Really it did! On a car dollie. I just bought a 91 coupe that doesn't start. My dad saw it and told me about it. 91, blown engine, $1250. I was like, "He'll probably take less." I went and saw the car the next day. I was just like . New paint, New tires, straight body, and the interior made me almost pee my pants. 93,xxx on the odometer with power everything. He wouldn't budge from $1250. I didn't blame him, I wouldn't have either.

Get the car home tuesday night.

#1. 4 trailing spark plugs were on the engine.
#2. Front and rear spark wires were on the rotors.
#3. The engine was flooded like a bastered.

Still wouldn't start. Did a compression test yeasterday. Engine was cold and we got 3 even bounces of 95 on the back rotor. I was thinking that is very good. Go to the front rotor and get 3 even bounces of about 5. Thats right five! Here is my first question. Is that normal even for a blown engine to have a reading that low! Also, should a blown engine still start? Just have no power and run like ****.

No worrys. I have Rebuilt engine by Hayes Rotary. It has been sitting in my garage for over 2 years though. It has 8,000 miles on it. Will I just need to go through the normal break in period when reinstalling it? Is there something else I should do?

The rebuilt is an s4 engine. I was planning on just using the block, and all the s5 components off the blown engine. Any problems with that?

Thanks for any advice on what to do.

-steve-

 

Another one.

 

One more.

 

With a compression of around 5 (not on a Mazda compression checker) it sounds like a apex seal blew and took out every seal in the rotor.

Or that the engine has been sitting for a while and all the apex seals are stuck.

I might try foaming or ATF the front rotor and see if I could get them unstuck, and/or put a mirror down there and check the apex seals as they pass the spark plug opening to see if they are still there.

 

I'll be the first to admit I don't know a thing about the seal. It was turning over though, so I don't think anything is stuck. The engine was supposadly rebuilt months before it stopped running.

 

Are the apex seals on the 'corners' of each rotor? Any one got a good diagram or something explaining all the seals and where they are? Would help alot of us seal virgins out.

 

yep, they are at each corner. They look like a bar of metal in the rotor corner as the rotor comes around

 

It's really hard to say - I would defininitely start with the ATF trick.

Here's what to do -

Get 4 brand new spark plugs. Pull the leading plugs, and squirt ATF in each rotor. Turn the motor over by hand a bit, squirt more in, repeat. Get a real good coat on all the rotor faces.

Put your brand new spark plugs in, and hook up the plug wires. Make sure the battery has a good, strong charge on it. Let it sit for an hour or so to let the ATF soak into the carbon.

After it's done soaking, try and start it up. If it starts, KEEP IT RUNNING no matter what - you'll probably have to give it some gas to keep it running. It will smoke like CRAZY - you probably won't be able to see. Just keep it going.

Listen to the engine - if it feels like it's running rough, there may be a problem. If it's running nicely, try and gradually lower the RPM's and see if it will hold an idle.

I started a car that had MAJOR foreign object damage on the front rotor once using this technique - it was quickly obvious that the front rotor was gone when it was running, ran super rough. When I tore the motor apart, all the apex seals were totally shattered with deep gashes in the faces of the rotors from it trying to compress some foreign object.

The moral is *any* engine will run with enough oil and ATF in it . It's definitely worth a try before you tear it down.

BTW, that's one sharp looking car! I just wish I had money whenever I find deals like that! Well, I did get my '86 base for $500, and it rules!

Good luck,
Dale

 

Cool, I'll try that. If that does work though, how long would it run. Not saying that it isn't a good idea to try (as I will try it), but if the seals are blown will ATF 'fix' them?

 

Actually when they get stuck, they get stuck low.

See there is this little spring that holds the Apex seal against the rotor housing. The Apex seal floats up and down depending on where the rotor is, in position to the housing. When they get stuck they often get stuck in the compressed or low position, so you have no compression.

So the ATF treatment that Dale mentions often will seep into the seal, and help loosen it and the spring so that the seal floats again, as it should, rather than being always compressed.

Now if a apex seal shattered, or broke, ATF won't fix it. Only replacing the seal will. As Dale mentioned sometimes when a seal goes, it floats around inside the combuston area of the rotor, gouging it up as it becomes smaller and smaller pieces. Thses smaller pieces often distroy the other seals as well.

 

All the ATF will do is break loose the carbon that can make them stick down in their slots, causing a loss of compression. If the seals are broken, nothing will fix it. But, oil or ATF will fill in the spaces long enough for the car to start up and run.

If the seals were just stuck into place and the car was flooded, and it fixes that, the car can run for a long time to come. But, it depends - just exhaust every option before swapping motors or anything.

BTW, you really can't tell the condition of the apex seals through the spark plug hole - they usually crack at the tip, which you can't see. If you can see them broken or missing through the plug hole, it's REALLY messed up .

Dale

 

Nice find!

 

Thanks guys, this helps out SOOOOOO much. I was wondering why a new engine could just die like that. Hopefully this is the answer (fingers crossed). It would be so awsome if it would fire up. I just couldn't understand why seals would 'blow' in a N/A after just a couple thousand miles. I was banking on something like this.

 

Try some AMSOIL Power foam

 

My '87 TII that followed me home about 2 weeks ago had 0 compression on the front rotor. Yep three 0's. The engine is now out and infact an apex seal was missing and a second was cracked. So yes it can happen. I would have been pleased with 5. Good luck with your project. BTW, nice looking car!

Steven

 

Do you mean instead of ATF?

 

Yep, or go to a GM dealer and get some Aerosol Top end cleaner.

 

yeah I have used the amsoil foam and recommend it over ATF in most cleaning applications

 

good find looks like my 91 but mine is red. i am gunna need a new motor real soon

 

automatic

 

Probably going to want an extra set of 4 if the motor does run, because that ATF is going to foul up those new ones you just put in.

 

You can say that again, but, for the money, that car is mint! Still, great find in my book

 

I didn't want to say it either but it does look great.

Good luck getting it up and running.

 

"Your not driving a car with an Auto, your just steering" If I wanted that slow of a shift I would let my Girlfriend drive. ( just kidding Sweety) But a sweet looking car all the same

 

thats ok you can still do a manual tranny swap when you do the motor swap