Need purchasing advice -1980 RX-7
11-06-18, 06:45 PM
#26
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Eastern Ontario
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Lots of positive vibes ( intentional pun for a rotary engine site) from you folks. Thanks for the replies.
7aull - Thanks for putting out the effort for the long answer
Banzai - that is exactly what I tell my students
Long story short, I called on my inner KansascityREPU, and after a 6 week dance, offered $500 and got the car.
7aull - Thanks for putting out the effort for the long answer
Banzai - that is exactly what I tell my students
Long story short, I called on my inner KansascityREPU, and after a 6 week dance, offered $500 and got the car.
11-07-18, 04:49 AM
#30
You certainly bought it right, congrauts! Some better pics of the interior and under the hood are in order next I'd say. (I need some fresh ****) That and maybe a plan on how to proceed. I'd work on seeing if you can free it up by hand and if successful, try and get it running with a small bottle of fuel hooked to the carb in place of the main gas line.
11-07-18, 08:04 AM
#31
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Eastern Ontario
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
More pictures to come. I did take some of the interior and under hood but it was so dark that day they did not turn out very well. The engine shot exposure is difficult because of the very white Racing Beat air cleaner. Overwhelms the rest of the engine bay. Also has Racing Beat exhaust system.
Receipts ? Yes we have receipts. Every receipt from date of purchase of original owner February 23, 1980. File must be inch and a half thick.
Doing lots of reading. Decarbonizing a rotary top of reading list.
What do you think of the chances that it could be a battery/starter issue. The parting words from the owner were “ I’d pull the starter”
Receipts ? Yes we have receipts. Every receipt from date of purchase of original owner February 23, 1980. File must be inch and a half thick.
Doing lots of reading. Decarbonizing a rotary top of reading list.
What do you think of the chances that it could be a battery/starter issue. The parting words from the owner were “ I’d pull the starter”
11-07-18, 09:38 AM
#32
Waffles - hmmm good
iTrader: (1)
Ignore the owners advice. Do the due diligence needed to get it revived safely. It may be as simple as deflooding it or a bad battery or something else easy and simple. Look up the threads on reviving/starting an rx7 thats sat for years and read up on all the aspects.
11-08-18, 01:18 AM
#33
If the engine will not physically rotate, by hand or otherwise, then as said, its not the starter motor. Of course, there is nothing lost on pulling the starter and taking it to an auto electric shop. They will prob bench-test it for you for free. Just 2 bolts to pull it. mind how the cables attach! Take the battery with you for evaluation too. Rotaries need a good strong battery to crank and ignite. And unless that pile of documents (HUGE score BTW! nice!) show new battery cables in the last 6-8yrs, consider them to be the originals and way past replacement too. Poor battery wire conductivity can raise a whole host of electric gremlins.
If the engine itself is carbon-locked, my suggestion is to get some SEAFOAM into it, both via spark plugs and thru the carb. This is a great product for cutting thru carbon build-up. Let sit a day then try working the engine over by turning the front main pulley nut. I would caution against working it counter-clockwise tho! if you loosen it (it holds a bearing against the E-shaft), then you'd really be in a pickle. Give this a few days of tries.
Stu Aull
80GS
AZ
If the engine itself is carbon-locked, my suggestion is to get some SEAFOAM into it, both via spark plugs and thru the carb. This is a great product for cutting thru carbon build-up. Let sit a day then try working the engine over by turning the front main pulley nut. I would caution against working it counter-clockwise tho! if you loosen it (it holds a bearing against the E-shaft), then you'd really be in a pickle. Give this a few days of tries.
Stu Aull
80GS
AZ
11-08-18, 07:55 AM
#34
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Eastern Ontario
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SEAFOAM Deep Creep the one to get ? Over ATF or Marvel Mystery Oil ?
I have been reading page after page of this website (to the detriment of the rest of my life) So much good info. I am a bit confused about which way to turn the engine.Clockwise and Counter clockwise depends a bit on perspective. From the driver seat or standing at the front of the car ? If I am standing on the drivers side of the car working on the engine am I pushing or pulling the ratchet handle . The “how to decarbonize an engine thread” says push away the handle so the rotors scoop up the sludge and it will come out of the spark plug holes
I have been reading page after page of this website (to the detriment of the rest of my life) So much good info. I am a bit confused about which way to turn the engine.Clockwise and Counter clockwise depends a bit on perspective. From the driver seat or standing at the front of the car ? If I am standing on the drivers side of the car working on the engine am I pushing or pulling the ratchet handle . The “how to decarbonize an engine thread” says push away the handle so the rotors scoop up the sludge and it will come out of the spark plug holes
11-08-18, 08:35 AM
#35
Waffles - hmmm good
iTrader: (1)
Engine normally rotates clockwise when facing it from the front. If you are on the drivers side you would pull the handle on the rachet to turn it toward you. As Stu said, soak in some seafoam for a bit and then try to rock in back and forth a little bit. Once it moves a bit slowly try to turn it. If it binds up more rinse and repeat. It helps to pull the plugs to relieve pressure and see what gets spit out.
11-10-18, 05:49 PM
#36
84SE-EGI helpy-helperton
From your description and from what the old owner told you, I'm 95% certain that engine will run fine after you get the carbon free from the apex seals. What has happened is the Young Lad didn't let the engine warm up properly - not just to choke release- and parked it without getting the carbon flakes out of the combustion chambers. These then lodged in between the apex seals and are preventing the engine from rotating.
The worst thing you can do to a rotary is pull it out of the garage cold and let it run for 1-2min and then shut it off. I'll bet that's what really happened and the Young Lad doesn't want to own up to locking up the engine due to ignorance.
Search in the 1st Gen forum on Carbon Lock and you'll have lots of information to go on. Personally, I'd avoid ATF because it dissolves even the `good carbon that helps to seal your Oil Control Seals on the sides of the rotors and can lead to incessant smoking. Plug and exhaust manifold removal is necessary and will help you to see the condition of the apex seals once freed up. Good luck, and don't force anything - once softened, the carbon can be overcome with no more than 20-30ft-lbs of force on the eccentric shaft... Any more, and you risk damaging internal seals and surfaces.
The worst thing you can do to a rotary is pull it out of the garage cold and let it run for 1-2min and then shut it off. I'll bet that's what really happened and the Young Lad doesn't want to own up to locking up the engine due to ignorance.
Search in the 1st Gen forum on Carbon Lock and you'll have lots of information to go on. Personally, I'd avoid ATF because it dissolves even the `good carbon that helps to seal your Oil Control Seals on the sides of the rotors and can lead to incessant smoking. Plug and exhaust manifold removal is necessary and will help you to see the condition of the apex seals once freed up. Good luck, and don't force anything - once softened, the carbon can be overcome with no more than 20-30ft-lbs of force on the eccentric shaft... Any more, and you risk damaging internal seals and surfaces.
11-10-18, 06:30 PM
#37
Moderator
iTrader: (3)
Join Date: Mar 2001
Location: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
Posts: 30,805
Received 2,578 Likes
on
1,831 Posts
+1 i would put a wrench on the crank (its a 19), or even the alternator (23?), and just see if the engine spins, it should not take much force, and you shouldn't force it. if it does spin, the problem is probably the starter/ignition/fuel
if it does not spin, or does not spin all the way around, you should pour some light oil of your choice down the carb, wait for a day or two, and then try again.
the "worst case" is actually the best case, a 12A is like the best engine to rebuild ever. its very simple, and its cool in there.
if it does not spin, or does not spin all the way around, you should pour some light oil of your choice down the carb, wait for a day or two, and then try again.
the "worst case" is actually the best case, a 12A is like the best engine to rebuild ever. its very simple, and its cool in there.
12-03-18, 06:56 PM
#39
Junior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Sep 2018
Location: Eastern Ontario
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Looking to the collective for guidance. Just want to confirm I am approaching this decabonization process properly.
I have no engine movement yet.
The car is in an unheated garage at the family cottage. Temperatures have typically been just above freezing whenever I have worked on the engine. The car does have a block heater which I plug in and the engine gets warm to the touch. I have been using SEAFOAM and SEAFOAM Creep. I have been spraying and squirting the SEAFOAM into the spark plug holes, the exhaust manifold holes, and down the carburetor. I have been using a 12 inch ( maybe a bit longer) breaker bar with that 19mm socket. So far I have had 5 afternoons in the garage when I have been decarbonizing. Nov 10, Nov 11, Nov 13, Nov18 and Dec 2. An irregular schedule as you can see.
I have some questions
Difficult to put this into words - I realize it is the SEAFOAM and the manual cranking that will hopefully loosen up this engine but is there a ratio of soaking to hand cranking. In a typical hour how much hand cranking - pulling on that breaker bar - should I be doing ?
Do I need to be hand cranking daily. If I only get to the cottage every week or two is this too infrequent or too far apart between sessions to be effective ?
Lastly is decarbonization temperature sensitive ? Does it have to be warm for the SEAFOAM to work.as was said unheated garage and it’s Canada !
As usual I appreciate the time and effort people put into their replies
I have no engine movement yet.
The car is in an unheated garage at the family cottage. Temperatures have typically been just above freezing whenever I have worked on the engine. The car does have a block heater which I plug in and the engine gets warm to the touch. I have been using SEAFOAM and SEAFOAM Creep. I have been spraying and squirting the SEAFOAM into the spark plug holes, the exhaust manifold holes, and down the carburetor. I have been using a 12 inch ( maybe a bit longer) breaker bar with that 19mm socket. So far I have had 5 afternoons in the garage when I have been decarbonizing. Nov 10, Nov 11, Nov 13, Nov18 and Dec 2. An irregular schedule as you can see.
I have some questions
Difficult to put this into words - I realize it is the SEAFOAM and the manual cranking that will hopefully loosen up this engine but is there a ratio of soaking to hand cranking. In a typical hour how much hand cranking - pulling on that breaker bar - should I be doing ?
Do I need to be hand cranking daily. If I only get to the cottage every week or two is this too infrequent or too far apart between sessions to be effective ?
Lastly is decarbonization temperature sensitive ? Does it have to be warm for the SEAFOAM to work.as was said unheated garage and it’s Canada !
As usual I appreciate the time and effort people put into their replies
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
Renesis_Nemesis
New Member RX-7 Technical
6
02-04-15 04:19 PM
k4thomas
1st Generation Specific (1979-1985)
13
10-10-07 04:36 PM
mrfixxit7
3rd Generation Specific (1993-2002)
25
02-10-06 05:43 AM
ButtDyno
3rd Generation Specific (1993-2002)
2
11-28-02 03:27 AM