Young Version — August 1999
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About this issue
The August 1999 issue of Young Version explores drift setups versus grip tuning through 22 shop demo cars, including S15 Silvias from Mine’s and Kazama Auto. Features cover front-wheel-drive builds taking on high-powered 4WD rivals, choosing a first drift car, and reviving a used AE86 Trueno on a ¥1 million total budget. Suspension fundamentals, engine-oil selection, rotary maintenance, new-parts tests, and reports from Hiroshima and California round out this look at Japan’s late-1990s tuning scene.
242 available scans from Young Version — August 1999, in right-to-left reading order. Japanese OCR and English translation drafts are available throughout. Drafts have not received exhaustive image proofreading; unreadable source remains recorded in the archival data.
Page 101 — English draft translation
Rotary engines generate a lot of heat, so heat management is important. While driving, with air flowing through the radiator, the ideal coolant temperature is around 100–110°C (OCR is uncertain). The factory temperature gauge is not very precise, so install an accurate meter if possible. First, understand the engine’s condition. Simple measures include switching to a low-temperature thermostat or forcing the fan to run; this costs about ¥5,000–6,000 and is an easy tune-up. On an FC, replacing the belt-driven fan with an electric fan can also help; around ¥100,000 including labor. The FD electric fan performs well, and some people discuss fitting it to the FC, but replacing it without the sensors, relays, and wiring harness as a set is not effective and may not be cost-effective. Aftermarket parts can help overall. As tuning progresses, a radiator and oil cooler become essential. A large-capacity radiator costs around ¥100,000–130,000 including labor (OCR uncertain). Combining it with a low-temperature thermostat may cause overcooling in winter. If idle speed never drops, it may stay in warm-up mode; return the thermostat to stock specification. Oil and coolant temperatures are linked: lowering oil temperature also lowers coolant temperature. An oil cooler also helps prevent lubrication-system problems. Around ¥130,000 including labor.
Check your engine’s condition carefully. You don’t want it to blow up right after tuning! That would be heartbreaking. At minimum, check the sensor system with the self-diagnostic function and perform a compression test. If you have a boost gauge, vacuum below 300 mmHg may indicate a problem. First check for hose leaks. If those are fine, the issue may be the engine itself and it may need an overhaul. If it has over 70,000–80,000 km, it may not make full power. If you are going to replace the turbo, an overhaul is essential. A rebuilt engine costs around ¥300,000 plus labor (about ¥130,000 for an FC and ¥70,000 for an FD). Gleif offers basic inspections free, so consider getting yours checked.
Captions and page details
I’ve heard rotary engines tend to trap heat. Are there ways to manage the heat?
Yes. The FD improved a lot, but if you’re going to tune it, heat management is still important.
You could replace the radiator, add an oil cooler, or fit ducting panels.
So what kinds of rotary tuning are available?
Hold on! There are things you need to check before tuning!
That is especially important when buying a used car.
Heat management for the coming season
Check these before tuning!
If you are going to tune it, make sure the engine is running well first!
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Next, it’s finally time for tuning.
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A world of tuned rotaries unlike the usual race-prepped cars! Next month is the tuning edition—stay tuned!