I blew up my K-Swapped RX7

Still cheaper than rebuilding a 13B-REW, let alone buying a replacement. No regrets.
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Music:
“Chasing Paper” - Ghost Beatz - G5PSYIM7AGGXXYU6
“Dearest Vetina” - Featherland - YQEDHAIBZRLJ6XPR
“Untouchable” - PALA - N4W64Z81IIRR4ZB5
“Cowboy Club” - Lunareh - BTJWILFHYIASENJD
“Talk The Walk” - Reveille - OMTTOWU1EBPEARC2
“Evelyn” - CJ-0 - NT1JPMB9SDD028CL
“Fuzzy Sky” - Midnight Daydream - BGFGIFQ02EZPBJQ5
“Mixtape Monster” - Ghost Beatz - Y660CCPLIUVRAWRE
“Dandelion Fields” - PALA - KUITJM8VPIFABNSZ
“Oceans” - Ghost Beatz - 6SJV9BBR7FQRDVWW
00:00 - I'm not proud of what I did
01:05 - 13B-REW rebuild kits even cost more than a K-series
02:07 - Pulling the K20
03:25 - Cleaning and Transferring the parts over
06:41 - Literally speechless
07:33 - Had a blowout
08:18 - Valvoline Restore and Protect
09:00 - I really do love K-series engines
09:40 - MARK MADE A JOKE
09:57 - "taking our time" is a myth
10:35 - Wish I had more time to clean things up
11:00 - Angle is VERY important
12:30 - MARK MAKING MORE JOKES
13:35 - of course it runs
14:00 - I've learned my lesson

[@Nitrocity7151]

Oddly enough, the rotary RX7 outlasted the K swap RX7

[@slonkijippie]

Technically, an engine that never gets used, can never blow up.

[@Nitrocity7151]

​@@slonkijippie You'd be surprised what a sitting engine can do to itself

[@Ben-Rogue]

@@Nitrocity7151 Especially a sitting rotary...

[@Goodman-4525]

Do we have any news of Takahashi's RX7?

[@GearsandGasoline]

The RX8 has driven 4k miles and has coolant problems, this RX7 drove 150k+ miles and blew up because I'm an idiot.

[@muhammadg8589]

i think next road trip should be 3 car , ben,ben,mark

[@axle1717]

For real. Mark is great

[@CaptainBlitz]

Top Gasoline

[@ryanrydes6372]

Sounds like an epic trip!

[@jamesgarcia9672]

Mark should drive a modded support vehicle. Fixing the other two cars along the way.

[@SamuelVelter]

So, the 2 enthusiast cars and the mechanic one

[@alexancheta9562]

Mark is definitely a perfect addition to this channel!

[@TomOtomanski]

100% this

[@damian-kg8hj]

Hell yeah

[@andrewparra2922]

Mark has been such an amazing addition to the channel love him!

[@chase276]

The irony in the RX-8 being his good Mazda now

[@MyRealName]

"Good" is a bit of a stretch 😁

[@joshchaides]

"Irony" because it's made of iron, I see what you did there. Pun caught haha 😉

[@Nitrocity7151]

Once you've done it a few times it's really not hard

[@gavinhogberg]

​@@joshchaides"irony" because that's how it's spelled

[@joshchaides]

@@gavinhogberg yeah, I was joking too 😂

[@TheMstaquiroz]

The fact that you make an engine swap look so casual is the best part of this video.

[@rudymwaurah]

0:54 "I won." WINNER mentality 😤😂

[@wilyamiyoo]

"I won" .. but at what cost? A thousand dollars probably 🤣🤣

[@ChrisPBacon9]

"Doesnt matter still won" 😎

[@versa_media]

Fun fact : 13B-REWs don’t have exhaust valves to burn up :3 Edit : Also no pistons to crack :3

[@jonnathan780]

Arguably a lot faster to tear down as well for the apex seals vs a piston engine.

[@niceboi6364]

Yeah, sadly rotaries drink petrol like a V10 and run slightly better than a turbocharged I4 engine.

[@yukaira]

:3

[@CaptainBlitz]

:3

[@exerosis5758]

Facts, well build 13b would still be chilling

[@apexracing876]

You guy should consider Tesa 51036 tape to wrap the wire loom in the engine bay. That electrical tape you used will lift with the heat over time. The Tesa tape manages the heat better and also when it comes to cleaning the engine bay it won't lift like the electrical tape. Keep up the good work.

[@8145dwerdna]

Tesa tape isn't that good either. It'll eventually still do the same. Dr25 or just some form of sheathing

[@apexracing876]

@andrewd5418 that would be a good option,but that's heatshrink. They'd have to depin and slide on. As just a step up from the electrical tape the tesa tape is a better option. I haven't had the issue with it falling off the loom and degrading like what I've experienced with electrical tape.

[@8145dwerdna]

@@apexracing876 it looked to be two pins. Not hard to do.

[@Patrick94GSR]

Hopefully they put the wire loom over the tape. That’s how most factory harnesses are done. Tape AND loom. And sometimes more tape over the loom, especially at the ends. With all that, it doesn’t matter much what type of tape is used.

[@apexracing876]

@Patrick94GSR the convoluted tubing your referring to ?

[@wingarth]

Love the structure of the first two minutes. Great way to start a video and tell a story to begin. Great content as always gents

[@PiterStreak]

I thought you shot out a rod lol. To make ya feel better, my honda v6 made over 600whp with little timing. I added more timing and now i have 2 cylinders with 55 psi and the crazy part was, i didnt notice it was down 2 cylinders cause it still drove extremely smooth. The heavy blow by and the sudden crappy gas milage is what told me something was wrong. Stay wrenching boys!

[@djmonize13]

I love how seamlessly mark has been integrated into the content and he's absolutely loving it too.

[@bigfootgarage2201]

RX-7 needs a T-56 for the new trans, K series when swapped into other chassis usually cause a lot of vibrations especially if anything is solid mounted

[@yeahitskimmel]

A good amount of that brown tarnish is actually the modern synthetic oil additives depositing on non wear surfaces. Ask someone who rebuilds engines all day about how they can tell what kind of oil was ran in it

[@MarcusRayGonzalez]

How can you tell what kind of oil was run in it?

[@jp2246]

Castrol for example...reddish brown color, very distinct

[@supers0nic77]

I have an engine greg, can you tell me what oil is in it?

[@awaysooner]

Dude gotto made up something to sell commercials!

[@afhyoutube]

If the new engine has a VIN on it, just run a Carfax on it to see the mileage. It'll give you a good idea.

[@henrikhustvedt9777]

Are we shocked? Nooooo

[@Syscrush]

As a swap hater, this fills my heart with joy.

[@iDymff]

Those rev competitions are like the dumbest things people ever did with their cars.

[@James-po2sv]

Without question the most embarrassing thing about any car meet.

[@AaronHardinPhoto]

Yep. It's like, let's take the thing that non-car people and police hate the most, giving the car community a bad name, and do it at every meet. Remember when building and driving were celebrated?

[@flurpoid]

All that revving with no wheelspin makes me sad. Do people still do burnouts?

[@joeymacgamer2417]

Yeah! Why are they having fun? People these days should stay home and be quiet like the good ol days!

[@James-po2sv]

@@joeymacgamer2417 I don’t know how else to say this Joey. If this is your/their idea of fun, then you are a loser.

[@HachiMiura]

If you're having to repaint the subframe after 10k miles, I think it would be worth looking into using a 2K paint instead of whatever you can purchase at the auto parts store. Spraymax and Eastwood both offer a 2K chassis black that goes on much nicer, has a noticeably harder finish, and won't wash away at the first sniff of brake cleaner. They run about $30 per can and once you pop the bladder inside with the hardener you have to use the can up within a few days, but the end result is worth the extra cost.

[@vteckid82]

POR-15 has worked pretty well for me. Durable paint

[@MrThewetsheep]

The “k series can hold 800hp stock” boys in shambles rn

[@thecloud1432]

400 seems to be the limit. Even then it's questionable. If it were my engine, I wouldn't push past 350.

[@Biggusdikusincontinentabuttoks]

It's more like 600, after that, it's questionable with stock internals. Also, no engine will last if you continuously bounce off the limiter like a tool.

[@warrantykillers41]

@@thecloud1432 my RSX made 490 for 12 years. No problems. Just gotta be smart and not abuse it. 600hp would be the limit on a stock no abused one.

[@kylepalmer2360]

@@warrantykillers41exactly and proper maintenance.

[@schafer240]

Skip the valvoline restore oil, and toss a liter of atf in you motor and start it up and let it idle for 30 min, your motor will look brand new inside. Ive literally done this over 20x without fail.

[@UnitedKingdomRC]

Electrical tape is a school boy error, it’ll make all your wiring a sticky mess. I find a the electrical wiring loom tape (it’s like fabric) doesn’t leave it like that. Even the cheap stuff 🙂

[@motheolebelo]

It helps to have a friend who can assist with an engine swap and have all the tools plus experience to do the job choo chop. All in 1 episode. Thumbs up

[@melo.lucas320]

Swap the trans for a Magnum F T56, is expensive, but, handles over 1000whp, over 750ft-lbs of torque, it's rev happy, and it's a bolt on affair, by using a QTP bell housing, rather than the CD009, from Nissan Z....

[@727drifter]

You should give them the broken one to make the next year's trophy😊

[@PAUL4DR]

Mark is such a gem love how comfortable he has become on camera great addition to gears and gasoline

[@KMXProductionz]

Mark is cool and fixes cars. We like Mark.

[@bobbybawbager]

When are people gonna understand that cars aren't designed to be battered off the limiters sitting still 😅!!

[@MyRealName]

This kind of blow has nothing to do with it sitting still or not, probably would've happened either way..

[@bobbybawbager]

@MyRealName It clearly overheated the piston, melting the ring's causing a failure!! Why did it overheat?? Because the car was stationery, not allowing the car to cool properly 😒

[@daedalus_20v]

Third or fourth engine replacement should do it. These things tend to naturally sort themselves out.

[@bobbybawbager]

@@daedalus_20v 😅😂

[@shrimp562]

It is on a rotary 😎

[@Creesic]

Highly suggest using a ZF 5 speed from the '96+ 328i or M3 E36s. Typically reffered to as the 320Z. They're very strong, very small, and very light. Around 85lbs. They feel great, are cheap, are plentiful, and overall just great. I also believe there's already kits to attach them to K-series engines already available. You can also find 310Zs behind the non-vanos M50s in both the 91-92 E34 525i and E36 325i, however, the 320Z is supposedly better due to some internal revisions. Avoid the Getrag trans, the 250G.

[@kaarne7246]

ZF 5 speed or 6 speed from 320d is my guess too.

[@christopherharris6005]

Awesome video as always Ben and Mark. Y'all need to LS swap the RX-7 and the RX-8.

[@scott_jasonandy]

it sucks that it broke, but seeing this made me smile because it's (imo) the most beautiful car on the channel and not seeing it in so long made me worry it was going untouched. still such an amazing car and happy to see it put back together!

[@drivewayjunkie]

I want to see more Mark on the channel building something of his own and then attending a road trip with you guys.

[@daedalus_20v]

Greetings fellow "6-spoke wheel with red caliper avatar" user. 👋 Mine's a B5 S4 on TE-37's and 18z's. What's yours?

[@drivewayjunkie]

@@daedalus_20v hahah love it 🤝 mine are on a Leon Cupra 5F Compomotive MO6

[@jvepps]

t56 or tr6060 is my first choice and CD009/CD0010 would be next up. Lots of aftermarket options and parts are easy to find in the US.

[@ToeJammer-ge2zs]

Those CD009s are pretty dam cheap but those T56s and TR6060 can hold a ton of torque.

[@ryanbrown918]

TR6060 💪

[@erickberard3820]

Cd009 was the first that came to mind when he talked about a new transmission

[@oldfashionedwrx3574]

@@ryanbrown918TR6060 is way better but more expensive than T56, and t56 is still good as well

[@ThePandasian34]

NISSAN CD00x, the thing is everywhere cheap to get new, even cheaper used, can hold a lot of Torque from factory(what really kills transmissions) and even has the Jk40C rev match Variant 😚

[@kikimushroom94]

Mark is so enjoyable to watch. He’s so funny. Please do a 3 way road trip next. 😊😊 Glad hes part of your team now.

[@derekyam1805]

Dam, this was a great episode, it ended so fast like I thought I wasn't paying enough attention. I love how Mark is so casual now. Cheers from Ontario, Canada!

[@Sat_tyre]

I love mark! What a total legend, it’s good to see him becoming more of a 3rd presenter

[@craig_s]

Guys, the second section of this video and "walk and talk" at 1:05 is it! Please keep up the experimentation with the cinematography, it is so appreciated! You guys are getting really crispy. I hate to give you guys more things to do, but here are a few observations (video wise): - More stability in the handheld shots would be nice - Some of the shots were slightly out of focus but well lit, if there were in focus they would be 💯 - I don't know if that window at 13:14 is doing you any favors lighting wise. It is blowing out your shot. - An ND filter would help with some of the reflections to clean up the shots with car windows in them Also as always, Mark is a rare gem and needs to be protected at all costs. Thank you Ben & Ben for all you do for this community!

[@jja2000]

I remember someone on YT blowing up a K-series and filmed it still working with holes and all in there. Just to drive the car into the garage to swap the engine out. They're good engines even when blown up :^)

[@ramonbriones4487]

Good stuff man! Mark's definitely essential to this channel. Hope he's compensated properly and would be nice to maybe see his car(s)

[@andrewbeetz2196]

Great video! Thanks for the content!

[@amandabuell8507]

Finally some more rx7 content

[@I_know_what_im_talking_about]

Amazing episode. I totally enjoyed this. 👍🏼

[@craigsawyer6453]

That was great! Living the dream.

[@Hashama]

Mark adds so much positivity to these videos.

[@dMushh]

You guys deserve your succes!!

[@user-er5so6gx3i]

Awesome as always!

[@quick777]

Most ideal project build in my opinion. Great motor perfect chassis. I love this car

[@ismailbeygirci9394]

this is my favorite type of content. someone who knows better and takes care of their car flawlessly decides to swap some engine else to their car and it either never runs again or blows up

[@kotastrophie]

Im doing a K24 swap on my 2024 11th Gen Honda Civic Si next week . Watching these videos are inspiring

[@Triceranuts]

Seeing him working in the RX7 engine bay is hilarious. Tiny mechanic is best mechanic!

[@TRCKmusic]

Mark's great! Would love to see some content about his s2k.

[@underliing9450]

Mark is awesome, I loved that last bit haha

[@s109apache7]

17 k veiws and 1.2 mil subs, come on guys get that like number up he deserves it ,he blew up his rx7 and put lots of effort into this vid for us let’s support him !

[@marcovandermeulen4313]

got to get a collab with yall and Speed Academy. Two of the greatest to ever do it

[@geolo2765]

As much as I think its blasphemy to swap anything other than a rotary into a Rx7.......This K-swapped one Ben owns just tickles my fancy and honestly cannot deny that it sounds great lol. Would love to see you take all your cars to a track for a comparison and just to get to see this beauty and your Sti rip around a track alongside the Ek hatch. 🔥🔥

[@aw11trim]

Mark is the friend / employee everyone wishes they had. What a top notch dude.

[@RX7Cody]

Just placed an order on Valvoline's website for that new Restore & Protect oil. Wife's CX-9 & my WRX could definitely use it 👍🏻

[@ryanbrown918]

Just started using Restore & Protect in our Lexus', went from Mobil 1 where there was quite a bit oil pump growl on the 1UR, and now its silent. Im sold on it. Now all of mine, and family members, vehicles are running some sort of Valvoline variant.

[@TariroNgorosha]

Ben, Maybe you already know this but you need the driveshaft has to be opposite/inverse angled. Let's say if it's +3⁰ degrees at the engine it need to be -3⁰ somthe driveshaft would be phased properly and won't cause NVH.

[@phillamansky8209]

I would love to see what the inside of that engine looks like after running the new restore and protect oil for the recommended amount of time.

[@jacobschechtman76]

Been waiting for rx7 content for a minute lol

[@G35Jeesh]

NGL. You just sold me on the Valvoline restore and protect oil. I have been running valvoline in my Toyota's forever so I will give it a shot in one of my camrys.

[@mengx94]

Same 😂 camry will be the test car

[@SRBuilds]

BMW ZF trans is the way to go for strength, definitely grab one of those with the adapter stuff.

[@Gcoug69]

nice to see another k20z1 in it , its the closest k20 of the k20a type R ! noice

[@simonblackburn6937]

This Vidéo is the reason why we say K is the Way !!!! Good job boys

[@michaelblacktree]

For the transmission, the Tremec TKO or TKX might be a good choice, if you can find an adapter plate.

[@Shankmeyster]

Yes Honda motors do not like to 2 step. I recommend Tremec if they make a kit that will fit and you can fit it in the tunnel.

[@daksquach597]

I know several people running way over 500 hp on their s2000 transmissions. I’d be happy to get you connected if you’d like more info!

[@AZ-hf9ow]

It takes off fairly quick 😁

[@MrEligamer]

Hey awesome process I was curious about the rolling jack you used for the suspension and front defuser in the video I coudl use a tool like that

[@cezerzy9253]

I'd recommend any of these BMW gearboxes to replace your current one 5 speed: ZF S5D-320Z (up to 700hp) ZF GS5-39DZ (up to 1000hp) 6 speed: ZF GS6-37DZ (up to 700hp) ZF GS6-53DZ (up to 1000hp)

[@JaredSVX]

I need to see an "after" of running that new oil to see if it actually works.

[@NekoWinters]

@6:40 needs to be the newest gif reaction face / "MFW"

[@omg_stoppit]

Block off the area before the radiator/intercooler. Air works like water and takes the path of least resistance. If you have openings around the radiator or intercooler, air will move AROUND the radiator rather than through it which reduces its efficacy.

[@Sookigarage]

Congrats on beating the PT Cruiser in the flame shooting competition. 😊

[@Powder03xx]

And .... if you had a 13b it would sound better... and probably still exist cause they love revs. We all love the revs. BRAP BRAP BRAP

[@TenZo311]

4:11 Mark casually dropping the transmission on the ground like we wouldn’t notice 😂

[@TheoRhoades]

That K series sounds SO GOOD

[@bigjoes.1545]

Saturday made. Thanks y’all! 💚

[@coltondoescars]

I feel like a CD09 trans would hold more power like you are looking for, but still maintain some of those tight, precise feeling shifts that you like with the S2K trans more than something like a T56 would.

[@wtfyoguylol]

The Subaru jab cracked me up 😆

[@kylecannon5679]

If you can fit a t56 go with that my Magnuson supercharged TA made 650 with just an upgraded clutch and rearend and that transmission held some abuse and is still goin with the new owner

[@ericworrell3653]

I love how Mark is such a crucial member of the operation now

[@itzrealisrael5218]

The Valvoline sounds great on paper and practice in practice it might just gunk it up more

[@sandwichseth8209]

I did some research mid video on the Protect and restore oil. That stuff would be really nice to have on my 986 Porsche Boxster. Sadly they don’t have 0W-40 yet 😓

[@jaysmith2385]

I would love to see if the valvoline protect and restore works in real life as advertised. It would be great if after a prolonged use on this car they can show the before and after of the discoloration.

[@MPbdy]

I have an LS FD and driveline vibrations are a bitch. The FD is such a tin can. If the vertical angles didn't fix your driveline vibration, check for left to right alignment of the diff and the transmission. My diff and transmission were pointing different directions. Getting them on axis was a game changer.

[@mrbookends]

Mark is awesome..... I'll leave it at that!

[@qmrk7928]

for everyone who is really cheap like me and doesn't want to buy expensive oil, on older motors you can just put half a quart of Mercon ATF in the oil every oil change because it has detergent in it and it does the same thing

[@user-lf3hy7wl3t]

You guys should get a dry ice blaster to clean that stuff!

[@MrRomero.A]

Valvoline products are really something else in quality. I switched from mobil 1. Big difference.

[@ryanbrown918]

Same...couldn't be happier

[@MegaRetr]

Mark has been such an amazing addition to the channel

[@levi99]

You guys make engine swap look so easy

[@Ottobon]

like 1/2 the K-series videos i see end like this, tempted to say even more. I don't think there ever has or will ever be another Honda engine that tuners blow up so frequently. Good job with the quick turn around and better luck next time when hooning.

[@Saltyoldguy-]

It's because people do no prep to them. no matter how strong your rods are the stock ring gap won't take 700whp of pump gas lmao

[@danielwalker9617]

It's because they're so cheap, just not a big deal if it blows. Everyone I know with a k-swap does exactly what Ben and Mark did here... unknown mileage unknown condition used motor, yup let's throw it in and thrash the absolute crap out of it until it blows. Got three more in the back of the garage for when it happens, who cares

[@AlvinBrinson]

@@danielwalker9617 With this attitude though, they will eventually no longer be easily available.

[@Ottobon]

@@Saltyoldguy- ​ @AlvinBrinson ​ @danielwalker9617 Don't know if replies work this way but I'm pretty certain big huge factor is the reversion issue. I initially knew about it not because of reversion but because i noticed how the engine sounded worse then it should (no offense all K20s sound kinda cheap on exhaust side, ports are one of biggest factors in sound) and then later found out gutted, flattened, hollowed out (however you wanna describe it, no proper merge) exhaust DOHC ports like that especially in case of K20 with a godly intake just cause all sorts of issues that love blowing the engine. The rest sure enough matter but whether its new or not i remember all the way back in early 2000s its ALWAYS been a trend with these engines that 9/10 eventually blow in similar catastrophic fashion sooner then expected, usually related to knock or valves (both symptom of above reversion problems iirc) It could probably be fixed but it would require tig welding inside the port (risky but possible) then CNC and custom headers to match, very few people qualified to do that let alone can i imagine it being done economically but one can dream since rest of the package is so good. 3+ Inch exhaust is the cheap solution but not a ideal one in all cases, does generally work better then nothing but also comes with a very love or hate soundtrack.

[@canadians14sr20det]

For the vibration is it rpm or speed based? If its speed based that driveline angle change should help a lot. If its rpm based, look at switching to a uni clutch. Kinda like adding a dual mass flywheel.

[@yes437]

I will not take this rotary slander!!! Especially after it survived the road trip!!! ........great vid guys 🤟🏼

[@initialvat4226]

I hope that we can finally get the finale of the DSM build

[@liamcollings6168]

GOOD.... time to put a billet 20bpp into it 🎉

[@hamzahsyed7485]

Ok I wanna see that valvoline restore and protect progress with before and afters. Make a vid on that I think it’d be a good scientific visualization