FD3 - Engine advice please....

[suba]

I bought an FD3 around 10 months ago as a weekend / track day car, and I’ve spent the last 10 months getting the car into the shape that I wanted it:  BNR stage 3 turbos, clutch, fuelling, re-spray, suspension + bushes all round, mapping, v-mount IC, colder plugs, and so on.  It had limited history, but was running 7.5 compression on both rotors with a recent receipt from a known specialist when I bought it - it\'s covered around 4,000 miles since then...
 
  After a couple of sprint days I felt it was ready for a track session last Sunday at Mallory Park.  To cut a long story short in the 5^th session of the day it’s blown an apex seal (or two) as it sounds like a mixture between a scoob and a tractor, and has little or no compression below 2,500 rpm.  A great shame as the car was performing very well indeed.  As to why it’s gone I’m open to suggestions – it was on the third lap after lunch, and would have got a lot hotter in some of the morning sessions (and was not over-revved either).
 
  This has left me pretty disillusioned about keeping the car.  I checked EVERYTHING over, and had more than one known specialist advise me on the spec of the car, as well as work on it – but the engine has still gone.
 
  Here’s my first question – can you build a 13B to run 400 bhp or so (fly) at around a bar of boost and use the car on track for several 20 minute sessions without it going pop?  The engine only needs to cover 5,000 miles a year – including 4-5 track days, where I\'m obviously not going to drive like a granny. :yes I’m after a non-biased view here, and I know this is a rotary forum!  With this type of use how long can a well put together 13B last?
 
  I’d love to hear from those of you that run FD3 track cars – who built your engine(s) spec of them, porting, seal type, whether you use WI, etc….
 
  I’ll start another thread about possible specs and options for a rebuild so I’m not asking for too much info with one post.  Any comments would be most appreciated.  I\'d rather not go back to a piston engined track / weekend car as the RX is so unique and fun......please convince me.:3Confused


Cheers,


Si.:guinness

[trotter]

If it\'s gone suddenly having been fine for so long I would think it\'d have to be something fairly catastrophic - especially if its gone through two seals at once.

Not being funny (and im sorry for sounding patronising!) but did you check oil level / keep it filled up all day? Pushing her hard on a track will use up a bit more oil than normal - couple that with hard cornering shifting it about in the sump could potentially lead to oil starvation? Either that or maybe the oil metering pump (OMP if you still have it installed) has failed? Were you running pre-mix in the fuel tank?

Failing that, the only other explanation I have is severe detonation. That would wipe out seals fairly effectively, but you would get a warning if you have a PFC, or if still standard ECU the ignition shoul retard to compensate IIRC.

HTH

graeme

[suba]

Yep - oil level was checked right at the start of the day before the first session.  Not patronising at all to ask!

I was not running pre-mix, and had not been advised to do so by any specialists I have talked to about the car.

I did not get any warning on the PFC - I would have thought if it was Det then it would be a mapping issue, and it would have gone in a previous session?

There are some pretty high speed corners at Mallory - easily 90+ mph.....

[fil_auto]

what about fuel starvation? were you running a swirl pot?

[fil_auto]

ooh - sorry for your loss ( seriously ) ... can feel for you as I hope to get out on track a little this year myself ................. and was hoping to do the obvious / what\'s required to the car and just get out there..... so this is a little worrying?! ;o(

[DR SCHNITZEL]

I hope you get lucky with your next engine/ setup. sorry for your loss

[suba]

I\'ll check what upgrades were made to the fuelling system by the specialist, I think it was running just an uprated pump, and rail + 1400 secondary injectors.  There were no issues getting the fuel in when it was mapped at all.

[suba]

Schnitzel - thanks for your thoughts.

My point is that if I persevere with the car then I want an engine that will last - otherwise the FD will be sold as is or with a 2nd hand engine, and I\'ll buy an evo for trackdays.

[BlitzBoy]

Whats was your fuel level on the last session btw?

[suba]

Just under half a tank.

[fil_auto]

You never answered my 2nd question bud?

what about fuel starvation? were you running a swirl pot?

[BlitzBoy]

I think when you do rebuild the engine, flow test the injectors, fit some sort of internal baffles intank or fit a swirl pot, Check the OMP components jets,lines,diagprham valves these components are failing more and more (a number of engines I know about have failed due to this) with age or delete the OMP system altogether and run premix.

[suba]

yes i did?  my post at 12:53?:confused:

[BlitzBoy]

I think the question on fuel starvation is that it does not really show up on a dyno, where as on a circuit going round corners you get fuel slosh to one side of the tank so may starve the fuel pump temporarily.

Anyone fingers crossed there is not much damage internally only apex tip seals

[fil_auto]

Sorry Suba buddy - missed that and thanks Blitz... you\'ve got where I was coming from....