Rotary In 914, would It Work Options

[zeekman914]

Hey its me again i wanted to know if once I bought that 914 if it would be worth the time and money to put a 13B Rotary engine into a 914. there wouldn't be too much remodfeling if I put the radiator right in front of the rotary and I would have 200 HP on tap. So what do you guys think? Yah or nah?

[SLITS]

Been done - several times

http://web2.airmail.net/atl/Rotary.html

[Mueller]

been done a few times...do a search here....pictures and everything else you want to know...

radiator in front of motor = bad idea, too much heat, not enough airflow

[type11969]

did you buy that car yet? I would worry about buying it first, getting it driveable, then dealing with a new engine swap. Its fun to think about new more powerful drivetrains, I do it every day, but it doesn't make sense (at least for me) to spend money on something that I can't use until the car is back on its feet.

But yes a rotary can be put into a 914, someone on the board is doing (I think) a 3 rotor swap which should be really kickass when he is done. I don't think you have the airflow to put radiators in the engine compartment too though, maybe with some creative ductwork and some powerful fans . . .

[airsix]

radiator in front of motor = bad idea, too much heat, not enough airflow

I met a guy who did one but he put a custom 4-row in the front trunk. It STILL overheated. Those things need a good oil cooler too. I think they'd make a good conversion but you have to really sort out the cooling issues.

[Bleyseng]

They have overheating problems in the Mazadas, but they sure kick ass. It would never work to have the radiator in the engine compartment and upfront you have to plumb it right to get enough cooling.

Geoff

[jwalters]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/wink.gif) Look dude--your young---are you REALLY ready for your first ride to NOT have any room to put that coleman cooler at????????? What about the hibache and coals???? What about space for that young sweet something by your side to put her (his) spare change of clothes???


Live life first---then when your in your 20's and can afford the time and money for a swap like that---then do it!!!!

Trust me--a radiator will NOT fit directly in front of the engine, ( well, it CAN, but that is another story) (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

[Brando]

(IMG:style_emoticons/default/agree.gif)

I think Wankel did something like this. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif) But wait till you've driven the car as is for a while. So at least you know what will be different (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[reverie]

In my opinion, putting an NA rotary in a 914 is not worth it unless you turbo the rotary (not easy, for details check out the first-gen forum on rx7club.com). And if you turbo an NA rotary engine or use a Turbo II rotary engine, then engine-bay heat is the big issue for the engine to have any longevity.

Just FYI -- I drove my RX-7 GSL-SE during our 914club cruise down to Portland this year, and though my stock 13B engine has about 130 flywheel horsepower and my RX-7 only weighs 2425 lbs, once those stock 914 2.0's shifted into 2nd gear, they effortlessly walked away from me every single time, even when I anticipated it. It was a humbling lesson in the value of torque. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

[airsix]

and though my stock 13B engine has about 130 flywheel horsepower and my RX-7 only weighs 2425 lbs, once those stock 914 2.0's shifted into 2nd gear, they effortlessly walked away from me every single time, even when I anticipated it. It was a humbling lesson in the value of torque. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/cool_shades.gif)

Wow! That surprises me. Cool. (for the 914 2.0)
I estimate the 'average' power to weight ratio of the 2.0's @ 22:1 and yours @ 18:1. Obviously there's more to this than meets the eye.

-Ben M.

[reverie]

Yeah, it surprised me, too! I figured I could take 'em with the 130hp (or that it would be relatively even given the RX-7's extra weight). But after those 2.0's shifted into 2nd gear they walked away. Their torque advantage at low-to-midrange rpm's was impressive. It wasn't even a contest. With every gear shift they increased their lead, and even by the time they hit midrange in 3rd gear, they were already well ahead of me. It was nice of them to slow down and let me catch up, about a mile down the highway. Of course, by then I was eating humble pie..

Roger
1976 914 2.0
1984 RX-7 GSL-SE daily driver

[Mueller]

Their torque advantage at low-to-midrange rpm's was impressive. It wasn't even a contest. With every gear shift they increased their lead, and even by the time they hit midrange .......

this is why a lot of times the /4 cars dominate the auto-x courses (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)

[lapuwali]

Weight by itself should never be discounted. It makes an big difference. The best example I ever saw was when a friend of mine and I took two similar bikes out and did roll-on acceleration tests (about 20-60mph). At the time, he was about 30lbs heavier than I was, and I was dramatically walking away faster than he was no matter which bike I rode. Just 30lbs difference, or about 5% of the total weight. We repeated this several times and were quite suprised at how big the gap was.

Now, I'm about as heavy as he is, maybe more so. He's one of those types that exercises regularly...

[DBCooper]

Just FYI -- I drove my RX-7 GSL-SE during our 914club cruise down to Portland this year, and though my stock 13B engine has about 130 flywheel horsepower and my RX-7 only weighs 2425 lbs, once those stock 914 2.0's shifted into 2nd gear, they effortlessly walked away from me every single time, even when I anticipated it.  It was a humbling lesson in the value of torque.  :shades:

Taking that one step further I rode in David's NA 13B 914 (the one at http://web2.airmail.net/atl/Rotary.html ) and it would definitely get up and run away from any 2.0 914. He did have cooling issues until he put in the Renegade V8 cooling system. Unfortunately, as conversion logic would dictate, having that coolng system already in the car made the step up to a bare knuckles SBC so easy that the rotary had to go. I'll tell you what though, except for the unnatural sound of the rotary's exhaust that was a really nice conversion. Very fast and light, a nice match for the car.

[soloracer]

I'm doing a 3 rotor conversion on my car. I purchased the Renegade Hybrids radiator setup after listening to club members here talk about cooling problems. I'll be sure to start a build thread as soon as I get everything I need to start putting things together. I just moved to a new place in the country with a 2400 square foot shop so my time has been spent getting my act together. The shop isn't heated - but is set up for in floor heat - and it still needs to have all the electrical, insulation and sheet rock put in. Definately a project that will consume most of my time the next while. The latest -20 cold spell hasn't helped any either.

[zeekman914]

where then do they put the radiator when they do V-8 conversions? up front from what I have seen. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) As far as hp from the rotary, we have one of the top rotary engine builders about 10 minutes down the road. A friend of my dad's has a hillclimb car that use a 13B with an Eaton supercharger, it dynoed at over 350 hp and still can take more boost.

[Mueller]

where then do they put the radiator when they do V-8 conversions? (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif)

in the front, where radiators belong (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smile.gif)


do a search for "Chevy AND conversions" on this site, tons of info and basicly it's the same way to do a rotary

[soloracer]

where then do they put the radiator when they do V-8 conversions? up front from what I have seen. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/welder.gif) As far as hp from the rotary, we have one of the top rotary engine builders about 10 minutes down the road. A friend of my dad's has a hillclimb car that use a 13B with an Eaton supercharger, it dynoed at over 350 hp and still can take more boost.

Which shop is near you? Mazdatrix? Very few people are using superchargers on rotaries. Most use turbo's because of the flexibility and efficiency of them. Also, a rotary has a really strong and hot exhaust pulse both of which suit a turbo application. I would think a supercharger would be a step backwards from a turbo. Just my $0.02

[zeekman914]

My dad dosn't know if it has a name he just said that that was all he does is rebuild rotorys. he said he was rebuilding a triple rotor the other day.

[soloracer]

If he was one of the top rotary engine builders I would think he would be known in the rotary community. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/unsure.gif)