2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.

does porting an engine shorten its life

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Old 02-04-03 | 09:04 AM
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does porting an engine shorten its life

My engine is smoking so i think i have to replace the coolant seals....
when i rebuild which will be sometime before the summer, my friend said i should port it...
i dont think its a good idea, because i want the motor to last, and he says that it will last just as long as long as it is tuned right.....
I just want a good running motor that will last as this car is my daily driver....
questions, comments?
=-dustin
Old 02-04-03 | 09:19 AM
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It'll last a long time as long as the tuning, fuel system and everything else is there for the additional porting. And considering your right foot does'nt get any heavier. Not to mention, if the motor builder is any good. CJ
Old 02-04-03 | 10:02 AM
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It depends on how big/radical of a port you do. If you do a peri or a bridge port they most likely won't last as long as a street or rally ported motor. It has lots to do with tuning also like it's already been said.
Old 02-04-03 | 10:32 AM
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...rally ported motorally ported motor


never hurd that term, care to elaborate?
Old 02-04-03 | 10:38 AM
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Perhaps he ment "race port"...as in the most radical Streetport? Maybe..
Old 02-04-03 | 10:59 AM
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if i did it at all it would be a mild port....
and if i did do it then im sure i would have a heavy foot...
but if tuning can be a burden, then i really dont think its for me....
dont get me wrong, i love my car and i do take car of i=, but this is my daily driver and i only have the weekends to work on it....

taking all this into account i just dont think its for me, but if it can be made to last with simple tuning and care i believe i could do it....
what all is including in the tuning and maintaince?
Old 02-04-03 | 12:20 PM
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Old 02-04-03 | 02:11 PM
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Old 02-04-03 | 07:32 PM
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What are your mods anyways? CJ
Old 02-04-03 | 08:02 PM
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The rally port is like a larger version of the street port. I think they have another name for it, but I've always called it a rally port.
Old 02-04-03 | 08:30 PM
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There are 2 types of streetports: Mild port (smaller) and Extended port (bigger).
I think by rally port you are refering to the extended port.

A mild port will not shorten engine life at all if it's done properly and tuned well.
As someone said above, tuning is the most crucial aspect to having a reliable engine.

Most people think streetporting would shorten an engine life, but it's the other modifications that people usually do at the same time (larger turbo, more boost, etc) that shortens the engines life.

If you get a stock rebuild with a mild port, and keep the turbocharger stock and the boost low, then engine life will be barely affected.
Old 02-04-03 | 10:13 PM
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Quite simply, more air, more fuel, more bang. All that takes a toll on the Motor, In terms of wear. However, thats largely dependant on your right foot aswell.
Old 02-05-03 | 09:00 AM
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i just dont know if its for me or not....
I want fast, but i know fast can still be achieved without the need for a porting job......
my friend is calling me an idiot for not wanting to, but this is my daily driver, so if it goes, then i go nowhere!
=-dustin


by the way, my mods are just the
PD banjo bolt
FCD
tree-hater

but, if i was to get a new engine,
i would have the RB full exhaust, rebuilt turbo, and a slew of other mods to compliment those mods....
the car would be fast as ****, and i think that with all these mods on top of the porting job would just make for a shorter life of the engine...as my foot does get rather heavy!
=-dustin

Last edited by Fitness Stain; 02-05-03 at 09:02 AM.
Old 02-05-03 | 09:40 AM
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tree-hater?
Old 02-05-03 | 09:46 AM
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Listen to your friend!
If you are taking the engine apart and rebuilding it, get a streetport done while you are at it! You will thank me when you see the results!
The effect on engine longevity and reliability with a mild port -vs- a stock port should not be enough to make you consider not porting it!
Port away!

* espcially since you said you want it to be "fast" *
Old 02-05-03 | 09:59 AM
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Exclamation

Is your friend putting in any money on the engine rebuild or port job (since it doesn't sound like you're gonna do it yourself)? If not then why are you worried about what he says, build your engine FOR YOU! If he wants to see a ported rotary so bad then he should buy one and stop trying to decide how YOU drive YOUR engine. Lots of people make the mistake of building an engine to make it "fast" but in saying "fast" they really mean one that will "beat the other guy next to me" or "my friends will think I'm cool" instead of what you really want. Fast is in the eye of the beholder...don't forget that.
Old 02-05-03 | 10:39 AM
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Originally posted by KiyoKix
Is your friend putting in any money on the engine rebuild or port job (since it doesn't sound like you're gonna do it yourself)? If not then why are you worried about what he says, build your engine FOR YOU! If he wants to see a ported rotary so bad then he should buy one and stop trying to decide how YOU drive YOUR engine. Lots of people make the mistake of building an engine to make it "fast" but in saying "fast" they really mean one that will "beat the other guy next to me" or "my friends will think I'm cool" instead of what you really want. Fast is in the eye of the beholder...don't forget that.
its not like that at all.....my friend has helped my out through the whole process of me finding/buying/maintaining this car.....hes a big rx7 buff, and without him i would be lost.....i want to go fast, but i think that porting it is not all that necessary....but since im rebuilding anyway (which im sure he will help with) might as well port it.....
what kind of extra tuning does a ported motor require in order to increase the life of it as far as possible?
thats my new question.....
i guess im gonna port it, but now i need to know what im going to have to do on a regular basis, other than stuff like oil and normal tune up stuff....
or is that all you need to do to keep it going good...
keep in mind I WILL have a heavy foot after this is done!
=-dustin
Old 02-05-03 | 11:57 AM
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let me get this straight. you are wanting to go faster. in doing so i'm going to guess raising boost, better flowing exhaust, intake, etc. but you are scared about a street port. as someone said, bigger bang=more power=less life. whether you do it through porting, turbo, naws, or that weird **** that grows in your underwear. i believe thats why no one was answering you. its sort of silly.
Old 02-05-03 | 03:23 PM
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apparently im just retarded for not wanting to port it...
**** it........
im porting that bitch! now..............
you guys just made me blow my motor!!!
but not before i do 150mph




=-dustin
Old 02-05-03 | 03:27 PM
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hmm which do you want to do more 150 or a blown motor????
Old 02-05-03 | 03:49 PM
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i want an engine that will last the same as the one that is in there now....the engine currently has over 180,000 miles on it and it feels strong....(except for the coolant seals going out....getting white coolant smelling smoke from the exhaust)

i want the new motor to last just as long, and some people say that porting it wont affect the life and others do....i know that if i get it ported i will have a heavy foot for sure....
i know that the port will make the car faster, and i want fast, but there are other things i can do to make it fast as well.....
but everyone seems to agree that it will have no adverse effects so i guess im gonna go for it.......

the tuning is my new question.....
is there anything extra you would tune/maintain on a ported motor that you wouldnt do for a stock rex engine....that will be the decideing factor in my decision....if it is a lot of extra work to keep a ported motor running and healthy then i dont know if it is for me or not......i dont mistreat my car at all, but i am busy and only have the weekends to work on it.....it is also my daily driver which means i cant experience down time all the time....only when extremely vital to the life of the car......

the tuning is really what i need some replies on...so please if you know from experience help out a fellow fc owner and inform me of the difference of maintaining a ported and a stock...
please


=-dustin
Old 02-05-03 | 05:55 PM
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A streetport inlarges the intake ports right? Which allows your engine to flow more air right? So for tuning you need to add more fuel. If you do this street port and run a near stock boost level, your stock ecu will add fuel enough for you, but if you raise the boost too much, then you will need an upgraded fuel system. (bigger pump, injectors and better fuel management of somekind) That is what people mean by proper tuning.
Old 02-05-03 | 06:32 PM
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Originally posted by KiyoKix
Is your friend putting in any money on the engine rebuild or port job (since it doesn't sound like you're gonna do it yourself)? If not then why are you worried about what he says, build your engine FOR YOU! If he wants to see a ported rotary so bad then he should buy one and stop trying to decide how YOU drive YOUR engine. Lots of people make the mistake of building an engine to make it "fast" but in saying "fast" they really mean one that will "beat the other guy next to me" or "my friends will think I'm cool" instead of what you really want. Fast is in the eye of the beholder...don't forget that.
whats up, i am the friend. i am building my FD motor as we speak. it will have an extended port on it as well. dustin lives no more than 5 minutes from me so, blah. all i will be putting into it is labor. if that isnt enough then please inform me of any change in the "friend helping friend" policy so i can change my ways. haha, im only poking. i know how dustin drives. . . he does have a heavy foot, but his car hasnt been running for a long time. he just got it back from the "tigert rx7 shop" (haha, a little inside joke there) and is a little throttle happy. . . i would be to. . . hell, i will be once i get my FD back on the road!!!! i think hell slow down a bit once he gets used to it. everybody knows how that goes. . . actually, he doesnt drive as hard as a lot of people that i know. . . unless hes just trying to hide something from me and hes racing every weekend!!! haha.

as far as the engine goes, dustin has two options (. . . we all know he has more than that. . . mmmmmmmmm 13b-re!!!!!). he either rebuilds the engine and lets me do the porting (with RB templates to be safe) and there will be no labor. . . i might be an ***, but im still a friend i guess. the problem is that there could be more wrong with that motor than most want to afford. this brings us to option two. . . a reman with a mild port already done. this is nice cause you can get one cheaply as compared to having to replace major components in the engine. that way i dont have to mess with the porting at all. just put it together and put it in the car. nice and simple. all he has to do is choose.

now for the tuning. . . my personal opinion (and i wouldnt do it any other way) is to go with a haltech e6k. its a great setup and there would be no problem getting a base map for his basically stock setup. . . and now that the new e11 is out he might be able to get one off somebody wanting to upgrade or something.

i am very aware of what needs to be done when building a rotary. i know what safety precautions need to be met and all the such. the engine will be strong. . . i will put my word on it. i dont do shabby work. ill show you when im done with mine. dustin knows my work and i assume can trust me. listen to me runnin at the mouth like i have something to prove. haha, i hate those posts. oh well, im glad you decided to go with the streetport. . . like bridgeported said, "youll thank yourself later". . . although i think someone else said that to you before . haha

have fun,
paul
Old 02-06-03 | 09:09 AM
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now that that is out of the way.......
heh
i guess my next option is finding out which will fit my budget.....
does anyone know how much i would be sinking in this car if i decide to get a mild street port....
keep in mind the only mods i have so far are
tb mod
banjo bolt in lieu of the PD
new injectors
and vaccum elimination

i would need two new 720 injectors, fuel management system....bigger fuel pump...etc
how much would that shiz-nit cost?
anyone wanna tackle this last question?
Old 02-06-03 | 07:05 PM
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Keep in mind that porting an engine shifts the power and torque bands up closer to red line allong with increasing power and torque. Some ported rotaries have a power peak that's actually higher than redline.

When porting you will probably loose some low-end torque and power(from 0-3000 rpm). Some people I've talked to have complained about having a bit of trouble keeping up with traffic unless they rev a bit higher. This is the main reason why mazda kept the ports as small as they did.

Just figured I'd mention it cuz u keep saying it's a daily driver. But mind u i love my rotary and will be porting it when she decides to let go. Oh yeah don't forget about emissions testing.



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