I'm looking for feddback from those that may have already replaced the thermal pellet in their engine. I have already purchased the non-pellet replacement parts from Mazdatrix and expect to install during the upcoming holiday. My search for information has identifed the following points:[list=1][*]Place your socket and brake-over against the frame rail, then use the starter to loose the bolt.[*]Leave the belts on the front pulley to help prevent movement of the hub.[*]Wedge a block of wood in the transmission inspection cover, again to help prevent movement that might allow the thrust bearing to fall out of position.[/list=1]

OK, so far so good. But here are my questions:[list=1][*]How can I re-tighten the front bolt once I've changed out the pellet? The factory manual states 180-200 ft-lbs. How have others achieve this torque?[*]Also, Atkins' write-up specifies only 60-85 ft-lbs, but this is a long way from Mazda's value. Which value do you use?[*]How do I hold the crankshaft from turning while attempting to torque the bolt? Just placing the transmission in gear doesn't sound like it will hold well enough?[/list=1]

 

I wedge a big pry bar inside the trans cover. I did not try the starter though... are you use its ft-lbs or in-lbs?

 

These are ft-lb torque values.

 

The counter weight can only move if you pull out the key that fits in the e-shaft front end slot! To do that you would have to first pull the pulley hub off. None of this
is necessary to remove the bolt and pellet.

My manual gives two different torques for the front bolt.

The lower value is when adjusting for thrust bearing clearance. The higher value is in another part of the manual.. Does it make any sense to you to use a lower value for proper clearancing then torque the **** out of it later on. NO!

Use the lower value whcih is 80 - 98ftlbs.

 

Sorry for the dumb question, but what is to gain from this mod?

 

The thermal pellet allows oil to bleed away from the rotor shaft, bearings, and rotor assemblies whenever the oil temperature is below about 140 deg F. Presumably this was to help speedup engine warm-up by eliminating the oil’s cooling effect on the rotor faces; probably for emissions...

If/when the thermal pellet fails it results in the oil continuing to bleed away even after the engine reaches normal temperatures, and thereby starves the rotors, etc.; generally considered a really bad thing on an engine that is soooo sensitive to heat.

This replacement eliminates the thermal action by replacing the pellet with a fixed plug.

 

prevent thermal pallet failure.

 

How would you know if it goes bad?

 

do not use the lower value for torque. earlier engines were torqued to 90 ft/lbs but the nose of the eccentric shaft was flexing under greater loads. mazda upped the torque to help prevent this. the increased torque will not appreciably affect the endplay.

jury

 

t-von, on my car ('95 PEP w/85K one-owner miles) I occasionally see the oil pressure not come up to its normal value. When this happens its 98% of the time following a warm restart; meaning when I do a cold start like first thing in the morning headed to work, oil pressure comes up normal. As I drive slowly at first to warm the engine and at a constant speed I can see the water temperature rise (leanerized gauge) and at that same moment the oil pressure increase by 5-10 PSI in sync with the water temp. When I experience the 'problem' the oil pressure never rises and so instead of an indicated 55-60 PSI hot @3K, I get more like 40-43 PSI. No amount of engine stop/start will correct. If I stop and allow it cool way down and then restart, and the problem will probably be gone. May work correctly for a day, a week, or even several weeks before acting up again.

I've had several oil pressure senders fail and this pattern seems completely different. My last new one (2nd for this car) installed 2-1/2 years ago @ 55K. When these go bad I always saw the pressure fluctuate up and down while I drive at a constant speed, or completely fail showing zero pressure. Never had the this-time-I-work and next-time-I-don't patterns.

sirjury, now I see why there are multiple torque values and I agree with you that the higher value as specified in my FWM is the correct one.

 

I must have missed something in one of my engineering classes.

The pulley hub body length where it is on the front of the e-shaft is about 1.25" and does not have much side to side play. The bolt serves two purposes, thrust bearing clearance and keep the hub on. The only perpendicular forces on the front of the e-shaft that could cause flexing is by the pulley belts, or out of balance condition of the hub and pulley assembly.

With a lower torque the hub might come loose or it might not. Going from 90 to 180ft lbs insures that it might not come loose but is overkill.

Now explain how this affects side ways flexing of the front of the e-shaft.

I had my complete rotating mass assemble of my engine dynamically balanced which is something the majority of you all do not do.

 

whats the word on these bypass type thermal pellets since 2003?

 

What do you want to know? I install them in every engine I build. I've been running one since 2001. I don't think I'd go to the trouble of replacing it with the engine in the car, however.

 

The lower torque value is enough to get an accurate thrust bearing clearance, the higher torque value is for keeping it all together. The lesser torque is provided for when you have to change a spacer after checking thrust bearing clearance and it is out of limits, you don't have to wrestle with the higher torque value when disassembling it. The bolt needs locktite applied as well.

Terry7

 

In addition to locktite on the threads, it also needs a liberal amount of silicone on the backside flange of the bolt, where it mates to the hub.

 

wtf is a thermal pellet?

 

thanks rich. i just wanted to know if there was any consensus as to if its a good mod or not.

is there one that is superior to others? which one do you use?

 

Are you being serious? Based on your sig, it doesnt apply to you.

Sevensix, Pineapple offers a free method of doing it using lockwashers. In the past I've ordered the pellet replacements from RA or Atkins, it just depends on if I'm ordering parts from them anyway and I'll just toss 5 or 10 into the order.

 

thanks, pineapple is going to toss in 3 lockwashers with my order with them

for anyone else wanting to do the bypass.. 8mm or 7/16inch is what they recommend.

alex

 

dp