Can A Mazda 20B Three-Rotor Engine Fit in a C5 Z06’s Engine Bay?
Can A Mazda 20B Three-Rotor Engine Fit in a C5 Z06’s Engine Bay?
The madness of a rotary-swap Z06 reaches its peak when its owner pulls a Mazda three-rotor to appease his YouTube viewers.
The Corvette has seen quite a few engines dropped into its bay throughout its day. The first one originally offered an inline-six before switching permanently over to V8s. Various sizes of V8s have been found since then, from 265 cubic inches to 7.0-liters.
But what about a three-rotor engine? YouTuber Rob Dahm recently began work on a C5 Z06, with the intent of swapping out the old LS6 for a Mazda two-rotor engine. However, a few of his subscribers have asked him to drop in a three-rotor unit. There’s only one way to find out if it’ll work, of course.
“If this whole video series with the two-rotor goes as as wild as it already is going, this [three-rotor swap] will be a reality,” said Dahm. “I can make it a reality. We can can make it a reality. I will push that two-rotor until it completely destroys itself. And then, [I’ll] throw one of these in. You have my word.”
Dahm heads over to his RX-7 housing the Mazda 20B three-rotor unit, which he says will be easier to pull out of the little car than the LS6 from the Z06. First comes the coolant, which has only had five miles of cooling the car before pouring from the radiator into the container. The seals will have to be replaced when the time comes, though, for as soon as they’re popped, they expand and cannot be reused in race applications.
Next come the removal of the intake, some pipes, and a ton of wiring. Upon the removal of the first pipe, Dahm notices a weird smell from inside, which he thinks means a blown side seal or something.
ALSO SEE: Sometimes You Need to Just Grab the Keys to Your Corvette and Drive
“The nice part about working on this car for me, unlike the LS, where I have no idea any of the bolts go in after all that,” said Dahm, “I could just throw all of the [20B’s] bolts in a bin, because this car’s so simplified.” It also helps that he’s rebuilt it so many times.
“I think everybody that ever has worked on a car gets that same awe-inspiring moment when you realize that all of the engine is being held up by only two mounts,” said Dahm. “Both on the LS, and on [the 20B]. Yes, there’s braces on the transmission on the tunnel and, of course, rear differential, but on these cars, it all comes down to two bolts. To me, that’s impressive.”
After those bolts and few others come out, Dahm jangles the chains of his hoist before bolting them to the 20B. A tiny pull later, he uses a pry bar to gently split the transmission from the engine, only to find the screamer pipe hampering the removal. Once that’s out of the way, though, the triple-rotor motor leaves the RX-7 behind to visit the Z06.
“The most popular comment on the last video was ‘Why not a three-rotor?’ said Dahm. “And to be fair, that’s just A) too expensive, but B) the real reason is that this motor is overkill.”
Whatever craziness happens next, we’ll be sure to keep our eyes on this unusual rotary Z06.
