My Swap: 1988 RX7 - LS1/T56 w/ single turbo
11-02-2009, 09:34 AM
#1
My Swap: 1988 RX7 - LS1/T56 w/ single turbo It occurred to me that I hadn't posted this here, so here goes.
The car:
1988 Mazda RX7 Turbo II
It was a former drag racer with the original rotary when I purchased it as a rolling chassis; it already had the 6 point 10.0 legal NHRA cage in it. I had a previously swapped 1986 Base Model RX7 that I moved my swap from.
Here's the car as I purchased it:
Interior was gutted, and I intended it to see street duty, so I picked up an interior from a friend; the gauge cluster is from my old chassis and is comprised of Autometer Phantom I and VDO gauges:
Installed inverter to run my laptop for tuning. Mounted to the rear bin fiberglass and hardwired (fused) to the battery. Not visible in this picture is a 8 gauge wire feeding the fuel pump as well.
Rear of the interior buttoned up.
The car:
1988 Mazda RX7 Turbo II
It was a former drag racer with the original rotary when I purchased it as a rolling chassis; it already had the 6 point 10.0 legal NHRA cage in it. I had a previously swapped 1986 Base Model RX7 that I moved my swap from.
Here's the car as I purchased it:
Interior was gutted, and I intended it to see street duty, so I picked up an interior from a friend; the gauge cluster is from my old chassis and is comprised of Autometer Phantom I and VDO gauges:
Installed inverter to run my laptop for tuning. Mounted to the rear bin fiberglass and hardwired (fused) to the battery. Not visible in this picture is a 8 gauge wire feeding the fuel pump as well.
Rear of the interior buttoned up.
Last edited by digitalsolo; 11-02-2009 at 09:41 AM.
11-02-2009, 09:55 AM
#3
The final direct port setup:
Installed with standalone fuel cell (in front of core support):
I never even hit it with this kit. I filled the bottle, configured the FJO controller (very nice piece BTW), filled and tested the fuel system, tested the purge kit, and sold it. Decided I didn't want to refill my HP, so I bought some parts for an "upgraded" exhaust system:
(Some of the) Pipes:
C6 Manifolds, Giant *** Intercooler (TM), Timing Chain, JGS 56mm BOV:
Mototron 60 Lbs. Injectors, Ported/Shimmed Oil Pump:
Turbo:
And in progress (I was learning to weld here, I'm a bit better now):
Installed with standalone fuel cell (in front of core support):
I never even hit it with this kit. I filled the bottle, configured the FJO controller (very nice piece BTW), filled and tested the fuel system, tested the purge kit, and sold it. Decided I didn't want to refill my HP, so I bought some parts for an "upgraded" exhaust system:
(Some of the) Pipes:
C6 Manifolds, Giant *** Intercooler (TM), Timing Chain, JGS 56mm BOV:
Mototron 60 Lbs. Injectors, Ported/Shimmed Oil Pump:
Turbo:
And in progress (I was learning to weld here, I'm a bit better now):
11-02-2009, 10:06 AM
#6
Final mock up:
Original Intank fuel system:
It's dual walbro 255 lph (with check valves) into 3/8 fuel line into aeromotive y-block into -8 AN which then upsizes to my -10 main fuel lines after the bulkhead. I haven't finished the wiring for the second pump (activated at 4 psi of boost with a hobbs switch).
Cold side pipes back from powdercoating:
Custom coil pack brackets, cooling system surge tank, and some more engine bay work:
Original Intank fuel system:
It's dual walbro 255 lph (with check valves) into 3/8 fuel line into aeromotive y-block into -8 AN which then upsizes to my -10 main fuel lines after the bulkhead. I haven't finished the wiring for the second pump (activated at 4 psi of boost with a hobbs switch).
Cold side pipes back from powdercoating:
Custom coil pack brackets, cooling system surge tank, and some more engine bay work:
11-02-2009, 10:08 AM
#7
Jet-Hot 2000* coated hot side. It's not actually as blue as the flash makes it look, it's a lot darker and more subtle.
Got fuel?
If you look closely here, you can see the EGT probe in the manifold.
Fuel feed (with gauge) through rails to regulator to return. The big bit on the regulator is the sender for my in cabin fuel pressure gauge.
New fuel system in place (in tank wasn't sufficient IMHO):
Here you can see the bracket for the pump. It's pretty sturdy, plenty enough to hold the A1000 in place.
This picture is a little misleading because of the angle. There is no sharp bend in that hose at all, it's just the perspective.
Vent canister with oil separator:
Valve covers will have 10 AN bungs welded in the centers and a crossover vent, with a 12 AN bung for the vent tube in place of the original PCV valve location on the driver's side cover that will run to the Moroso seperator.
And my intake. Yes, it's bright ******* red. Yes, I like it. It's wrinkle finish like a Ferrari, because I'm a ricer at heart.
And additional gauges:
Got fuel?
If you look closely here, you can see the EGT probe in the manifold.
Fuel feed (with gauge) through rails to regulator to return. The big bit on the regulator is the sender for my in cabin fuel pressure gauge.
New fuel system in place (in tank wasn't sufficient IMHO):
Here you can see the bracket for the pump. It's pretty sturdy, plenty enough to hold the A1000 in place.
This picture is a little misleading because of the angle. There is no sharp bend in that hose at all, it's just the perspective.
Vent canister with oil separator:
Valve covers will have 10 AN bungs welded in the centers and a crossover vent, with a 12 AN bung for the vent tube in place of the original PCV valve location on the driver's side cover that will run to the Moroso seperator.
And my intake. Yes, it's bright ******* red. Yes, I like it. It's wrinkle finish like a Ferrari, because I'm a ricer at heart.
And additional gauges:
Trending Topics
11-02-2009, 10:10 AM
#8
Near the end of life for the original engine:
Bling, bling.
Engine bay with new red wrinkle finish, Jaz catchcan/overflow for coolant, -10 crossover between the valve covers, -12 feed to Moroso breather tank, as well as a wire tuck and the lines/nozzle for the methanol.
Crossover bungs welded into the stock valve covers.
Methanol nozzle.
Bling, bling.
Engine bay with new red wrinkle finish, Jaz catchcan/overflow for coolant, -10 crossover between the valve covers, -12 feed to Moroso breather tank, as well as a wire tuck and the lines/nozzle for the methanol.
Crossover bungs welded into the stock valve covers.
Methanol nozzle.
11-02-2009, 10:18 AM
#9
At this point, I blew the 5.3L engine that had been in the car since the nitrous. Of all things, I lost a cam bearing (WTF?), so, onwards and upwards:
Lingenfelter prepped 5.7L block (1998 w/ custom oiling mods) goes together:
ARP cam bolts, GM HD Chain, GM HV Oil Pump:
ARP studs, Compstar Rods:
Wiseco 2618 forged/coated -25cc pistons:
MLS gaskets with copper spray, ARP 12 point head studs:
Heater hoses and harness entrances into the interior relocated; There is a piece of 1/8" steel on each of these (riveted on the harness and bolted on the heater hoses) to reinforce where the grommet seals them (since the Mazda metal is like tin foil). I don't run A/C, so the heater hoses were relocated to this location for ease of access.
They are VERY snug in the mounts and secured in the rear with clamps so that they are very easy to install/remove the hoses from for service.
The factory harness hole has been sealed off from the bay.
Bulkhead fitting for oil pressure gauge; I don't like electrical oil pressure gauges as I've had weird electrical issues in the past, and it perturbs me when the gauge reads incorrectly. I also don't like cheesy copper lines full of oil in my interior or holes in the firewall. Solution? AN fittings, braided line and a bulkhead fitting.
Here you can see it attached to the factory pressure port on the LS1; there is plenty of slack to allow for engine movement, though my mounts keep it pretty well secured.
Long block in place, I repainted the engine bay and cleaned up a few things I didn't care for in there while the engine was out:
And the intake, fuel system and electrical installed. Unfortunately there was an ordering error on my crank pulley, so I cannot complete the cooling/turbo installation until it arrives as it would be rather unenjoyable to install the pulley with a pipe 3" in front of it.
Lingenfelter prepped 5.7L block (1998 w/ custom oiling mods) goes together:
ARP cam bolts, GM HD Chain, GM HV Oil Pump:
ARP studs, Compstar Rods:
Wiseco 2618 forged/coated -25cc pistons:
MLS gaskets with copper spray, ARP 12 point head studs:
Heater hoses and harness entrances into the interior relocated; There is a piece of 1/8" steel on each of these (riveted on the harness and bolted on the heater hoses) to reinforce where the grommet seals them (since the Mazda metal is like tin foil). I don't run A/C, so the heater hoses were relocated to this location for ease of access.
They are VERY snug in the mounts and secured in the rear with clamps so that they are very easy to install/remove the hoses from for service.
The factory harness hole has been sealed off from the bay.
Bulkhead fitting for oil pressure gauge; I don't like electrical oil pressure gauges as I've had weird electrical issues in the past, and it perturbs me when the gauge reads incorrectly. I also don't like cheesy copper lines full of oil in my interior or holes in the firewall. Solution? AN fittings, braided line and a bulkhead fitting.
Here you can see it attached to the factory pressure port on the LS1; there is plenty of slack to allow for engine movement, though my mounts keep it pretty well secured.
Long block in place, I repainted the engine bay and cleaned up a few things I didn't care for in there while the engine was out:
And the intake, fuel system and electrical installed. Unfortunately there was an ordering error on my crank pulley, so I cannot complete the cooling/turbo installation until it arrives as it would be rather unenjoyable to install the pulley with a pipe 3" in front of it.
11-02-2009, 10:24 AM
#10
And that brings us to current; I didn't care for the way the harness was visible in the above pictures (along the firewall) or the split loom, so it's all being redone with sleeving and heat shrink. I also picked up a Lingenfelter 2 step to control my launch and rev limiter spark.
New wiring preview:
The new toys:
Interior wiring; still a lot to do here, all the extra stuff is pulled out now though. The wiring for the Autometer/VDO gauges is the loose wiring on the column; it will be terminated into a metripack 10 way connector to plug into the gauges.
The fuse block and relays to control the HVAC (I removed the factory primary relay) and LS1 harness will be mounted on the plate where the factory harness connectors for the wipers, etc. originally mounted.
Relocated OEM fuse box for main fuse, headlights, retractors, etc; this is covered by the shrouding, so you can't see it when the bay is put together.
Boost control solenoid. I still need to put a metripack connector on the solenoid itself, you can see the lead for the controller merged into the F-Body harness:
Lingelfelter 2 Step controller, fully wired, along with all driver's side fuel injector, coil driver and other various sensor wiring:
Passenger wiring:
And an overall:
There is still a lot of cleanup to do, as well as finishing up the coil driver to coil harness and dressing in a few things. Couple of paint glitches in the rocker covers that need cleaned up, nothing too major.
I'll post up a finished pic of the interior wiring once it's totally sorted out. Also of merit, the wiring you see in the engine bay currently, is all the wiring there is, the rest is either in the fenders or on the interior side of the firewall.
That brings it up to date; I'll post more of the new progress as I complete it.
New wiring preview:
The new toys:
Interior wiring; still a lot to do here, all the extra stuff is pulled out now though. The wiring for the Autometer/VDO gauges is the loose wiring on the column; it will be terminated into a metripack 10 way connector to plug into the gauges.
The fuse block and relays to control the HVAC (I removed the factory primary relay) and LS1 harness will be mounted on the plate where the factory harness connectors for the wipers, etc. originally mounted.
Relocated OEM fuse box for main fuse, headlights, retractors, etc; this is covered by the shrouding, so you can't see it when the bay is put together.
Boost control solenoid. I still need to put a metripack connector on the solenoid itself, you can see the lead for the controller merged into the F-Body harness:
Lingelfelter 2 Step controller, fully wired, along with all driver's side fuel injector, coil driver and other various sensor wiring:
Passenger wiring:
And an overall:
There is still a lot of cleanup to do, as well as finishing up the coil driver to coil harness and dressing in a few things. Couple of paint glitches in the rocker covers that need cleaned up, nothing too major.
I'll post up a finished pic of the interior wiring once it's totally sorted out. Also of merit, the wiring you see in the engine bay currently, is all the wiring there is, the rest is either in the fenders or on the interior side of the firewall.
That brings it up to date; I'll post more of the new progress as I complete it.
11-02-2009, 11:00 AM
#12
Thanks!
Current mod list:
Chassis:
1988 Mazda RX7
AIT Racing Body Kit
Eibach Pro-Kit Springs
KYB AGX Adjustable Struts
Energy Suspension Poly Bushing Kit
MMR Rear Steer Eliminators
MMR Differential Mounts (rear)
Mazda Comp front differential mount
Pinion snubber on front of differential
Mazdatrix rear camber bar
Goodridge stainless brake lines
Hawk HPS pads
All sound deadening removed
All unneeded wiring removed, factory relay systems replaced with upgraded units
Keyless entry added
Battery relocated to rear storage bin
XXR 962 17x9 +35ET rear wheels w/ Nitto 555R tires
XXR 962 17x7 +40ET front wheels w/ Kumho Ecsta tires
Drivetrain:
1998 LS1 w/ oiling mods
Wiseco coated/forged 2618 pistons
Callies Compstar Rods
Polished stock crank
CheaTR cam
ARP main studs
ARP head studs
LS2 HD Chain
GM HV Oil Pump
BRP Oil Pickup Brace
GM MLS Gaskets
Pro Products Crank Damper
Pro Products Typhoon Intake
Ported/Polished throttle body
Vinci Racing Stage III heads (stainless valves)
Harland Sharp modified rockers
Patriot Gold Extreme Springs w/ titanium retainers
Comp Hardened Pushrods
LS7 Lifters
Custom turbo kit w/ Turbonetics TC76 Turbo
Turbosmart 48mm Wastegate
JGS 56mm BOV
24x12x3" intercooler
Golden Eagle Vacuum distribution block
Aeromotive A1000 Pump (sumped tank) w/ A1000 filters and regulator; -10 feed, -6 return
Siemens/Deka 60 lbs injectors
AEM Tru-Boost controller
Spec 2 (this will be replaced soon)
T56 w/ billet keys, steel shift fork and brass pads (Pro 5.0/Steeda shifter)
Lingenfelter 2 Step
Alkycontrol Kit
I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, but that's off the top of my head. Hopefully that covers the questions people may ask.
Current mod list:
Chassis:
1988 Mazda RX7
AIT Racing Body Kit
Eibach Pro-Kit Springs
KYB AGX Adjustable Struts
Energy Suspension Poly Bushing Kit
MMR Rear Steer Eliminators
MMR Differential Mounts (rear)
Mazda Comp front differential mount
Pinion snubber on front of differential
Mazdatrix rear camber bar
Goodridge stainless brake lines
Hawk HPS pads
All sound deadening removed
All unneeded wiring removed, factory relay systems replaced with upgraded units
Keyless entry added
Battery relocated to rear storage bin
XXR 962 17x9 +35ET rear wheels w/ Nitto 555R tires
XXR 962 17x7 +40ET front wheels w/ Kumho Ecsta tires
Drivetrain:
1998 LS1 w/ oiling mods
Wiseco coated/forged 2618 pistons
Callies Compstar Rods
Polished stock crank
CheaTR cam
ARP main studs
ARP head studs
LS2 HD Chain
GM HV Oil Pump
BRP Oil Pickup Brace
GM MLS Gaskets
Pro Products Crank Damper
Pro Products Typhoon Intake
Ported/Polished throttle body
Vinci Racing Stage III heads (stainless valves)
Harland Sharp modified rockers
Patriot Gold Extreme Springs w/ titanium retainers
Comp Hardened Pushrods
LS7 Lifters
Custom turbo kit w/ Turbonetics TC76 Turbo
Turbosmart 48mm Wastegate
JGS 56mm BOV
24x12x3" intercooler
Golden Eagle Vacuum distribution block
Aeromotive A1000 Pump (sumped tank) w/ A1000 filters and regulator; -10 feed, -6 return
Siemens/Deka 60 lbs injectors
AEM Tru-Boost controller
Spec 2 (this will be replaced soon)
T56 w/ billet keys, steel shift fork and brass pads (Pro 5.0/Steeda shifter)
Lingenfelter 2 Step
Alkycontrol Kit
I'm sure there's more I'm forgetting, but that's off the top of my head.
Hopefully that covers the questions people may ask. 
