....Exhaust / Throttle Cable / Accessory Drive / Pulleys....
EXHAUST...
...The rest of the exhaust system is best left to the professional. The best underbody exit path that maintains maximum ground clearance is down along the passenger side of the transmission tunnel. A good smog legal plan would route the driver's side 2-1/2" pipe in front of the oil pan sump (like stock Camaro),
joining the passenger side 2-1/2" pipe in a "Y" in the starter/bellhousing area. The exit of the "Y" would be a single 3-1/2" pipe thru
a single hi-flo catalytic converter (uses existing RX-7 heat shields), which is then sent back to a muffler in the stock RX-7 position. Beware of chambered mufflers w/o packing, as they can cause a bit if resonance inside the passenger compartment at highway
speeds.
THROTTLE CABLE...
BE SURE THERE IS ENOUGH
CLEARANCE BEFORE CLOSING THE HOOD!
ACCESSORY DRIVE BRACKETS & PULLEYS...
LT-1 accessory options...
Alternator...
Power Steering- using the LT-1 Power Steering Pump... the RX-7 steering rack can be plumbed to the Chevy pump using custom hoses. The Mazda rack had 3 hoses going to the pump/valve body assembly, and can be plumbed into the Chevy pump as follows...
AC Compressor...plumb in your engine's existing AC compressor using custom hoses. The fittings should be salvaged from your old hoses, and assembled using new longer hoses. Be sure to assemble and test fit the new hoses on the car before final crimping of the hose ends to insure proper length, fitting twist, and fit.
2....Considerations & Requirements....
4....Engine / Transmission Installation....
5....Exhaust / Throttle Cable / Accessory Drive / Pulleys....
6....Cooling / Fuel Systems....
7....RX-7 Wiring Harness Connector ID and Circuit Locations....
8....Electrical System Modifications By Circuit....
9....Start-up / Troubleshooting....
Option #1- stock exhaust manifolds...Stock exhaust manifolds will fit, as long as they exit down and to the rear. The exception is the 305 right side
manifold that has the extra wide #8 cylinder bolt spacing, which exits too far rearward and hits the floor pan.
Option #2- Headers (SBC and LT1 only)...Our custom full length 1-3/4" race style header set. Specially designed for those that want to make 450+hp. Excellent drop-in fit and plenty of ground clearance. Dual exhaust style transmission crossmember recommended. Manual transmissions w/ an external slave cylinder may need to be converted to an internal hydraulic throwout bearing.
Throttle linkage...
...Use the throttle cable from a Camaro/Firebird, which can be easily adapted to the RX-7 firewall / throttle pedal using a short spacer.
...the late model LT-1 uses a gear drive water pump and does not lend its self to using the Mazda V-belt accessories. In this case, it is best to use the LT-1's existing
alternator, PS pump, and AC compressor.
...Option #1- RX-7 alternator... if more hood clearance is needed, the RX-7 alternator can be easily modified and installed in place of the LT-1 alternator by installing the serpentine pulley and slotting the end of it's adjuster tab.
...Option #2- LT-1 alternator... the LT-1 alternator will not clear the hood in it's stock position. In order to make it fit, you can re-position it by "reversing" it in it's mount, with the body of the alt lower and in front of the pulley instead of behind it in the traditional orientation.
"Reversing" the alternator's mounting position will cause it to spin backwards, but our experience has detected little, if any, loss of cooling, efficiency, or component life. A longer bolt is required, and a small spacer will need to be fabricated to properly align the alternator drive pulley with the serpentine belt.
...Option #3- Delco CS-130 alternator...this is a smaller diameter alternator that fits in the same mounts as the stock LT-1 alternator. The CS-130 came on some 3.8 equipped '92-'96 GM passenger cars.
..."A"- small pressure hose- this is a high pressure return line that went from the RX-7 rack to the return metering valve that was mounted on the side of the RX-7 pump.
A stepper motor controlled the needle shaped valve to control the volume of fluid that was bled off to vary the amount of power assist. The stepper was controlled by the RX-7's "power steering control unit", a computer located under the dash to the left of the steering column.
This hose should be connected to a "T" installed in the low pressure return line "C", allowing excess pressure from the rack to bleed off, returning fluid to the pump's resevoir.
..."B"- larger pressure hose- this is the pressure line from the pump to the rack. Plumb this hose directly to the Chevy pump's pressure fitting using a custom fabricated hi-pressure hose.
..."C"- large low pressure return hose- this is the return line to the resevoir. This hose should have a "T" installed with the open leg of the T connected to hose "A".
Plumbing the PS system as noted above will result in a reduced amount of power assist, perfect for high speed driving.
Steering effort at low speeds will be reduced to about 1/2 the assist provided by the stock RX-7 power steering. Drivers not familiar with the RX-7 rarely detect that the power steering assist has been reduced.