Apex Seal Go Bye Bye!
05-12-08, 04:07 PM
#27
Rotary Freak
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I bought my Misty Blue 83 new and I'm the only one who's driven it. With 130k the engine idles without a whimper and it shows full power when needed. It's just like new, except that the shutter valve malfunctioned so I put a cork in it's air feed in the air filter box.. Oh, I replaced the transmission with an SE transmission to get the tall 5th gear and get rid of a bearing whine. it's my keeper. I figure it should go to 300k, which is probably longer than me!
I adopted the 85GSL with 49k on the meter and I suspect that it was driven seldom and treated well, but rather neglected. I've put another 35k on it without abuse or neglect, and I did deferred maintenance, brakes, shocks, etc.
My SE had 135k when I adopted it and it looked and ran terrible, poor thing. I just cleaned out all the old fluids and replaced with good stuff and replaced the sun-faded interior and repainted it. 35k later it runs like a jack rabbit, idles smoothly, never floods, and looks pretty darn good. I suspect that it was neglected a lot before I got it. But it may have had a good owner somewhere along the line, but I can't bet on anything.
I don't expect to have Apex seal problems with any of them, but I sometimes worry about that SE. But I hate to sell an SE just because I'm worried the apex seal MAY go at some indefinite time.
And if I lose a seal I am NOT going to overhaul it because I really don't want to overhaul an engine at this time of my life (after all, I've got spare RX-7s!) and any purchased overhaul/R&R is expensive and I don't know a good mechanic. I just want to drive my cars at this point.
I adopted the 85GSL with 49k on the meter and I suspect that it was driven seldom and treated well, but rather neglected. I've put another 35k on it without abuse or neglect, and I did deferred maintenance, brakes, shocks, etc.
My SE had 135k when I adopted it and it looked and ran terrible, poor thing. I just cleaned out all the old fluids and replaced with good stuff and replaced the sun-faded interior and repainted it. 35k later it runs like a jack rabbit, idles smoothly, never floods, and looks pretty darn good. I suspect that it was neglected a lot before I got it. But it may have had a good owner somewhere along the line, but I can't bet on anything.
I don't expect to have Apex seal problems with any of them, but I sometimes worry about that SE. But I hate to sell an SE just because I'm worried the apex seal MAY go at some indefinite time.
And if I lose a seal I am NOT going to overhaul it because I really don't want to overhaul an engine at this time of my life (after all, I've got spare RX-7s!) and any purchased overhaul/R&R is expensive and I don't know a good mechanic. I just want to drive my cars at this point.
05-12-08, 04:26 PM
#29
Sam and Stu, that engine from the brown one was running fine when pulled and it has NO oil or water leaks. If you want you might just have a plug and go there, you guys could have it in his car and running by midnight.
Then take your time building a real race engine with the cores!
Then take your time building a real race engine with the cores!
05-12-08, 04:42 PM
#30
I love you Ray.......Well, not really.......But you guys are my heroes. Most people that know me personally, know that I'll try to help anyone I can. That's probably why everyone loves me 
. I retrieved the engine from Stu about 1:30 pm today. He had to run back home to get his flywheel tool. We need to swap flywheels between the engines. The engine from Ray looks pretty good, but the clutch is toast. I have a dang near new clutch on the other engine, but its a 215mm. The engine from Ray is 225 mm. No local parts places has a 225 mm in stock. The plan is to have the SA back running before midnight. I already have everything swapped over from the old engine. Just waiting on Stu to get back with the flywheel tool and were golden!
. I retrieved the engine from Stu about 1:30 pm today. He had to run back home to get his flywheel tool. We need to swap flywheels between the engines. The engine from Ray looks pretty good, but the clutch is toast. I have a dang near new clutch on the other engine, but its a 215mm. The engine from Ray is 225 mm. No local parts places has a 225 mm in stock. The plan is to have the SA back running before midnight. I already have everything swapped over from the old engine. Just waiting on Stu to get back with the flywheel tool and were golden!
05-12-08, 08:07 PM
#32
Got Rotors?
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hey sam,
you think maybe us reving the carp out of that thing and doing donuts in my back yard could have anything to do with this??? Sorry to hear about your loss but hey at least it did not happen in the turbo car. if you need help let me know, im extremely busy at work right now but give it a shot if you need a hand. Good luck
later
robby
you think maybe us reving the carp out of that thing and doing donuts in my back yard could have anything to do with this??? Sorry to hear about your loss but hey at least it did not happen in the turbo car. if you need help let me know, im extremely busy at work right now but give it a shot if you need a hand. Good luck
later
robby
05-12-08, 08:23 PM
#33
Rotary Freak
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Am I the only one here to conclude that overrevving a rotary will lead to apex seal failure?
This is the second report I've read in the last ten minutes that says a seal failed after repeated overreving.
This is the second report I've read in the last ten minutes that says a seal failed after repeated overreving.
05-12-08, 10:48 PM
#39
hells yeah, i'm glad to know of other people within reasonable driving distance in north carolina that work on rotaries, most of the guys around here that own 7s with the exception of two pretty cool guys just own 7s for the hell of it and know nothing about it... so there's really not that much help :P
05-13-08, 12:19 AM
#41
Yeah, why is there only one tire burning????? Is your rear end busted? lol Mine ALWAYS fries both tires!!! I suppose my engine is the next to go! lol I don't have one other rotor head local to me up here to help me out.......... 
No fellow 7 owner to wake all the neighbors up in the middle of the night....... 
No fellow 7 owner to wake all the neighbors up in the middle of the night.......
05-13-08, 03:08 AM
#44
Hunting Skylines
Join Date: Apr 2001
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No, it's just obvious. The higher you rev the more stress and wear are placed on the seals. Not to mention the fact the seals start to chatter above 7400rpm. It's even worse on an old engine that may have worn apex seals and excessive clearance between the seal and rotor.
05-13-08, 08:39 AM
#45
Stu. Thanks for the help man. I still couldn't get her to fire off after you left. The plugs are still getting soaked from all the MMO and ATF that the engine had been soaking in for God knows how long. The engine sounds like it has great compression, but MMO and ATF doesn't burn straight out the bottle. I know Ray had good intentions soaking the engine to keep it from seazing. The engine will just have to be cleared out which will take time. I know it will fire once the MMO, ATF/ fuel ratio gets more to the air/ fuel ratio. As fas as the old engine goes, I took a chance on it. I honestly didn't expect it to last as long as it did. Some of you guys think that these engines will last forever. I don't think any 20+ year old engine that has been beaten and abused will last. Even the mighty Rotary .
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