New Member RX-7 Technical Post your first technical questions here, in an easy flame free environment, before jumping into the main technical sections.

Oil leak with 1st gen ARG

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Feb 22, 2009 | 05:37 PM
  #1  
KrazyIvan02's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Florida
Question Oil leak with 1st gen ARG

(Copy and Pasted from source)

1984-5 13B:
Not prone to oil injection or tubular dowel leaks, although filter stand o-rings and oil cooler & lines commonly leak in the 100,000 mile range. The biggest problem is the oil cooler splitting at the input flange (small crack, parrallel to threads). The only way to properly diagnose is to remove the underpan, clean the area with brake cleaner and compressed air, pressure washer, etc., and with the engine running, see exactly where the leak is. This also applies to diagnosing any oil leak properly. Many times oil leaks are confused since fan and moving car tends to swirl oil around.


Now pretty much everything but the oilpan or underpan they're talking about is straight up alien to me.. The guy who sold me the car said if I just took off the oil pan and replaced the gasket it would solve my problems, weird because he did tell me I could seal it up with caulking or something but that sounds a little ghetto-rig to me so I'm skeptical about that..

I poured a quart of oil in a couple days after I got it.. 100 miles later (120K on odometer) I check the dipstick and its telling me its low (from between low and high) I heard these engines are designed to burn oil but am I looking to get a box of oil a month now?
Reply
Old Feb 23, 2009 | 01:31 AM
  #2  
Rx-7Doctor's Avatar
Lives on the Forum
Tenured Member 10 Years
iTrader: (13)
 
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 10,584
Likes: 12
From: Oregon
The underpan is the metal covering that you will see when you look underneath the engine compartment.

The statement is correct that you need to clean off the engine completely including the oil cooler lines then run the engine and see where exactly the leak is coming from.

The oil cooler bungs crack because people over tighten them and also use the wrong type of sealing washer.

first things first and that is to find the leak, then take a course of action.

Once you determine the exact cause of the leak then post up and we will advise you on how to repair it.
Reply
Old Feb 27, 2009 | 02:47 PM
  #3  
KrazyIvan02's Avatar
Thread Starter
Junior Member
 
Joined: Feb 2009
Posts: 28
Likes: 0
From: Florida
I took it to a garage and they put it in the air, after a cleaning and 30 minutes later they told me it was my dowel pan o rings that were either bad/deteriorated or non-existant, and it would basically cost an engine rebuild to get it fixed ($1200-1500). You could see it when it ran clean and watch it drip from the front and rear rotors.
Reply
Old May 30, 2009 | 10:07 PM
  #4  
Beaujon Bailey's Avatar
Turbeau
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: St. George , Utah
The oil cooler bungs are cracked on my cooler how do I plug the leak and what type of sealing washers do I need. can I use teflon tape on the threads?
Reply
Old May 31, 2009 | 09:58 AM
  #5  
Aaron Cake's Avatar
Engine, Not Motor
Tenured Member: 20 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 29,798
Likes: 128
From: London, Ontario, Canada
If the bungs are cracked, then new bungs need to be welded on, or you have to replace the cooler. There is nothing else you can do to fix the leak that will work for more then a few minutes.
Reply
Old May 31, 2009 | 10:14 AM
  #6  
Beaujon Bailey's Avatar
Turbeau
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: St. George , Utah
Ok so I found a cooler with good bungs can I get the seeling rings from the auto parts store or do I need a dealer part--------- and can I wrap the hose end with teflon tape??

Last edited by Beaujon Bailey; May 31, 2009 at 10:16 AM.
Reply
Old Jun 3, 2009 | 05:21 PM
  #7  
Beaujon Bailey's Avatar
Turbeau
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: St. George , Utah
Ok so I got the sealing washers from the dealer and Im using permatex thread sealant but do I reely need to keep the oil presure control valve would it run cooler with out it?
Reply
Old Jun 4, 2009 | 10:20 AM
  #8  
Aaron Cake's Avatar
Engine, Not Motor
Tenured Member: 20 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 29,798
Likes: 128
From: London, Ontario, Canada
Keep the thermostat in the cooler. The crush washers are available at most auto parts store, all fastener stores, and many hardware stores.
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2009 | 07:29 PM
  #9  
notveryhappyjack's Avatar
1 bar boost
Tenured Member 15 Years
iTrader: (4)
 
Joined: Jun 2005
Posts: 2,753
Likes: 5
From: Seattle, Washington
don't waste money and time, have a shop weld -10 fittings straight on the cooler, make ss lines and be done with it
Reply
Old Jun 6, 2009 | 11:51 PM
  #10  
Beaujon Bailey's Avatar
Turbeau
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: St. George , Utah
I can't seem to get any where with the shops in my town they all seem clueless as to what I need any ideas?
Reply
Old Jun 7, 2009 | 10:49 AM
  #11  
Aaron Cake's Avatar
Engine, Not Motor
Tenured Member: 20 Years
iTrader: (1)
 
Joined: Feb 2001
Posts: 29,798
Likes: 128
From: London, Ontario, Canada
Not sure what the question is at this point.

If you have a new cooler, then there is no need to fix the old one. The crush washers are common at fastener stores, hydraulic stores and the dealer.
Reply
Old Jun 14, 2009 | 10:50 AM
  #12  
Beaujon Bailey's Avatar
Turbeau
 
Joined: May 2009
Posts: 5
Likes: 0
From: St. George , Utah
I am now ready to install an oil cooler but I don't want to crack the bungs what would the torque be on the fittings and the hoses?
Reply
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
trickster
2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992)
25
Jul 1, 2023 04:40 PM
Boriquaguerrero
2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992)
20
Apr 22, 2019 01:15 PM
Cameron38
1st Generation Specific (1979-1985)
3
Aug 19, 2015 06:08 PM
sypath
3rd Generation Specific (1993-2002)
2
Aug 16, 2015 12:06 AM




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 07:29 PM.