Do we or do we not have a Mazda rearend?

Anyone have any friends with a Gen 3 Rx7 that we can look at?

They have Rx7's with 400+ hp. So if we really have the same (or similar) rear end, I don't see why I can't swap mine out with a beefier aftermarket Rx7 one.

 

gotta friend here at work who mods out RX7's, inquiring and will post if I find out anything.

 

yea, I thought it was the same as the Miata, but didn't want to spread a bad rumor. thanks for the clarification.

 

anyone with a miata that can confirm it then?

 

According to the website, it looks like a lot of great cars are using this diff.

 

i thought in another thread, it was mazda that put the thing together?? so the only common factor is the torsen thing?? but different manufacturers put the differential together?

 

I think most of us are worried about the complete assembly - not the limited slip part.

Once we find out specs' we might be able to just do a pretty simple swap, maybe an adaptor for the driveshaft - and joints/axles

What is the RX7 geared at?

 

yeah, that's what i meant.
it doesn't matter if it's type I or type II, it's the construction of the whole assembly.

 

I just traded my '94 RX-7 tt on my new Stook. Having spent numerous hours under my RX , I can say for certain that the housings between the two cars are very different.

Obvious differences:
-the RX's companion flange is a more conventional 4 bolt hook-up with regular universal joints
-the S2k has a MUCH more heavily finned aluminum section
-the RX's housing vertical split line was much further rearward (the aluminum part was just a cover, not really a load bearing part)
-due to this split line location, the RX housing is a larger percentage cast iron
-the snout of the RX differential had a substantial boss for bolting to the PPF (power plant frame - a large, truss bridge like structure that rigidly tied the trans to the diff)

The RX-7's final drive ratio is 4.10:1 (same as the S2k), but the Torsen unit is the better type 1 (higher available torque bias).

So, if they do share any parts, it would be limited to ring, pinion, and the bearing & shim arrangements. I do remember reading somewhere (probably a year ago) that Mazda was building this differential unit for Honda.

I will also say that I am quite surprized how big the S2k's half shafts are (36 mm solid according to Automotive Engineering, August 1999). These are significantly thicker than the RX-7's.

Finally, for all the techies, I have in my possesion an SAE paper "Development of the High-power, Low-emission Engine for the "Honda S2000"" with my notes from when it was presented in Detroit by the project chief engineer. I also have a nice article from August 1999 Automotive Engineering International on the car. I could be persuaded to scan these in, if someone would provide the space to host the scans.


Windscreen
2001 Yellow

 

I will host the scans here.

e-mail them to me

rylan@rylan.org