Wow nice skills Gabe, I just read this post complete , I wasn't aware you did all this work
to the 914 back in Nov. when we met at cars & coffee , for some of you that don't know
this young man is still in High School , I wish I had half your skills when I was your age ,
I'm planning on going to cars & coffee this sat. feb 13th, hope to see you there.
take care Bill D.

PS were's this dyno place located & what do they charge, I need to find a new place to
test tune my 914 , thanks in advance

I have a 901 trans that has an adapter for a full size 13B fly wheel and clutch. I want to build a wide body car some day, or sell it.

If I ever get an electric car and there's an option for having it play an engine sound, I demand you sell me a sample of that dyno run! That is such a bad ass engine note!

Good on you, great work.

Thanks Bill, the shop with the Dyno is RotaryWerks right by tamiami airport. They host Dyno days where you get three pulls for $35

So now it's time for suspension, I've been looking into my options but would like to get some opinions. The car is going to be used on the street (going to and from events) for autocross events (maybe some DE). Right now the front and rear shocks are gone, and have begun to leak. I was thinking about going bilstein sport shocks front and rear and running a 22mm torsion bar. I have a sway bar laying around that measures 20.8mm but I don't have the drop links to attach it so I have to find those. The rear springs are #180. Would this be a decent setup for autocross and occasional drivers education? Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I prefer koni yellows due to their adjustability.

22mm torsion bars are very stiff, you wouldnt need to run a sway bar with that combo and 180lb springs.

Being adjustable is definitely a big bonus. What if I keep my stock torsion bar and use the sway bar?

Pretty common setup there to stay with the stock T bars or 19mm t bars and use a sway bar.

Shocks will help stiffen things up as well.

Very nice fab skills! Second the stock T bar sizes, and 180 rear springs. Good shocks will allow a lot of tuning, and keep it happy for both street and racing. Nice thing about the Bilsteins is the adjust. spring perch at a reasonable price in rear.

Well this last weekend I took the car to the dyno to see how much power this 13b could make. To be honest, I had no idea what kind of number to expect once tuned. I was hoping for 190hp, but wasnt really sure. The first pull right off the bat, untuned, was 181whp and about 120ft/lbs. After a couple more pulls and jet sizes later, the car was at 198whp and 129ft/lbs. Seeing this number made me determined to reach 200. With some small timing changes, I was able to achieve this. The final numbers were 200.44whp and 131.87ft/lbs at 9500rpm

Awesome! Do you have a dyno chart? 200whp is a fantastic number!

I do have the chart but I am having an issue uploading any pictures.

Here is the Dyno sheet for the last three pulls


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Great numbers and very consistent.

So now it's time for suspension. I ordered Koni yellows for the front and then I'll probably end up getting the ground control kit for the rear. But looking at the front shocks, do I have touch the rubber bump stop. I know you can cut them for cars that are low and bottom out easily but is this a problem on 914s? Or is this just and easy swap of the old ones?


Planning on doing this soon so any help would be appreciated!
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Wow, Thats a great chart!! Extremely flat torque curve.

Or if there is any thread already out there that details the installation process?

Do you plan to pull the whole assemblies out and do any rebuilding or replacing of brake lines, or do you want to try and just swap out struts?

I'm just replacing the struts and changing the tie rods.

It really is a pretty straight forward process.

I would suggest ordering new ball joints, brake lines ( if they are needed) and pull the whole assembly out.

Otherwise here is something i stole from another thread:

The 911, 914 and some 944’s featured a rebuildable front McPherson Strut. Instead of having to replace the entire strut unit, you will be able to merely replace the strut insert that is on the inside of the strut housing. You will know that your strut is rebuildable by looking in the area where the shiny piston rod goes into the lower strut housing. On rebuildable struts, a screw on cap (gland nut) is used to hold the insert into the lower strut housing. You will know the gland nut is removable because you will likely see a few threads sticking up on the cap. 1965-83 cars used a male threaded gland nut, and 84-89 cars used a female threaded gland nut.

Jack the front of the car and secure with jack stands. Remove both front wheels. Remove the top-mounting nut (inside the front hood, 22mm) and lower the shock out of the tower housing. If the shock shaft begins to spin before the 22mm nut loosens, you can hold the big washer under the nut with a pair of channel locks. This nut has a “tooth” that fits inside a groove on the shock shaft. Once you are holding this washer, you will be able to loosen and remove the 22mm nut. Some shock shafts will have a 8mm allen head end which can also be utilized to prevent the shock shaft from spinning. Once the nut is removed, reach in the wheel well and grab the upper dust cover that protects the shock shaft from dirt and grime. Pull down, this will extract the piston from the upper strut bearing. Carefully tilt the strut out past the fender lip and slide the dust cover off the shock shaft being careful to not put your brake line in too much of a bind. If you are removing a gas insert, you may need to compress the shock shaft a bit to enable you to tilt it past the fender lip. Once the dust cover is removed, pivot the shock back and push the shock shaft back up into the upper strut bearing and finger tighten the top 19mm nut. This will hold the assembly in position while we loosen the gland nut. I usually like to use a big pipe wrench or a large pair of channel locks (cheater pipe optional ;-). As you try to unscrew the gland nut the strut will want to turn. Use a small piece of 2x4 to brace the spindle to the inner fender well to keep it from turning. Now loosen the gland nut…. remember lefty loosey, righty tighty. Once the gland nut is loose, reach up and remove the 19mm nut on the top of the shock shaft. Once again, tilt the strut out past the fender lip (watch the brake line) and remove the gland nut and insert.

You are now ready to install your new inserts. Remove any rust or corrosion that may be present on the threaded portion of the strut tube. Some strut housings may be full of hydraulic oil. You can either remove this oil by using paper towels to “wick” it up, or you can reuse it as a “coolant” for your insert. Another popular coolant is anti-freeze. Either will work, but remember, it won’t take much liquid because the insert will displace most of the area in the strut tube. Koni recommends 50ml of fluid, but I usually just use the dipstick method and try to get the coolant to ride about 2/3 up the side of the insert. Once your coolant level is set, slide your new insert into the strut housing. Koni supplies new male thread gland nuts for the 65-83 cars. Place some Blue Loctite on the gland nut threads and finger tighten it down. 84-89 cars utilize a female threaded gland nut. When using this type of nut, Koni has supplied a special washer that sits on top of the insert prior to installing the gland nut. This washer centers the insert in the strut housing, a job that had been performed by the male type gland nut. Position the shock rod back up into the body and once again, finger tighten the 19mm nut. You may need to place a floor jack under the A Arm to assist in moving the shock shaft up into the upper strut bearing. Use your piece of 2x4 to block the spindle and really tighten the gland nut with your pipe wrench or channel locks…. I mean REALLY tighten it. Gland nuts have been known to back off so your muscles and the Loctite will insure this doesn’t happen. Once the gland nut is tight, remove the top 22mm nut and retract the shock rod from the piston. You will need to install 2 items on the shock piston prior to installing the dust cover. First is a small plastic washer. This washer prevents the bump rubber from pulling a vacuum on the strut housing when the shock goes into full compression. Probably would never happen, but that’s what it’s for. After the plastic washer, install the bump rubber. Koni’s standard bump rubber looks kind of like a tootsie roll. The curved portion will face down. Koni’s competition bump rubber is made out of a more advanced material and is correctly installed with the angled portion facing down. If the car has been lowered you can shorten the bump rubber to regain some shock travel but you ALWAYS want to run a bump rubber. Failure to do so will destroy your shocks. Now, install the dust cover on the shock shaft and slide the piston up into the upper strut bearing. Install the new top washer and nut. Once again, the shock shaft may turn as you attempt to tighten the top nut so have your channel locks handy. Never use the adjusting tab on Koni insert as your “holding” mechanism, it WILL break off.

You are now ready to reinstall the wheel/tire assembly, do the other side, and enjoy your new added level of performance! - Jason Burkett

Application: 911 65-73, 911 74-89, 914 all

Tools: 22mm socket, 8mm hex, Pipe Wrench, Large Channel Locks, floor jack, cheater pipe, 50ml anti-freeze

Credits: Jason Burkett"

I'm running 21mm torsion bars with a 22mm front sway bar. Great for street/autocross. Been running this combo for over 20 years. Rear springs depends on how much oversteer you want. I run 140 lb rear springs, but most people like 175 or greater for autocross.
140 lb springs are nice for street and will under steer at the limit. Bigger springs are better for autocross but make the car feel every bump on the street. I'm also running Bilstein shocks front and rear.

Thank You for the instructions. The front struts went on without any major issues. The biggest issue I had was taking off the wheel bolts that the tire shop tightened. I never knew those bolts could be that tight, it broke my 3/8 ratchet, my 1/2 ratchet, and my folding tire iron!! But eventually they came off and he rest went on without an issue.

The difference that those shocks made was unbelievable. The old ones had collapsed as soon as I bought the car so I never knew what it was supposed to feel like. The rear is coming soon because I can definitely feel the back extra loose now that the font is the way it should be.

Well it's been a long time since this has been updated and so much has happened since then. I attended my first autocross with PCA and it was such a great experience. The car handled beautifully.... for the first 3 runs. On my fourth run, I was taking a turn and the Holley carb I had leaned out and I blew the motor. Apex deal was shattered and it scratched up the rotor housing badly. Had to get it towed home. As soon as he car arrived, I began the tear down and the search for parts. The Holley carb was the reason the engine blew since on the 13b it sits 90 degrees to where it should. Meaning that hard cornering sloshes the fuel in a way that leans out one rotor and floods the other. So basically I had to get another carb.

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Seems like EFI would solve those pesky carb problems

Bummer about the motor

This led to the purchase of a 48mm Weber DCOE carb, manifold, and adaptor plate (since I had to get a 12a manifold). I was told this weber would drastically improve throttle response and fuel economy and that I would have no issues with leaning out on turns.

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So engine was rebuilt, everything was replaced and new carb installed. The only issue now was that on an rx7 the engine and transmission assembly sits at a 5 degree angle but on the 914 it sits dead level. So not the weber was sitting 5 degrees tilted forward which did not allow for correct tuning. If the fuel level was set correctly for one barrel, the other would either be flooding over or starving for gas. So I had two options, either tilt the engine and transmission on the 914 or make a custom manifold that would provide better flow and perfect placement for the carb.

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So it was time to build an intake manifold. I started by finding some 180 degree bends with the correct radius. After a lot of looking I found what I was looking for and ended up paying around $90 for 5 bends. Since I don't have access to a machine shop, all the fabrication had to take place in my garage with everyday tools. I was able to shape the pipes by hand with a hammer and a jigsaw. I made a template/jig for the manifold of a piece of wood and shaped everything to fit that.

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Building a manifold can be difficult in your garage without all the cool tools. (but I encourage you to expand your skills!) I bet you can get the 5 degrees you want by shimming the engine mount or the trans mount to get the tilt you want for your carb,,, or just slap on a weber throttle body onto your car the way it sits now? I love your project.

Well, I was able to pull it off with what I had and here is the final product. Still needs to be cleaned up and made to look pretty but that us all in preparation for the drive up to Okteenerfest.

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And here it is with the carb mounted...

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and on the car... some stuff has changed since this picture was taken so I'll try to update that as soon as I can.

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Interesting set-up. Looks cool.

I have a heavily ported Nikki carb on mine. I have never experienced mid-corner fuel starvation, but I suppose I have not run a track day yet ( just aggressive mountain roads).

These little rotaries are so fun. Like a sport bike engine.

Well your manifold is done,,, Your aluminum welding skills coming along nicely there.

Great looking intake!!

Awesome! Love seeing fabbed headers and manis, not sure why.

I've never driven a rotary motor, are they pricey to rebuild?

Next time I see you at an event you can drive mine.

Master rebuild kits are about $1,000 in parts. If no machining is required, its not too bad.

Looks great! Only one suggestion... Add a phenolic spacer between the carb and manifold to reduce heat soak in the carb. You don't need your fuel boiling off.

yeah I'll definitely be looking into those spacers!

Why do they blow up so much Mike ....never had a thing to do with them but have heard the noise a and heard they drink fuel like a elephant drinks water .

Heat and pre-ignition and the weak links on a rotary. If you can control those, they run and drive wonderfully.

I have driven and raced against 12 a and 13 B. Rotaries for many years....In ITS trim , 180 to 200 hp they were by a factor of 3 the most reliable engine available...I have no experience with turbomotors....if you are looking for that range of HP in a 914....they are worthy of real consideration, should
Be very 901 friendly with their torque characteristics.....

Where did you find the aluminum 180's? Source?

Thanks,

Andys

Sharpe Products, they supply aluminum for hand rails and they come in many different radius'. The ones I used were 1.5" OD, 4 inch radius and .125" wall thickness.