'85 RX-7 5.3L L33 T56 Swap

[85GSL]

So I actually started my build quite some time ago, but have just now started my first build thread.  This build has come to be much harder in some ways and much easier in others.  It took me a long time to finally pull the trigger and decide to go with the 5.3L swap into my first gen.  I drove the car 2 summers with the stock 12a in it before deciding to do an engine swap.  Being a 20 year old college student majoring in business, it does make my build go a bit slower paying for parts and everything else, but it is what it is.

Here's a list of what I can think of off the top of my head, I'm sure I'm missing some stuff, but more will be added.
-'85 GSL
-L33 from '06 Silverado
-LS1 Intake from Camaro
-LS3 Exhaust Manifolds from Camaro
-LS2 Brand New Front Accessories
-LS2 Customized Oil Pan
-Professional Products Fuel Rails
-Wix Filter/Regulator
-Walbro 255 Pump
-Russell Inline Filter
-3/8" Stainless Steel Fuel Line
-Griffin 3" Aluminum Radiator
-Earl's Oil Cooler
-Ebay Power Steering Cooler
-Truck Drive by Wire TB and Pedal Assembly
-Wilwood Clutch Master Cylinder
-Duralast Clutch Slave Cylinder
-LS7 Clutch and Flywheel from Luk
-T56 Transmission
-Odyssey PC925t Battery
-16" Electric Spal Fan

I'm just going to post a bunch of pictures from my build in order of when I started to where I'm at now, enjoy!

What I started with


Got the engine out


Picked up an L33 5.3L from an '06 Silverado said to have 68,000 miles, but seemed to have more after seeing how dirty it was


New Wix Filter/Regulator and New Fuel Rails


Got the engine sitting in there with the truck intake manifold


Put an LS1 intake manifold on from my Grandpa's old Camaro


New LS7 Clutch and Flywheel from Luk, brand new LS2 water pump and crank pulley


Brand new LS2 alternator, bracket, power steering pump, tensioner/idler pulley, and all hardwear needed


LS3 Camaro Exhaust Manifolds (Only ones that I could find that would fit)


Drive by wire truck pedal installed


3" Griffin aluminum radiator


Did an Integra speedo swap into my cluster, turned out a lot better than I thought it would, pain in the butt though



Bought a brand new LS2 Corvette oil pan and had it modified by TPIS so that it would clear the steering centerlink, turned out great!



The fresh mounting brackets we made that fit up to the Mazda mounts


Cheap oil cooler and power steering cooler mounted in


Decided to sand for hours to paint up my LS1 intake manifold, turned out really well actually


Crossmember we made to hold my T56 transmission


My fuel set up, from the tank to small Russell inline filter to Walbro 255 pump to my Wix Filter/Regulator and running a 3/8" stainless line to the fuel rails


Wilwood Clutch Master Cylinder, fit up almost perfect, just had to drill out the main hole bigger and shorten the shaft


The radiator sitting in there, fits really nice


Painted my manifolds with high temp paint


My new Odyssey battery to relocate in the passenger side bucket


My new 16" Spal electric curved fan


How my car sits as of now, powder coated the valve covers black myself, also replaced a bunch of bushings for the steering system, reinforced the watts linkage bracket from Mazdatrix and replaced the idler arm with a Moog one.

[Grr]

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[85GSL]

Awesome, could you post up the specs on that radiator and how much it cost?
Where you live?  I'm in breckenridge btw

It is 24"x16" to the top of the cap and I got it from Track Time Motorsports.
I live in Minnesota, just changed my profile so it says.

[N2v8fcs]

looking good .
keep up the good work .

[SSjon]

Tons of First Gen builds popping up! Very nice work so far, fuel pump setup reminds me of how mine used to run. I love the drive by wire setup, first swap in a first gen I have seen with it.

[Grr]

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[WannaBeFast]

That's a nice looking car - I like that. I need to build a FB daily driver one day with a turbo ecotec or something.

[85GSL]

Thanks guys!  Yep, my summer daily, so I'm not too focused on getting a ton of hp.  But for updates, I got the new driveshaft in and just started running the battery cable along the bottom of the car.  I'm putting it in the passenger side bucket behind the seat.  More updates to come as I find more time to work on it.

I do have a question, so I am wanting it to be my daily, road racing, autocross and some drifting.  I am not positive what I'm doing for suspension yet, but I was thinking of doing Tokico Illuminas with some eibach springs.  Anyone have any other suggestions or anything?

[SSjon]

Can I get more pics of that trans crossmember?

[85GSL]

Hey guys, sorry for not having any updates lately, been busy between work and working on getting the car going.  I do have a question though, I just got in my new Tokico blue struts front and rear and am considering doing the racing beat springs, but am not sure if that would be a good enough spring rate for street/a small amount of track use.

Anyways, if anyone could help me out, that would be great, here's a current picture of the car,

[smg id=5940 type=preview align=center caption="28"]

[85GSL]

Here's a video of my car starting finally.  It doesn't run the best because there's no O2 sensors and it still needs a good tune, but we at least got it running.  We still have more work to do, but it's coming along nicely.

[Badbird_96]

Totally glad that i saw this. Im doing a similar build and was wondering about clearence on the front of the motor. Now i know i can run the filter setup i want. Btw do you have enough clearence at the rear to retain the heater core lines or is something new going to have to be sourced?

[85GSL]

Totally glad that i saw this. Im doing a similar build and was wondering about clearence on the front of the motor. Now i know i can run the filter setup i want. Btw do you have enough clearence at the rear to retain the heater core lines or is something new going to have to be sourced?

For now we just shortened the heat core lines, it works for now, but I believe we will end up changing it and doing it a better way in the future, but it will work for now.

[Badbird_96]

Gotcha. I know where they come out i wasnt sure if they would clear the engine.

[96HawkCnvt]

Took a picture of the finished battery relocation so I figured that I'd post it up.  I'm the helper on this project 

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