[Guest]

Originally posted by FrestyleReaction
you MIGHT fit a 2rotor..... you will NEVER EVER EVER fit a 3 rotor into an mr2 engine bay

and even when its fit and mounted....it wont work

Haha, well give me a little more insight. Why wouldn't that work? Do you have any other reasons besides the ones that are posted in this thread? I'm interested, if you don't feel like it's a waste of your time.

 

[gbennett]

hey, i'm emailing you some pics of my 93 engine bay. if you can post them here for posterity that would be great.

greg

 

[Guest]

send them to rkeller@vinu.edu

 

[Mistatwo Mayn]

1) what transmission
2) (I don't know much about rotories, nor do I care to) but they do have a tendency to run hotter than your conventional piston engine. Would placing the engine in the middle of a car (mr2) cause for heat related issues?

 

[Guest]

Mistatwo, I noted earlier that the transaxle design needs to be laid out opposite to the MR2's. The exhaust port problem would be averted that way. I couldn't find a simple explanation in FWD only. So, I guess the AWD version will have to do.
Note the transaxle layout:

I guess that answers your first question. Do you have any suggestions for another tranny? I think the stealth/3000GT tranny would be beefy enough, but I am definately open for any other bright ideas.

As far as cooling goes, this was my main concern. Rotaries DO put out a lot of heat. I don't know if a deck-mounted fan system will work, so I think I should run lines up front and mount a nice sized radiator in the nose. That's what a lot of guy's do to there 2's when the start to make power, right?

 

[sxytrtrcr]

the stock radiator is in front

 

[Guest]

Doh.
Ok, some of the picks I've seen a radiator on the side scoops. Maybe it was for an air-to-water intercooler. Shoot, I dunno. Well, I tried to refrain from ignorant comments, but all the same it makes sense that you should run it up front. Wonder how I should run an intercooler for a turbo then. Hmmm.

 

[BlindGunman]

Yeah, the only thing that would resemble a radiator in the engine bay would be an intercooler. As for running the piping and placement for your intercooler, mounting it in the side vent seems to be the best spot. LOL if you wanted to go rediculously overboard, what about some sort of huge ram air scoop built into the roof that runs down to the engine bay?

EDIT: It's too bad you'd have to run so much piping to get the intercooler in front with the radiator. I've seen it a couple of times in pictures where they split the air coming in the grill and half goes over the radiator and half over the intercooler (or whatever the ratio is they come up with). The air passing through the radiator goes under the car while the air coming through the intercooler goes out a vent in the hood.

 

[turbolence56]

Spankingwankel. I think your Idea is cool. I have thought about different swaps. My friend also ownes a 3rd gen FD, Single t60 turbo converted to which I have worked on extensively. So judging from that I would have to concure that you may be able to do it.
the first thing is that I think YOU could get a FD SINGLE turbo motor into the two. the biggest problems I see however are these. 1 how to get the motor to cool down ( ie radiatior is in front on the mr2s. I think that you can just use the 3sgte RAD and run the plumbing to cool down the 13b. OR better yet custom mount a Fueldyne RAD up front, but the stock mr2 RAD is very capable for serious HP.
Problem number 2. What tranny are you going to use? I dont think that the 3000gt tranny will bolt up. The first reason is that where are you going to get the adapter plate and fly wheel to mate it to the 13b? Secondly, The 3kgt tranny is probably alot longer then the 3sgte tranny and therefore I doubt it will even bolt up to the 13b. However, if these problems are over come, extensive MONEY will be needed to fab new tranny mounts and engine mounts.

But all in all I do think that the 13b CAN FIT IN THE ENGINE BAY of the duece, but the big questions are HOW and WHAT TRANNY TO USE. keep the ideas coming guys. Spankingwankel ill post some Ideas about this later.

 

[MR2000GTE]

posted by spankingwankel
Give the rotary a chance, dude. I think once you learn it, you will love it.

I have learned the rotary (I owned an RX-7), and I don't love it at all. Not very reliable, no low-end power at all, the worst gas mileage ever, etc. Plus that exhaust note is just awful.
This swap is not worth the effort IMO. It'd be incredibly hard to fit in there correctly, and in the end it doesn't offer any big advantages over other swaps.
The 20b is not cheap at all either. Even swapping it into an RX-7 is hard, much less turning it sideways and shoving it into an MR2. I remember when I used to keep up on the RX-7 boards I talked to people doing the swap that were into it for insane amounts of money and still weren't even close to a running car.

 

[Lvn_MR2]

the FWD tranny idea has been used out here in various FWD cars. people are using a nissan V6 box (i think its the cefiro turbo v6 box) and they say it holds up very well. if i happen to run into my friend at racing next time, i will ask him as hes done the conversion to a FWD nissan before. many MANY people dream of this conversion. goodluck dude!

 

[Dennis]

thumbs up to whoever can achieve this...

 

[aspera]

Maybe the best way to install a rotary would be to convert the passenger's side of the car to an engine bay and have an offset engine design. Just think, you could open up the passenger door and be staring at a turbo Wankel!

This would TRULY make the MR2 mid-engined, as the engine would be sitting in the middle of the car.

*A conventional (possibly stock) longitudinal transmission could be used.
*FMIC and radiator plumbing would be reasonably short and conventional.
*The exhaust could exit via the rear of the car or the DOOR!
*Lots of room in the original engine bay.

Now the main problem becomes the rear differential and driveshaft. Either the differential could be offset toward the passenger's side...or the driveshaft could be angled toward the diff. Maybe both. Also, the engine might mount pointing to the right a bit.

 

[SBCelicaGT]

Originally posted by aspera

This would TRULY make the MR2 mid-engined, as the engine would be sitting in the middle of the car.

What? You do realize that a mid engined car simply means the engine is placed on or before the rear tires, right? Porsche and VW have rear engine setups since the engine is located behind the axle. Just thought I'd let you know.

Originally posted by MR2000GTE
I have learned the rotary (I owned an RX-7), and I don't love it at all. Not very reliable, no low-end power at all, the worst gas mileage ever, etc. Plus that exhaust note is just awful.
This swap is not worth the effort IMO. It'd be incredibly hard to fit in there correctly, and in the end it doesn't offer any big advantages over other swaps.
The 20b is not cheap at all either. Even swapping it into an RX-7 is hard, much less turning it sideways and shoving it into an MR2. I remember when I used to keep up on the RX-7 boards I talked to people doing the swap that were into it for insane amounts of money and still weren't even close to a running car.

I think I'd have to agree with this guy. The rotary engine isn't revolutionary, it's just different. I applaud the idea of trying something different for the sake of being different. But do not say, or imply, the engine is superior. For the same reasons listed, I am not impressed with rotary engines at this time. More R&D needs to be done to produce a rotary engine that is more efficiency and more reliable while still making decent horsepower.

 

[shocker2]

just my .02 but I wouldn't use the 3000gt tranny...I agree with the other guy about the size but also the cost factor...it is one of the most expensive trannys out there...doesn't seem like cost is a big isssue here but just throwin that out...plus they don't seem to take great to abuse...my buddy has a 98 vr4 and he has gone thru 3 trannys so far....only owned the car since june...the newest tranny had 0 miles on it but still I would opt for another tranny...love the idea...keep truckin on it...

 

[Jackal]

posted by DavidV
What is funny also is how many times I've heard the FD RX-7 guys fantasize about dropping a 3SGTE into their cars.

-- DavidV

I lost the article, but they put a 2jzgtte into that chassis.. They wouldnt go much into detail, but I saw the pictures..

 

[rhumen]

Originally posted by shocker2
plus they don't seem to take great to abuse...my buddy has a 98 vr4 and he has gone thru 3 trannys so far....only owned the car since june...

i was going to say this as well... i've heard that the 3000gt is like the japanese camaro... you can make tons of power, but everything is made ?ber-cheap from the factory and requires you to rebuild or replace something almost every time you race it or beat on it... and the tranny is definitely no exception... most 3Kgt owners i've talked to said they loved the power and traction but hated the unreliability and high high replacement and maintenance costs... so the tranny might not be the right direction...

...but... i think the idea of a rotary in an MR2 is AWESOME... and i most certainly hope that you can acheive your goals in this project...

and i don't know much about total custom modification, but couldn't you cut the rear engine wall and move it back (i.e. make the trunk smaller) for more room? i'm sure you would need some reinforcements in certain places so as not to compromise structural integrity, but isn't it at least somewhat feasible? at least this could give you a little more leeway with fitment issues... but like i said, i don't know what is and is not possible with that...

 

[Mistatwo Mayn]

wait what?! 350kg!? homeboy you are tripping! that's more than my gf!

 

[aspera]

posted by SBCelicaGT
What? You do realize that a mid engined car simply means the engine is placed on or before the rear tires, right? Porsche and VW have rear engine setups since the engine is located behind the axle. Just thought I'd let you know.

No. You are wrong. Mid-engined means that the engine is mounted (mostly) between the front and rear axle lines. That is why the Nissan FM platform stands for "front-mid". The MR2 is a mid-rear transverse design. What I suggested was an offset "center mid-engined" longitudinal design.

Yes, the VW and Porsche 911-ish designs are rear engined...but the tranny sits on the other side of the axle. That's important. The gearbox is a heavy metal box full of heavy metal. That's one thing to consider for the side-engined car. The transmission is moved closer to the middle of the car also.

 

[mwarner]

Originally posted by SBCelicaGT
What? You do realize that a mid engined car simply means the engine is placed on or before the rear tires, right? Porsche and VW have rear engine setups since the engine is located behind the axle. Just thought I'd let you know.



I think I'd have to agree with this guy. The rotary engine isn't revolutionary, it's just different. I applaud the idea of trying something different for the sake of being different. But do not say, or imply, the engine is superior. For the same reasons listed, I am not impressed with rotary engines at this time. More R&D needs to be done to produce a rotary engine that is more efficiency and more reliable while still making decent horsepower.