Ehron

iTrader: (1)

Hey guys. I just picked up my first 7 last night. I am excited!

I am getting the car checked out by a rotary mechanic this week, but I thought I would post some things I noticed about the car.

I am really surprised a the standing start abilties of the car. The guy warned me about the clutch, but it is not a pain at all. He said he figured I would stall it taking it out of his driveway. I didn't...

I just sold a hybrid civic (~160 hp, 2300 lbs, agile handling, awesome braking). That car was a lot off fun to drive, and hated letting it go as I did everything to the car myself. I had never even changed my own oil before I did the engine swap in that car.

The SE, however, seems like it is going to be just as much fun. Handles quite well in stock form. Really spins nicely up until about 4k rpm, but then you can feel it slow down. I assume that is a byproduct of the restrictive exhaust system I keep reading about. Idles a little rough, but nothing that worries me. I figure it is 20 years older than cars I got used to working on.

Transmission is A LOT more finicky than what I am used too. I will rely on the mechanic to inform me if it is within spec, or if the synchros are getting old. It doesn't like going into gear if it is moving too fast. Of course I need to figure out how long each gear is.

Soon as I got it home I encountered my first problem. Window won't roll all the way up. DOH! I will fix that in the morning. Thank goodness it didn't rain.

Interior isn't terrible by any means, but some of it reveals the age of the car. Could anyone tell me whether or not it is possible to find replacement parts for the interior, or would I need to buy most of it used?

Car came from California, and I can't find any rust. That is a relief.

I guess I am excited even though the car is an eyesore. My girlfriend says she won't ride in the car until I get it repainted. I am going to start sanding it down and getting estimates this week.

Oh well, I can't wait to get this thing completely roadworthy. So far this forum has been incredibly informative, and I thought I would give an impromptu introduction as I am sure I will be asking a lot of questions in the near future (and of course being told to search everytime...).

RacerX7fb

Congrats on your nice find

LongDuck

Hey, congratulations - most of the time SE owners know what they're looking for when they go shopping for a new '7', but it sounds like you've happened upon a lucky find. Some facts about the car that may help you decide to keep this one as a project car;

SE's have the larger 1308cc (13b) engine versus the 1186 (12a) engine used in all other models. The SE also features a 3-stage EFI intake system with '6'-port induction which lengthens the torque band, produces 135hp, and 134lb/ft of torque - compared to the 101hp/98lb-ft of torque of the smaller, carbureated 12a engines.

SE's have full 4-wheel vented disk brakes, as compared to solid rear disks on GSL's, and drum brakes on all other models. Only 84 and 85 model years offered the SE, and most were sold with 'full-option packages' which included leather interior, power mirrors, lighted doorlocks, Clarion radio, tapedeck, and graphic equalizer, Pirelli P6 tires, glass moonroof, cruise control, electric windows, A/C, and other creature comforts that make the car a joy to drive.

Some more obscure knowledge about the car is that it has 17.5mm wide oil pump rotors, vs. 12.5mm in 12a powered cars, providing greater oil cooling volume and capacity with it's front-mount oil cooler. The SE also uses exhaust backpressure to actuate the variable intake '6'-ports to give a longer breathing cycle, and features technology known as Dynamic Effect Intake to create a positive pressure wave in the intake air path to naturally supercharge the column of air/fuel mix as the intake port opens, generating more power and good fuel economy. Also, the 84/85 cars featured rear suspension mounts that dropped the lower trailing arms by several centimeters to assist with better control and handling under heavy cornering.

The SE is one of the best project cars because of the rounded nature of it's build quailty and performance. Welcom to the club, and welcome to the joys of keeping a 'rolling restoration',

bizarro

iTrader: (1)

Congrats on finding a nice SE...post some pix to see what your girlfriend is talking about...

About the car leveling off at 4k rpm...check that your actuators are opening...if they are stuck this may be the reason why...

Crit

iTrader: (6)

Isn't a 12A 1148 cc?

Montrealer

It could be the cats that are clogged, but I would also check to make sure the secondary/6 port actuators are opening properly.

inittab

and post a few pics of your gf too.


j/k


Congrats on your purchase!

Transmission -- replace the fluid with Redline MT-90. It may feel like a brand new tranny after that. Oh and while you're in the Redline Oil isle, buy 2 quarts of 75w90 for the rear end. Thank me later.

elwood

iTrader: (1)

Enron (weren't you arrested or at least put on trial?),

Hondas are famous for their shift quality, so some of what you're feeling could be natural for an 'SE. If you have the capability, I would drive another 'SE that the owner says is shifting well to see if yours really has a problem.

Assuming you do have a problem, one of the more common causes for poor shift quality is bad clutch parts. On the RX-7, there are two bearings -- the clutch release or "throw-out" bearing*, which rides on the clutch fork; and the pilot bearing, which is a needle bearing that resides in the end of the eccentric shaft. The pilot bearing keeps the transmission input shaft aligned with the eccentric shaft, while allowing relative spin between them. If that thing goes bad, the tranny input shaft wants to keep spinning at the same speed as the engine. This reluctance to "spin down" will make your shifting difficult.

(BTW -- these parts fail frequently enough and are cheap enough, that I would replace both of them and the pilot bearing seal any time I crack open the engine to tranny joint.)

Another possibility is a disintegrating/damaged clutch disc, which can cause the same problem listed above.

Lastly, if you want the quickest shifts at high RPMs, a lightweight flywheel will help a lot. It will make launching the car more difficult, but the effect on shift performance is dramatic. After driving my car with a lightweight flywheel, most other cars seem to have sluggish shift quality by comparison.

*If it goes bad, this thing usually groans and squeals like a currupt energy company executive on the stand in a courtroom every time you depress the clutch. It also wouldn't have much effect on shift quality, so I doubt it's the problem.