I have a13b from an 85 that doesn't have a lockwasher on the flywheel nut. My haynes manual shows one where you bend the tab up onto the flywheel nut. Did Mazda do away with this from the earlier engines or should I assume mine has already been taken apart before?

 

I've seen engines with and without the bend-up tab. IIRC, I don't even think any of the Series 3 engines I've had were equipped with it.

Haynes also shows a coolant seal protector piece that most people haven't even heard of, nobody uses, and doesn't exist as a part number.

 

i've never seen an Rx7 engine with a lockwasher, maybe the early SA's had it, but its not equipped in the 80's...

the real manual is www.foxed.ca

 

i will also chime in and say that there is no need for a lockwasher on the flywheel nut and i have never seen one on a 79-91 RX-7 engine. the nut is torqued so much that it does not require a locking type washer. and there is really no chance that it will back off from vibration if properly torqued.

 

Okay thanks guys, that pretty much nails it down. Now on to why the clutch is so damned oily. I'm planning on changing the rear main seal and the stationary gear o-ring. I hope that takes care of it.

 

that should fix the issue. you will also want to change the o-rings under the oil filter pedestal. they can seep and cause oil leakage onto the rear housing and eventually it can seep between the engine and the trans and get onto the clutch disc. also check both coolant hoses coming out of the heater core.

 

A leaky rear main shouldn't have any possible way of getting oil on the clutch.

If there's oil on the flywheel but not on the face of the nut, I'd suspect that the sealant that SHOULD be behind the nut is leaking.

If there's oil on the nut, it may be coming through the transmission, unless you have an early RX-7 that still had a plug in the end of the eccentric shaft. I'm pretty sure that the plug was gone by the time FBs came out, definitely by 1985.

 

it was long gone by 85!

 

My 80 had one when I did my first tear-down years ago; I used them a couple times but was later told that they were not necessary.

I happen to have a brand-new one in my NOS drawer, still in the bag.

 

There are some oil streaks on the front of the nut. Also, what kind of sealant goes behind the nut? High temp silicone red RTV?

 

Oh crap! I hope this isn't too serious, but I damaged the eccentric shaft slightly where the pilot bearing and seal go. The puller I tried to use caught the lip and bent it a little. I'll need a new pilot bearing seal, but I'm not sure it will fit perfectly now. I'm sure the transmission won't be affected, but how about something leaking from the pilot bearing area?