Has anyone thought about using a rotary (Wankel) engine? I understand that the last year RX-7 had over 300 H.P. in a very compact engine. How hard would it be to convert one of these to fit the stock Getrag 5 speed? Any comments will be welcomed.

Funny that this subject would come up....... I had a conversation with a man in Salinas, CA who is on the SCCA circuit racing Mazdas and he wants to do just that - put a rotary engine in a Fiero. He is supposed to be coming in to the shop this week and if so, I will get more info for you and/or put you two in touch with each other.....

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West Highland Graphics & Design
Classic Fiero Owners Group International

we are currently working on a Mazda 13B rotary turbo kit for the Fiero

The RX-7 Rotary has 2 rotors, Mazda has some car(name slips my mind) that isn't imported to the US that has a 3 Rotor engine. I remember seeing an article where an RX-7 owner had put the tri-rotor in and was amazed at that power of it. Maybe the 3-rotor could fit in a Fiero?

I have thought about it. It should really scoot, but probably would be tough to meet emissions standards.

I remember a long time ago Archie made an offer to make a kit if someone donated the car and motor. It never happened but I would imagine the the offer still stands. Archie hasn't ever been known to back down on his word.

Yeah, I'd wondered about this, too. The biggest advantage would be the light weight.
A 13B makes what? 180 HP? Seems like all the power is at very high revs, though.
Should be an interesting swap.

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Raydar - aka Steve

Some mornings, it just isn't worth chewing through the restraints.

anyone happen to know the engine weight?

I had an 83 RX-7 carb version and it was very fast. It makes power in the upper rpm range, above 2500 RPM. So off the line it isn't as quick. I used to get on the loop in Houston and look for Corvettes at 60 mph. I would pull up and get their attention then leave them as I zoomed off. I could never take them from a standing start. I though that this was a perfect sports car as it handled very well and was fast once you got it going.

They don't get very good gas milage, under 20 mpg as I recall.

I also think this would be a killer swap, especially if the rotary was ported and polished. The bearings must be keyed so they don't spin. If you do these mods it is capable of over 10k rpms. Add twin turbos and zoooom......

If anyone does this swap please post pics. I am interested.

I HAD A RX4 carbed 13b fast and lite
but turboII rx7 are rare and hi-priced
i have seen them swaped into a lot of cars
lotus #7's to old toyata's so demand is up and supply is down and rx7 normal owners want them toooo.
neat swap but v8 chevy may be cheaper!!!!!

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Question wonder and be wierd

Wouldn't it be better to just get an RX7? They are somewhat like fieros, close to 50/50 weight balance, 2 seaters, RWD, small. I just dont see the advantage to having the engine in a fiero over an RX7. Don't get me wrong though, it seems really cool and all.

It would be cool, until the apex seals go

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1988 Quad 4 Coupe 5 speed
1986 GT 5 speed, 1984 SC Auto
AOL: LastMinuteBastrd AIM: SavedbyJebus

Yo Im interested to. If someon does this I want info. thanks

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Pheagey Grean
"The time to talk is over. The time for diplomacy is over, the time for bluffing is over. The time to kick some f!@king as$ is now."

'88 coupe 5 speed, dubbed: 'Hotwheels'

Http://www.LithiumEffects.com/car.html

Kills: '97 Civic LX Auto,
Killed by: '93 Civic EX 5 speed,

Master_Sushi- If we were into easy we wouldn't own Fieros. LOL

That rotory doesn't have a very intimidating name...Can you say WANKLE?(sp)? It's a sleeper though. I used to have a 1972 4spd RX-2 and then a 73'RX-3 back around 1984. I caught many people with their shorts around their ankles in those street light to street light races.

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My work of art.(in progress.)

I;ve heard that rotory engines have to be re-built every so many miles (3000??) is this myth true? It's about the only thing keeping from 'considering' a rotor when I swap. Thanks

quote Originally posted by Master_Sushi: Wouldn't it be better to just get an RX7? They are somewhat like fieros, close to 50/50 weight balance, 2 seaters, RWD, small. I just dont see the advantage to having the engine in a fiero over an RX7. Don't get me wrong though, it seems really cool and all.

It does seem like a lot of work for a small power gain. I saw a '62 Austin Healy Bugeye Sprite last weekend with a rotary swap, VERY FAST, looked super clean. It was for sale for $3800.00. (palm Beach Fl)

quote Originally posted by Pheagey: I;ve heard that rotory engines have to be re-built every so many miles (3000??) is this myth true? It's about the only thing keeping from 'considering' a rotor when I swap. Thanks

I've never heard of that. If they are well maintained and not over-revved, there is no reason that they won't last as long as a piston engine.
If you wind them too tight, you can blow out the apex seals, though. And they're easy to over-rev. They don't vibrate at all.

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Raydar - aka Steve

Some mornings, it just isn't worth chewing through the restraints.

I know they fixed the problems with the rotor seals with advances in material science and composite materials so the seals would last. The motor got decent gas mileage also (@26-28 mpg). My father had an RX4 and I had it topped out at 150 MPH in fourth gear. The car was extremly fast. My older brother got it when my father got his next car and had the whole thing rebuilt and put in a 5 spd tranny. He used to autocross it and spanked many a behind with it. The last RX7 was the fastest and most powerfull rotary powered car built and was the culmination of 20 years of evolution for that engine. They are going to be building an RX8 for the US may be out next year and I wouldnt mind having one.

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The rotory I had was the smaller of the two at the time. The Mazda truck had the larger engine. Talk about a sleeper. That thing was so ugly, you'd think it had to be slow.
Anyway, the engine in my RX-2 had well over 100,000 miles on it after it was rebuilt with the new type of apex seals and didn't burn any oil other than what it was supposed to. Premature wear is old history.

The ol' RX-2 bit the big one when I stuffed it under a primer black 58 dodge pick-up in the middle of the night. It was stopped in the middle of the road on a dark street and didn't have much in the way of tail lights. I had just finished putting in another 16 plus hour day. Nothing like having two full time jobs. I was pretty tired and on coming headlights only made the truck more stealth to where I didn't see it until my own headlights lit it up. 40 mph- 0 mph in .5 seconds. Oh well. Next vehicle!

quote Originally posted by NEPTUNE: It does seem like a lot of work for a small power gain. I saw a '62 Austin Healy Bugeye Sprite last weekend with a rotary swap, VERY FAST, looked super clean. It was for sale for $3800.00. (palm Beach Fl)

Small power gain? The stock 2nd gen turbo engine makes 182-200hp. Sure that isn't the best, but how many engines can you get 40-60hp by changing the exhaust system, or gain 15hp from an intake? You port the engine and gain 40-100 hp (depends which port you do, some are not very streetable)
And I mean real dyno proven numbers, not a fake manufacturers claim. The rotary may come stock without much more power than the V6 (60more hp) but it's performance options blow away most any other engine.

Also, the 20B is the 3-rotor version available in the japan only mazda cosmo. A 20B engine with a 100% stock 3rd gen tt set up on it makes 550hp at 12psi.

With mods, say you keep the boost to 12-14psi...you are looking in the neighbourhood of 350hp. **** , 350hp from a 1.3L and only 13psi? Not low at all. After 350hp you are going to start losing reliability.
Plus, you lose weight of your car, making it faster and better handling.

The biggest hurdle in making a 13B go into a car with a "FWD" set up is the exhaust. The rotaries exhaust ports come out the side of th engine near the bottom. Exactly where the axles run accross if it were mounted in a fiero. This is the only real hurdle to overcome for the swap.

Engine weight.
13B-NA, all accessories = 190lbs (for sure)
13B-T, all accessores = 250 lbs (i think)
Not sure of twin turbo weight. Don't bother with the twin turbo... the best upgrade you can do to one is switch to a large single turbo...so might as well start with single in the first place.