klatk

So... I bought this vert yesterday and there really seem to be only 2 obvious things that I need to take care of.

1) A boot cover for when the top is down. Does anyone know where/how I can get ahold of one?

2) Driver's side window doesn't go down. Passenger window switch doesn't work. For sure the passenger switch contacts need to be cleaned, but I don't know if the switch is the culprit for the driver's window. It seems like the window slides down on its own an inch or so after a little driving and it can be pulled up easily manually (and seems to stay up on its own).

less obvious questions

A few times when I shift into 2nd, the car gets really jerky. I don't know if it's me (I'm new at a manual) or if there's something up with the clutch, but it's only occasional and it doesn't happen for any of the other gears.

Also, it seems to me sometimes that I can feel some heat coming from somewhere... under me? It's not coming from the vents. The temperature gauge seems stay between 1/3 and 1/2. Don't know what's up with that.

Patch kit for small tear on the side of the top. Is there a particular kind of kit I should be getting? The tear is like 3 inches and it's actually right at the bottom of the top right where it meets the body. Or will I be ok walking into a store and grabbing something?

Tires... the tires seem to have some life left in them, but I may want to be replacing them... What kind of tires are particularly good? What's on right now are Continental something-or-others. I'll mostly be driving on the street, but there are a lot of twisty hilly roads nearby and I may need grippier stuff?

Thanks,
Kevin

DroptopRX7

iTrader: (12)

Kevin,
I'm an 88 vert owner as well. While looking for my car, I found one with several things missing, among them the boot cover you ask about. They are close to $1000 new from the dealer. The good news is that you can find them on Ebay for less than $300.oo in most cases. The self serving news is that I have one now on Ebay for $150 starting and no takers (Blue Gray). The last one sold for a high of $268.00 (not mine).
In regard to the power windows, I've read several responses on this, one of them being, clean the contacts, take the door panel off and look at the regulator and lift. The lift has white plastic beads that help lift the window. Sometimes they get really gunked up making cleaning a necessity. Be careful you don't get anything out of alignment as its a bear to realign the window.
In regard to the heat coming up from under you, the first idea is the heat shields on top of the exhaust. Are they still all there? If not, find a salvage yard and remove them from a car there. That may help.
As far as the small tears on the corners, most vert owners have them. I've left them as they are not large enough to cause an interior leak as long as your drainage tubes in the pockets are not clogged up. If they are, your rear carpets will get wet. Or, I've heard of people using black silicone sealer to close off the holes. The Mazda Manual even describes a way to repair the top with a piece of material. I've never seen a specific patch kit though. If you need some material for the top, let me know, as I've got some I can just cut off.
As to tires, personal choice. The gurus have a variety of choices they debate. Me? I bought a set of BFGoodrich Comp T/A's that nobody has ever mentioned. You know what they say about opinions...go out and do the research on tires. Can't beat Pirelli for soft, sticky and short lifespan...
Ralf

defylogik

88 vert owner also. everything he said is correct. black duct tape as a last resort to patch those holes.. hehe.. my car isnt jerky into any gears but recently my synchros in my tranny are starting to kick the bucket and sometimes it takes extra energy to get it into 1st 2nd and reverse.. the most common used gears...

maybe thats ur problem. you would have to describe jerky a little better.

larsyoung

klatk:
As far as the top repair goes, I used 3M 5200 black marine grade adhesive sealant. You will never find a more durable "caulk-like"
material on the market that stays flexible. I cannot recommend it strongly enough.
Tires:
I have Yokahama db's that I purchased through tirerack.com. It's to early to tell anything about wear, but they're great so far and come highly recommended on that site. They are also quite affordable. ($65 ea.)
Windows:
Like DroptopRX7 said, clean them contacts. I thought my passenger side switch was fried until about a week later I noticed that the window control switch on the passenger side was "off". Duh. If you crack open the doors, you might as well check all the bolts to see if they are tight. When I opened mine up, the window motor was barely being held on by one bolt.
Lars

DroptopRX7

iTrader: (12)

Hey, on that topswitch, the little insignias seem to have fallen off or are inside the surround. I have to take the surround off to get at the switch anyway, so I'll take a photo and let you know once that it done, hopefully tonight after work. I haven't forgotten about your questions, just been in DC without computer access.
Ralf
vertrx7@yahoo.com

klatk

Thanks guys.

Ralf- Will the blue-grey boot look good on a black RX-7? Also, I may take you up on the offer of a few square inches of material. I have to check out the stuff Lars was recommending and figure out how to do it well first though. I believe the tear is in the pocket, so I need to get that fixed before inclement weather hits.

To take off the door panel, am I going to need the Haynes manual to guide me? I certainly want to be able to put everything back together again after I've taken it apart.

As far as my 2nd gear problem, I'm not exactly sure whata synchro is (again, new to manuals), but when I say jerky, I mean really really jerky. Like, stop/start stop/start kinda. I think I've found that if I put a little more power into it as I release the clutch, it doesn't really happen (maybe a faint intial jerk or tow) which is why I wondered if it's a clutch thing. Could it be the synchros?

Kevin

gvink

The following instructions are for removing the door panel on an 87 GXL. I assume the door panel is the same for a vert.

--remove the screw holding the small grey plastic shield behind the inside door release lever. then remove the shield, twisting it out carefully while holding out on the lever (easier than it sounds).

--behind the shield, you'll see a big mother phillips screw holding a metal bracket. remove it.

--remove the four big mother phillips screws that attach the armrest to the door. don't worry if they don't want to come out of their holes -- just make sure they're unscrewed.

--remove the black plastic "triangle" at the bottom front of the window glass, opposite the outside mirror. As I recall, if you pry from the rear of the triangle, it comes out easily. these things break pretty easily, though, so be careful.

--remove the small set screw at the top front of the door panel.

--remove the three screws that are in the carpeted trim at the bottom of the door -- front, center and rear. These can be hard to see and are sometimes missing.

--carefully work your way around the perimeter trim of the door, pulling straight out, to "unpop" or release the push-in plastic things that hold on the panel. This sounds scarier than it is. if you have a trim removal tool, that's supposedly better, but I just pull carefully with my fingers, trying to get as close to each plastic thingie as I can.

--once you've popped them all, lift UP slightly on the door panel so the metal channel at the top, next to the glass, comes out of the door. Then move the panel out slightly and unclip the wiring connectors for the courtesy light. At that point, you should be able to remove the whole panel. That gives you access to the window.

--installation is the reverse process. pretty easy. before you put the panel on, though, make sure all the little plastic things are properly seated in their mounting slots on the panel. then go round with your fist, pushing hard, to seat them.

--re the window itself, definitely check for loose bolts, put some grease on the screw that goes up and down, etc.

as far as your second gear problem, does it feel like the problem is the clutch or the engine? If it's the clutch shuddering as it engages, well, either you just need some more practice or you need a new clutch (but, usually, clutches shudder or chatter more in first gear).

But if the problem occurs in second after the clutch is all the way engaged, then it's probably not the clutch. And if the ENGINE is kind of being jerky -- that on-again, off-again feeling -- then you probably have one of the other problems (bad throttle postion sensor, etc.) that are explored on this forum in depth and are not that hard to fix (usually).

good luck.

klatk

thanks gvink.

About how long do you think it'd take to take the door apart and put back together? I don't have a garage, so I'm dealing with daylight here. Can it be done easily and quickly (after work before the sun goes down)? The instructions you gave me seemed pretty straightforward.

Kevin

gvink

it only takes about 15 minutes to take the door off the first time, and gets faster after that. messing around with the window might take longer depending on what you find.

and you can certainly drive the car without the door panel in it -- you just can't open the window! or you can half-*** mount it with one or two screws.

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

I'm an 88 vert owner also. But a bit confused by a couple of answers. But anyway, here's my shot:

First, if your passenger window operation issue is with the passenger window switch, you should know that there is a defeat switch on the drivers door arm rest. Might simply have it turned off.

Second, if the drivers door window does work but the passenger window doesn't with either switch's, then you have a bigger problem. This is where I'm confused about one of the answers.

The NON-vert 2nd gens power windows DO operate with a funky ball-in-tub design operation. But the VERT's operate on a wire cable dragging across plastic guides type design. I know, I had exactly that problem with my drivers door when I bought mine. The wire had simply cut through a plastic guide, and then wore through after dragging on a metal bracket. The only fix is to replace the entire assembly in the door. I'm sure an assembly out of any Vert will work. I came across a Vert that had an engine fire in a Pic-a-part wrecking yard and grabbed an assembly from both sides planning for the future as metal cable dragging on plastic isn't exactly a durable design.

There are two wrecking yards that specialize in Mazda's that you might call. Prices are good and shipping isn't very expensive. ON the west coast call Mazda Auto Recycling in Sacramento, CA at 800-926-5900, Mazda only in Portland, OR at 800-628-0918, and in Atlanta, GA call MazMart at 800-221-5156.

As to the top boot, grey on black might look ok, but my taste would hold out for a black one. Actually, I rarely use mine cause its a hassle putting it on and taking it off.

A Syncro problem wouldn't cause jerkness, it would cause grinding as you try and shift. However, jerky in second and not first has me bewildered. So, I'm guessing as you get use to a manual shift, it will subside.

I've done some retro-fitting from other Mazda's that have really improved the performance that you might want to try. For instance, in '88 only they put a rear end with high gearing in the name of improving gas mileage but at the expense of hurting acceleration. Buy a posi-rear end from a GXL, easy to install, big improvement in get up and go.

Enjoy your car. I love mine and can't imagine me in any other one, except perhaps one that has had the Turbo drive train retrofitted (a goal of mine if ever my NA engine dies)

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

Forgot to mention about the head at your feet. I also had that problem. The only thing that separates you from under car head is a rubber insulator and stretch on boot. On mine, the insulator was broken and heat was coming through.

Replaced it with a good used one, no problem since. However, this is an exception as I've found that if you ever need to replace anything rubber or plastic, replace with new when ever possible. If you make friends with the guy at the local mazda dealer parts counter, you might get them to give you a 10-15% discount.

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

Opps, HEAT at your feet. Head at your feet would be a good trick. :-)

bryan

somewhere in this post i read about someone with reverse starting to go out.... i'll throw in my two cent tip:
when you're going into reverse, slip her into 4th first before reverse. since i started doing this, i've never once had a grind in reverse in any of my 3 imports with sticks. works like a charm.

edit: and also from a previous post, i, too, use BFG Comp TA VR's and have been very satisfied with them, even in the twisties around here.

klatk

Thanks HOZZMANRX7!

Switch-wise, the driver's switch for the passenger window works. The passenger's switch does not, even with the driver's on/off switch to on (or is it a problem with THAT switch?). The driver's switch for the driver's window seems to do something: I now can hear a brief tiny noise each time I try to open the window. The fact that there's no more noise kinda makes me think that whatever motor's there isn't working or can't move any. No noise when attempting to 'close' the window.

I got the door panel off and was then thoroughly confused.... probably cuz I've never examined a power-window mechanism before. I saw the plastic guides, but had no idea what they were for, cuz they weren't connected to anything. So if my failure is the same as yours there should be a long loose wire around somewhere? Or has the wire been totally retracted to the motor? How thick is it?

Is it easy to replace the whole assembly? and about how much do you think I'd save getting the part via wrecking yard vs what a dealer might gouge me for? Installing a new assembly so that it works might be beyond my capability...

Regarding my jerkiness problem in 2nd gear, it's sounding like it's got more to do with how I get into 2nd than anything else. A beginner be me.

Hey, about the posi-rear end from a GXL you were mentioning. That sounds cool. What kind of $$$ are we talking here? (And I guess, what do you mean by rear end? Sorry, up to now I haven't been much of a car expert/mechanic and there's a lot to learn.)

Also, I see that you're also in the LA area. Is there a particular shop you take your 7 to? Later on down the road, I'm thinking maybe mods. But also it'd be good to know there's someone nearby I can take my car to if I need to.

Kevin

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

The absolute number one place to take your RX7, in my opinion, is Nick at Rotary Reliability in Santa Ana. He is on Harbor just west of Warner. He is beyond good, his prices are fair, and he is always willing to give a few minutes educate you. To boot, he was a championship driver in Australia so he is a great reference from about every angle.

New from the dealer is about $280. From a wrecking yard, you'll probably get away with around $100. I suggest you don't throw away your old one as you might want to salvage parts from it (such as the motor) later.

Also, it sounds like you'll need either a new a passenger door switch or a drivers door passenger window defeat switch. But, before you order one also from the wrecking yard I suggest your test yours first. If you have circuit tester/ohm meter/voltmeter (an inexpensive one from Home Depot, etc works fine) , its easy to pull the switches and test. If you don't want to hassle, you might get them to sell (maybe give?) you both switch's if you buy the power window unit.

It sounds like the cable has already been sucked up by your comment on not seeing it and the small noise you hear. Its not really hard to take it out and put a replacement one back in if your handy with a wrench and have mechanical reasoning. If you nervous, take the parts to Nick and let him do it. Thats what I ALWAYS do when I enter nervous mode. :-)

"Rear End" is the differential that the driveline is connected to that transmits power to your rear wheels (only dumb question is the one you don't ask). I got mine pretty cheap from a Pick-a-part wrecking yard. Again, easy to do if your handy with a wrench and socket set. You can also post a "Wanted" advertisement in the Mazda section of "thepartstrader.com" web site. (Save that as one of your favorites as you'll want to go back again and again. :-))

If not, I suggest you also order one from one of the three wrecking yard I mentioned that specialize in Mazda and take to Nick to install.

If you do nothing else, take your car to Nick and have him test drive it to recruit his comments on your 2nd gear problems, other things that might need attention, and mods suggestions in general. He has never let me down.

Oh yeah, easy do it yourself performance tricks I very much suggest you and your '88 vert is to go to Racing Beat in Anaheim (just off the 91 Frwy just east of the 55) and recruit their suggestions. You absolutly should purchase their Rear Camber Adjuster as that was the only way I was able to get my rear camber back to specs. You can have it installed in the course of getting your next alignment. Also, at least consider a K&N Airfilter replacement and ask about their exhaust alternatives. Performance mods are all about helping your engine inhale and exhale.

If you can give up your car for about a week, I totally suggest you have Nick pull your injectors and send them to RC Engineering (Tarzana I believe) for back-flushing and tuning. I was amazed by the difference that made for only $20 bucks each. And, lets face it, with the extra weight the Verts carry extra performance in needed.

Good luck!!

Jon

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

Just surfed Partstrader. E-mail bcaffey630@aol.com. He has a black boot for your convertable top AND a cover for your Targa Top if you decide to remove it. He's asking a bit more than I'd pay, but there you go. Also, it needs to be shipped from Texas.

Also there is a guy in Oceanside selling a blue boot for your top asking for offers. His e-mail is wozrx7speed@hotmail.com.

DroptopRX7

iTrader: (12)

I agree with the previous poster up to a point. Hold out for a black boot on a black car. The partstrader guys can sometimes be proud of their stuff and the $400 quoted is a lot of money for a boot. You can find them cheaper, it just takes time and patience.
For further practical repair information, contact the SoCal7's club. I think they are now on Yahoo in the club section. Great bunch of guys with lots of experience and advice.
Not to be disregarded is Dave Gibson in San Diego. His site at www.fc3s.org is invaluable and his personal comments and insights are fantastic. Look him up for information and read the forum site there as well. It is excellent.
Finally, I understand the old fc3s site is back up. That's also where experts like Ted Kosecki and Dale Clark post. What these guys don't know about these cars isn't worth knowing...really. I believe that Ted is on this forum as well as is Felix Wankel, another extremely knowledgeable individual.

klatk

Window switches- Duh, testing the contacts... with a tester. Why didn't I think of that? I've got one and will determine for sure which switch has a prob.
Window- I think tonight I'll take a closer look at the motor/wire. I think it'd help if I had a picture of what it's supposed to look like. If I understand HOZZMANRX7 correctly and mine's the same, the wire itself broke at some point. Is there any chance the wire just left the guides? Is it feasible to fix the wire? Well, does anyone know if the Haynes book have a pic of this?

Boot cover- Yeah, I checked out Partstrader a few minutes after the post. (I too was up late). I saw that ad, and even another where a guy was asking $100... but it turned out he'd sold it already. I think I can wait and see if I can get something in between.

Local RX-7 resources- I live on the edge of Ventrua county so it's a drive, but when I get the chance, I'll definitely take the car to Nick at Rotory Reliability. I'll also check out the SoCal7's club sometime. As for the big difference from having the injectors flushed/tuned for minimal $$, I'm really close to Tarzana. Would RC Engineering be able to pull my injectors for me?

Anyways, gotta get back to work...

Kevin

defylogik

yeah i know about that. its called synching the transmission. mine just sometimes will not go into the gear unless i push in the clutch and let the car move a little bit then it will slide right it.. or i have to give it a push to get it in.. something to do with the mesh i assume.

scott

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

I know I've heard of some Rotary Reliability type shops out your way, but can't give detail since you a ways from my neighborhood. Hopefully another forum reader can help you out there.

One place that is closer to you is a good one stop shop for both repair and performance mods. Its in Signal Hill (read Long Beach) and called Mazdatrix. They have probably one of the best web sites of its kind at www.mazdatrix.com.

I'm sure you have to provide RC Engineering the injectors loose. They also have a web site at www.rceng.com.

When I get home, I'll try and scan one of the loose units I have or a picture from my Shop Manual if it has one. I'll need your e-mail address.

Good luck.

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

Ok, here is all the info you'll need about the power window.

Go to Dave Gibsons web site at www.fc3s.org. In the menu on the left side you will find a link to (I'm still amazed by this, very cool Dave) the ENTIRE '88 2nd Gen Mazda shop manual in PDF format. You'll need Adobe Acrobat reader to open it. If you don't have it, the web page that opens when you click the link gives instructions

Once you have Acrobat Reader installed, scroll down the web page until you see the link to "Body" which is chapter 14 in the manual (takes awhile to download as is BIG file). On page 33 of this chapter is illustration and instructions for removing and installing the Vert's power window regulator.

The set up consists of the motor, two lines (holding the cable I mentioned) to and from the regulator, and the regulator itself which is a sheet metal affair 17 inches tall and 3 inches wide.

There are two channels running the length of the regulator facing the outside of the door. One channel is the guide for the raising and lowering of the window. The other is a guide inside which the cable in question loops the length of the regulator.

Bottom line check, in the middle of the regulator there is a circular hole 1 1/2 inches tall, 1/2 inch wide. You should see the cable running down the length of the middle of this hole. If you don't see it, that confirms its broken.

If broken, then again your only alternative is to replace it. Used replacement should be ok. There is a wrecking yard Nick uses alot (I believe near where the Harbor and 405 Freeways meet) that specializes in Mazda called Rex Auto Salvage (or something like that... check with Nick) you might be able to get a good used one there.

If your a wrench turner, follow the instructions on page 33 of the manual. If not, simply take the replacement unit to a local auto glass shop. It would be good if you print out page 33 and give it to the mechanic so he has reference rather than guess at the adjustments.

Also, (call me **** but) before you pay make sure it goes up and down as smoothly and quickly as your drivers side window. Also, close the passenger door and make sure the window meets the rubber weather strip without gap about the same way as the drivers door window does. Easier to get them to correct before you give money than after.

By the way, about your damaged convertable top, if you've got about $400 to spare, go to your local mazda dealership parts counter and find out what auto upholstery shop they send cars to for repair. Should get your best price there with referal from the dealer and they won't be learning on your Vert how to install the replacement.
:-)

klatk

I haven't looked up the PDF yet, but I'll be sure to download it for this and future reference. Ok, I just did. Wow, I was going to go and buy a Haynes book, but this may be even better!

Earlier tonight I was semi-randomly trying to disassemble more of the window assembly just to see what's what, but didn't get very far, just the motor. I couldn't tell, even after opening it up, if the wire was broken and/or all in there or not (probably didn't dissect it enough). Your description and the diagrams have given me a much better idea of what to look for as far as the regulator and cable hole. I had already concluded that I'd need to start looking for a replacement, but I can check for sure now. I'll give those places you suggested a call. But if replacing the regulator means I have to remove the glass though, I probably am going to hand it off to someone after I get the part.

As far as my top, I'm now fairly confident I can fix this 3-4inch tear with some of that 3M 5200 sealant stuff. I just can't find anybody who carries it in BLACK!!! The rest of the top is practically pristine. None of the other verts I went to look at had a top this nice. Cosmetically, this vert really really impressed me.

Shop-wise, Long Beach and Santa Ana aren't too different distance-wise for me, considering, so I'll probably just go to Nick when I get a chance. When I first started looking at RX-7 stuff, I had read something about a mod shop called Tripoint or something near me, but I haven't seen anything on them recently. Anybody???

Totally new questions!
When I do a cold start, the idle only gets up to 1200rpm and then after a bit it goes down to ~700. Isn't the engine supposed to idle at 3k for a bit first?
I've also been noticing on the temp gauge, I'm usually at 1/2 and it seems to creep over that pretty easily. Since overheating is death, I'm concerned. Isn't the normal temp range supposed to be 1/3 to 1/2 for NA's?

Well, that's it for tonight. Here's a pic (I think, if I attached it correctly). Me and my RX-7

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

You DO have to remove the door glass before you can remove the regulator. Yeah, you probably should take it to an auto glass place and have them remove it. I really suggest you take advantage of this watch and learn opportunity. Not hard, but a bit tedious.

Buy the Haynes book for quick references. They're cheep. But, the PDF is the FACTORY shop manual, so is way more detailed. If you do anything electrical, the shop manual is invaluable.

I've heard of Tri-point. I suggest you start a fresh thread specifically asking about them. I'm sure you'll get good response.

When you first start the car, it is designed to idle faster upon first start up to get the oil flowing if for no other reason. It should settle down to around 700 rpm when warm.

IMPORTANT:
I'm VERY concerned on what you told me about the temp guage. On the 1st Gen, what you described is normal. But on my 2nd Gen, my needle max's about 1/4 under normal conditions and nudges about 1/2 only on a hot day when I'm using my air conditioning and driving in stop and go traffic (aka the worst of times).

I TOTALLY suggest you get that checked out ASAP!! It might simply be a sending unit thing and harmless. But, if it isn't and your over heating, yeah---- engine death may be staring you in the face if you don't get it taken care of SOON!

You either have something clogging things up (i.e. bad radiator) or you have a coolant leak somewhere. I had that problem and found my leak, of all places, was coming from the back of the Dynamic Air Chamber (the metal box middle top of your engine). Fixed it, no problem since.

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

By the way, visually your car could be my cars twin.

Good looking Vert, dude. Lets hook up sometime and I'll show you the passive performance and cosmetic upgrades I did to mine that make a big difference. :-)

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

Black convertable boot and bag on e-bay.

Cut n paste in your browser. Current bid $100. Good luck.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/aw-cg...325519&r=0&t=0