Got Screwed by my Mechanic, need advice.
 

Ok, here is the deal. The oil leak was bad..real bad. I took it in, and, the oil pump was about to fail. Ok, so i fixed it. Then it started leaking AGAIN, i took it in, one of the hoses they had replaced went bad and some other lines were bad, repalced those. Now it started leaking AGAIN. NOW They say my oil pan is bad, ive got a leak by the oil cooler, and its leaking through the aft seals. Ok, now, HOW THE HELL DO YOU MISS THE OIL PAN? They jacked the car up for me and my dad, and i noticed it right off, and i aint no durn mechanic! Argh, so all totaled this is gonna cost $1800 to fix. I cant do it myself because i have no access to a lift and little tools.

So, this is god durn $3500 ive spent on this engine. Now, correct me if im wrong, but thats a new engine. Thats a 13B in here instead of a 12a, or at least a streetported 12a. I dont know what to do. Im thinking of telling my mom to go to heck, live with the oil leak, save my money, and get a new engine before college. The engine has 142,200 miles on it, so i dont know how much longer it will last, but in a year a new one probably would be a good idea. I dont need a engine blowing on me freshman year in college. Ramble Ramble Ramble. My dad was also thinking that we sell this car, and prehaps pick up a nice GSL-SE. My car is in great shape really. Straight body, new paintjob, ect. You replace the carpet and the inerior is almost like new.

Thats why its so hard trying to decide what to do. I think the second gens are ugly (no offense FC dudes) and a third gen is to pricy. How much would it be for a nice GSL-SE? How much could i get for my GSL? I mean, for a person who knows what he is doing and has the tools/facilities, my car would be easy to fix. And like i said, practicaly everything works except for the aft squiter, hell, even the cruise controll works! Rant rave rant rave.

:mad:

Damn mechanic bit** lady!
:bash: :uzi: :asshole: :devil: :cursing: :bgfuk: :spank:

Well, as a last resort, any of you near NC want to trade? I could give you my car as a project car, ill take a GSL-SE and pay ya the difference. I mean, $800 or whatever and my car. Hell, if its in good shape id even go up to $1500, and it would still be cheaper than fixing it! I dont know, what do you all think. This RX has been in my family since my dad bought it new 3 months after i was born. We had it with us in germany, and i remember going 115 down the autoban. Memories....

Well...i think im through...

That really sux. Post your mechanics name and info so we can all avoid him/her like the plague.

The oilpan is not too hard to replace if you lift the engine up a few inches, while on jackstands.

If it's the rear seal leaking, then let it be. Wait till it
goes completely. Then either port and rebuild, or
get another engine.

As far as your mother & the leaking oil is concerned, you have two options:

If parked outside, place new piece of cardboard under the engine compartment every few days.

If it's parked in a garage:
Buy Large Dog "puppy pads". It's used so dogs can "go" inside the house instead of on newspaper.
One side is plastic so it won't bleed through, and the other side is cotton.

Kinda looks like a big square Maxi-Pad! :wink:

Either way, that way you won't make an oily mess.
My current SE has a small oil leak (through the filter) that I haven't fixed yet. Since I only drive it once a week, and am swapping engines soon, I have been using the "Stay-Free" (Maxi-Pad) option, and just replace it about once a week.

Good luck and keep us posted.

An oil pan leak is not as hard to fix as it looks. If you have a basic socket set and a jack and jack stands it's not too bad. A bit time consuming though. There are pretty easy to follow instructions in the hayne's manual. If you don't have one I could scan some pages out of mine and send them to you. Or even just type it up. PM me if you want me to do that. The tools necessary aren't too expensive. Maybe $20-$30 for sockets, $20 for a hydraulic jack, $15-$20 for a set of jack stands, a little silicone sealant for $2 and you're set.

Hang Tough, Buckaroo...
 

Don't give up....Changing the oil pan gasket isn't a problem. No need to jack up the engine, but you'll have to get under it, so you'll need jack stands. Take the center link rod off by disconecting it from the frame rail on the passenger side. You'll need a 10 mm socket, ratchet, and an extention. The tough ones are the ones on the front of the engine, but they're doable and you may need an universal. As I remember I did my 12A with 1/4 inch drive tools. With the center link rod disconnected you just lower the pan just about straight off...or down as the case may be....

My Son, it appears to be time for you to start a collection of tools, and a Haynes Manual. Go to Sears, Craftsman Tools are sworn to by many expert mechanics. Start with a Screwdriver set, a set of combonation wrenches from 8 to 19 mm. Then get three ratchet drives...1/4, 3/8, 1/2 inch, and the regular and deep-well sockets. Then get needle-nose pliers, regular pliers, and a pair of arc-joints. (Known popularly as "Channel-locks)
You may want to consider getting a box set. Oftern Sears holds sales on their tool sets, and it's an inexpensive way to obtain a good starter collection of tools...

Denny, from the 'ol corncrib.... :D

Thanks for all the support :p I think im gonna say to hell with the leaks but the oil pan. Im gonna talk to my dad and tell him to let me do it. Anyways, while in the garage i found a 1984 RX7 mechanic manual. Any good or do i still need the haynes? Also, ive done some looking and ive got some of the stuff, but all our sockets are standard and none are metric....so. i guess its time to go down to the store for easter sale at sears :p

Hopefully my dad will let me put the pan on..BTW, can i just take the jack from the van and the PT and jack up the front to get under it? Also..when i take the oil pan off, wont there be oil in there? Heh, like, is it gonna GUSH out or what. SO, do i got to like drain all the oil and add new?

Yes.

use jack stands, block the rear wheels, engage emergeny brake and put it in first while working under the front of the car.

just spend the $20 for jack stands. don't risk your life for $20.

ditto, never climb under the car with it on the scissor stand. jackstands are not that much.

the pan is easy to replace, and I have some info through my 83 factory service manual if you need.

Dude :wtf: man I think Id seriously be buying me some hand tools and some jack stands. These cars ARE NOT hard to work on they are a piece of cake... For that amount of money you could have drove it here and Id fixed it and you would have a TON of money left over!

Well anyways oil pan will appear to be leaking if anything above it is leaking too, especially the oil cooler. Dont think I have ever had an oil pan leak? But the below the oil filter has leaked on every RX-7 I have ever owned!

For .25 cents and about 30 minutes work you can fix it, its only 2 10mm bolts underneath....

Id have to agree with Denny here, go to Sear's and get some craftsman tools.. I have mostly all Snap On, but mysteriously when I stopped buying new tools the snap on man stopped coming by :wtf: So now when I have a tool go bad I have to track his ass down ! He always asks so you need anything today, and I always say nope, I get all my new tools from Sear's I know exactly where they are and dont have to track them down :)

I've got a similar dilemma - the apex seals went in my car and now I've got to find a place that will fix it!! UGH! I don't think I should try and replace the block myself because I don't have an engine puller and I will need a new clutch.....AYE DE MI!!! Man, this is a pain...I wanna drive my car!

Sounds like time for 13B swap.:D

i agree i almost had my rex fall on me once,

i had it up on a floor jack under the front crossmember,

well somehow it slipped and hit my radiator,
it hit it so hard that it smashed the radiator up,
if my hood was open i owuld probably be dead,

it was closed so the rad was forced to stop on the hood.
lucky me:D

MIKE-P-28 is right, the oil pan will appear to be leaking if anything above it is leaking. If I were you I would thoroughly degrease the engine first. Just follow the instructions on the degreaser you use. Gunk[tm] works well. It might take a couple times to get it really clean. After it's clean you will clearly see were the leaks are coming from. Because of the age of your engine, I would avoid degreasing the front housing near the pulleys. This is where the front engine seal is. If you clean that you will surely have a leak that you won't be happy about needing to fix. Good luck!

Similar thing happened to me, only the floor jack put a huge fucking dent in the oil pan. :(

jackstands are a must i got some from murrays for like like $15 for 2 the other ones came with a jack and creeper set i bought my dad had a car fall on him luckly it was just the backend of his old sprite was able to hold the car long enough for a buddy to put the jackback he got lucky tho but get your self some good tools that will last you a lifetime its a great investment

I have some.. I finished what I was doing and was jacking up the car to remove them.

I had an OEM jack collapsed once on a new Mercedes. Luckily it was in the back and I was using another jack to lift the car so I can rotate tires diagnally. The rear disk cover dented from slamming into the ground. Lucily, the dent doesn't rub the rear disc rotor so no real need to change it. It was pretty scary. I think jackstands are better but I don't like spending longer than 30 secs under the car.

My orginal mazda spare tire jack failed once while I was working on the rear brakes(which I DON'T recommend). I saw it slowly fatigue and 3seconds later warped and bent and came to the ground as I swiped my hands away from the car SUPER FAST otherwise I could of pinched my hand or wrist between the brake rotor and the cement!! THis is when I was young and dumb!

Since that incident, I bought floor jack, jack stands and tire ramps as well. My new rule is this when working under the car: One point of support by a jackstand and a floor jack next to it engaged lightly to the car as well...and finally, a wood block next to a wheel.

Sure this may seem extreme, but dying or being permently injured/disabled from working on a car I would like to be alive to drive just seems stupid.