13BTT-REW FD3S Rebuild -- The Core

06-12-2009


Costs:
$1750 - Engine Core
$1750 Total

Time:
5h: Failed Trip
10h: Sucessful Trip
15h Total

The rebuild starts with buying an engine "core". It's common to get these from importers, and that's exactly what I did. I made two trips to JDM Engine Depot, in Kearny, NJ, to get this one. The first trip had to be aborted after 5 hours on the road (it should be a 2.5-hour trip) because of heavy traffic through the NYC area - I couldn't make it by the time they closed. The second trip went much better.


It's sort of hard to get a good feel for a rotary just by looking at the outside. JDM had several cores available, and comparing engines by looking at the outside is sort of like comparing coconuts - you can look for cracks, but until you open it up, you don't know what you have. I chose a core without a tranny, which I don't need, and that had the plugs still in it so hopefully it will have had less exposure to moisture in transit. I also stuck my fingers in the exhaust port and felt the turbo impeller blades - they felt fine. I expected them to, but if a seal had broken and shredded the turbo I wanted to know!

    

Running Total: 12 hours (mostly driving) and $1750, plus tolls and gas.