Would this be possible?!

Hi, im pretty new to rx-7's and rotary engines but please forgive my little knowledge when i ask this question. Ive heard alot of older gen. rx-7s being swapped with a v-8. I was also wondering if you could swap the FD with a v-8 or v-6? Im talking about a realistic application that would be relatively cheap to perform. From what I hear, it costs quite a bit to maintain the rotary engine. I don't want to enrage all of you ppl that are appalled at the idea of having pistons in an rx-7 but I just want to know if its realistically possible. And if it is, what type of motor would be best and how much I would be spending if I were to swap? Thanks...

any comments? cmon guys...

im not an expert but you could put any engine in any car that had a big enough engine compartment its just a matter of money. if you dont want to spend too much money your best bet would be a v6. you could probably get one in there without too much trouble. i have an 83 rx7 and the engine compartment is pretty big. also since they are rear wheel drive to make it easier you could get a v6 from a RWD car. im not sure tho if it would be easier to modify the engine to fit the tranny or buy the engine and tranny and modify the trans to fit the propeller shaft. how about an older supra engine - that would be awesome. again im not an expert you should probably get a second opinion in case i said something wrong.

Hi, im pretty new to rx-7's and rotary engines but please forgive my little knowledge when i ask this question. Ive heard alot of older gen. rx-7s being swapped with a v-8. I was also wondering if you could swap the FD with a v-8 or v-6? Im talking about a realistic application that would be relatively cheap to perform. From what I hear, it costs quite a bit to maintain the rotary engine. I don't want to enrage all of you ppl that are appalled at the idea of having pistons in an rx-7 but I just want to know if its realistically possible. And if it is, what type of motor would be best and how much I would be spending if I were to swap? Thanks...
yea you can do it, but thats alot more weight in front. IMO drop a little more money and get a 20B

eh, pisst-on engines inside of 7's are looked down upon. the 7 is a car you have to love to keep. You culd get a 3 rotor engine, or mod your 13b.

although i despise the idea of a v-8 in an rx-7, it can be done relatively inexpensively, depending on if you're doing it yourself or having someone else do it. first of all, the total weight difference is not that much, but the center of gravity is still favorable with a rotary. also, about the 20b swap...that is in a whole nother league of engine swaps. this swap would cost AT LEAST $30,000 when all is said and done. if you don't want to deal with the problems of the rotary, and it's too hard for you to get to know your car and properly care for it, then don't get one. it's really not a problem unless you let it become one. you just have to be knowledgeable about the car, and you should have minimal problems.

IVE SEEN IT DONE IN AN ARTICLE AND IT WAS CALLED THE SUPRA 7
SO I FEEL YOUR BEST BET IS TO PUT A 1993 SUPRA TWIN TURBO MOTOR, CUZ IF YOUR GOING TO DO THAT TO A 7 MINE AS WELL BE ANOTHER TWIN TURBO ENGINE THAT IS ALSO REAR WHEEL DRIVE..

not 30k rxtacy, more like 15k for a good stock install, +5k for mods.


I've heard of an rx-7 with a 2JZ engine, but it was not cheap.

Originally posted by rxtacy
although i despise the idea of a v-8 in an rx-7, it can be done relatively inexpensively, depending on if you're doing it yourself or having someone else do it. first of all, the total weight difference is not that much, but the center of gravity is still favorable with a rotary. also, about the 20b swap...that is in a whole nother league of engine swaps. this swap would cost AT LEAST $30,000 when all is said and done. if you don't want to deal with the problems of the rotary, and it's too hard for you to get to know your car and properly care for it, then don't get one. it's really not a problem unless you let it become one. you just have to be knowledgeable about the car, and you should have minimal problems.


No way would a 20b cost at least 30k... I could build a 26b for about 20k...

i know a 20b does not cost $30,000. the money is mostly spent on labor and miscellaneous parts. it takes a lot of modification to make this conversion work. if you're going to do all of the work yourself, then it definately wont be that expensive, but how many people can honestly say they are capable of performing this conversion w/o errors on a car which errors are deadly.
you think you can build a 4 rotor dayna?
all power to ya if you can, but i doubt it would happen. first problem: you'll have to perfectly fabricate the eccentric shaft unless you can find one from a 26a (probably impossible). then you will have to customize an intake manifold. and after that and a lot of other stuff, you'll still have to find a way to make the transmission fit, which will most likely involve some minor modifications to the chassis of the car. i could go on and on but you get my point.

what the hell is a 26A???
Those 26B's that are two 13B's joined have alot of probs with the eccentric shaft, or so I've been told, not that I've seen one.
I reckon u could get a 20B in an RX7 for around $15-20K AUS, so around $10K US.

26a and 26b are both 4 rotor engines. a designates two side seals and b designates one side seal. it's a complicated system because the 12a would be a 12b if it followed those rules. so 26a and 26b are pretty much the same. i assume that if you built a 4 rotor, it would technically be a 26b. but i think (i may be wrong) that the original name of the engine that powered the 787b was "r26a."

Originally posted by rxtacy
i know a 20b does not cost $30,000. the money is mostly spent on labor and miscellaneous parts. it takes a lot of modification to make this conversion work. if you're going to do all of the work yourself, then it definately wont be that expensive, but how many people can honestly say they are capable of performing this conversion w/o errors on a car which errors are deadly.
you think you can build a 4 rotor dayna?
all power to ya if you can, but i doubt it would happen. first problem: you'll have to perfectly fabricate the eccentric shaft unless you can find one from a 26a (probably impossible). then you will have to customize an intake manifold. and after that and a lot of other stuff, you'll still have to find a way to make the transmission fit, which will most likely involve some minor modifications to the chassis of the car. i could go on and on but you get my point.

I actually have one in the works.... The e-shaft will be a one piece as opposed to the multi (2-piece) design from the 20B. Needless to say I have an awesome machinist. The only catch I have really run into is the tension bolts... Which I have found local fastener manufacturer capable of producing them to proper spec. I have three 20 intermediate housings and tons of 13B and 20B rotor housings laying in the shed... the only thing I wish I could do, is the three spark plug per rotor thing...

The intake will be cake work. Make 4 p-port flanges... bolt them to the rotor housings... measure... remove and start welding the flanges to fabricated plenums...
This Frankenstein is not going into an RX- chassis of any kind and will be connected to a T-5 transmission via an adaptor kit.

I've been building engines for a while... so if you want to go on and on, it is fine, but I am sure it is something that I have already solved.

I am not being repugnant in any regard, but your line questioning my abilities certainly does so. I guess my point is, do your best to help support others not tear them down, you may not know who you are talking to or who else is reading..

i wasn't tryin to tear anyone down. ya just gotta understand that there are maybe a handful of people who would actually attempt to put a 4 rotor into an rx-7, so i'm entitled to my doubts.

okay, im going to assume that many of you might not have to much hands on experience with rotaries because thats how it sounds, but thats fine, some ppl have more experience than others and thats how we learn this stuff.
First of all where in the world did this price of $30,000 for a 3 rotor setup come from, even $15,000 is to say the least, pretty out there.
I live in Los Angeles, Ca and i get my motors direct from Japan through friends for much, much, much less cost, and we're talking complete motor, wire harness, and ecu, usually with the transmission.
On top of that i get great shipping rates from a local freight company, i regularly ship out 12a and 13b motors as far as New York for much less than most guys can ship one interstate.
For the most part the average mechanically inclined person with basic knowledge can do this in their back yard given they have the right parts that is.
of course you need different motor mounts, driveshaft, relocate the i/c, radiator and such.
It's not, in my opinion, really worth putting in a 3 rotor unless u really want to be able to say u have a 3 rotor.
it's much easier and cheaper to rebuild a 3rd gen motor with hi performance parts, upgraded seals, hi rpm bearings, and a machined streetport.
i stress a machined streetport because they are much more efficient and accurate than those made by using a dremel or die grinder. out here we do a 3rd gen build up that gives us 330 horsepower to the wheels, thats with stock setup, stock exhaust, injectors, and running only 8pounds of boost.
Thats rite 8 pounds of boost, 2pounds less than stock, and making 330 horses. if you want to run it at the track you can turn it up to 16 pounds and push over 500 horses on the stock turbos.
we have no problems with these motors as daily drivers and have a list of about 30 refferences that we've done these build ups for with no problems and great feedback over the past 2 years.
i am always putting together cars and sending out motors.
if anyone needs help let me know.
E-mail at [email protected]

where did the $30k come from? it's common knowledge that this is a good estimation for a professional installation. remember we're trying to answer someone's question here, not show off how cheap we are able to do this conversion. "Hi, im pretty new to rx-7's and rotary engines but please forgive my little knowledge when i ask this question." this person will not be doing any work on a rotary for a while, if ever, so i don't even know why you all are feeding him the $10-15k numbers.

out here we do a 3rd gen build up that gives us 330 horsepower to the wheels, thats with stock setup, stock exhaust, injectors, and running only 8pounds of boost. Thats rite 8 pounds of boost, 2pounds less than stock, and making 330 horses. if you want to run it at the track you can turn it up to 16 pounds and push over 500 horses on the stock turbos.
i'm sorry, but i find that hard to believe. 16 psi on stock injectors? i've never heard of that. and 500 hp on stock turbos? give me a break. the most i've heard of on stock motor and turbos is like high 300s.

500RWHP on stock turbos!!! U r full of shi, there is no way. Witha GT3540 my friend got around 500RWHp with his streetported 13B on 22PSI (dyno dynamics)
How can u have stock turbos and only street port it and on less boost have 330RWHP???
All the things u mentioned (besides streetporting) do not give u any more power!
And porting would only give u around 10-15RWHP anyway.
Stop being full of shit.
My friend ran a 10.1 with his 13B GT3540 RX2, are u saying u can put one of ur engines in an RX2 and run that, with stock turbos!!!.
If u put a T04E on ur engine then ud be running 6's!!!! There is no way!!!
go to www.rx7club/forums and tell them that, they will laff in ur face. Go into the single turbo setups section and u will see that the most anyone is getting is around 600RWHP and that is with T-78's etc, so 500 with stock turbos means u r a gayass liar.

First off all, where the hell did u get this info that a street port on a 3rd gen gives u only 15 horses, u know there are different sizes of streetport rite?? second, everyperson has there own style of port that they use, all ur little buddies at http://www.rx7club/forums they should know what im talking about. the man who duz this shit is pretty well known but i doubt u would know him after showing me how badly misinformed you are, his name is Jeff McCall of Rotary Power in Gardena, California, try giving him a call and telling him his setup is bullshit because obviously he isn't aware of that since his last 220 customters that he has set up like this over the past couple of years are so satisfied. And who the hell is talking about running 6's, all I'm telling you is we have agarunteed setup that runs 330 to the wheels with mostly stock everything, oh yeah and i think i forgot to mention, Jeff's motors pass smog still.
so eat that up and digest it for a while.
in closing all i have to say is if you really don't believe me then call up rotary power yourself and let them tell u they do it with a garuntee.
prove me wrong if your so confident..........i mean so narrow minded

oh yeah i forgot to mention that of course the car was retuned to work well with the streetport, as far as sensor and vacuum retuning.
maybe thats why you seem so bewildered by the output, maybe.
you do know that by retuning a stock 3rd gen and a 2nd gen turbo you can bang out about 20 more ponies without doing anything like fuel pressure, or down pipe, not even turning up the boost, all it is is knowledge of what does what on these cars.
hang out with some guys that got 20 years in the rotary game, you'll learn a lot of usefull shit, or hangout with guys that think to make power u need to spend big bux and do mad upgrades. We do ghetto shit cuz it works.

here's another one to get ur mind going.
i have a 1985 RX7 GS, it is 12a powered, has a streetport, and is running a stock nikki carb retuned of course with 1inch primary venturi's and 1.2inch secondary venturi's, and different fuel jets and air tubes, im not sure what size tubes since i dont tune the carbs.
on the exhaust side is a stock exhaust manifold, i have the racing beat headers but to lazy to install them, into a 2.5 inch straght pipe feeding a magnaflow canister exhaust, i do not have l.s.d. on this car and i do not have a performance clutch it is stock.
upgraded fuel pump and fuel lines.
i rev the car to about 9,500rpm's
stock internals.
i ran a 14.41 on the 1/4 mile
don't believe that fine
anyone around los angeles is welcome to come check it out, having trouble beliving thats posibble
wanna know how
its cuz my port is massive and its deep cut
thats all there is to it.
you don't have to belive it but im more than happy to show it off
and i just put in a gsl rear axle and my headers, and i just got a racing beat street clutch, and scored on a mikuni carb with a one piece intake manifold.
I'll post some pix next week

Mate, the stock car makes what? 260HP AT THE ENGINE!!! U r saying with just a retune, and a streetport that u r taking it to about 400HP at the engine on 8PSI instead of 10???
My 13B from an FC in my RX3 totally rebuilt with a high flowed turbo and microtech computer with a 3" straight thru exhaust and no CAT with a huge FMIC made 270RWHP on 13PSI and 330RWHP on 22PSI running on racing fuel.
Are ur power figures on dynojet, coz if they are that could explain it, dynojet seems to give about 20% more power than a dyno dynamics.
But there is no way u r making 500RWHP with stock turbos on 18PSI, 18PSI is over the stock turbos efficiency anyway and u r blowing urselfr if u think u can get that. Big money, big turbos such as T-78's and GT3540's are only just getting 500HP. If u could really do that with stock turbos why the hell would u be getting aftermarket turbos?

And with the strretport, that is only a tidy up, if u go much bigger then its a extend port. U dont get that much extra power from it. With forced induction rotors its all about the turbo size.