. I should be able to sandwich it all together in the next = few days. I am reviewing the video's on the Pineapple Racing site, = reviewing Tracy's material's, Mazda Manual, Haynes Manual, Bruce T's = video, other online info etc. It is amazing how a review helps = reinforce knowledge well after the first exposure. Preparing the parts = for assembly is sooooooo much less daunting this time. While hopefully = not falling into complacency (such as the wrong port template. DOH!!!), = confidence is high. Things that provided great anxiety a couple of = years ago, are just tasks to complete....tapping, grinding, measuring = etc. This also allows the opportunity to refine the various ancillary = systems. It is much easier to get to some of the preliminary attempts, = that are working, but that can be refined that have already been mounted = and/or installed. I can clean up wire runs, air ducting, and oil pan = leak etc. I am of the mind that that the coolant leak was a forced = blessing. So it goes. All the best, Christopher Barber Houston, Texas ------=_NextPart_000_0C9F_01C89510.CD81CB70 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable

As I have mentioned following the = coolant in my=20 rotor housing I disassembled the engine. I was not thrilled = with the=20 conditions of the rotors (as in the water passages seemed a bit = rough) but=20 they seemed pretty much in spec and better facing than the other housing = we=20 had...if I was measuring properly. I considered replacing them, = but I did=20 not want to wait for the order to arrive. While taking = it apart I=20 decided to go ahead and port the engine with the Pineapple Racing Medium = Street=20 Port template. I ground out the plates but became too aggressive = on the=20 intermediate housing and broke through. The actual grinding with a = Dremmel=20 was pretty easy....if it only were not for that pesky oooops (more on = that in a=20 minute:-+)

Funny, but very lucky in this = case, how even=20 with years of research/experience etc you will come across a tidbit of=20 information that can make a big difference. In the honored = tradition of=20 admitting mistakes in the experimental build and engine = development, I am=20 gonna share one of my "oops". After trashing my = center plate I=20 needed a new one so I decided to order a new one...since I was gonna be = waiting=20 on the new plate, I went ahead and choose to order new rotor = housings......and,=20 while on the phone went ahead and ordered new front and rear housing as=20 well.....ported by the professionals at Mazdatrix. Heck, it is = only an=20 airplane engine - figured new major engine parts couldn't hurt=20 <g>.

I received the new parts on Saturday = while away at=20 a big Jeep Jamboree in the Texas Hill Country with my best = friend.....heck,=20 those off road guys are almost as crazy as we are. Kinda like us, = they plan=20 for equipment failure...just for those guys, the consequences are a = mere=20 inconvenience....and give some bragging rights to boot. Great fun=20 though

When I got the new parts I noticed that = the=20 intermediate housing porting, while REALLY pretty and well done, seemed = very=20 small. Hmmmmm? Later that night I was viewing some RX7 club = threads online=20 to reinforce my rebuild process and noticed that I had screwed = up. My=20 templates had TWO different template patterns. I think I was = thinking they=20 were for turbo and non turbo (smaller second port) plates and = didn't think=20 too much about it at the time. I would just use the larger turbo=20 port. OOOOOOPPPPPS. NO, the smaller port template is for the = intermediate housing porting. No wonder I broke through....I was = using the=20 larger WRONG template. Damn. I am actually a pretty competent guy, how = could I=20 miss that? Hmmmm.

Well, Education and recreation. = It is=20 both. I am actually pretty happy that I got the new parts. I = am=20 still using the used rotors, e-shaft and gears. They seem = perfect. I=20 think the new rotor housing are likely to give the most bang for the = buck and I=20 think the correct porting will add some good power. Combined with = the=20 Mistral intake, Tracy's products and possible future turbo, a solid = power=20 plant should be in the making for the Velocity.

I have been making my aviation = modifications over=20 the last couple of days and painted the parts: Blue and gold; Sigma Chi, = Law=20 Enforcement and the Legal profession colors....plus I think the colors = look=20 pretty together <g>. I should be able to sandwich it all = together in=20 the next few days. I am reviewing the video's on the Pineapple = Racing=20 site, reviewing Tracy's material's, Mazda Manual, Haynes Manual, Bruce = T's=20 video, other online info etc. It is amazing how a review = helps=20 reinforce knowledge well after the first exposure. Preparing the = parts for=20 assembly is sooooooo much less daunting this time. While hopefully = not=20 falling into complacency (such as the wrong port template. DOH!!!), = confidence=20 is high. Things that provided great anxiety a couple of years ago, = are=20 just tasks to complete....tapping, grinding, measuring etc. This = also=20 allows the opportunity to refine the various ancillary systems. It = is much=20 easier to get to some of the preliminary attempts, that are working, but = that=20 can be refined that have already been mounted and/or installed. I = can=20 clean up wire runs, air ducting, and oil pan leak etc. I am = of the=20 mind that that the coolant leak was a forced blessing. So it=20 goes.

All the best,

Christopher Barber

Houston, Texas

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