fuel rails, unstick 6 out of 8 injectors & settings on the ECU to get the engine to fire up.

I think we might have still been a couple of cylinders missing at this point.

New gear & hand brake gaiter from JF Customs on Ebay. Very pleased with these.

SPA gauges working for the first time, Craig had to rewire the printed circuit on the back of the clocks. A proper I'll just go & make the tea moment

How the car is as of late Saturday

New screen ordered, might get fitted this week.

 

[rx_dreamer]

I'd been looking at JF customs door cards, good to hear the quality is high!

 

[Mar71n]

I'd been looking at JF customs door cards, good to hear the quality is high!

I asked them to produce the gear gaiter an inch longer than a standard RX as the the T56 box has a longer throw, no problem they just created a bespoke ebay sale. The hand brake gaiters fit was spot on & fairly easy to replace, just had to lock wire it to the lever.

 

[rx_dreamer]

Car is looking 100% epic

 

[tomCTR]

Getting close now mate, going to be great when’s it’s done!

You’ll be bored then though

 

[Mar71n]

Does anybody have an original interior light switch + screw for the drivers door I can buy please.

 

[Mar71n]

Gassing up the air conditioning for the first time. The machine runs a series of tests before it fills the system, you just have to leave it to do it's thing.

Finished the 100Dia alloy air intake. I messed up the pie cutting of the pipe & used 40Deg included angle not 30 so ended up with a 10 Deg cut on the straight pipe into the air filter, which then worked out well as I could rotate it to get the pipe true in both plains. The sock round the filter stops any large debris getting wedged in the pleats of the K&N
Machined up a small clamp for the inlet so I don't need a jubilee clip to attach the tube to the throttle body.

Clock binnacle together for the first time, did a test fit then took it back out as Craig need to finish the wiring to the back of the SPA gauges & rev counter.

M6 Rivnuts to replace the striped self tapping screw holes.

Lots of clipping up hoses & a bit of heat shielding round the engine bay.

The screen didn't get fitted so I'll chase that up.

It's surprising how long some of this stuff takes. The raise & lower switch on the binnacle took just over an hour to fit on it's own. As I'd built up the broken off mounting bosses they sat the switch in too deep so linished them down but the switch has small recessed locations round the screw holes so had to shave the posts down to get the switch in the right place or it fouled the recess it fits in & wouldn't click on & off

 

[Ferrox117]

Gassing up the air conditioning for the first time. The machine runs a series of tests before it fills the system, you just have to leave it to do it's thing.
View attachment 35229

Finished the 100Dia alloy air intake. I messed up the pie cutting of the pipe & used 40Deg included angle not 30 so ended up with a 10 Deg cut on the straight pipe into the air filter, which then worked out well as I could rotate it to get the pipe true in both plains. The sock round the filter stops any large debris getting wedged in the pleats of the K&N
Machined up a small clamp for the inlet so I don't need a jubilee clip to attach the tube to the throttle body.
View attachment 35230

Clock binnacle together for the first time, did a test fit then took it back out as Craig need to finish the wiring to the back of the SPA gauges & rev counter.
View attachment 35231

M6 Rivnuts to replace the striped self tapping screw holes.
View attachment 35232

Lots of clipping up hoses & a bit of heat shielding round the engine bay.
View attachment 35233

The screen didn't get fitted so I'll chase that up.

It's surprising how long some of this stuff takes. The raise & lower switch on the binnacle took just over an hour to fit on it's own. As I'd built up the broken off mounting bosses they sat the switch in too deep so linished them down but the switch has small recessed locations round the screw holes so had to shave the posts down to get the switch in the right place or it fouled the recess it fits in & wouldn't click on & off

A lot of progress! Looking good, that’s the same aircon machine I’ve got at work haven’t seen one for a while the big question is are you going to paint the intake mani like bananas?
It’s all fun and games but looks like you’re cracking on!

 

[Mar71n]

A lot of progress! Looking good, that’s the same aircon machine I’ve got at work haven’t seen one for a while the big question is are you going to paint the intake mani like bananas?
It’s all fun and games but looks like you’re cracking on!

The air con machine is DynoTorques, Craig's had it a while saves having to take cars to get them gassed.
Putting it a couple of days a week into it at the minute, as I've had a deadline off Craig as he's got a couple of new projects starting soon.

 

[tomCTR]

A lot of progress! Looking good, that’s the same aircon machine I’ve got at work haven’t seen one for a while the big question is are you going to paint the intake mani like bananas?
It’s all fun and games but looks like you’re cracking on!

great idea

 

[tomCTR]

Gassing up the air conditioning for the first time. The machine runs a series of tests before it fills the system, you just have to leave it to do it's thing.View attachment 35229

Finished the 100Dia alloy air intake. I messed up the pie cutting of the pipe & used 40Deg included angle not 30 so ended up with a 10 Deg cut on the straight pipe into the air filter, which then worked out well as I could rotate it to get the pipe true in both plains. The sock round the filter stops any large debris getting wedged in the pleats of the K&N
Machined up a small clamp for the inlet so I don't need a jubilee clip to attach the tube to the throttle body.
View attachment 35230

Clock binnacle together for the first time, did a test fit then took it back out as Craig need to finish the wiring to the back of the SPA gauges & rev counter.
View attachment 35231

M6 Rivnuts to replace the striped self tapping screw holes.
View attachment 35232

Lots of clipping up hoses & a bit of heat shielding round the engine bay.
View attachment 35233

The screen didn't get fitted so I'll chase that up.

It's surprising how long some of this stuff takes. The raise & lower switch on the binnacle took just over an hour to fit on it's own. As I'd built up the broken off mounting bosses they sat the switch in too deep so linished them down but the switch has small recessed locations round the screw holes so had to shave the posts down to get the switch in the right place or it fouled the recess it fits in & wouldn't click on & off

Getting there mate!

Not long now..

When you selling it?

 

[Mar71n]

Getting there mate!

Not long now..

When you selling it?

Not ready to make a list yet as I think It'll be longer than a piece of A4

But getting there.

Selling it, er no well not this week

 

[Mar71n]

Thanks PAR, nice bloke & very busy.

Big moment

Shiney & New

Lots of wiring clipped up in the drivers foot well & more tabs repaired to screw back together. Rear HEL brake lines, brakes & clutch bled.
I used a little hand vacuum pump to pull the fluid through & then back to pumping the pedal & locking off the bleed nipples. Thanks Rob
& Twinney.

Next week, last bit of wiringarch liners & my be wings back on.

 

[rx_dreamer]

Ooh is that a bronze tint? I have been thinking about wind screens this weekend as mine is definitely in a de-lam mood!

Are those inner wing things standard? Never seen them before.

Car is looking awesome! So close!

 

[Mar71n]

Ooh is that a bronze tint? I have been thinking about wind screens this weekend as mine is definitely in a de-lam mood!

Are those inner wing things standard? Never seen them before.

Car is looking awesome! So close!

Not sure on the tint of the screen TBH just happy there's one in the car. Arch liners are a Mazda item.

Having another plastic head lamp bracket printed, hopefully ready tomorrow.

 

[Mar71n]

Collected the 3D print on Thursday so a quick build up.
I've changed the pivot to bearings.

Tested in the car, cycled it a few times & tried the cover for fit against the bonnet.
We've thickened the plastic section to stiffen the bracket up. I'll add some stops at the up & down position like the standard head lamps, to stop the head lamps shaking.

Tein bonnet struts refitted so don't have to use DynoTorques broom any more

 

[Mar71n]

Mazda MK 1 MX5 door switch is the same as the RX and readly avaliable of ebay

More test fitting of the head lamps, some more mods needed to the alloy bracket

Fitted the KnightSport set up to compair.

So two set-backs this week
The lower Tube/duct was at the bottom of my trim box, took one look at it & thought I hope thats not from behine the dash

The original air con pump was seized solid. unsurprising as it had been open when the car was on the road then in storage.

Ordered a new one from Rock Auto in the States last Friday afternoon, delivered Wednesday morning
Took a good bit of Saturday to swop it, proving I'm not a mechanic!
When I tighened the fittings onto the back of the air con pump before, space is a bit limited & wasn't happy they were tight so

The modified ring spanners worked a treat

 

[Mar71n]

Machining the gear lever mount. It links the quick change on the T56 gearbox to the lever.

Made the alloy plate with the gear gaiter clamped to. Used DynoTorques plasma cutter again, it saves a lot of time cutting stuff out
I've used an Audi TT gaiter, hopefully it has enough articulation. This is something I didn't get sorted the last time the car was on the road & you end up with a lot of noise & heat in the car.

MK 1 of the plate in the bottom Left of the picture

Arch liners fitted. I tried the wings on & it looks like there's a bit of work needed to get them linked to the wings.

Some repair needed to the front lower edge !

 

[rx_dreamer]

Machining the gear lever mount. It links the quick change on the T56 gearbox to the lever.
View attachment 35585

This is rock n roll clampage