I bought an 83 rx-7 from my uncle for $250, he has the clutch kit for it, but I have to install it, I've never worked on a rotary engine b4, i've always worked on V-powered cars. So I'm kinda lost, is it hard to do, and what do I do to change it. Thanks ahead.

Jordan

 

Drop the tranny, pull out old crappy clutch, install new kit. Align the clutch Reinstall.

Same as on a piston.

This would be a good time to check your pilot bearing, on the inside of your flywheel nut, its not a must persay, but it is HIGHLY Recommened!

 

ok cool that save me a lot of research thanks

 

At the very least,put a dab of grease in the bearing to keep it lubed.The pilot bearings are known to fail,but they can also be a royal pain to change,being a thin-walled torrington type bearing.If it looks intact,a little lube will help it stay that way.

Theres nothing special about a rotary clutch job.The exhaust system can be a pain to remove,but that goes for most cars.If you pull the flywheel to have it turned,its held on by one large gland nut,instead of multiple smaller bolts.It requires a large socket to remove,and a good focused blow from a hammer near the ring gear,to break the taper seat fit of the flywheel to the E-shaft.(crank)

 

so then whats the final verdict on greasing the pilot bearing. NEW someone posted right from the instructions to NOT lube the bearing as it come pre-lubed. Now in a used state is it just a problem with getting possible grease on the clutch? People always have their idea as to why but i want a definate answer damnit

 

Changing a clutch on a rotary is no different from any other car.
As for greasing the pilot bearing, how long do think a dry bearing would last? Not very long, regardless of how much load placed on it.
There was a recent thread that showed pics of an input shaft that was severly galled from a pilot bearing that was lacking lube.

 

thanks for the input. see I've only done basic work on engines, this is my first manual transmission I've always had automatics. I own a 94 Grand Marquis that I don't work on b/c of all the electronic in the motor, I worked on the 83 chrysler new yorker I just sold, but This is my first small car, and manual transmission

 

I just swapped the clutch on a first gen last night. Other than the pilot bearing puller, basic tools were all I used. Getting the trans mated back up to the engine is the hardest part. Even with the clutch perfectly aligned, the input shaft will not fully seat unless the trans is at the exact right angle compared to the engine.

 

I have a new,spare pilot bearing in my box,looks pretty dry to me.
Obviously,you dont want to pack the entire cavity with grease.There is a seal that keeps excess grease in the bearing and off the clutch/flywheel.....but still,not much lube is needed for a needle bearing.Thats why I said a "dab" of grease.Thats usually all you need to keep it wet,without getting messy.

 

Thank you all very much I'm so glad this club is here or I'd be totally lost

 

I've lubed pilot bearings with a variety of water-resistant greases, silicon grease, lithium grease and boat trailer wheel bearing grease, and they all seem to work well. A little excess won't hurt the clutch plate. It's often difficult to get the PB out. Old timers would fill the hole with heavy chassis grease then bang hard on a mandrel of the same size as the PB ID and it would pop out from the hydraulic shock. More often, a slide hammer with the right fitting, either the custom one from mazdatrix or a ground down general purpose tool from a rental place does the trick. But sometimes the old Dreml tool is required.

 

ok ok I see, The clutch is the only thing I need to make my Rx go and then everything is cosmatics. thanks for the help

Jordan

 

bliffle,
you said it so i'm going for it. my pilot shelled and took more than 1/3rd of the 'lip' in need to pull it out. tried to pull, now no lip and a broken puller. now i have a outer race with no way to pull it from the e-shaft. dremel it is.

 

I found that the rental puller from "NOzone" (autozone) needs ground down on the ears to fit properly. It's made for more "substantial" bearings, with a larger outer diameter..........

 

now no ones said how to do it exsactly i know how to pull the engine and trans very easey
take the drive shaft off remove rad/fmoc simple as 4 mount nuts its out

but is it easeyer to do the trans from underneith and jack it up it cant be that hard would save me alota time if there is a trick to doin it
or is it just better to pull the engine/trans

im gonna do a rb street/race clutch and pp in a few weeks clutch is slippin in 3rd when flooring it

 

It takes 20-30 minutes to drop the trans, once you have the car on stands. Leaving the driveshaft in the back of the trans will prevent oil leaking out, but makes it a *little* harder to handle. An extra pair of hands is a good idea, if you don't have a good hydralic jack.

 

thanks ill look into this

a rb street/race clutch and a pp is a good clutch to get?
or is there a better type for cheaper

my cars a daily driver and i am intrested in autox and tiny bit of drag
cars stock with free flow exhaust rb header and have plans for more power
would that be a good clutch for my intrests or is the stocker oem clutch good enough?

 

I have a hydrolic (spelt wrong) Jack but the only problem I have is I have a gravel drive. and no room to work My uncle just moved from his house into a smaller one so no room to work there. lol