No LS Swaps Here! | 13B Powered RX7 - 1.3L 510WHP [TECH TOUR]

Mazda Apex Seals vs aftermarket? Pre-mix vs OEM oil pumps? What are some of the key considerations needed to ensure rotary engine longevity in a Formula Drift platform, let's find out.

Powered by a 1.3L Series 6 13B-REW and running a relaxed 510WHP with 420lb-ft of torque at 19PSI from the BorgWarner EFR 8474 turbocharger we get some insight at The SEMA Show from owner and driver, Aaron Parker, a Formula D Pro2 driver, Pro1 mechanic, Netflix Hyperdrive contestant and all-round good guy into some of the decision making process and tradeoffs that go into a setup like this.

Controlled by an Adaptronic ECU and primarily running pump Ethanol fuel and an aggressive fuel to oil ratio, Aaron explains the reason for such a ratio and touches on why this particular setup can get away with it, along with his step up to the BorgWarner EFR 8474 from a slightly smaller EFR 8374 setup, and how with the introduction of Nitrous/NOS he expects to only see gains in power across the board rather than the usual sacrifice of lag vs power/size.

OEM Mazda apex seals and aftermarket seals like those from PTS are discussed along with Aarons basic guideline on what to always check and setup correctly in order to maintain reliability for the drift application of his setup. Massive gains can be had in performance when it comes to the performance of a rotary engine, but often at a cost in power elsewhere, so lastly we also get a quick and dirty rundown on the semi-peripheral porting and street port, aka extended port setup which gives him some extra power without sacrificing everything lower down in the rev range.

While we love a good LS, we are stoked to see this solid 13B drift setup going from strength to strength and look forward to seeing Aaron compete in Formula Drift PRO2 in 2020.

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