Project FD RX7 Restomod: Part 24 – Engine and Transmission Install

FD RX-7 No enigineWith the FD seeing a lift for the first time in 2 years at our friends at HQ Engineering, an NSX specialty shop in San Gabriel, California who have clients from all around the country shipping NSXs to them for everything from basic service to engine and transmission rebuilds on up to their 800hp+ twin turbo kits that they developed.

Our FD was surrounded by countless variations of arguably the other best “Driver’s car” to come out of Japan.  While HQ Engineering does not work on RX-7’s, we were fortunate enough to borrow a lift for a few hours to install the engine.

FD RX-7 Subframe RemovedWe dropped our newly powder coated front subframe in preparation of installing the engine and transmission from below, which is far easier than pulling the engine out of the top of the engine bay.

FD RX-7 13B REW Fisch Racing Tech CD009 Transmission Swap RaceOnly Billet PulliesWe placed the engine and transmission onto the front subframe and bolted it in place.  Next, we lowered the chassis onto the engine and transmission.

FD RX-7 CD009 Fisch Racing Tech SerialNINE shifter fitmentJust before touchdown, we ran into a transmission clearance issue.  The SerialNINE CD999 shifter assembly for the CD009/CD00A is just slightly too short for the transmission tunnel opening.

FD RX-7 CD009 Fisch Racing Tech SerialNINE shifter Transmission SwapA few quick cuts with a cutoff wheel and grinding disc gave us the clearance we needed to bolt the drivetrain in place.

5 comments

  1. Every update on this project is fantastic! Keep up the good work and keep all of us entertained with this awesome build as most of us go into the cold months with much less track action.

  2. Still a very exemplary build.
    One thing though. The trans crossmember looks unnecessarily complex for a simple part. If You really need to make it from billet, mill it from one single piece. The bolt-together construction is just silly. This part could have been made from steel 2x thinner and just welded.

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