At first, I was looking to do the job for about a grand. But now, I am looking at at least 2K total with new housing and all the bearings replaced.

Because the car is only worth 4-5K at most, I was originally just looking for a freshening of the engine. But, if it needs housings, I might as well go all the way. (I've had the car for all it's life and I can't imagine ever selling it; so, I might as well do the job correctly now.)

That means, I will be buying new Rotor Housings. The price is not too unbearable - as long as I don't screw the pooch on the re-assembly.

I will have to find out if I will now need new apex seals for the new housing. I will check to see what the measurements I come up with from the old seals.

Not that I'd be happy to bump your costs, but I'd personally HATE to run used seals on new housings, unless they had less than a couple hundred gentle miles on them.


edit: wait, you aren't considering buying ONE new housing and putting it with a used one, are you?

No, two.

Based on the wear pattern I am seeing, I'd have to guess that apex seals are deformed too. But I will wait till I see them to make that call.

you are talking about buying brand new rotor housings, but using used apex seals?

Thanks for the post. I had already concluded that except for the rotors and the irons, I will have a new engine when i am finished.

Did I read you correctly, that the new 16X is going to have narrower rotors? I guess that means the overall hight/width of the engine will grow.

Which would seem to go against what I would image would help the flame front speed problem, but apparently I'm wrong. Or maybe they've figured out a better injection method (direct?) and fixed the problem.

they are using direct injection http://autodrum.com/news/wp-content/.../10/rx16_2.jpg

Well that explains it. :D

I had 3 very good 13B NA housings, my dad traded them all in for scrap though :(, I do have two T2 housings you can buy though. I will need the exhaust sleeves though. they are out of a jspec, pm me if youre interested, i dont want much.

What to do with old housings...
 

For those who are following. The front housing has the same dulled chrome as the rear did. So, at 200K my housings are worn out. There is no actual flaking or gouges, just dulled chrome with chatter marks.

So, I will be ordering enough parts that when combined with my good rotors and shaft, I will essentially have a new engine.

But now, the question is what to do with the old housings? I don't want to just trash them.

I guess I could turn them in for the aluminum value and get (?) 2 or 3 bucks?

Or; as I recall there was some company experimenting with re-chroming the housings. I am sure they need a supply of mechanically intact housings to work with.

Does anyone know the person(s) who are trying to get a re-chrome process perfected?

Haven't posted for a long time, but here is what happened...

After geting the 202K engine disassembled, I found that both rotors were worn; the chrome was not flaking but it was dull. I have researched and learned that a dull crome is not necessarily a KOD (kiss-of-death), but I didn't want to put together an engine with housings that might not last very long.

So, looking at the cost of new housings, and the rest of the engine parts, I decided I would still go for it. I liked the idea of having what would basicly be a new engine.

Total cost was now going to be about 2K.

Then, during a close inspection of the front iron, I found that the outer wall of the inner water seal was gone in two places - worn away.

This would add some more to the cost of the engine.

Then I found a reman with warranty for a little more than 2K.

So, I am putting the 'core' back together and will take delivery of the rebuilt engine on Monday.

Adding to the cost will be another $7C for a rebuilt transmission.

Spending $2.7K on an engine and tranny for a car that is only worth about $4K does not seem a great idea me; but because it is a vert, in great shape, has much sentimental value, gets ~26MPG, and I can never see selling it, I am proceding.

From day one (0 miles), I've always got great mileage from the vert. Top up or top down.

But then, it's always been a great highway car.