Odyssey of a '83 RX7 noob
05-09-08, 12:31 AM
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Odyssey of a '83 RX7 noob
Hey peeps 
I've been lurking around these forums since late last year, and procrastinating at posting information about my baby for anyone who may be interested.
To start, I have zero mechanical knowledge. I did have Meccano as a kid, though I lusted after my friends LEGO..anyhow, I digress....
On to the history of this car. My father bought this car way back in 1983 from Town & Country Motors in Thornhill, when he was 40. I was 15 turning 16. Shortly after getting my 365/learners permit, he would let me drive it to and from his apartment back to my moms (they were recently divorced) on the 404 in Toronto.
So I honed my manual driving skills in this car, which may explain why after 3 attempts
at passing my driving test, I would eventually get my license on the third try in this car (previous test were in other vehicles).
He had the car Rust Checked in 83 and 85. Around 88 I think (I have a bad memory..too much dope in high school), he moved down to Columbia, Missouri with his new wife and my half-brother, and the car escaped the Canadian winters...Woohoo!!! I had the honor of driving the 7 during the move. Was a blast following them, Judas Priest cranked on the tape deck, damn midwest heat flowing through the open windows (no air in this car), until I think Illinois or Ohio, when the car sputtered and died. I pulled it over, and fortunately they had seen my maneuver and pulled over as well, though they were some ways ahead of me. Sat there a minute or two, then a State Trooper pulled up behind me and started the interrogation..scared the **** out of me. Anyhow, to make a long story short, the car started up shortly thereafter, and the problem turned out to be the fuel filter and deposit build up.
Sometime in 2001, while my Dad and brother were tearing around Columbia, something happened and the 7 lost power. I'm not 100% sure of the details, but I believe he managed to coax it home, and there it sat in his garage. He acquired a white 79 from a friend of the family, with AIR, and proceeded to pull the carb out to clean it, and never managed to get it back together. So these two cars sat in his garage for a few years. The 83 gained some dings and dents from *cough-bro* moving stuff around in the garage, but overall stayed in good shape.
So after battling cancer for three years, my Dad passed away last April. I inherited the 83, and my wife and I trailered it back from Missouri to Ontario. I bought a battery, coolant, and oil, I tried cranking her. She surprisingly started..roughly idling. Then BANG...BANG BANG. Turned her off and assumed that the engine was toast. Of interest, the car had 191000 kilometers, and my Dad had always put Mobil 1 oil in it.
So, determined to fix her, my Odyssey thus started:
THEN...
Late summer last year...
I've been lurking around these forums since late last year, and procrastinating at posting information about my baby for anyone who may be interested.
To start, I have zero mechanical knowledge. I did have Meccano as a kid, though I lusted after my friends LEGO..anyhow, I digress....
On to the history of this car. My father bought this car way back in 1983 from Town & Country Motors in Thornhill, when he was 40. I was 15 turning 16. Shortly after getting my 365/learners permit, he would let me drive it to and from his apartment back to my moms (they were recently divorced) on the 404 in Toronto.
So I honed my manual driving skills in this car, which may explain why after 3 attempts
at passing my driving test, I would eventually get my license on the third try in this car (previous test were in other vehicles).He had the car Rust Checked in 83 and 85. Around 88 I think (I have a bad memory..too much dope in high school), he moved down to Columbia, Missouri with his new wife and my half-brother, and the car escaped the Canadian winters...Woohoo!!! I had the honor of driving the 7 during the move. Was a blast following them, Judas Priest cranked on the tape deck, damn midwest heat flowing through the open windows (no air in this car), until I think Illinois or Ohio, when the car sputtered and died. I pulled it over, and fortunately they had seen my maneuver and pulled over as well, though they were some ways ahead of me. Sat there a minute or two, then a State Trooper pulled up behind me and started the interrogation..scared the **** out of me. Anyhow, to make a long story short, the car started up shortly thereafter, and the problem turned out to be the fuel filter and deposit build up.
Sometime in 2001, while my Dad and brother were tearing around Columbia, something happened and the 7 lost power. I'm not 100% sure of the details, but I believe he managed to coax it home, and there it sat in his garage. He acquired a white 79 from a friend of the family, with AIR, and proceeded to pull the carb out to clean it, and never managed to get it back together. So these two cars sat in his garage for a few years. The 83 gained some dings and dents from *cough-bro* moving stuff around in the garage, but overall stayed in good shape.
So after battling cancer for three years, my Dad passed away last April. I inherited the 83, and my wife and I trailered it back from Missouri to Ontario. I bought a battery, coolant, and oil, I tried cranking her. She surprisingly started..roughly idling. Then BANG...BANG BANG. Turned her off and assumed that the engine was toast. Of interest, the car had 191000 kilometers, and my Dad had always put Mobil 1 oil in it.
So, determined to fix her, my Odyssey thus started:
THEN...
Late summer last year...
...hmm...now I gotta figure this out 
...sigh
05-09-08, 06:19 PM
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Try this again...
Hey peeps
I've been lurking around these forums since late last year, and procrastinating at posting information about my baby for anyone who may be interested.
To start, I have zero mechanical knowledge. I did have Meccano as a kid, though I lusted after my friends LEGO..anyhow, I digress....
On to the history of this car. My father bought this car way back in 1983 from Town & Country Motors in Thornhill, when he was 40. I was 15 turning 16. Shortly after getting my 365/learners permit, he would let me drive it to and from his apartment back to my moms (they were recently divorced) on the 404 in Toronto.
So I honed my manual driving skills in this car, which may explain why after 3 attempts at passing my driving test, I would eventually get my license on the third try in this car (previous test were in other vehicles).
He had the car Rust Checked in 83 and 85. Around 88 I think (I have a bad memory..too much dope in high school), he moved down to Columbia, Missouri with his new wife and my half-brother, and the car escaped the Canadian winters...Woohoo!!! I had the honor of driving the 7 during the move. Was a blast following them, Judas Priest cranked on the tape deck, damn midwest heat flowing through the open windows (no air in this car), until I think Illinois or Ohio, when the car sputtered and died. I pulled it over, and fortunately they had seen my maneuver and pulled over as well, though they were some ways ahead of me. Sat there a minute or two, then a State Trooper pulled up behind me and started the interrogation..scared the **** out of me. Anyhow, to make a long story short, the car started up shortly thereafter, and the problem turned out to be the fuel filter and deposit build up.
Sometime in 2001, while my Dad and brother were tearing around Columbia, something happened and the 7 lost power. I'm not 100% sure of the details, but I believe he managed to coax it home, and there it sat in his garage. He acquired a white 79 from a friend of the family, with AIR, and proceeded to pull the carb out to clean it, and never managed to get it back together. So these two cars sat in his garage for a few years. The 83 gained some dings and dents from *cough-bro* moving stuff around in the garage, but overall stayed in good shape.
So after battling cancer for three years, my Dad passed away last April. I inherited the 83, and my wife and I trailered it back from Missouri to Ontario. I bought a battery, coolant, and oil, I tried cranking her. She surprisingly started..roughly idling. Then BANG...BANG BANG. Turned her off and assumed that the engine was toast. Of interest, the car had 191000 kilometers, and my Dad had always put Mobil 1 oil in it.
So, determined to fix her, my Odyssey thus started:
THEN...
Late summer last year...
I've been lurking around these forums since late last year, and procrastinating at posting information about my baby for anyone who may be interested.
To start, I have zero mechanical knowledge. I did have Meccano as a kid, though I lusted after my friends LEGO..anyhow, I digress....
On to the history of this car. My father bought this car way back in 1983 from Town & Country Motors in Thornhill, when he was 40. I was 15 turning 16. Shortly after getting my 365/learners permit, he would let me drive it to and from his apartment back to my moms (they were recently divorced) on the 404 in Toronto.
So I honed my manual driving skills in this car, which may explain why after 3 attempts
at passing my driving test, I would eventually get my license on the third try in this car (previous test were in other vehicles).He had the car Rust Checked in 83 and 85. Around 88 I think (I have a bad memory..too much dope in high school), he moved down to Columbia, Missouri with his new wife and my half-brother, and the car escaped the Canadian winters...Woohoo!!! I had the honor of driving the 7 during the move. Was a blast following them, Judas Priest cranked on the tape deck, damn midwest heat flowing through the open windows (no air in this car), until I think Illinois or Ohio, when the car sputtered and died. I pulled it over, and fortunately they had seen my maneuver and pulled over as well, though they were some ways ahead of me. Sat there a minute or two, then a State Trooper pulled up behind me and started the interrogation..scared the **** out of me. Anyhow, to make a long story short, the car started up shortly thereafter, and the problem turned out to be the fuel filter and deposit build up.
Sometime in 2001, while my Dad and brother were tearing around Columbia, something happened and the 7 lost power. I'm not 100% sure of the details, but I believe he managed to coax it home, and there it sat in his garage. He acquired a white 79 from a friend of the family, with AIR, and proceeded to pull the carb out to clean it, and never managed to get it back together. So these two cars sat in his garage for a few years. The 83 gained some dings and dents from *cough-bro* moving stuff around in the garage, but overall stayed in good shape.
So after battling cancer for three years, my Dad passed away last April. I inherited the 83, and my wife and I trailered it back from Missouri to Ontario. I bought a battery, coolant, and oil, I tried cranking her. She surprisingly started..roughly idling. Then BANG...BANG BANG. Turned her off and assumed that the engine was toast. Of interest, the car had 191000 kilometers, and my Dad had always put Mobil 1 oil in it.
So, determined to fix her, my Odyssey thus started:
THEN...
Late summer last year...
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05-09-08, 06:59 PM
#8
beautiful car. you may have wanted to do a compression test before yanking the engine. perhaps testing for fuel, spark etc. i wish yo uluck with the restoration. its good to see that the car stayed with you and its always nice to have a car that means this much to you. you should post a current day pic of yourself next to the car.
05-09-08, 08:33 PM
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Thanks guys.
I started to read these forums last year, and I just had a sense based on why my father stored it, and the BANGS I heard, that the engine was toast.
My intentions are to leave this car 100% STOCK. I want to drive the car I drove 20 or so years ago. This is where I get somewhat..err..ok..completely ****. I'm a perfectionist. I don't want a half assed, good enough outcome. For example, when I removed the heat shield, I numbered the screws with marker, so they all went back in the same hole! Okay, I'm a bit more relaxed now, but it bothers me if it's not the original OEM part...yup..****
I did turn the rotors and listen for the woosh..I think it was Woosh,...,...,Woosh. Anyhow, I PM'd Jim Kutschke of Rotary Dynamics on here, and explained my situation. He was enthused to help out and take care of me. So my buddy and I (I wasn't doing this alone, a good friend was with me from day one, shopping for the engine crane, misc tools, cleaning, etc) packed the engine up on the truck and took it down to Jim's so he and Darryl could check it out:
Air tools..mmm...niiiice
I dunno..looks fine to my untrained eyes!
Kinda like a layered Betty Crocker cake..YUM!
well THERE'S your problem! Damn flux capacitors!
Should have put the hood on in this pic and just imagined it launching from rest.
Damn..where's the steering wheel? Where's my hair? Where's the skinny size 28 Jeans!?
I started to read these forums last year, and I just had a sense based on why my father stored it, and the BANGS I heard, that the engine was toast.
My intentions are to leave this car 100% STOCK. I want to drive the car I drove 20 or so years ago. This is where I get somewhat..err..ok..completely ****. I'm a perfectionist. I don't want a half assed, good enough outcome. For example, when I removed the heat shield, I numbered the screws with marker, so they all went back in the same hole! Okay, I'm a bit more relaxed now, but it bothers me if it's not the original OEM part...yup..****
I did turn the rotors and listen for the woosh..I think it was Woosh,...,...,Woosh. Anyhow, I PM'd Jim Kutschke of Rotary Dynamics on here, and explained my situation. He was enthused to help out and take care of me. So my buddy and I (I wasn't doing this alone, a good friend was with me from day one, shopping for the engine crane, misc tools, cleaning, etc) packed the engine up on the truck and took it down to Jim's so he and Darryl could check it out:
Air tools..mmm...niiiice
I dunno..looks fine to my untrained eyes!
Kinda like a layered Betty Crocker cake..YUM!
well THERE'S your problem! Damn flux capacitors!
Should have put the hood on in this pic and just imagined it launching from rest.
Damn..where's the steering wheel? Where's my hair? Where's the skinny size 28 Jeans!?
05-10-08, 12:05 AM
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Credit to you for taking your Dad's car in order to bring it back to original condition. Thanks for sharing your inspirational story. With your attention to detail no doubt you'll enjoy cruising along in that first ride again soon.
Keep us updated and share more pics.
Best of luck!
Keep us updated and share more pics.
Best of luck!
05-10-08, 05:44 AM
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Thanks for the words of encouragement Mickster!
So while I awaited the engine rebuild, it was time to get cracking at cleaning the bay and whatever else needed fixin.
Dirty...must clean...make purdy.
Meep Meep!
This is the coolest rad..slightest touch and it crumbles like ash. Looking for a rad, Jim put me on to an ebay sale from California..I won the bid..silly me...I didn't pay attention to the details, so now I have a short rad that must go sometime in the near future...but I did swap the shiny stock rad cap with the proper rad I eventually got from radiators.com.
F!@#$! bolts on the manifold! Managed to get one of them out, the other I spent an hour or two dremeling out..then off to the store for replacements, and a proper size tap.
Luckily, my neighbor offered to sandblast the manifold for me...I bought some high temp 1500F paint and painted it after.
Ah yes..the wheels. I'm of the opinion you can have a dirty, rusted out hunk of junk, but if you put nice shiny cragar's and RWL tires, it'll look 200% better! Alas, I'll clean these babies, or find someone local, but sourcing RWL tires in 185/70R13...that seems to be a mission of futility in this age...someone sue Mazda and Bridgestone for failing to provide proper tires in perpetuity!
So while I awaited the engine rebuild, it was time to get cracking at cleaning the bay and whatever else needed fixin.
Dirty...must clean...make purdy.
Meep Meep!
This is the coolest rad..slightest touch and it crumbles like ash. Looking for a rad, Jim put me on to an ebay sale from California..I won the bid..silly me...I didn't pay attention to the details, so now I have a short rad that must go sometime in the near future...but I did swap the shiny stock rad cap with the proper rad I eventually got from radiators.com.
F!@#$! bolts on the manifold! Managed to get one of them out, the other I spent an hour or two dremeling out..then off to the store for replacements, and a proper size tap.
Luckily, my neighbor offered to sandblast the manifold for me...I bought some high temp 1500F paint and painted it after.
Ah yes..the wheels. I'm of the opinion you can have a dirty, rusted out hunk of junk, but if you put nice shiny cragar's and RWL tires, it'll look 200% better! Alas, I'll clean these babies, or find someone local, but sourcing RWL tires in 185/70R13...that seems to be a mission of futility in this age...someone sue Mazda and Bridgestone for failing to provide proper tires in perpetuity!
05-10-08, 06:23 AM
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Almost like archeology, scrub away the dirt and voila! There's writing on those horns! Man, I can't tell you how many of those little dremel wire wheels I went through and how many little barbs of wire I'd find/feel stabbing into my skin.
Radiator shroud..another pain in the a$$! Though using the paint remover gel was pretty cool..drip drip...fizzle fizzle..wipe.
Pic of VIN.
Alright, so maybe I'll mod the car a bit. After all, my father installed plumbing and a windshield washer doohickey for the driver side. Alas, I would later find out that spraying duplicolor paint isn't the hardiest of finishes..but it sure looked nice for a while!
So I had this broken wire on my starter. Searching here, I could never find a solid explanation. Is this a fusible link? Someone said it didn't look stock. I don't recall where it goes to..I think the hot start assist, which I also think is fubar'd, but of no immediate concern. So, for now, I just re-soldered the blue clip. No clue if it's proper guage, wtf it does, etc, etc
Hmmm....a leak!
05-11-08, 12:51 AM
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So at this point after searching here and reading up, i figure it's time to replace the brake master cylinder and booster. Excellent! I've never bled brakes before! Time to learn...
Sigh...I'd guess the leak started sometime when it was stored...so it's true what they say about brake fluid and paint...I'll keep an eye on the exposed areas for now, and worry about what I'm going to do to fix this sometime in the future...maybe keep spraying oil or this rust inhibiter spray I bought at Crappy Tire. I'm not driving this car in the winter or rainy days, so hopefully it'll be fine till then.
Rickshaw power! Notice the single car garage..I love our house, our yard, but the garage sux ballz, though the ceiling is high, our second floor bedroom is right above...could fit a lift in it no problems...hmmm..oh wifey pooh, do we have money for....
05-11-08, 01:19 AM
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The fine gentlemen from Rotary Dynamics, Darryl and Jim...hope they don't mind me posting their mugs.
AHHHHH The new, improved Star Wars Return of the Jedi wankel! It's like, how much more black could it be, and the answer is...none...none more black!
I should mention, being the noob, I took the entire engine to them..rats nest, carb, everything, thinking they would fix it all. Now I know what core means, and that generally you remove all that extra stuff. They were very accommodating though, and reinstalled everything. Jim even said the Air pump was clogged, and cleaned it for me!
AHHHHH
The new, improved Star Wars Return of the Jedi wankel! It's like, how much more black could it be, and the answer is...none...none more black!I should mention, being the noob, I took the entire engine to them..rats nest, carb, everything, thinking they would fix it all. Now I know what core means, and that generally you remove all that extra stuff. They were very accommodating though, and reinstalled everything. Jim even said the Air pump was clogged, and cleaned it for me!
05-11-08, 01:52 AM
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Getting there! Check out the powder coated rad shroud...Very nice! I like! They also zinc plated some of my coolant pipes and other odds n ends.
Evening of November 2nd..getting chilly...but the mission was to fire her up, and ran she did! WOOT!!!! Much more work to do, and winter fast approaching, I managed to take her for a boot around the neighborhood, then store her for the winter. Smile a mile (or 3.something kilometers) wide after 18 or so years!
And the personalized plates came in!
So I took the car to my mechanic to safety, and he told me all the bushings needed to be replaced. With a few months until spring, I took off the sway bars, mounts, torsion bars, and started cleaning/painting them. I used this Rust Remover green stuff from Crappy Tire, which seemed to work amazingly!. Cleaning up the mounts though..what a pain in the F'n Butt! Eventually, a few weeks later, I was ready to paint everything. Keep in mind it was cold, and I had to push myself to sit in the freezing garage, with heat from the two 500watt work lights beaming on me.
Evening of November 2nd..getting chilly...but the mission was to fire her up, and ran she did! WOOT!!!! Much more work to do, and winter fast approaching, I managed to take her for a boot around the neighborhood, then store her for the winter. Smile a mile (or 3.something kilometers) wide after 18 or so years!
And the personalized plates came in!
So I took the car to my mechanic to safety, and he told me all the bushings needed to be replaced. With a few months until spring, I took off the sway bars, mounts, torsion bars, and started cleaning/painting them. I used this Rust Remover green stuff from Crappy Tire, which seemed to work amazingly!. Cleaning up the mounts though..what a pain in the F'n Butt! Eventually, a few weeks later, I was ready to paint everything. Keep in mind it was cold, and I had to push myself to sit in the freezing garage, with heat from the two 500watt work lights beaming on me.
05-11-08, 01:12 PM
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...someone sue Mazda & Bridgestone for failing to provide proper tires in perpetuity!
>> ...someone sue Mazda and Bridgestone for failing to provide proper tires in perpetuity!<<
I hate how litigious America has become, but that is one class-action that I might sign onto. I'm still running a set of Goodyear Eagle ST's with RWL but they are too old to have confidence in at high speed. I've scoured the net looking for a good looking set of 185/70/13 RWL replacements. The best option for RWL I can find are Cooper Cobra GT in 205/60/13 (Search the First Gen Forum on tire discussions for lots of takes.) Although I think probably the best original size performance tire available today is the Sumitomo HTR 200 that does not come with RWL.
How great it is to see those Bridgestone 70's in your picts. Takes me back to when I was 17 and the love I had for those original tires. The slanted font used in the raised white lettering has always been my favorite. In fact seeing your pic was really made me reminisce. Seeing your #7 shirt and 80's hair cut -- that could as well have been me. I have fond memories of weekends washing my first 7 and shooting the bull with my dad.
I hate how litigious America has become, but that is one class-action that I might sign onto. I'm still running a set of Goodyear Eagle ST's with RWL but they are too old to have confidence in at high speed. I've scoured the net looking for a good looking set of 185/70/13 RWL replacements. The best option for RWL I can find are Cooper Cobra GT in 205/60/13 (Search the First Gen Forum on tire discussions for lots of takes.) Although I think probably the best original size performance tire available today is the Sumitomo HTR 200 that does not come with RWL.
How great it is to see those Bridgestone 70's in your picts. Takes me back to when I was 17 and the love I had for those original tires. The slanted font used in the raised white lettering has always been my favorite. In fact seeing your pic was really made me reminisce. Seeing your #7 shirt and 80's hair cut -- that could as well have been me. I have fond memories of weekends washing my first 7 and shooting the bull with my dad.
05-11-08, 01:17 PM
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DUDE! You take very clear close-up pictures. Excellent choice of shots to archive your work.
If that rebuilt engine runs as good as it looks you'll be able to outrun the Sith lords.
If that rebuilt engine runs as good as it looks you'll be able to outrun the Sith lords.
05-11-08, 03:27 PM
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I am glad to see someone going thru the effort of doing stuff right.
I would advise addressing that are where the paint has been destroyed from the brake fluid. Just because you do not drive it in winter, nor in the rain, will not prevent rust from starting to set in. Once it sets in, it's much harder to get it all gone.
I need to do the same on my '83, for the same reason. Granted, it would have been far easier to work on that area without the engine in the way. Getting between the engine and steering gearbox can be a bit difficult.
Just an observation. Why not convert to a front mount oil cooler? Far better setup than the factory "Beehive", and extends overall engine life. I used a 2nd gen oil cooler, mounted in front of the A/C condensor.
I would advise addressing that are where the paint has been destroyed from the brake fluid. Just because you do not drive it in winter, nor in the rain, will not prevent rust from starting to set in. Once it sets in, it's much harder to get it all gone.
I need to do the same on my '83, for the same reason. Granted, it would have been far easier to work on that area without the engine in the way. Getting between the engine and steering gearbox can be a bit difficult.
Just an observation. Why not convert to a front mount oil cooler? Far better setup than the factory "Beehive", and extends overall engine life. I used a 2nd gen oil cooler, mounted in front of the A/C condensor.
05-12-08, 05:43 AM
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I am glad to see someone going thru the effort of doing stuff right.
I would advise addressing that are where the paint has been destroyed from the brake fluid. Just because you do not drive it in winter, nor in the rain, will not prevent rust from starting to set in. Once it sets in, it's much harder to get it all gone.
I need to do the same on my '83, for the same reason. Granted, it would have been far easier to work on that area without the engine in the way. Getting between the engine and steering gearbox can be a bit difficult.
Just an observation. Why not convert to a front mount oil cooler? Far better setup than the factory "Beehive", and extends overall engine life. I used a 2nd gen oil cooler, mounted in front of the A/C condensor.
I would advise addressing that are where the paint has been destroyed from the brake fluid. Just because you do not drive it in winter, nor in the rain, will not prevent rust from starting to set in. Once it sets in, it's much harder to get it all gone.
I need to do the same on my '83, for the same reason. Granted, it would have been far easier to work on that area without the engine in the way. Getting between the engine and steering gearbox can be a bit difficult.
Just an observation. Why not convert to a front mount oil cooler? Far better setup than the factory "Beehive", and extends overall engine life. I used a 2nd gen oil cooler, mounted in front of the A/C condensor.
I like the beehive! Anyhow, I want to get the car as close to original for now, but who knows what the future may hold. I'd like to get another 25+ years from the car. OMG, how much will gas cost then?
05-12-08, 08:34 AM
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So with the mounts, torsion bars, and mounting brackets cleaned and painted, I proceeded to install the OEM bushings on the sway bar links. Removing the links, well, the front passenger side came out not too bad, but the driver side, the sleeve was fused to the bolt. So I asked my mechanic to order new sets all around, since I suspected the rears were probably fused as well. I got the Beck/Arnley boxes, which contained a bolt, sleeve, washers, and lock nut. Later, on their website, I notice the kit contains bushings. Damn suppliers. $130 for 4 bolts. Anyhow, I installed the OEM bushings on the front and everything was good to go after hacksawing the driver side bolt head off.
Onto the rears...
Here's where the fun begins. First, the new bolts are the same size as the front, but the kit's sleeve's are shorter. The OEM bushings are smaller then the front, with a smaller hole, because the original bolts are thinner..why did Mazda do this? Anyhow, with some dish soap, I squished the oem bushings onto the bolts. I attach the driver side link, then proceed to the passenger side, where for the life of me, I can't get the nut on..there's very little bolt/thread for the nut. After futzing about for some time, I remove the other bolt, and that's when I notice the the bolts aren't the same length. same numbers stamped on the heads, but one is about .5 to 1 inch longer, and therefore the threads don't line up...sigh..quality control..what's dat?
Back to my mechanic, he cut the bolt and threaded it for me. He also gave me some contemporary bushings he had, which I eventually mixed and matched with the OEM bushings. Problem with this setup and the short sleeves was that the second from bottom washer was now lined up to rub on the frame rail. But hey...I had swapped all the bushings now, and I could drive the 7! Well, ok, only after I got the safety, went to the ministry, wrote a letter saying I lost the original form that came with the personalized plates, paid my fees, and put the sticker on the plate.
After reading some post here, I found a local supplier of POR-15. I used this on the rear sway bar and brackets. I think I'm in love with this product...will see how it stands the test of time.
The above pic is with the new Energy suspension set I got from Blackdragon. Much nicer with polyurethane bushings and washers that won't rub on the frame! Plus they're zinc/gold! Should have bought another set for front.
Speaking of Energy Suspension, ordered the torsion bar bushings from Mazdatrix and that's the brand they sent...need to find a more local supplier in the GTA for Energy suspension..this conversion/shipping cost/time sux.
Yes..surface rust already on my rust remover'd metal..so much for protecting the metal! I'll probably remove these this fall, and POR-15 them, get the bolts/nuts zinc coated...all part of the learning process
Just to show off the finished horns:
Onto the rears...
Here's where the fun begins. First, the new bolts are the same size as the front, but the kit's sleeve's are shorter. The OEM bushings are smaller then the front, with a smaller hole, because the original bolts are thinner..why did Mazda do this? Anyhow, with some dish soap, I squished the oem bushings onto the bolts. I attach the driver side link, then proceed to the passenger side, where for the life of me, I can't get the nut on..there's very little bolt/thread for the nut. After futzing about for some time, I remove the other bolt, and that's when I notice the the bolts aren't the same length. same numbers stamped on the heads, but one is about .5 to 1 inch longer, and therefore the threads don't line up...sigh..quality control..what's dat?
Back to my mechanic, he cut the bolt and threaded it for me. He also gave me some contemporary bushings he had, which I eventually mixed and matched with the OEM bushings. Problem with this setup and the short sleeves was that the second from bottom washer was now lined up to rub on the frame rail. But hey...I had swapped all the bushings now, and I could drive the 7! Well, ok, only after I got the safety, went to the ministry, wrote a letter saying I lost the original form that came with the personalized plates, paid my fees, and put the sticker on the plate.
After reading some post here, I found a local supplier of POR-15. I used this on the rear sway bar and brackets. I think I'm in love with this product...will see how it stands the test of time.
The above pic is with the new Energy suspension set I got from Blackdragon. Much nicer with polyurethane bushings and washers that won't rub on the frame! Plus they're zinc/gold! Should have bought another set for front.
Speaking of Energy Suspension, ordered the torsion bar bushings from Mazdatrix and that's the brand they sent...need to find a more local supplier in the GTA for Energy suspension..this conversion/shipping cost/time sux.
Yes..surface rust already on my rust remover'd metal..so much for protecting the metal! I'll probably remove these this fall, and POR-15 them, get the bolts/nuts zinc coated...all part of the learning process
Just to show off the finished horns:
05-12-08, 09:06 AM
#21
Very nice work btw, good to see someone restoring a FB back to stock. As for that paint the brake fluid ate just clean the area really well and use some rustoluim priner and coat it with some undercoating. If its not rusting already theres no need for por 15 at this point, just need to get it covered to moisture doesn't get to it....
Keep up the good work!
Keep up the good work!
05-12-08, 09:33 AM
#22
My 7 is my girlfriend.
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Holy attention to detail Batman. Coming along nicely, make sure you get out to this years Meeting of the Mazda's. Depends on where they're having it this year but I would love to check out your car. Keep it up. I would suggest getting a hold of another one, just to play with, because once you run out of things to fix with this one your going to want to keep going, because after restoration, modification is the next step, and it's an addictive mistress.
05-13-08, 07:46 AM
#24
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We initially thought about buying the SA from my bro and trailering that up here, but my wife has since changed her mind...I should find out if they've sold it. I believe they had some interested buyers. Anyhow, this car is turning out to be enough of a money pit.
Here's a photoshop'd idea of what my wife had in mind for HER 7:
Back to the bushings, I also replaced the idler arm bushings (they were literally mush), but the arm was fairly stiff afterwards, and my steering was brutal as far as how much strength it took to turn the wheels. I know I don't have power assist, but it seemed just too hard to turn. Looking back at my pic, I guessed the arm was bent, and I've since replaced with a part from Blackdragon. Much better now!
So we had some really nice weather back in April, in the double digits (celsius), and I had the car running, bushings replaced, plated, and anxious to start reliving the past, and breaking the engine in. First week of driving her, I thought I'd visit a client down in Toronto, near Bloor/Spadina area on Madison Avenue. Parking is on the street. I was there for a few hours, coming out once in a while for a break and check on the car. During one of my breaks, I see these University students from a nearby residence checking out the front of my car. Then one of them is riding his bike, chatting with the rest of them on their veranda, and I hear him say something like "ya, and I can't believe she just took off". So I asked him what happened, and he told me some chick in a blue car, backed up into the 7, hit it, and drove away. I went for a quick look, and it looked as though the plate had been hit and the mounting bracket bent. Wasn't until a few days later I noticed some warping on the bumper cover. Ya..pissed. Fortunately, I started the bumper removal routine from the FSM, and at some point before completely removing the bumper, I just pulled on the facia, and it's back to normal now...phew..
Here's a photoshop'd idea of what my wife had in mind for HER 7:
Back to the bushings, I also replaced the idler arm bushings (they were literally mush), but the arm was fairly stiff afterwards, and my steering was brutal as far as how much strength it took to turn the wheels. I know I don't have power assist, but it seemed just too hard to turn. Looking back at my pic, I guessed the arm was bent, and I've since replaced with a part from Blackdragon. Much better now!
So we had some really nice weather back in April, in the double digits (celsius), and I had the car running, bushings replaced, plated, and anxious to start reliving the past, and breaking the engine in. First week of driving her, I thought I'd visit a client down in Toronto, near Bloor/Spadina area on Madison Avenue. Parking is on the street. I was there for a few hours, coming out once in a while for a break and check on the car. During one of my breaks, I see these University students from a nearby residence checking out the front of my car. Then one of them is riding his bike, chatting with the rest of them on their veranda, and I hear him say something like "ya, and I can't believe she just took off". So I asked him what happened, and he told me some chick in a blue car, backed up into the 7, hit it, and drove away. I went for a quick look, and it looked as though the plate had been hit and the mounting bracket bent. Wasn't until a few days later I noticed some warping on the bumper cover. Ya..pissed. Fortunately, I started the bumper removal routine from the FSM, and at some point before completely removing the bumper, I just pulled on the facia, and it's back to normal now...phew..
05-13-08, 09:38 AM
#25
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So since April, I would drive the 7 whenever I had a chance, breaking the engine in for the first 500km, shifting near 3K. It ran, but seemed...sluggish, idling rough at low rpm. If you jabbed the accelerator, it would sputter and stumble, not responsive. I was hoping to get Darryl or Jim to help me tune it when they had some time. I drove the car down to the BDC tuning session in Pickering on the first Friday to hang out, check the dyno, and Darryl tweaked my mixture screw. He said it was about 4-5 turns out, and he set it to 2-2.5 turns. He also heard what sounded like exhaust leaks from the passenger side, and holding a finger between the exhaust manifold and the intake, could feel some pulses, so perhaps there was a screw missing somewhere. I was going to take it home and check it out.
I did drive the car one day when it was raining, and a few days later I washed the car. I noticed sometimes during idle, the RPM would drop, randomly, a couple hundred revs, like a misfire perhaps? Then while I was booting around with my buddy, we heard this noise/crackling in the rear. Seemed to come from the speakers, because it went away when I turned off the radio. Checking out the engine bay, I could hear some zzt...zzt sounds from the coils. sure enough, the leading coil was arcing:
Searching here for arcing coil, I decided I would switch the coils around. I did this, and didn't notice arcing on the trailing, but then I only attempted observing this for 5 minutes when it struck me I should probably buy new wires! Off I went to Partsource to order the NGK wire set.
Around the same time, I came across some articles about the teeter totter issue. In my mind, with this rough engine, I'm thinking carb rebuild, vacuum leaks, jets, anything...brain hurts after a while, especially when you have no F@#$@#%! clue what you're doing. Anyways, sure enough my carb had this teeter totter issue:
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/common-cause-power-loss-nikki-carbureted-models-632007/
So I fixed this "Throttle sub-return". I installed the new wires. I fired up the car and it was like a new Beast! Not as sluggish in low RPMs, more responsive to throttle, haven't heard/seen any sign of the coil arcing, no stumbles...shes BACK!!!!!
I did drive the car one day when it was raining, and a few days later I washed the car. I noticed sometimes during idle, the RPM would drop, randomly, a couple hundred revs, like a misfire perhaps? Then while I was booting around with my buddy, we heard this noise/crackling in the rear. Seemed to come from the speakers, because it went away when I turned off the radio. Checking out the engine bay, I could hear some zzt...zzt sounds from the coils. sure enough, the leading coil was arcing:
Searching here for arcing coil, I decided I would switch the coils around. I did this, and didn't notice arcing on the trailing, but then I only attempted observing this for 5 minutes when it struck me I should probably buy new wires! Off I went to Partsource to order the NGK wire set.
Around the same time, I came across some articles about the teeter totter issue. In my mind, with this rough engine, I'm thinking carb rebuild, vacuum leaks, jets, anything...brain hurts after a while, especially when you have no F@#$@#%! clue what you're doing. Anyways, sure enough my carb had this teeter totter issue:
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generation-specific-1979-1985-18/common-cause-power-loss-nikki-carbureted-models-632007/
So I fixed this "Throttle sub-return". I installed the new wires. I fired up the car and it was like a new Beast! Not as sluggish in low RPMs, more responsive to throttle, haven't heard/seen any sign of the coil arcing, no stumbles...shes BACK!!!!!