Madman Begins Mocking Up 13B Rotary Engine into Corvette Z06
YouTuber Rob Dahm begins figuring out what mix of Chevy and Mazda parts can be used to adapt 13B engine into this C5 Z06.
We have talked about Rob Dahm and his ambitious plans for his C5 Corvette Z06 project car before. In short, Dahm bought a crashed Z06 with the intention of doing something different with it. That something different means removing the LS6 engine, which survived the crash, and replacing it with a Mazda 13B rotary engine.
Previously, he began the process by disassembling the smashed Z06s front end and removing the LS6. Now, he’s beginning the process of installing the 13B rotary engine into the Z06. This time, it’s all about the test fit, because, perhaps unsurprisingly, there aren’t many people who have removed an LS engine from a Corvette and tried to swap in a rotary.
Dahm is adamant about retaining the Z06’s 6-speed manual transmission, so the initial question is how can he adapt the Corvette transmission bellhousing the work with the 13B. This question then evolves as Dahm test fits the 13B into the Z06. The Mazda engine is so compact that even getting it to sit where the bellhousing is poses problems. The biggest one appears to be that the center height of the transmission, where the clutch and flywheel will bolt up, is so low in the chassis that the rotary engine’s engine pan fouls the OEM Z06 engine cradle. Dahm’s response is measuring and metered: “we’re going to have to cut up the front subframe.”
Of course, Dahm’s problem is two-fold, because he wants to retain the option of putting the LS6 back in the car, in the future. Why? To get a roadworthiness certificate for this salvage titled Z06. So, the modifications to the front subframe is going to have to be delicate, deliberate, and designed carefully to work with a custom oil pan for the 13B engine. Sounds like a lot of work, but we are very curious to see how it ends up working out.