magnumP5's RX-7 Build Thread

[magnumP5]

**ENGINE PULLED 4/24/11 See posts 334 and 338**

**All pictures of progress can be found here**

Now that I officially have my RX-7 I guess it's time to start one of these. I always regret not having a build thread for my old P5...

Background first. The car is a 1989 Mazda RX-7 GXL in blaze red with ~98k miles on it. This means it has power locks, windows, sunroof, rear wiper, four-pistion front calipers and rear vented disks, factory security, tilt steering wheel and the auto-adjusting suspension (AAS).

I finally saw the car in person this past weekend and had a chance to drive it. It looks like I have a little more work ahead of me than I thought, but I'm actually kind of excited that there is plenty to do! Here is a list of what is broken, does not work or is otherwise unacceptable:

Wipers/Windows:
-Intermittent/Fast Wiper settings do not work
-Rear Wiper does not work
-Wipers do not return to neutral position when turned off
-Driver's side window controls are reversed (driver's on right, passenger's on left)​

Door Locks:
-Driver's door lock does not work (doesn't turn)
-Passenger's door lock is 'sticky'
-Power lock system does not appear to be working​

Lights:
-Driver's side headlamp does not come up completely or close without 'assistance'
-Driver's light does not sit 'flush' when closed​

Engine:
-Sounds like there is an exhaust leak
-Hood liner/heat shield is torn/sagging
-Hoot prop 'clip' is broken
-Squeaking at idle (see suspension)​

Transmission/Drivetrain:
-Shifter is a little sloppy
-Outer most rubber shift boot is torn​

Suspension:
-Squeaking at idle (see engine)​

Exterior:
-Numerous dents/dings on doors
-Front bumper cover was poorly repainted and is now chipping
-Paint fading on mirrors and rear bumper
-Pin striping wearing off
-Calipers and rotor hats are painted yellow
-Wiper stalks are painted red
-Weather-stripping faded and cracked​

Interior:
-Missing cloth floormats
-Leather shift boot is torn
-A/C light does not come on
-Driver's seat belt does not always 'go up' when door is opened​

 

[magnumP5]

 

[magnumP5]

**List updated 5/10/11**​

Things to fix:
-Replace wiper control unit (or just relays) to fix intermittent/high and rear wiper problems (Replaced w/ rebuilt 10/21/09)
-Fix driver's window controls (Replaced with working unit)
-Replace driver's and passenger's door locks and re-key to current key (Replaced 10/10/09)
-Adjust driver's side headlight (assembly replaced 9/4/10)
-Replace all shifter boots and spring to remove sloppiness from shifter (boots and bushings replaced 4/24/10)
-Tear down/replace hood insulation (ripped out 10/17/09)
-Replace torn, rice-red windshield wipers with normal ones (replaced 10/31/09)
-Replace broken interior trim pieces (defroster vents, etc. replaced 10/31/09)

General Maintenance items:
-Change all fluids (Engine oil changed 10/10/09, 11/11/10, trans/diff changed xx/yy/11, coolant changed 5/29/10)
-Change all filters (Air and oil filters changed 10/10/09, fuel filter changed by previous owner recently - have record)
-New spark plugs and wires (NGK Platinums and Magnecor wires installed 10/10/09)
-New radiator cap (installed 4/20/11)
-New thermostat - waiting to be installed
-New water pump - waiting to be installed
-New water hoses - waiting to be installed
-New clutch slave cylinder
-New clutch master cylinder
-New brake master cylinder

Mods:
Suspension
-16x8 +32 Enkei RPF1 wheels w/ Toyo T1-R 225/50R16 tires (installed 4/xx/10)
-Stance GR+ Coilovers (installed 4/xx/10)
-Full Energy Suspension urethane kit (installed 11/13/10)
-AWR Adjustable Rear Camber Links (installed 4/17/10)
-Racing Beat DTSS eliminators (installed 3/20/11)
-MMR spherical rear control arm bushings (installed 3/20/11)
-MMR delrin rear subframe mounts (installed 3/20/11)
-Front/Rear Swaybars
-Front/Rear Adjustable Endlinks
-Front/rear front strut tower bars

Transmission/Drivetrain
-Rotary Shack Short shifter (installed 4/24/10)
-Mazdaspeed transmission mounts (installed 10/29/10)
-4.30:1 ring and pinion (installed 3/20/11)
-Miata Torsen LSD (installed 3/20/11)
-Mazdaspeed differential mounts (installed 3/20/11)
-Miata Gears
-Braided Steel Clutch Line
-Clutch and lightweight aluminum flywheel combo
-Lightweight aluminum driveshaft

Engine
-Mazdaspeed engine mounts (installed 10/1/10)
-Remove A/C (completed xx/yy/11)
-Remove air pump (completed xx/yy/11)
-Remove metering oil pump (completed xx/yy/11)
-Remove power steering - in process
-4-port side and rotor housings - ported 10/xx/11, waiting to be rebuilt/installed
-Custom intake manifold with TWM (Borla) Induction ITB's - setup complete 9/22/12, waiting to be installed
-Custom header-back exhaust - waiting on exhaust manifold
-Oil pan baffle and brace - brace ordered 9/25/12
-Eccentric shaft thermo-pellet delete - ordered 9/xx/12
-RESpeed Oil Filter Pedestal - waiting to be installed
-Electric fan conversion - waiting for fan shroud to be made
-Koyo N-Flo Aluminum Radiator - waiting to be installed
-Braided steel oil cooler lines
-Corksport air diverter panel
-Underdrive main pully and stock-sized dual sheave aternator pulley - main pulley ordered 9/xx/12, alternator pulley ordered 9/25/12

Ignition/Fuel/ECU
-Haltech Sprint RE ECU and accompanying sensors (installed 9/16/11)
-Custom wiring harness (complete 9/22/12)
-IGN-1A Coils - setup complete 7/6/12, waiting to be installed
-Relocated battery (installed 5/10/12)
-Strip extraneous electronics - (completed xx/yy/12)
-Injector Dynamics ID850 injectors - setup complete 9/22/12, waiting to be installed
-Aeromotive "Stealth" fuel pump (installed 5/19/12)
-Braided steel fuel lines (installed 5/19/23)
-Fuel pressure regulator (installed 5/19/12)

Brakes
-PowerSlot Slotted rotors (installed 4/24/10)
-Hawk HPS pads (installed 7/10/10)
-Braided steel brake lines (installed 7/10/10)
-Paint calipers black (painted 4/24/10)
-Brake cooling ducts
-ATE Super Blue brake fluid

Interior:
-Mazdatrix rubber floor mats (put in 1/16/10)
-Redline Goods Shift/e-Brake boots (installed 4/24/10)
-Mazdaspeed Shift Knob (installed 4/24/10)
-Reupholster door fabric
-OMP WRC Seats - driver's side complete 5/xx/12, passenger's side TBD
-Kirk Racing Roll Bar (installed 12/xx/11)
-G-Force 5 Point Harnesses
-Oil temperature, oil pressure, and water temperature gauges in din pod (installed 9/16/2011)

Exterior:
-JDM FTP lenses, "bubble" side markers and amber turn signal lenses - (installed 10/23/10) - TRYING TO SELL!
-Respray
-Replace steel hood with aluminum/carbon fiber/fiberglass hood
-Factory Turbo II/GTUs front lip and side skirts - side skirts received xx/yy/11
-Remove foglights for brake cooling ducts (complete xx/yy/11)
-Wiperless rear hatch - still looking, gutted stock hatch in meantime

 

[Shadow102]

For the locks try a new key first, my original key did not work in the door, bought a new key and it works great.

Secondly shift slop is common jsut gotta replace all the bushings, alot of mazda counter people have a problem with the lower portion part number so here it is:

8AF2-17-481 Bushing Set
Includes several parts
M505-17-481 Wave washer

Also i cant find this on any mazda parts picture or parts listing but the bottom bushing on the shifter ball i did find that a toyota tacoma bushing works
Part number is: 33548-60040

 

[Wagonbacker9]

sub a dub.

 

[magnumP5]

I will have my fiance' try the spare key - I didn't think to try that while I was there although I'll admit, I don't have faith in it working. Either way, it doesn't appear the power lock system is working as I cannot unlock the driver's side from the passenger's side exterior.

My biggest complaints are with the headlight and wipers. I did a little preliminary inspection (without taking anything apart) and it appears as if one of the rods is not connected on the driver's side headlight, they may be the cause there but I won't know until I can start pulling things aparts.

As for the wipers, I'm almost certain it's the relays. I can't think of any other reason why the intermittant/high speed and rear wipers do not work but the normal speed does. Would this also be the source causing the wipers not to return to their neutral location (ie, they stop where ever they were when I turned off the switch)?

 

[Wagonbacker9]

.
As for the wipers, I'm almost certain it's the relays. I can't think of any other reason why the intermittant/high speed and rear wipers do not work but the normal speed does. Would this also be the source causing the wipers not to return to their neutral location (ie, they stop where ever they were when I turned off the switch)?

this sounds like a reasonable expectation to me... yes.

 

[Shadow102]

I will have my fiance' try the spare key - I didn't think to try that while I was there although I'll admit, I don't have faith in it working. Either way, it doesn't appear the power lock system is working as I cannot unlock the driver's side from the passenger's side exterior.

My biggest complaints are with the headlight and wipers. I did a little preliminary inspection (without taking anything apart) and it appears as if one of the rods is not connected on the driver's side headlight, they may be the cause there but I won't know until I can start pulling things aparts.

As for the wipers, I'm almost certain it's the relays. I can't think of any other reason why the intermittant/high speed and rear wipers do not work but the normal speed does. Would this also be the source causing the wipers not to return to their neutral location (ie, they stop where ever they were when I turned off the switch)?

Its the switch, common problem on the car. The only speeds that worked on mine were normal and fast, int and mist didn't work and it would stop where ever I turned it off at.

 

[magnumP5]

Its the switch, common problem on the car. The only speeds that worked on mine were normal and fast, int and mist didn't work and it would stop where ever I turned it off at.

So did you replace the switch or just the relays? Fixing or replacing the switch and/or relays isn't a problem. I'm just trying to make sure there isn't something else wrong that is causing the wipers not to return to neutral.

I'm probably going to start buying parts I know need replacing soon so I will have everything I need when I finally get the car for good. Of my $2937.50 budget I have already spent $850 on the wheels so that leaves $2087.50 unless I can sell a few more items remaining from the Proteg5.

 

[NCZ13]

i ahve the same problem with my wipers. very annoying.

 

[Shadow102]

I replaced the switch in my can and it worked perfect, never heard of a relay problem on the wipers of the rx7. Just make sure when you order the switch it comes with the rear wiper option and there is an option for cruise control as well.

 

[magnumP5]

I replaced the switch in my can and it worked perfect, never heard of a relay problem on the wipers of the rx7. Just make sure when you order the switch it comes with the rear wiper option and there is an option for cruise control as well.

I have read that there are three relays in the wiper control module and one or more of those three typically fail causing various wiper functions to fail. There is a how to on ReTed's website(http://www.fc3spro.com/TECH/HOWTO/WIPER/wiper.htmlhttp://www.fc3spro.com). The fix is pretty straightforward but I'm just worried it will only fix the fronts. A while back a wiper module was for sale on eBay for $130 w/ rear wiper control but that seems steep when I could spend $15 and fix it myself...

 

[CorkSport]

My switch failed recently so I will be firing up the desolder station and replacing the relay shortly.

It doesn't look to hard to change out. It does help to have the right equipment to do the solder work though.

Derrick

 

[magnumP5]

My switch failed recently so I will be firing up the desolder station and replacing the relay shortly.

It doesn't look to hard to change out. It does help to have the right equipment to do the solder work though.

Derrick

Yep, it isn't really all that hard if you have the right tools. I have both a soldering iron and a de-soldering iron so it wouldn't be a problem. My only concern is that replacing relay 3 will only fix the front wipers. I don't have an intimate knowledge of Relays so I wouldn't know how to go about replacing either of the other two relays (the specific relay for the fronts is given on the page I posted above).

EDIT: I also have newer pictures of the car I will be attaching but I need to resize them...

 

[magnumP5]

Pictures of the car as it stands now added to second post.

 

[Shadow102]

Wow wish my interior looked half as good as that. Engine bay looks clean as well just rip down the hood junk.

 

[CorkSport]

Your car looks really clean. Those borbet wheels are pugly. The Enkei wheels will be a big improvement.

On your hood are you going to get a turbo hood or an aluminum convertable hood?

 

[magnumP5]

Your car looks really clean. Those borbet wheels are pugly. The Enkei wheels will be a big improvement.

On your hood are you going to get a turbo hood or an aluminum convertable hood?

Haha, glad I'm not the only one who thinks that. The Enkei's will look great - just debating between 225/50R16 or 245/45R16 all around. As for the hood, I'd like to replace the hood with an aluminum one from the 'verts but depending on cost I may go with a OEM replica carbon fiber one. The only reason I'd get a TII hood would be if I did the swap. The added cooling is nice but I don't like how the TII scoop is off-centered. I have yet to find an aftermarket vented hood I like.

 

[magnumP5]

Is $130 too much for a rebuilt wiper switch? I originally want to attempt the fix myself (it would require two new relays) but after reading a lot of horror stories I'm beginning to think it might be best just to go with a new switch. Too bad I don't have a GTU as I can find wiper modules for those for like $30...

I've also been looking at Mazdatrix's or Corksport's short shifter kits. I know they're pricy but the fact they include new bushings and inner boot make them attractive to me (I'd be replacing them anyway). Get one of those, a new spring and middle boot and the shifter should be as good as new!

 

[NCZ13]

problem with that spring, is that the entire tranny needs to be dropped in order to put the new one in.

My shifter springs back if i push it to the right, but is loose if i push it to the left, with some research, the only way is to drop the tranny.