Hey guys, this wild idea came into mind today and i was wondering if anyone knows how it would work.
The RX-7 engine is a 1.3 liter and ours is a 2.0 but i think it's shaped really differently, and i know it takes a hell of a lot of weird computer and wiring crap to run that engine, but would it be possible to get one into the P5 engine bay and get it running?

 

anything is possible if you are willing to dump $$$$$$$$ into it.

but with a realistic budget in mind, basically the answer is NO.

btw, do you know what kind of engine the RX-7 has????

 

To expand on the previous answer a little...

Mazda has never sold a front-wheel-drive rotary-powered car anywhere in the world, ever. Mazda rotaries have an oddball bellhousing bolt pattern that makes it impossible to bolt one up to a tranny that's not from another rotary car. In other words, there is no off-the-shelf tranny that will work; you will need to custom-fabricate a bellhousing, possibly the tranny input shaft, in addition to the engine mounts. You will also need a custom exhaust manifold (all off-the-shelf manifolds point towards the back of a RWD car, see above).

My opinion: Forget the idea. Wait a few months and buy an RX-8. It will cost less and you won't have to worry about putting down all that power through the front wheels.

 

Haha, well i don't have the money and i just got my P5 so forget let's all forget i ever mentioned the idea

 

I guess it's possible to transverse the layout to get it to work in FWD applications. you need lots of customising....
motor mounts, wiring harness, ecu just to start..

I bought a P5 for that

 

Yeah, Mazda used to make quite a number of rotary cars. The RX-7 was just the best.

 

Spoken like a true Mazda nut. I'm too lazy to pull or remember numbers like that. There is always the hope that the RX-8 will bring the rotary back to the states in some other models too. But with all the problems the rotary has with emissions compliance I doubt it.

 

aha, that's the beauty of the brand new RENESIS engine in the RX-8, it will be ULEV-certified when it comes out in '04

 

Ooooh Rotary talk!
They were also found in motorcycles, snowmobiles, & aircraft.
Refresh my memory, what major auto co. looked into development of rotary engines before selling the rights to Mazda?
I don't think the guy in the original post knew it's not a piston engine.
edit..... Richard, where could I see some pics of your rx-3?
Searched and only came up with this
www.protegeclub.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=4238
Pics you inserted came up as X, but that could be cause I'm at work.

 

I was following a thread of a guy who was looking to buy a RE-5 he had seen for sale.
Basically everyone told him parts were scarce and $$$.
Pics were sweet

 

If I'm not mistaken it was Chevrolet that was developing the rotary engine for the vega in the 1970's before selling the design to Mazda.

 

Actually the good ole boys at GM were using the Rotary at one point as a 4 rotor version in prototype covettes. Not sure about the Vega but I know of 2 concept corvettes that used a rotary......thats what I get for having a dad that is a corvette buff.

 

John you are right. My friend had a 95 rx-7 turbo charged it ran 11.5 in the quarter. His tranny went so we replaced it with the 6 speed from a miata. All we had to change was the bell housing due to different bolt pattern.

Dude that ask the question about putting a 1.3 rotary motor into a Protege 5 the answer is yes you can do it. It will cost you about 3,000 dollars and that is not saying what else you need to get or rebuild. I am looking for the site now that has a 323 rotary and a miata rotary. I just cannot find it now. I remeber the miata ran a 8.5 sec quarter mile. ZOOM ZOOM.

Also some things on the tranny but it did work.

 

Best I could find but it shows that anythings possible
http://www.monito.com/wankel/convert.html