FD LS3 Race Car Build (KingKyle)

[digitalsolo]

Alright guys, by popular demand...   the King Kyle FD Build   (no, it's not done yet, but I have all the pics/posts, just copying them in from a PDF file, a bit tedious...)   I will unlock this when it's completely rebuilt:

Originally posted by KingKyle:




Hey Guys,

I've been trolling around this forum trying to plan my next race car for quite a while. The forum has been a huge help in my decision making process.  After lots of number crunching and head scratching I realized that the performance potential of the FD stripped to its bare minimum weight with an LSX motor is just about as good as it gets. 

My goals with the car:

My goal is the make the lightest fastest FD race car possible.  Many of you might think that i'm crazy but I come from the world of NASA super unlimited racing and time attack with my previous race car.  My plan is to get the car down to about 2300-2400lbs wet and have roughly 500whp.  With the balanced chassis and sleek aero, it should be a good package.

I'm going to be wheel to wheel racing the car in NASA super touring 1. This is a very competitive class that has a power to weight ratio of 5.5.  I will be balasting up about 250lbs to meet the requirements but thats one way to have a competitive advantage. 

I will also be competing in the highest level of time attack. NASA and also Redline time attack in the unlimited RWD class.  I'll be taking all balast out for time attack.

What I need from you guys, is lots of HELP!! :runaway:

I can turn a wrench but i'm new to the LSX motor and I've never done a motor swap.  I hope you guys will be able to literally guide me through the process if I have any questions about the install and build.  Also... if any of you live in the northern NJ area and you want to stop by and help out... I will pay in Beer of your choice!

Now on to the build/pics.  I thought it was a good time to start my build thread.  I just got the car back from the cage builder so here are my preliminary pictures of the car/progress so far.

Most important pic first My brand new LS3/T56, 595,595 custom cam and 832 heads... should make lots of power


The car... 93 base model... EVERYTHING stripped out


Cage pics.... next job is cleaning the interior and painting the cage/floor/engine bay








I'll be updating the thread hopefully daily with lots of pics and questions... i need to get the car done by my first track test day March 28th.

Kyle

[digitalsolo]

Here is a pic of my previous race car I just parted out to fund this new project.

 It was the 2nd fastest Evo in the country and very competitive in time attack.  I'm 100% sure the FD with the LS3 will pickup where my Evo left off. The Evo was very fast but it had an inherent understeer problem at high speeds.  The balance of the FD is whats really appealing.

Here is a video from my last race in the Evo.. its sad to see it go, but the new car is sooo much more bad ass!

[digitalsolo]

Look forward to the progress of your project.  I have a bunch of weight info for ya. 
If you are really serious about dropping weight, and you have the budget (which may be the case seeing the new engine/trans.  I highly recommend going with the body parts on this site:
7PARTS.com - Specializing in aftermarket parts for the Mazda RX-7
you will be able to dump a bunch of weight and run REAL monster tires. For more info and pricing on the parts you need to go to the forum section:
Doors (pair) weighs under 8 pounds each, stock doors are over 65 each complete and still 33 pounds cut to the minimum.
Fiberglass = 1099.00
Wet Carbon Fiber = 1549.00

Hood skin with gromets to use the stock hinges weighs 9 pounds stock is 21 pounds Must use hood pins.
Fiberglass = 499.00
Wet Carbon Fiber = 699.00

Hatch skin with gromets to use the stock hinges weighs 7 pounds stock is 42 pounds Must use hood pins.
Fiberglass = 399.00
Wet Carbon Fiber = 549.00

Hatch complete with gromets for latch and shock supports (must get different softer shocks since the hatch is lighter, these are the shocks that keep the hatch lifted up when opened) weighs 10 pounds
Fiberglass = 549.00
Wet Carbon Fiber = 699.00

Front End (75 inches wide and will allow 12 inch wide wheels with 335 tires to be mounted up front) weighs 22 pounds.
Fiberglass = 1299.00
Wet Carbon Fiber = 2499.00

Rear Back 1/2 (75 inches wide and will allow a 14 inch wide wheel with a 14 inch wide tire) wieghs 35 pounds
Fiberglass = 1799.00
Wet Carbon Fiber = 3999.00

Roof weighs just 7 pounds
Fiberglass = 349.00
Wet Carbon Fiber = 599.00

Complete Car weighs only 96 pounds
Fiberglass = 5199.00
Wet Carbon Fiber = 9499.00

I have been researching this extensively for many years, and these parts are the most serious race parts made for this vehicle.  The car they were made for (that is pictured on that site) was a complete monster with a rotary.  With a v-8 it would be killer.  I talked myself out of this stuff mostly because I still have delusions of keeping my car a daily driver-type street vehicle.

[digitalsolo]

Kyle-  I've seen vids of your old Evo before.  Bad ass car for sure.  In road race trim how much power were you putting down?  Was the motor "reliable" at that level? I assume you were running 116-118 octane?  That sure adds up vs. running 91/93 octane like you can with an LS1 putting down similar power.

I second the use of the Hyperion surge cover before going the fuel cell route.  If you only race 20 minute sessions simply top off the tank before each session and you won't have any starvation problems.  It will also get the car closer to 50/50 weight balance.  My old FD will full tank of fuel, no a/c or p/s with 18x10.5 CCW's all round, no rear bins/carpet/spare, Sparco steering wheel, Sparco driver seat, LS1/T56, and heavy dual 3" mild steel exhaust was 2800lbs with 49.5% front and 50.5% rear weight distribution.  The crossweights after cornerweighting was within 1lb of each other!  The more fuel you burned up.... the more the bias moved to the front.  I simply topped off the tank after each session.

Most of the top racers here in the states run a TriPoint adj front bar and a stock rear.  I would highly suggest running that combo instead of staying stock .  It really helps the car in the twisties.

Sounds like the car should be bad ass.  If you really want to go 100% on the car you should look into moving the engine back further a few inches into the firewall. 

Here is the front bumper I would run as well.  It allows lots of air in for max flow into the radiator and oil coolers etc.  It is made of FRP unlike the previous versions which were fiberglass and very damage prone.
GB: FD Mazdaspeed Replica GT-Concept Front Bumper in Flexible FRP - Page 2 - RX7Club.com

This would be a good read also.  Howard helped me with info on setting my car up:
howard coleman's FD Chassis/Setup - RX7Club.com

[digitalsolo]

My Evo put down about 500whp @24psi running on C16.  The cost of running a 2 day event was about $500 in fuel plus tires/pads/track fee's trailering cost.  The Fuel was a killer not only because it was expensive but it was so damn hard to get when you needed it and its a pain to transport the fuel.  Also my MPG on track was about 4 with the evo and i'm guessing the ls3 should be around 7mpg.  Its going to be so nice using pump gas

The Evo was actually reliable.  You have to know that I developed really big contacts and found ways to use a race motor that could take well over 1000whp and only ran 500whp.  The Evo's motor actually ran all season just gas and go... oil changes after every event. 

I guess i'll go to the tripoint bar.  Do you know what the stock front bars diameter is compared to the tripoint bar? I'm guessing the reason so many track/autox guys use the tripoint bar is because the FD rotates so well... a nice stiff front bar should take unwanted rotation out of the car.  I'm actually running the same bumper you suggested.  I just painted it black... i'll also be fitting a nice Al honeycomb dry carbon custom splitter also. 

Thanks for all the help guys... I really appreciate it.  The car should be silly fast

[digitalsolo]

Some updated pix.

I finished making the brake lines and painted the inside/cage

And the Hinson mounting kit comes in a few days so i can finally get building!

[digitalsolo]

Who says you need a dash... fab'd a bracket for the AIM dash and mounted the switch panel.

[digitalsolo]

Little more progress

Mounted the accusump and made a custom line to the bulkhead fitting


Mounted the battery


And the big mirror

[digitalsolo]

little more progress... cut a custom piece of diamond plate for an even floor

[digitalsolo]

Ok I have a few questions for you guys. If i can figure these two things out, I can have the car running this weekend.

1. I'm trying to interface my universal "painless performance" wiring harness to the FD fuel pump wires that come through the fuel access panel in pigtail form. I have 1 grey wire on my painless harness called "to fuel pump". What wire on the mazda fuel pump pig tail do i connect that to? and what wires do i connect to my autometer fuel gauge?

2. Here is a pic of my two cooling system outlets. I'm not running a heater core so what do i do with these two outlets with blue tape? plug them?

loop them since you are running the stock thermostat housing

ok cool... and i can "t" in my water temp sensor i guess... its the same diameter as the outlets





Hottest wheels ive ever seen just came UPS

[digitalsolo]

Finally in the car! you guys on the forum make this step look sooooo easy.. its not. It took 3 of us a good 3 hours to get this sucker to fit. (could be that i was too cheap to buy a engine leveler)  But its all good now. Nothing broken

[digitalsolo]

I present to you.. Forgeline

BTW- I weighed the car with the motor/trans and everything but fluids/drive shaft and calipers and the car was 2150lbs !!!! it looks like i'll be right at 2300 max

[digitalsolo]

Thanks guys... the car should be done for my first test day on the 28th of this month.  you will get the first in-car video and pictures on track of "king kong" hah.

Here is a link to the jericho trans.... Jerico RR4 Road Race 4 Speed Top / Bottom Loader Transmission

[digitalsolo]

Installed some stopping power today



And of course... with the forgelines

[digitalsolo]

how does this look for a catch can/ over flow location?

Higher than the valve covers is not a problem. However you're gonna want to get a tank with a radiator cap on it.

Search my thread for how it should be done. Basically you're gonna want to block off your radiator cap (I used a 30 psi cap and plugged the 1/8" NPT port on it). You want your surge tank to be above the highest point in the heads, and you'll want to have a filler location there (radiator cap). If you don't have a cap there, you'll never be able to get all the air out, or fill it all the way up.

There are three lines going to the surge tank.

1. From the cap on the surge tank you'll want the small line going to a vented overflow tank.
2. On the bottom of the surge tank you'll want a 1/2" line running to the suction side of yoru water pump (or to the lower radiator end tank).
3. The steam lines on the head should go to the surge tank, right near the top.

Any air from the coolant system will be forced to the highest point in the system (the top of the surge tank), and forced out that small line to the vented overflow. When the system cools down it will suck coolant back in. You will end up with a system with zero air in it after maybe 2 or 3 hot/cold cycles. It works wonderfully.

This is exactly what i needed.... I had no clue how to setup the surge tank system... any pics of this on your car?

Here are the tubes with the colored caps that I dont know what is what.