Teardown begins

Ok, so again - a lot of this has gone on during the last few weeks (so it's just my slacker ass not making posts).

Needless to say, everything is going pretty good. So far it looks like most the seals are ok. I'll need to replace the basics and I'll get some new springs in for everything else.

There is a scorch mark on the ecentric shaft from the rear rotor bearing. The bearing looks fine, but the shaft is blued from heat. More than likely it was run low on oil at some point. Even if the shaft needs to be replaced, they are less than $200, so its not going to break the bank.

Here are the most current pics! I'm moving in two weeks and little progress will happen, but I should still have it all cleaned, ported, painted and back together before Xmas which still leaves plenty of time in January and February to put the new radiator in the car and reinstall the engine to be ready for spring :)

Clutch & Flywheel removal

So, notoriously, the flywheel is always a PIA on a rotary. The renesis was no exception. Although, I admit - after you do a few engines, you learn a few tricks.

One thing is, you MUST have the right tools, a decent impact gun, patience and logic.

I got it off, I created a small "puller" from a cheap chinese wrench and some bolts. I got enough pressure against the rear iron to "pop" the flywheel off once I removed the nut.

Everything else just unbolts.

Long block teardown complete.

So I know I've been slacking on making posts. I'm gonna keep this one short and let the pics talk for themselves. Basically, getting it down to short block was fairly simple and straight forward. I admit, Mazda really thought about taking this engine apart and servicing it and put that into their plan for laying out the manifolds, harness, etc. Even with all the modern emissions controls and new age gadgets, it was pretty simple.

Although, we'll see what this is like 20 years from now! I still think the Rx7 is easier, but hey...

Turbo, fuel and induction off - getting there!

So I had some time away from this project for a week or so while my roommate worked on his 3000gt. My working space has now shrunk so it's making it a little more difficult! Either way, it went well. I'm almost down to short block. I took things off in "bigger" chunks to make for a speedy reversal. Next week I should have it down to just the keg and I'll begin building an engine stand for it.

Enjoy the pics.

Getting it to short block (Part 2)

Well, it's taking longer to take everything off considering I'm labeling, making notes, taking pictures, etc. I'm hoping the level of detail in this blog may someday save at least one person some headaches!

So far, I love the engineering behind the Renesis; but I guess it's to be expected. It almost seems that Mazda built this with the idea they would be serviced regularly!

Today, I only had about an hour, but I got some more taken off and snapped some more pics. My goal is to remove the lower intake manifold, fuel rail, secondary injectors and all as one big chunk. This motor is super clean and only has 40K. The o-rings and gaskets are still good - no point risking corrupting them.

I discovered today also that it would appear if you swap the pulley, an RX8 alternator will swap right onto an FB (1979-1985 RX7). Some modification to the wiring harness and shave about 1-2mm off the spacer and she should fit just fine! Check out the pics (2004 RX8 Alt mounted to 1985 12A):


Keep in mind the alt wasn't fully adjusted, but you should be able to clear the connectors, etc.

Here are the pics of today's progress: