Wanted to pass along that the #23 RX7 is alive again.

Thanks to Joe at RPM and Al Balinsky at Scarboro Mazda, we fired up the car for the first time ( I don't count the sputtering and lagging from the previous attempts). Joe, it looks like the motor is great as it built 20 psi under the starter motor and Al thanks for the complete carb fuel system setup.

It was just like one of those dream sequences. I restabbed the CAS to make sure it was correct. Had Dave Salt (crew chief) crank the engine over to build oil pressure, he pumped the gas 2 times and turned on the ignition.

First spark after the ignition was turned on BRAAAAP, BRAAAAAAP. The car fired and settled down to an idle at about 1500 rpm. Quickly shut off the car and tightened the exhaust again, found out the the throttle was fouling on the remote oil filter at full closed (made mentle note to fix) and started it again. HOLEY MOLEY same thing, it fired first pulse and ran perfectly.

Al that carbs tuned about perfect and Joe the engine is building a ton of compression already.

Thanks to all for their help and now need to tidy up a few things, tighten up some bolts and off to a local short track somewhere to break it in before the MOM Show this weekend and racing at Mosport next weekend.

Eric

p.s. before the shreaks, I am running Al's old Holley setup for the first bit (race) until the engine is stable, then converting the whole thing over to the ITB and Megasquirty setup thingy.

 

Good to hear the engine is running well, we'll see you at the next race!

Are you using stock ECU for spark right now?

 

Eric, left you a voicemail.

 

Congrats Eric! Good to hear the car is back in action... Looking forward to seeing it at MOM this Sunday...

Lates,

 

Yes, we are using the stock ecu for spark through this weekend. Next week we will install the Megasquirt to control spark only. Sorta backwards but it removes the stock rev limit and allows us to clean up a bunch of wiring that is no longer needed. It also allows us to set the timing where we want.

Now just have to clean up the car a bit. Greasy finger marks everywhere.

LOL

 

awesome!

yeah joe builds good motors, I'm /real/ happy with mine so far, it makes a load more torque than expected down low...

You have a halfbridge too correct? or a full-bridge

 

I cant wait to drive it Eric

The motor is a half-bridge, I have only full-bridged 1 motor that hasn't been assembled yet.
Infact I think most of the engines I have built have been half-bridged......huh thats kinda weird.

 

We finished wiring up the system last night and today going to finish off the new front splitter and fascia . Then we need to clean it up, fix the throttle linkage to a more permanent arrangement, put on the new decal kit and away we go. Oh yeah, I may need to re-do the interior for the M.O.M. show this weekend. I have always been much more go than show, oh well.......

You want to drive it this week Joe? It looks like we are going to Sunset Speedway Friday afternoon to break-in the motor. I would be glad, no delighted, to give you an hour, LOL. PM me or call me if interested.

Eric

 

Which version of the Megasquirt?

 

.

woops, posted on wrong thread.

 

Just an update from the weekend. Took the car to Flamboro on Friday.

We off-loaded the car. Fired it up, first pulse as usual and let it idle for 30 minutes while we ate lunch. Car would idle at 1500 rpm with a nice mild lope. If I backed down the idle it would cough and sputter and tried to die out.... I guess that the Holley doesn't like the porting.

Anyways, after half an hour the car had no leaks so we filled it with fuel and ran around the track for an hour running it up and down to 5000 rpm. Oil pressure was pegged at over 110 lbs at 3000 (idle at 50 lbs), temps were stable at 205 - 210 oil and water at 180. Just great, but really boring.

The car ran well, no coughs, weird smells or noises. I pulled off the track, re filled the fuel and Joe Ferguson (RPM Performance) took over for an hour revving to 6000 rpm. The car re-fired first pulse again. FANTASTIC!!!!

You have to be impressed when the guy who puts your motor together volunteers to waste an afternoon of his life pounding around an oval breaking in the motor. Anyways after Joe was finished we brought the car in re-fueled it and Dave Salt went out for his hour running it up to 7000 rpm. Again the car stopped heat soaked and started again first crack. Amazing.

Dave had to be careful as the slower speeds and higher revs caused the oil temps to creep up and every few laps Dave had to shift up to 4th from 2nd to cool the oil down a bit. Dave ran 1 hour and 10 minutes doing this and finally pulled off the track and we shut the car down.

After shut down and 15 minutes of cooling off, we checked the water (perfect) checked the oil (the engine used up zero and the colour was still almost clear) and there were no external leaks or discolourations.

Everything is great. It poured rain on Saturday, so couldn't finish off the splitter or clean up the interior so the car was full of grit and garbage from the oval track and the splitter was just taped on, oh well............

Went to the MOM on Sunday, talked to a few of you, got bored as meets really aren't my scene so left early and came home to watch the ALMS race and doze.

See you guys next weekend at the CASC Races at Mosport, everything looks a go.

Eric