Mx7? rx5? Newbies build thread begins

[rossonza]

absolutely stunning, i cant believe the quality of some of the parts that are being made.

p.s.... turbo\'s always win

[antnicuk]

Oh well, if you have thought about it. Obviosly going turbo in the future will mean having to change the complicated front section.  I assume you are just using a second hand block at this stage with a view to building an engine in the future ?  Cos you will need to get rid of those nasty exhaust sleeves

Keep the updates coming

[Steve-A]

There should be updates later today of hopefully the engine in the bay for good!

Yes I\'ve 2 secondhand blocks, one thats basically a wreck i got for free thats been used for most of the fab work, then the block with 2 front rotor housings I bought off Lee Mills on here as a running block with reasonable compression

The plan is to build this up and see if I like it! Then if I do I\'ll start looking for parts for a proper build. Probably try to get the s5 n/a rotors as they have the highest compression. Then remove the exhaust sleeves and either use bridge ported 4 port irons or do it properly and go peripheral......

I would get rid of the exhaust sleeves now if I thought I could without pulling the block to bits.

[Steve-A]

To be honest today hasn\'t been great.... ah well.

I started by fitting the gearbox, hooking up the sensors, filling it with oil. That all went well.

Next up was drop the engine in. I soon realised that the clutch release bearing I had was dead So phoned around every Mazda Parts supplier within 30 miles but no-one had one in stock Got one ordered a the local dealership to arrive tuesday morning.

So I knew I was just gonna be test fitting the engine once more but I wanted to fit the radiator and spec the cooling hoses I\'d need.

So I went to drop the engine in, and it wont go the sump is hitting the subframe. So subframe out and engine in and then subframe lifted up from below. I think thats only only way I\'ve ever going to be able to get it in and out.

Unfortunately the subframe doesn\'t quite clear the sump, I must have made a mis-calculation somewhere.




So out with the grinder to make some clearance.



Much better Will drop it with Bill monday morning to patch up the holes.



So now the engine fits, I dropped the rad in.



Looking good so working out which hoses I need, its slightly complicated as the race spec mx5 rad has got 32mm outlets and the 13b has 38mm so will need step up and down sections in the hoses.

Overall I\'ve still made progress though just hit more snaggs than I\'d hoped to. Still on track to have the suspension on ready to tow it to exhaust shop on the 28th.

[Steve-A]

After Saturdays set backs today good progress was made

Bill had welded up my subframe where I\'d cut it for extra clearance, so it was engine in time!



As you can see the new areas are blue, as I ran out of black paint.... I kinda ran with this and as such ended up with various flourecent coloured brackets and blue and red tape all over the loom!  :paperbag:

Before the engine went in we fitted the sump properly



An old school friend , Ben, has returned home with a piece of paper suggesting he\'s a master of engineering so he got roped in to help! Here he is making room for the giant Rx7 coils. We made up some brackets and got both coils all wired in.




We also made the timing marks more obvious, and fitted the CAS.



So engine in, after posting pictures of my friends working they insisted I post some of me, so heres me (in blue) inside the engine bay trying to get the engine to line up with the gearbox.



Engine in, subframe back on.



Ben and I made a considerable start on the loom, just coolant gauge for the dashboard, tach signal and oil pressure gauge to do. We also modded the main engine mount to give extra clearance for oil cooler pipe work and coolant hoses.

Its coming along rather nicely. Tomorrow night I hope to put the front suspension and wheels back on and then get the car back on the floor. I\'m hoping to have finished the loom before it goes to exhaust shop. I\'m waiting on MS mods to come in the post from the US and coolant hoses to turn up. Once thats all in its getting pretty close

[cr33ch]

bad ass project bud!!! only had a quick skim through, are you gonna be turbo\'ing the engine?

What are you doing diff wise? theres an MX5 on driftworks that running an 350bhp\'ish SR20 out of a 200sx and i know he had a world of trouble destroying plenty of diffs and diff mounts etc. but of course drifting is alot more harsher on the transmission, i dont know what you plan to do with yours once its done...

[Steve-A]

I\'m going to be running n/a, only likely to be around 170hp to begin with, but hopefully building up a proper n/a block at some point in the future to shoot for 250+hp. I did turbo on the 1.6 piston engine so fancied a change of approach.

Diff wise I\'m using the stock 1.8 open diff for the moment. I\'m hoping to get hold of a 1.8 torsen LSD at some point. The 1.6 spec diffs fall apart at anything over stock power levels but the 1.8 diffs are bigger and most people have few problems till they push past 280hp. Certainly lots of people drift with 230-250hp turbo set-ups on the 1.8 spec diff with no problems.

When its done I plan to drive it! Every day, up B road and A roads with the roof down and grinning like an idiot :p I might do a couple of track days but mostly this is to enjoy on the road.

[Steve-A]

A small, but mentally significant, step was made tonight

First up a couple of bits I didn\'t get round to yesterday. Start motor fitted and connected upto the new loom extension.



Then red bolted down properly.



Next up I started to re-fit the front suspension. Her I\'ve got the wishbones and steering rack on, with brakes and anti roll bar to go.



Woooooo, on the floor, standing on her own 4 feet!



Got some old spare front wheels on, as I\'ve no idea where my alignments bolts should be as its not the original subframe. So the first few miles till i get to an alignment place could be tyre destroying.

Finally the most important step, I now figured it was far enough through the project that I could fit this....

[rossonza]

Yes Yes Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kiwimazda]

You  have to much time on your hands or no kids to keep you busy.lol
Good work

[Steve-A]

No kids, and not planning to for a while as it doesn\'t feel that long ago I was a kid:P

TBH every moment I\'m not with my lady friend or at work I\'m working on the car. I\'m a freelance video editor and at the moment I\'m only getting around 4 days a week work, so I\'ve got a fair amount of time to throw at it. That said I got back from work at 7 tonight, grabbed a snack and was out working on the car by 7:30, worked through till 5 mins before I posted those pics.

[rossonza]

Steve\'s just a hard worker

[kiwimazda]

Arnt we all

[Steve-A]

Well everyone, save for Ross*, is a hard worker

Got a few more bits and bobs done today.

Water hoses all cut to size and fitting



Then I went to fit the intake manifold and found it didn\'t fit Something must have been out of line when I did my initial tests as it hit the body now

Ah well, because I\'m not using any of the emissions stuff, I was able to cut a fair amount of the side of the intake manifold. As you can see here compared ot my spare standard one.



I also took a small notch out of the body, its only spot welded and I didn\'t cut any welds out so I just sealed it up, no need to weld over.



Woo it fits.



Then just to see how it looked I dropped the upper inlet and throttle body on. Really starting to look like an engine now.




* Ross get that welding done!

[rossonza]

god i love blue hosing



* Im trying damn it! lol