27 replies to this topic

[Git]

Not sure whether it was a clown with the rotary engine, 'fastclown' on here has a Nissan 300 engine in his mini. surely there can't be 2 clowns with bonkers engines in their minis...

There was a red chopped wankel enginedd jobbie in one of the mags... last year, I think...

*Runs off to check....*


Mini World May 2008... page 70 Owner Jeff Griffin from North Carolina



linky

Edited by Git, 14 May 2009 - 06:50 AM.

[mini.glen]

I'm wondering what rear end running gear to use. Size is obviously an issue.

What would normally be used?

Would I have to shorten the drive shaft?

As you can see i really know nothing. Research is key

[lowandslow]

if i was to do this i would probably use a sierra rear end (nice and small), and probably use something other than the mazda gear box as they are massive. with adapter plates i can't see why a good old ford box won't do the job (plus then you wouldn't have to have propshafts made up) this would be a mental conversion i think. i love the RX7's monster power plant but be warned they do love a drop of oil and the MPG is shocking but who cares when it goes thet well right

Edited by lowandslow, 16 May 2009 - 11:33 PM.

[mini.glen]

if i was to do this i would probably use a sierra rear end (nice and small), and probably use something other than the mazda gear box as they are massive. with adapter plates i can't see why a good old ford box won't do the job (plus then you wouldn't have to have propshafts made up) this would be a mental conversion i think. i love the RX7's monster power plant but be warned they do love a drop of oil and the MPG is shocking but who cares when it goes thet well right

yeah i've been thinking about the gear box being so big. Would you suggest any gear box in particular? I'd have to mock up the adapter plates i guess too aye. I was thinking about looking at using the rear end of a 4x4 daihatsu sharad. That would be rather small also year. I have been looking at the sierra. Is there a particular type of sierra? there are lots of models, are all the same?

I'm soooo green.

thanks for the help aye. so looking forward to getting it started

[lowandslow]

my thinking was that cossie box and diff's take the power. but i would think you would have to find a RWD box. a T5 ford box seems to ring a bell but i could be wrong. i don't think a charade rear end would take the power as they were only a 1.0 3 pot engine, i could see a rotary unit just mucnching on that and asking for desert

[Kraig]

Kennedy Engineering here in the States makes an adapter to bolt a rotary to a T5 tranny...... as well as to the old school VW transaxles......

[Zacherius]

I actually used the edition of Mini World the other day to use their " Get it Sorted " part to lower my column and sort my suspension....

THE ROTARY ENGINES MINI IS IN MINIWORLD MAY 2008 EDITION.

His name is Jeff Griffin and he used a Mazda 13b 1300cc Rotary Engine and rear wheel drive to run it at a steady 225BHP. The in-line gearbox he has used has got the RX-7 Casing with MX5 gears as they have a closer ration. The rear axle was also from a Mazda and came with the "posi" Limited Slip Diff. The engine is standard apart from a Holley 650 Double Pumper four-barrel carb. He's from North Carolina if you need to know !

[Zacherius]

Not sure whether it was a clown with the rotary engine, 'fastclown' on here has a Nissan 300 engine in his mini. surely there can't be 2 clowns with bonkers engines in their minis...

There was a red chopped wankel enginedd jobbie in one of the mags... last year, I think...

*Runs off to check....*


Mini World May 2008... page 70 Owner Jeff Griffin from North Carolina



linky

For some strange reason I read the posts but didn't notice you had put the link and bit on Jeff's Mini from Miniworld. So posted the info as well !! Should have just said ditto

[mini.glen]

wicked!!! I have found a guy in Christchurch NZ that can make me a space frame for the project. Its Tony www.rdlperformance.co.nz. He's going to get one of his plebs to put together a design for the spaceframe and wants to know particulars. I'm hoping one of you fantastic and knowledgeable people could give me some advise on what I could use for the front end,k Steering rack and suspension.

Any ideas could be awesome

[m1tch]

Just thought I would add my 2ps worth of info on rotarys, I own a Mazda RX7 FC3S turbo II coupe, there are a few different engines that could be used:

12a - earlier rotary
13b - Running NA (tune to about 200bhp NA)
13bt (FC engine) - What I have (can be tuned to about 650bhp - needs uprated dowel pins to stop the engine twisting apart)
13btt (FD engine) - Runs in FD RX7s - most common with twin turbo pack - can run to about 750-800bhp if you go all out (engine won't last long lol)
13btt (Cosmo engine) - runs a twin turbo pack but with uprated inlet and other free-er flowing parts
20b - (Cosmo engine) - 2 litre rotary found in the Cosmo, can handle well over 1300bhp and can spool very large turbos
26b - (Custom engine) - 2.6 Litre rotary produced by bolting 2 13B engines together through the E-shaft in the middle, crazy power, there is a video on youtube with a quad rotor running a GT60 turbo at 1600bhp

Engine life expectancy

This is usually blown out of proportion as if you don't look after the engine, yes it will fail, but basically the more boost you put into it, the less the engine lasts for. Turbo engines, when they fail (usually ancilleries like cooling, fueling or oil starvation) will go pop, NA non turbo rotaries will just lose compression but still be drivable. An NA 13b engine can last, if looking after for about 250k miles, my turbo charged 13b has done 86k miles and still have compression ratios of 7 on all rotors (a rating of 8 being basically a brand new engine)

That mini above running 225bhp is probably an FC 13b, turboed, running stock boost (was 200 from the factory) mine is running at about 300bhp with the stock turbo at the mo. FD engines with their twin turbo pack can get about 400bhp out of the stock turbos.

Oil myth

Yes rotaries use oil in the combustion, its how the seals are lubricated, it uses about 1 litre per 1000 miles or so, takes it from the sump but can be modified to take it from a small tank in the engine bay. Most use mineral oil as when burnt it doesn't leave residue in the intake like some synthetics do.

Rotary power vs piston power:

Stock FC = 1.3 litres + 200bhp = 153 bhp/litre
Stock Veyron = 8 Litres + 1001 bhp = 125 bhp/litre

Rotaries make more power from a smaller engine size, simple as so they are really really small engines, most of what you see in RX7 engine bays is cooling, drivetrain or electrical systems.

The main thing that limits any engine is the valve train, the 13b doesn't have valves so theoretically can rev as high as the resonant frequency of the engine block. Here is a 20B FC3S with a red line of 16k - was only dynoed to 10k:

http://videos.street...r-20B_39700.htm

Acceleration:

http://videos.street...r-20B_39698.htm

Porting:

There are differnt levels of porting (that is the size of the intake and exhaust on the plates and housing:

Stock - stock porting as it comes from the factory
Streetport - mildly enlarged inlet and exhaust for better gas flow
1/2 bridge/bridgeported - used on track or high powered rotaries where fueling isn't an issue - makes a BRAP BRAP BRAP sound, Large ports that cut into the housing, called a bridgeport as there is a bridge of material to support the side seals of the rotor as it goes round
Jport/monster bridgeport - much bigger ports than bridgeport, lots of material removed
Periperhal ported - Take a drill to the side of the housing - HUGE intake port for maximum power - Makes a TROG TROG TROG sound

Hope this helps people who wish to have a go at putting a rotary into a mini

FC housing are cheaper than FD housings, so if you want a sub 500bhp engine perhaps get an FC 13B engine, the gearbox, diff, drive shafts and oil cooler can easily handle 500bhp, FD diffs and driveshafts are notorious for snapping at higher power.

PM me if you want to know more

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

dam it ur all onto my plan rx8 turbo engine rwd

now u know just wait 4 years till i can affoard the cat b mazda to make it

[m1tch]

dam it ur all onto my plan rx8 turbo engine rwd

now u know just wait 4 years till i can affoard the cat b mazda to make it

The Renesis engine is NA, you would need to change to low compression rotors to turbo it. Why not buy a blown FC engine and repair it? someone bought a blown engine with a thrown tip for a £5er off ebay a few years ago lol most RX7 owners have a spare engine they rebuild themselves so that they can just swap the other 1 out as and when it goes.

Why don't you rebuild an engine? its only seals and clearences lol Here is a complete RX8 engine rebuild in 4 minutes:

http://www.youtube.c...=...P6IOhI&NR=1

[Saxo-Fiesta-Mini]

yeh watched the video, read the wikipedia files, researched the rebuild i am going to be rebuilding the engine but i want the gearbox, rear end, ecu, ect so a complete car will be the best option as im going to try and use the loom and as many extras as i can fit