Maintenance tips for those new to 1st gen RX7s
04-11-05, 11:33 PM
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Rotary Freak
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Maintenance tips for those new to 1st gen RX7s
I recently helped out a new 1st gen owner with some routine maintenance required for her car. Most of the tips for proper care and feeding of these cars are scattered throughout this forum and are well known to those who have owned at least one RX7 for any length of time. But for those just entering the fray, here's a heads up highlighting some of the basic but important items:
1. If you did not have your purchase inspected by a reputable shop prior to buying, now would be a good time to have a safety inspection done. Key points are brake linings, brake hoses, tie rod ends, idler arm (steering linkage) and the front unibody supports for major rust where the steering linkage is bolted to the frame.
2. Oil: Check the oil level every time you fill up with fuel. You'll find that every 3rd fill-up or so that it is necessary to add about 1/2 a quart of oil. THIS IS NORMAL. The rotary engine utilizes a metering system that draws a small amount of oil out of the oil pan and then feeds it into the engine with the air/fuel mixture to lubricate the apex seals. This oil is not retrieved but is burned with the air/fuel mix and then expelled out the exhaust.
However, just because the oil is replenished in this manner does not mean that you can get away with never changing the oil. In fact, it is wise to change the oil and oil filter every 3000 to 5000 miles (5000 to 8000 km) at the very least. Spring for the extra couple of bucks for a decent oil filter too. Purolator, AC Delco and Wix are good filters. The cheaper ones by Fram and Champion will usually do the job, but have been known to fail and allow bits of cardboard and glue to float around in engines and plug vital oil passages. Engines have failed because of this. True, the odds of you getting one that's this bad are less than one in 20 but why chance it?
3. Oil grade and type: Mazda's owners' manual recommends 20W50 non-synthetic multigrade, but unless you live in an area where the outside air temps rarely drop below 70F it's best to use 10W30. If you live in places where the winter temps go below 0F you may want to go with 5W30 during those months.
There is an ongoing debate over whether synthetic oil should or should not be used in a rotary engine. One side of the argument says that synthetic doesn't burn as clean when ingested by the engine via the oil metering system and should therefore never be used, while the other side claims that newer synthetics are ok and provide better protection. If you are running pre-mix (pre-mix = small amount of 2-cycle oil mixed with fuel, accompanied by removing the metering system) this argument becomes a moot point since the apex seals are no longer being lubed by engine oil from the pan. Otherwise, the non-synthetic engine oil does an excellent job and costs about 1/3rd as much as synthetic. That's what I use.
4. I know I lost a few of you with the preceeding paragraph on pre-mixing oil with the fuel. First, a little history:
When Mazda designed their version of the rotary engine they knew that the best oil for lubricating the apex seals (metal seals on the apexes of each rotor that do the same job in a rotary as piston rings do in piston engines) is 2-cycle oil. It burns cleaner leaving far fewer deposits behind to clog up seals and cause pre-ignition. But the rest of the engine still needs conventional 4-cycle oil to reduce friction, lube bearings and draw away heat from the center of the engine.
The problem is that Mazda also knew that telling new owners that their new Mazda required 2-cycle oil to be added to a separate reservior would scare customers away. After all, everyone "knew" that "2-cycle engines weren't very durable, and if this new-fangled engine was a 2-cycle it probably wouldn't last." The knowledge that many owners who couldn't be bothered to top up this reservior and would therefore destroy their engines in short order from lack of proper maintenance didn't set very well with the folks at Mazda either. So they compromised. Instead of a separate reservior for 2-cycle oil to feed the apex seals, Mazda designed an oil metering pump that supplies engine oil to the apex seals in the manner described above. This oil doesn't burn as clean and actually keeps the engine from lasting as long as it otherwise would, but it is still good for a respectable 200,000+ miles (300,000 km) if properly maintained.
But back to the pre-mix option: The racing community has been going this route since the early '70s, when Mazda rotary-powered cars were first exported from Japan to the rest of the world. About 1/2 cup of 2-cycle oil is poured into the fuel tank when near empty and then the tank is filled with fuel, creating a thorough mix. The metering pump and delivery lines are discarded and a block-off plate is installed where the pump used to mount on the front lower right corner of the engine. This is simple and it works.
Another option is to install a metering pump adapter that utilizes a separate reservior and the stock metering pump. This adapter acts as a block-off plate to block oil flow from the oil pan while drawing in 2-cycle oil from a separate reservior and using the stock metering system to deliver it to the intakes. There are threads on this forum that detail both this option and the pre-mix set-up. Do a forum search for more detailed info.
5. Over-heating the engine: One word on overheating these engines--- DON'T. Say you're motoring down the highway and a rad hose bursts. or a heater hose springs a leak. Or the rad packs it in. What ever, your temperature guage is creeping past 1/2 the guage's span. If you're driving any other car you may be able to limp the extra 5 minutes to a service station without doing any damage, or you may warp the cylinder head and then have to fork over for the repair bill of $1000 or so.
But if you're driving a rotary-powered car you need to shut the engine down NOW. Call a tow truck. Or hitch-hike into town for a new hose and a jug of water. If you try to drive it to the station the engine will get you there, no problem. But the over-heating will have warped the rotor housings, causing the water jacket o-rings to fail. This may not become evident immediately in fact, it may even take months. But the only fix is an engine rebuild to the tune of at least $2500. This is one of very few disadvantages of these engines, weak torque at low RPM and slightly higher fuel consumption per horsepower being the others. Otherwise, rotaries are superior to "boingers," ie: piston engines.
6. Check the brake fluid reservior and the clutch fluid reservior. The clutch has a hydraulic linkage and the reservior for it is located in the far left rear corner of the engine bay. The one next to it and closer to the engine is the brake fluid reservior. Unless this fluid is clean and a pale yellow or blue you'll need to change it out. This is done by bleeding the lines. You'll need an 8mm open end or box end wrench, a 2-ft length of 1/4" outside diameter clear plastic flexible hose, a catch container and a partner to monitor the brake (or clutch) pedal while you do this. The procedure is as follows:
Jack the car up and place jack stands under all four jacking points. Remove all four wheels for better access to the bleeder screws. Begin with the wheel that's farthest from the brake reservior. (On Left-hand drive cars this would be the right rear wheel; on cars with RHD it's the left rear wheel). Then go to the next-farthest wheel, then the next and finally the one that's closest to the reservior. Bleed the brake lines in this order.
Each brake caliper has a bleeder screw. It looks like a nipple with a hole in it and hex sides on which to place an 8mm wrench. When this screw is turned counter-clockwise (loosened) fluid can flow out of it. When it is tightened (clockwise) it seals in fluid. First, make sure the fluid level in the reservior is topped up. Then place one end of the plastic hose over the hole in the end of the bleeder screw and the other end into the catch container.
Then have your assistant pump the brake pedal 3 or 4 times and then push the pedal toward the floor and hold. At this point, use the wrench to turn the bleeder screw open (counter-clockwise). When it opens, fluid will squirt out the bleeder screw and into the container. If your asistant is still pushing on the brake pedal as instructed it will fall straight to the floor. It is important that the pedal is not lifted off the floor at this point or air will be sucked into the brake lines through the open bleeder screw at your end.
Now turn the bleeder screw clockwise until it is just past hand-tight. Tell your assistant to let up on the pedal. This will draw fluid from the reservior into the lines, beginning the process of replacing the old contaminated fluid with new. Repeat this procedure five more times and then pour more new fluid into the reservior. It is important that you not let the reservior get too low or air could get drawn into the system from the empty reservior. Repeat this procedure of bleeding and replenishing the reservior until you get clean fluid spraying out the bleeder screw. Then do the entire process with the bleeder screws on the other three wheels. Top up the reservior to the "full" line and replace the cap. Congratulations, you've just bled your brakes.
The clutch fluid is replaced in the same manner as the brake fluid, but there's only one bleeder screw. It is located in the engine bay on the clutch slave cylinder, which is mounted on top of the transmission on the drivers' side. Just follow the line from the clutch master cylinder and you'll find it. Access to the bleeder screw is a bitch and a half, but it's not impossible to do.
Both of these systems use DOT3 brake fluid. It's the least expensive. DOT5 and above are required if you do lots of professional racing, which produces more heat, but are unnecessary for everyday use. Save yourself a few bucks here.
6. If you still have the stock catalytic converters ("cats") on your exhaust system you may see the "overheat exhaust system" warning light on the instrument panel light up. This requires attention because it means that your pre-cats (the ones ahead of the main cat) are plugging up from years of exhaust deposits. This plugging up causes the exhaust to overheat, and some of that heat will cause local overheating of the engine that won't show up on the temp guage. This of course can and will do the same kind of overheating damage as mentioned earlier. The cure is to remove the pre-cats The main cat typically doesn't plug, in spite of what some mechanics may tell you in an effort to sell you a new (expensive) main cat. Next, use a welding rod or other slim object to punch the deposits out of the pre-cats and then re-install them.
7. Does your coolant level warning light come on under hard braking or around sharp turns? If so, your coolant level in the rad is low. Dump some water into the plastic coolant overflow tank and once the engine is cooled sufficiently remove the rad cap and top up the rad. Then keep an eye on the coolant level and watch for leaks because something caused the level to drop.
8. Fuel filter: It's about $5 on 12A-powered 1st gens (ie: those with a carbureter rather than fuel injection) and located under the car on the left side just ahead of the fuel tank. Unless the person who sold you the car can produce a recent receipt saying this is a new fuel filter it's likely time to change it. It's a simple matter of pinching off the fuel hose leading to and from the filter with a couple of vise grips or clamps, then removing the hose clamps that hold the filter in place and finally removing the filter itself. Install the new filter, making sure the direction of flow indicated on the filter body is correct with the flow of fuel from the tank.
9. Air filter: If you can't see light through it, it's time to change it out. Clogged filters cause excessive fuel consumption.
10: Choke: If your car is a 1st gen with a 12A engine you have a "semi-automatic" choke--- it's the **** that's down low and to the left of the steering column. Pull it out to start the car. Once the rpms stabilize after the first 20 seconds or so, push the **** in until your engine is idling at around 2000 rpm. After 2 minutes push it in until idle is at 1500 rpm, then leave it alone. Once the engine reaches operating temps the choke will retract automatically and idle speed will drop to around 750 rpm.
11. At idle, these engines "stutter." This is normal. There is just enough overlap between the intake and exhaust sequence to allow a small amount of the intake charge to exit via the exhaust before it can be cycled through ther engine, causing the engine to idle slightly rough. This characteristic has been remedied on the RX8 engine, but all RX7s exhibit this trait.
12. Spark plugs: Use only the recommended four-electrode type plugs made by NGK. There are no substitutes, regardless of what the rookie at Napa, Canadian tire or most other retail auto parts suppliers would have you believe. The ones you need are the NGK BR8EQ14 (1st gen cars) or combination of BR8EQ or BR7EQ or BR9EQ depending on which generation, turbo or non-turbo, etc. you have.
13. Performance Modifications ("mods"): There are several mods you can do to improve performance, cheif among them being a freer-flowing aftermarket exhaust. The key is to make sure you only do mods that can be reversed later on, ie: do not throw away the original parts. Not only will your car be worth more in a few years if original, you'll also be able to quickly restore emission equipment to original if your state or province introduces emission testing.
14. Brake pads: The front brake pads do not have "squealer tabs" (ie: small metal tabs that warn you when your pads are almost worn out before they score the brake rotors). Inspect these pads every four months or so. If their thickness is less than 1/8" replace them. The procedure for doing this has been detailed on at least one thread that can be accessed via the "search" button.
15. Battery: keep the cells filled to the split ring (except sealed maintenance-free batteries) but not any higher. You'll know when they're filled but the almond-shaped "eye" reflection produced when the water reaches the level of the split ring. Water levels have to be topped up periodically say, every six months. Use distilled water ONLY.
Keep the battery terminals and clamps clean. Use a wire brush to clean the inside of the clamps and outside of battery posts as necessary, typically every three months or so. If you don't, one day the car will start just fine and you'll leave home to pick up a paper and when you try to start the car it won't even click let alone crank over. The number one cause is build-up between the battery posts and the clamps, and this is true with any car, not just RX7s. Undo the terminals, clean them up with a wire brush (or better yet, a battery post cleaner) re-attach and you're good to go.
You can keep this build-up from forming in the first place by smearing the terminals with dielectric grease or "plastic spray," which keeps the battery fumes from coming in contact with the terminals and corroding them.
16. Which fuel to use? Unless your car is turbocharged or otherwise boosted these cars run just fine on 87-octane. In fact it is the recommended fuel for normally-aspirated rotaries. But if yours is turbo'd use only high-octane fuel to reduce the possibility of detonation, which can destroy these (or any) engine.
17. Finally, it's your car and you can do what you want with it, but if you "rice it out" with hokey-looking wings, body kits, neon, stickers, fart-can mufflers, etc. you will get laughed at and ridiculed by everyone--- except other ricers. And you'll have destroyed any potential for your particular RX7 to ever increase in value. And cops live for the opportunity to bust ricers for every trumped-up charge they can fabricate. It's just not worth it. "Sleeper" performance mods are cool. Rice-mobiles aren't. It's that simple.
In closing, there are many more tips to properly maintaining these cars and most are on this forum. But these are the basics for anyone new to auto maintenance and RX7s in particular. Hope this helps and enjoy your respective rides!
Brett.
1. If you did not have your purchase inspected by a reputable shop prior to buying, now would be a good time to have a safety inspection done. Key points are brake linings, brake hoses, tie rod ends, idler arm (steering linkage) and the front unibody supports for major rust where the steering linkage is bolted to the frame.
2. Oil: Check the oil level every time you fill up with fuel. You'll find that every 3rd fill-up or so that it is necessary to add about 1/2 a quart of oil. THIS IS NORMAL. The rotary engine utilizes a metering system that draws a small amount of oil out of the oil pan and then feeds it into the engine with the air/fuel mixture to lubricate the apex seals. This oil is not retrieved but is burned with the air/fuel mix and then expelled out the exhaust.
However, just because the oil is replenished in this manner does not mean that you can get away with never changing the oil. In fact, it is wise to change the oil and oil filter every 3000 to 5000 miles (5000 to 8000 km) at the very least. Spring for the extra couple of bucks for a decent oil filter too. Purolator, AC Delco and Wix are good filters. The cheaper ones by Fram and Champion will usually do the job, but have been known to fail and allow bits of cardboard and glue to float around in engines and plug vital oil passages. Engines have failed because of this. True, the odds of you getting one that's this bad are less than one in 20 but why chance it?
3. Oil grade and type: Mazda's owners' manual recommends 20W50 non-synthetic multigrade, but unless you live in an area where the outside air temps rarely drop below 70F it's best to use 10W30. If you live in places where the winter temps go below 0F you may want to go with 5W30 during those months.
There is an ongoing debate over whether synthetic oil should or should not be used in a rotary engine. One side of the argument says that synthetic doesn't burn as clean when ingested by the engine via the oil metering system and should therefore never be used, while the other side claims that newer synthetics are ok and provide better protection. If you are running pre-mix (pre-mix = small amount of 2-cycle oil mixed with fuel, accompanied by removing the metering system) this argument becomes a moot point since the apex seals are no longer being lubed by engine oil from the pan. Otherwise, the non-synthetic engine oil does an excellent job and costs about 1/3rd as much as synthetic. That's what I use.
4. I know I lost a few of you with the preceeding paragraph on pre-mixing oil with the fuel. First, a little history:
When Mazda designed their version of the rotary engine they knew that the best oil for lubricating the apex seals (metal seals on the apexes of each rotor that do the same job in a rotary as piston rings do in piston engines) is 2-cycle oil. It burns cleaner leaving far fewer deposits behind to clog up seals and cause pre-ignition. But the rest of the engine still needs conventional 4-cycle oil to reduce friction, lube bearings and draw away heat from the center of the engine.
The problem is that Mazda also knew that telling new owners that their new Mazda required 2-cycle oil to be added to a separate reservior would scare customers away. After all, everyone "knew" that "2-cycle engines weren't very durable, and if this new-fangled engine was a 2-cycle it probably wouldn't last." The knowledge that many owners who couldn't be bothered to top up this reservior and would therefore destroy their engines in short order from lack of proper maintenance didn't set very well with the folks at Mazda either. So they compromised. Instead of a separate reservior for 2-cycle oil to feed the apex seals, Mazda designed an oil metering pump that supplies engine oil to the apex seals in the manner described above. This oil doesn't burn as clean and actually keeps the engine from lasting as long as it otherwise would, but it is still good for a respectable 200,000+ miles (300,000 km) if properly maintained.
But back to the pre-mix option: The racing community has been going this route since the early '70s, when Mazda rotary-powered cars were first exported from Japan to the rest of the world. About 1/2 cup of 2-cycle oil is poured into the fuel tank when near empty and then the tank is filled with fuel, creating a thorough mix. The metering pump and delivery lines are discarded and a block-off plate is installed where the pump used to mount on the front lower right corner of the engine. This is simple and it works.
Another option is to install a metering pump adapter that utilizes a separate reservior and the stock metering pump. This adapter acts as a block-off plate to block oil flow from the oil pan while drawing in 2-cycle oil from a separate reservior and using the stock metering system to deliver it to the intakes. There are threads on this forum that detail both this option and the pre-mix set-up. Do a forum search for more detailed info.
5. Over-heating the engine: One word on overheating these engines--- DON'T. Say you're motoring down the highway and a rad hose bursts. or a heater hose springs a leak. Or the rad packs it in. What ever, your temperature guage is creeping past 1/2 the guage's span. If you're driving any other car you may be able to limp the extra 5 minutes to a service station without doing any damage, or you may warp the cylinder head and then have to fork over for the repair bill of $1000 or so.
But if you're driving a rotary-powered car you need to shut the engine down NOW. Call a tow truck. Or hitch-hike into town for a new hose and a jug of water. If you try to drive it to the station the engine will get you there, no problem. But the over-heating will have warped the rotor housings, causing the water jacket o-rings to fail. This may not become evident immediately in fact, it may even take months. But the only fix is an engine rebuild to the tune of at least $2500. This is one of very few disadvantages of these engines, weak torque at low RPM and slightly higher fuel consumption per horsepower being the others. Otherwise, rotaries are superior to "boingers," ie: piston engines.
6. Check the brake fluid reservior and the clutch fluid reservior. The clutch has a hydraulic linkage and the reservior for it is located in the far left rear corner of the engine bay. The one next to it and closer to the engine is the brake fluid reservior. Unless this fluid is clean and a pale yellow or blue you'll need to change it out. This is done by bleeding the lines. You'll need an 8mm open end or box end wrench, a 2-ft length of 1/4" outside diameter clear plastic flexible hose, a catch container and a partner to monitor the brake (or clutch) pedal while you do this. The procedure is as follows:
Jack the car up and place jack stands under all four jacking points. Remove all four wheels for better access to the bleeder screws. Begin with the wheel that's farthest from the brake reservior. (On Left-hand drive cars this would be the right rear wheel; on cars with RHD it's the left rear wheel). Then go to the next-farthest wheel, then the next and finally the one that's closest to the reservior. Bleed the brake lines in this order.
Each brake caliper has a bleeder screw. It looks like a nipple with a hole in it and hex sides on which to place an 8mm wrench. When this screw is turned counter-clockwise (loosened) fluid can flow out of it. When it is tightened (clockwise) it seals in fluid. First, make sure the fluid level in the reservior is topped up. Then place one end of the plastic hose over the hole in the end of the bleeder screw and the other end into the catch container.
Then have your assistant pump the brake pedal 3 or 4 times and then push the pedal toward the floor and hold. At this point, use the wrench to turn the bleeder screw open (counter-clockwise). When it opens, fluid will squirt out the bleeder screw and into the container. If your asistant is still pushing on the brake pedal as instructed it will fall straight to the floor. It is important that the pedal is not lifted off the floor at this point or air will be sucked into the brake lines through the open bleeder screw at your end.
Now turn the bleeder screw clockwise until it is just past hand-tight. Tell your assistant to let up on the pedal. This will draw fluid from the reservior into the lines, beginning the process of replacing the old contaminated fluid with new. Repeat this procedure five more times and then pour more new fluid into the reservior. It is important that you not let the reservior get too low or air could get drawn into the system from the empty reservior. Repeat this procedure of bleeding and replenishing the reservior until you get clean fluid spraying out the bleeder screw. Then do the entire process with the bleeder screws on the other three wheels. Top up the reservior to the "full" line and replace the cap. Congratulations, you've just bled your brakes.
The clutch fluid is replaced in the same manner as the brake fluid, but there's only one bleeder screw. It is located in the engine bay on the clutch slave cylinder, which is mounted on top of the transmission on the drivers' side. Just follow the line from the clutch master cylinder and you'll find it. Access to the bleeder screw is a bitch and a half, but it's not impossible to do.
Both of these systems use DOT3 brake fluid. It's the least expensive. DOT5 and above are required if you do lots of professional racing, which produces more heat, but are unnecessary for everyday use. Save yourself a few bucks here.
6. If you still have the stock catalytic converters ("cats") on your exhaust system you may see the "overheat exhaust system" warning light on the instrument panel light up. This requires attention because it means that your pre-cats (the ones ahead of the main cat) are plugging up from years of exhaust deposits. This plugging up causes the exhaust to overheat, and some of that heat will cause local overheating of the engine that won't show up on the temp guage. This of course can and will do the same kind of overheating damage as mentioned earlier. The cure is to remove the pre-cats The main cat typically doesn't plug, in spite of what some mechanics may tell you in an effort to sell you a new (expensive) main cat. Next, use a welding rod or other slim object to punch the deposits out of the pre-cats and then re-install them.
7. Does your coolant level warning light come on under hard braking or around sharp turns? If so, your coolant level in the rad is low. Dump some water into the plastic coolant overflow tank and once the engine is cooled sufficiently remove the rad cap and top up the rad. Then keep an eye on the coolant level and watch for leaks because something caused the level to drop.
8. Fuel filter: It's about $5 on 12A-powered 1st gens (ie: those with a carbureter rather than fuel injection) and located under the car on the left side just ahead of the fuel tank. Unless the person who sold you the car can produce a recent receipt saying this is a new fuel filter it's likely time to change it. It's a simple matter of pinching off the fuel hose leading to and from the filter with a couple of vise grips or clamps, then removing the hose clamps that hold the filter in place and finally removing the filter itself. Install the new filter, making sure the direction of flow indicated on the filter body is correct with the flow of fuel from the tank.
9. Air filter: If you can't see light through it, it's time to change it out. Clogged filters cause excessive fuel consumption.
10: Choke: If your car is a 1st gen with a 12A engine you have a "semi-automatic" choke--- it's the **** that's down low and to the left of the steering column. Pull it out to start the car. Once the rpms stabilize after the first 20 seconds or so, push the **** in until your engine is idling at around 2000 rpm. After 2 minutes push it in until idle is at 1500 rpm, then leave it alone. Once the engine reaches operating temps the choke will retract automatically and idle speed will drop to around 750 rpm.
11. At idle, these engines "stutter." This is normal. There is just enough overlap between the intake and exhaust sequence to allow a small amount of the intake charge to exit via the exhaust before it can be cycled through ther engine, causing the engine to idle slightly rough. This characteristic has been remedied on the RX8 engine, but all RX7s exhibit this trait.
12. Spark plugs: Use only the recommended four-electrode type plugs made by NGK. There are no substitutes, regardless of what the rookie at Napa, Canadian tire or most other retail auto parts suppliers would have you believe. The ones you need are the NGK BR8EQ14 (1st gen cars) or combination of BR8EQ or BR7EQ or BR9EQ depending on which generation, turbo or non-turbo, etc. you have.
13. Performance Modifications ("mods"): There are several mods you can do to improve performance, cheif among them being a freer-flowing aftermarket exhaust. The key is to make sure you only do mods that can be reversed later on, ie: do not throw away the original parts. Not only will your car be worth more in a few years if original, you'll also be able to quickly restore emission equipment to original if your state or province introduces emission testing.
14. Brake pads: The front brake pads do not have "squealer tabs" (ie: small metal tabs that warn you when your pads are almost worn out before they score the brake rotors). Inspect these pads every four months or so. If their thickness is less than 1/8" replace them. The procedure for doing this has been detailed on at least one thread that can be accessed via the "search" button.
15. Battery: keep the cells filled to the split ring (except sealed maintenance-free batteries) but not any higher. You'll know when they're filled but the almond-shaped "eye" reflection produced when the water reaches the level of the split ring. Water levels have to be topped up periodically say, every six months. Use distilled water ONLY.
Keep the battery terminals and clamps clean. Use a wire brush to clean the inside of the clamps and outside of battery posts as necessary, typically every three months or so. If you don't, one day the car will start just fine and you'll leave home to pick up a paper and when you try to start the car it won't even click let alone crank over. The number one cause is build-up between the battery posts and the clamps, and this is true with any car, not just RX7s. Undo the terminals, clean them up with a wire brush (or better yet, a battery post cleaner) re-attach and you're good to go.
You can keep this build-up from forming in the first place by smearing the terminals with dielectric grease or "plastic spray," which keeps the battery fumes from coming in contact with the terminals and corroding them.
16. Which fuel to use? Unless your car is turbocharged or otherwise boosted these cars run just fine on 87-octane. In fact it is the recommended fuel for normally-aspirated rotaries. But if yours is turbo'd use only high-octane fuel to reduce the possibility of detonation, which can destroy these (or any) engine.
17. Finally, it's your car and you can do what you want with it, but if you "rice it out" with hokey-looking wings, body kits, neon, stickers, fart-can mufflers, etc. you will get laughed at and ridiculed by everyone--- except other ricers. And you'll have destroyed any potential for your particular RX7 to ever increase in value. And cops live for the opportunity to bust ricers for every trumped-up charge they can fabricate. It's just not worth it. "Sleeper" performance mods are cool. Rice-mobiles aren't. It's that simple.
In closing, there are many more tips to properly maintaining these cars and most are on this forum. But these are the basics for anyone new to auto maintenance and RX7s in particular. Hope this helps and enjoy your respective rides!
Brett.
Last edited by Aviator 902S; 04-11-05 at 11:51 PM.
04-12-05, 12:11 AM
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The oil thing has been really worrying me.
Originally Posted by Aviator 902S
2. Oil: Check the oil level every time you fill up with fuel. You'll find that every 3rd fill-up or so that it is necessary to add about 1/2 a quart of oil. THIS IS NORMAL. The rotary engine utilizes a metering system that draws a small amount of oil out of the oil pan and then feeds it into the engine with the air/fuel mixture to lubricate the apex seals. This oil is not retrieved but is burned with the air/fuel mix and then expelled out the exhaust.
I guess as a suplimentary question, I'm wondering why it's not Ok to overfill a rotary. It seems like it'd be fine, not crank to foam up the oil, so why isn't there a rotary oil resivour akin to my coolant reservoir or a dry sump reservoir?
04-12-05, 12:22 AM
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Rockin good.
I'd disagree with you on the DOT 3 thing though... DOT 4 is the same chemical base (Glycol) and has a higher boiling point. Hence a simple change of brake fluid can be an upgrade resulting is higher resistance to fade under harsh braking conditions...
DOT 5 is silicone base and is incompatible with DOT 3/4... The system needs to be flushed with alcohol and preferably all rubber components replaced if you use that...
I'd also add in that coolant should be changed every year or two. I forget the location of the drain plug on the engine block. Just drop the upper and lower radiator hoses and flush through with water. It should be good.
1/16 (2/32) of an inch is the state limit in Virginia for both tire tread and brake lining thickness.
Other than that, I don't think I have anything else to add.
I'd disagree with you on the DOT 3 thing though... DOT 4 is the same chemical base (Glycol) and has a higher boiling point. Hence a simple change of brake fluid can be an upgrade resulting is higher resistance to fade under harsh braking conditions...
DOT 5 is silicone base and is incompatible with DOT 3/4... The system needs to be flushed with alcohol and preferably all rubber components replaced if you use that...
I'd also add in that coolant should be changed every year or two. I forget the location of the drain plug on the engine block. Just drop the upper and lower radiator hoses and flush through with water. It should be good.
1/16 (2/32) of an inch is the state limit in Virginia for both tire tread and brake lining thickness.
Other than that, I don't think I have anything else to add.
04-12-05, 12:24 AM
#6
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Originally Posted by Aviator 902S
I recently helped out a new 1st gen owner with some routine maintenance required for her car. Most of the tips for proper care and feeding of these cars are scattered throughout this forum and are well known to those who have owned at least one RX7 for any length of time. But for those just entering the fray, here's a heads up highlighting some of the basic but important items:
1. If you did not have your purchase inspected by a reputable shop prior to buying, now would be a good time to have a safety inspection done. Key points are brake linings, brake hoses, tie rod ends, idler arm (steering linkage) and the front unibody supports for major rust where the steering linkage is bolted to the frame.
2. Oil: Check the oil level every time you fill up with fuel. You'll find that every 3rd fill-up or so that it is necessary to add about 1/2 a quart of oil. THIS IS NORMAL. The rotary engine utilizes a metering system that draws a small amount of oil out of the oil pan and then feeds it into the engine with the air/fuel mixture to lubricate the apex seals. This oil is not retrieved but is burned with the air/fuel mix and then expelled out the exhaust.
However, just because the oil is replenished in this manner does not mean that you can get away with never changing the oil. In fact, it is wise to change the oil and oil filter every 3000 to 5000 miles (5000 to 8000 km) at the very least. Spring for the extra couple of bucks for a decent oil filter too. Purolator, AC Delco and Wix are good filters. The cheaper ones by Fram and Champion will usually do the job, but have been known to fail and allow bits of cardboard and glue to float around in engines and plug vital oil passages. Engines have failed because of this. True, the odds of you getting one that's this bad are less than one in 20 but why chance it?
3. Oil grade and type: Mazda's owners' manual recommends 20W50 non-synthetic multigrade, but unless you live in an area where the outside air temps rarely drop below 70F it's best to use 10W30. If you live in places where the winter temps go below 0F you may want to go with 5W30 during those months.
There is an ongoing debate over whether synthetic oil should or should not be used in a rotary engine. One side of the argument says that synthetic doesn't burn as clean when ingested by the engine via the oil metering system and should therefore never be used, while the other side claims that newer synthetics are ok and provide better protection. If you are running pre-mix (pre-mix = small amount of 2-cycle oil mixed with fuel, accompanied by removing the metering system) this argument becomes a moot point since the apex seals are no longer being lubed by engine oil from the pan. Otherwise, the non-synthetic engine oil does an excellent job and costs about 1/3rd as much as synthetic. That's what I use.
4. I know I lost a few of you with the preceeding paragraph on pre-mixing oil with the fuel. First, a little history:
When Mazda designed their version of the rotary engine they knew that the best oil for lubricating the apex seals (metal seals on the apexes of each rotor that do the same job in a rotary as piston rings do in piston engines) is 2-cycle oil. It burns cleaner leaving far fewer deposits behind to clog up seals and cause pre-ignition. But the rest of the engine still needs conventional 4-cycle oil to reduce friction, lube bearings and draw away heat from the center of the engine.
The problem is that Mazda also knew that telling new owners that their new Mazda required 2-cycle oil to be added to a separate reservior would scare customers away. After all, everyone "knew" that "2-cycle engines weren't very durable, and if this new-fangled engine was a 2-cycle it probably wouldn't last." The knowledge that many owners who couldn't be bothered to top up this reservior and would therefore destroy their engines in short order from lack of proper maintenance didn't set very well with the folks at Mazda either. So they compromised. Instead of a separate reservior for 2-cycle oil to feed the apex seals, Mazda designed an oil metering pump that supplies engine oil to the apex seals in the manner described above. This oil doesn't burn as clean and actually keeps the engine from lasting as long as it otherwise would, but it is still good for a respectable 200,000+ miles (300,000 km) if properly maintained.
But back to the pre-mix option: The racing community has been going this route since the early '70s, when Mazda rotary-powered cars were first exported from Japan to the rest of the world. About 1/2 cup of 2-cycle oil is poured into the fuel tank when near empty and then the tank is filled with fuel, creating a thorough mix. The metering pump and delivery lines are discarded and a block-off plate is installed where the pump used to mount on the front lower right corner of the engine. This is simple and it works.
Another option is to install a metering pump adapter that utilizes a separate reservior and the stock metering pump. This adapter acts as a block-off plate to block oil flow from the oil pan while drawing in 2-cycle oil from a separate reservior and using the stock metering system to deliver it to the intakes. There are threads on this forum that detail both this option and the pre-mix set-up. Do a forum search for more detailed info.
5. Over-heating the engine: One word on overheating these engines--- DON'T. Say you're motoring down the highway and a rad hose bursts. or a heater hose springs a leak. Or the rad packs it in. What ever, your temperature guage is creeping past 1/2 the guage's span. If you're driving any other car you may be able to limp the extra 5 minutes to a service station without doing any damage, or you may warp the cylinder head and then have to fork over for the repair bill of $1000 or so.
But if you're driving a rotary-powered car you need to shut the engine down NOW. Call a tow truck. Or hitch-hike into town for a new hose and a jug of water. If you try to drive it to the station the engine will get you there, no problem. But the over-heating will have warped the rotor housings, causing the water jacket o-rings to fail. This may not become evident immediately in fact, it may even take months. But the only fix is an engine rebuild to the tune of at least $2500. This is one of very few disadvantages of these engines, weak torque at low RPM and slightly higher fuel consumption per horsepower being the others. Otherwise, rotaries are superior to "boingers," ie: piston engines.
6. Check the brake fluid reservior and the clutch fluid reservior. The clutch has a hydraulic linkage and the reservior for it is located in the far left rear corner of the engine bay. The one next to it and closer to the engine is the brake fluid reservior. Unless this fluid is clean and a pale yellow or blue you'll need to change it out. This is done by bleeding the lines. You'll need an 8mm open end or box end wrench, a 2-ft length of 1/4" outside diameter clear plastic flexible hose, a catch container and a partner to monitor the brake (or clutch) pedal while you do this. The procedure is as follows:
Jack the car up and place jack stands under all four jacking points. Remove all four wheels for better access to the bleeder screws. Begin with the wheel that's farthest from the brake reservior. (On Left-hand drive cars this would be the right rear wheel; on cars with RHD it's the left rear wheel). Then go to the next-farthest wheel, then the next and finally the one that's closest to the reservior. Bleed the brake lines in this order.
Each brake caliper has a bleeder screw. It looks like a nipple with a hole in it and hex sides on which to place an 8mm wrench. When this screw is turned counter-clockwise (loosened) fluid can flow out of it. When it is tightened (clockwise) it seals in fluid. First, make sure the fluid level in the reservior is topped up. Then place one end of the plastic hose over the hole in the end of the bleeder screw and the other end into the catch container.
Then have your assistant pump the brake pedal 3 or 4 times and then push the pedal toward the floor and hold. At this point, use the wrench to turn the bleeder screw open (counter-clockwise). When it opens, fluid will squirt out the bleeder screw and into the container. If your asistant is still pushing on the brake pedal as instructed it will fall straight to the floor. It is important that the pedal is not lifted off the floor at this point or air will be sucked into the brake lines through the open bleeder screw at your end.
Now turn the bleeder screw clockwise until it is just past hand-tight. Tell your assistant to let up on the pedal. This will draw fluid from the reservior into the lines, beginning the process of replacing the old contaminated fluid with new. Repeat this procedure five more times and then pour more new fluid into the reservior. It is important that you not let the reservior get too low or air could get drawn into the system from the empty reservior. Repeat this procedure of bleeding and replenishing the reservior until you get clean fluid spraying out the bleeder screw. Then do the entire process with the bleeder screws on the other three wheels. Top up the reservior to the "full" line and replace the cap. Congratulations, you've just bled your brakes.
The clutch fluid is replaced in the same manner as the brake fluid, but there's only one bleeder screw. It is located in the engine bay on the clutch slave cylinder, which is mounted on top of the transmission on the drivers' side. Just follow the line from the clutch master cylinder and you'll find it. Access to the bleeder screw is a bitch and a half, but it's not impossible to do.
Both of these systems use DOT3 brake fluid. It's the least expensive. DOT5 and above are required if you do lots of professional racing, which produces more heat, but are unnecessary for everyday use. Save yourself a few bucks here.
6. If you still have the stock catalytic converters ("cats") on your exhaust system you may see the "overheat exhaust system" warning light on the instrument panel light up. This requires attention because it means that your pre-cats (the ones ahead of the main cat) are plugging up from years of exhaust deposits. This plugging up causes the exhaust to overheat, and some of that heat will cause local overheating of the engine that won't show up on the temp guage. This of course can and will do the same kind of overheating damage as mentioned earlier. The cure is to remove the pre-cats The main cat typically doesn't plug, in spite of what some mechanics may tell you in an effort to sell you a new (expensive) main cat. Next, use a welding rod or other slim object to punch the deposits out of the pre-cats and then re-install them.
7. Does your coolant level warning light come on under hard braking or around sharp turns? If so, your coolant level in the rad is low. Dump some water into the plastic coolant overflow tank and once the engine is cooled sufficiently remove the rad cap and top up the rad. Then keep an eye on the coolant level and watch for leaks because something caused the level to drop.
8. Fuel filter: It's about $5 on 12A-powered 1st gens (ie: those with a carbureter rather than fuel injection) and located under the car on the left side just ahead of the fuel tank. Unless the person who sold you the car can produce a recent receipt saying this is a new fuel filter it's likely time to change it. It's a simple matter of pinching off the fuel hose leading to and from the filter with a couple of vise grips or clamps, then removing the hose clamps that hold the filter in place and finally removing the filter itself. Install the new filter, making sure the direction of flow indicated on the filter body is correct with the flow of fuel from the tank.
9. Air filter: If you can't see light through it, it's time to change it out. Clogged filters cause excessive fuel consumption.
10: Choke: If your car is a 1st gen with a 12A engine you have a "semi-automatic" choke--- it's the **** that's down low and to the left of the steering column. Pull it out to start the car. Once the rpms stabilize after the first 20 seconds or so, push the **** in until your engine is idling at around 2000 rpm. After 2 minutes push it in until idle is at 1500 rpm, then leave it alone. Once the engine reaches operating temps the choke will retract automatically and idle speed will drop to around 750 rpm.
11. At idle, these engines "stutter." This is normal. There is just enough overlap between the intake and exhaust sequence to allow a small amount of the intake charge to exit via the exhaust before it can be cycled through ther engine, causing the engine to idle slightly rough. This characteristic has been remedied on the RX8 engine, but all RX7s exhibit this trait.
12. Spark plugs: Use only the recommended four-electrode type plugs made by NGK. There are no substitutes, regardless of what the rookie at Napa, Canadian tire or most other retail auto parts suppliers would have you believe. The ones you need are the NGK BR8EQ14 (1st gen cars) or combination of BR8EQ or BR7EQ or BR9EQ depending on which generation, turbo or non-turbo, etc. you have.
13. Performance Modifications ("mods"): There are several mods you can do to improve performance, cheif among them being a freer-flowing aftermarket exhaust. The key is to make sure you only do mods that can be reversed later on, ie: do not throw away the original parts. Not only will your car be worth more in a few years if original, you'll also be able to quickly restore emission equipment to original if your state or province introduces emission testing.
14. Brake pads: The front brake pads do not have "squealer tabs" (ie: small metal tabs that warn you when your pads are almost worn out before they score the brake rotors). Inspect these pads every four months or so. If their thickness is less than 1/8" replace them. The procedure for doing this has been detailed on at least one thread that can be accessed via the "search" button.
15. Battery: keep the cells filled to the split ring (except sealed maintenance-free batteries) but not any higher. You'll know when they're filled but the almond-shaped "eye" reflection produced when the water reaches the level of the split ring. Water levels have to be topped up periodically say, every six months. Use distilled water ONLY.
Keep the battery terminals and clamps clean. Use a wire brush to clean the inside of the clamps and outside of battery posts as necessary, typically every three months or so. If you don't, one day the car will start just fine and you'll leave home to pick up a paper and when you try to start the car it won't even click let alone crank over. The number one cause is build-up between the battery posts and the clamps, and this is true with any car, not just RX7s. Undo the terminals, clean them up with a wire brush (or better yet, a battery post cleaner) re-attach and you're good to go.
You can keep this build-up from forming in the first place by smearing the terminals with dielectric grease or "plastic spray," which keeps the battery fumes from coming in contact with the terminals and corroding them.
16. Which fuel to use? Unless your car is turbocharged or otherwise boosted these cars run just fine on 87-octane. In fact it is the recommended fuel for normally-aspirated rotaries. But if yours is turbo'd use only high-octane fuel to reduce the possibility of detonation, which can destroy these (or any) engine.
17. Finally, it's your car and you can do what you want with it, but if you "rice it out" with hokey-looking wings, body kits, neon, stickers, fart-can mufflers, etc. you will get laughed at and ridiculed by everyone--- except other ricers. And you'll have destroyed any potential for your particular RX7 to ever increase in value. And cops live for the opportunity to bust ricers for every trumped-up charge they can fabricate. It's just not worth it. "Sleeper" performance mods are cool. Rice-mobiles aren't. It's that simple.
In closing, there are many more tips to properly maintaining these cars and most are on this forum. But these are the basics for anyone new to auto maintenance and RX7s in particular. Hope this helps and enjoy your respective rides!
Brett.
1. If you did not have your purchase inspected by a reputable shop prior to buying, now would be a good time to have a safety inspection done. Key points are brake linings, brake hoses, tie rod ends, idler arm (steering linkage) and the front unibody supports for major rust where the steering linkage is bolted to the frame.
2. Oil: Check the oil level every time you fill up with fuel. You'll find that every 3rd fill-up or so that it is necessary to add about 1/2 a quart of oil. THIS IS NORMAL. The rotary engine utilizes a metering system that draws a small amount of oil out of the oil pan and then feeds it into the engine with the air/fuel mixture to lubricate the apex seals. This oil is not retrieved but is burned with the air/fuel mix and then expelled out the exhaust.
However, just because the oil is replenished in this manner does not mean that you can get away with never changing the oil. In fact, it is wise to change the oil and oil filter every 3000 to 5000 miles (5000 to 8000 km) at the very least. Spring for the extra couple of bucks for a decent oil filter too. Purolator, AC Delco and Wix are good filters. The cheaper ones by Fram and Champion will usually do the job, but have been known to fail and allow bits of cardboard and glue to float around in engines and plug vital oil passages. Engines have failed because of this. True, the odds of you getting one that's this bad are less than one in 20 but why chance it?
3. Oil grade and type: Mazda's owners' manual recommends 20W50 non-synthetic multigrade, but unless you live in an area where the outside air temps rarely drop below 70F it's best to use 10W30. If you live in places where the winter temps go below 0F you may want to go with 5W30 during those months.
There is an ongoing debate over whether synthetic oil should or should not be used in a rotary engine. One side of the argument says that synthetic doesn't burn as clean when ingested by the engine via the oil metering system and should therefore never be used, while the other side claims that newer synthetics are ok and provide better protection. If you are running pre-mix (pre-mix = small amount of 2-cycle oil mixed with fuel, accompanied by removing the metering system) this argument becomes a moot point since the apex seals are no longer being lubed by engine oil from the pan. Otherwise, the non-synthetic engine oil does an excellent job and costs about 1/3rd as much as synthetic. That's what I use.
4. I know I lost a few of you with the preceeding paragraph on pre-mixing oil with the fuel. First, a little history:
When Mazda designed their version of the rotary engine they knew that the best oil for lubricating the apex seals (metal seals on the apexes of each rotor that do the same job in a rotary as piston rings do in piston engines) is 2-cycle oil. It burns cleaner leaving far fewer deposits behind to clog up seals and cause pre-ignition. But the rest of the engine still needs conventional 4-cycle oil to reduce friction, lube bearings and draw away heat from the center of the engine.
The problem is that Mazda also knew that telling new owners that their new Mazda required 2-cycle oil to be added to a separate reservior would scare customers away. After all, everyone "knew" that "2-cycle engines weren't very durable, and if this new-fangled engine was a 2-cycle it probably wouldn't last." The knowledge that many owners who couldn't be bothered to top up this reservior and would therefore destroy their engines in short order from lack of proper maintenance didn't set very well with the folks at Mazda either. So they compromised. Instead of a separate reservior for 2-cycle oil to feed the apex seals, Mazda designed an oil metering pump that supplies engine oil to the apex seals in the manner described above. This oil doesn't burn as clean and actually keeps the engine from lasting as long as it otherwise would, but it is still good for a respectable 200,000+ miles (300,000 km) if properly maintained.
But back to the pre-mix option: The racing community has been going this route since the early '70s, when Mazda rotary-powered cars were first exported from Japan to the rest of the world. About 1/2 cup of 2-cycle oil is poured into the fuel tank when near empty and then the tank is filled with fuel, creating a thorough mix. The metering pump and delivery lines are discarded and a block-off plate is installed where the pump used to mount on the front lower right corner of the engine. This is simple and it works.
Another option is to install a metering pump adapter that utilizes a separate reservior and the stock metering pump. This adapter acts as a block-off plate to block oil flow from the oil pan while drawing in 2-cycle oil from a separate reservior and using the stock metering system to deliver it to the intakes. There are threads on this forum that detail both this option and the pre-mix set-up. Do a forum search for more detailed info.
5. Over-heating the engine: One word on overheating these engines--- DON'T. Say you're motoring down the highway and a rad hose bursts. or a heater hose springs a leak. Or the rad packs it in. What ever, your temperature guage is creeping past 1/2 the guage's span. If you're driving any other car you may be able to limp the extra 5 minutes to a service station without doing any damage, or you may warp the cylinder head and then have to fork over for the repair bill of $1000 or so.
But if you're driving a rotary-powered car you need to shut the engine down NOW. Call a tow truck. Or hitch-hike into town for a new hose and a jug of water. If you try to drive it to the station the engine will get you there, no problem. But the over-heating will have warped the rotor housings, causing the water jacket o-rings to fail. This may not become evident immediately in fact, it may even take months. But the only fix is an engine rebuild to the tune of at least $2500. This is one of very few disadvantages of these engines, weak torque at low RPM and slightly higher fuel consumption per horsepower being the others. Otherwise, rotaries are superior to "boingers," ie: piston engines.
6. Check the brake fluid reservior and the clutch fluid reservior. The clutch has a hydraulic linkage and the reservior for it is located in the far left rear corner of the engine bay. The one next to it and closer to the engine is the brake fluid reservior. Unless this fluid is clean and a pale yellow or blue you'll need to change it out. This is done by bleeding the lines. You'll need an 8mm open end or box end wrench, a 2-ft length of 1/4" outside diameter clear plastic flexible hose, a catch container and a partner to monitor the brake (or clutch) pedal while you do this. The procedure is as follows:
Jack the car up and place jack stands under all four jacking points. Remove all four wheels for better access to the bleeder screws. Begin with the wheel that's farthest from the brake reservior. (On Left-hand drive cars this would be the right rear wheel; on cars with RHD it's the left rear wheel). Then go to the next-farthest wheel, then the next and finally the one that's closest to the reservior. Bleed the brake lines in this order.
Each brake caliper has a bleeder screw. It looks like a nipple with a hole in it and hex sides on which to place an 8mm wrench. When this screw is turned counter-clockwise (loosened) fluid can flow out of it. When it is tightened (clockwise) it seals in fluid. First, make sure the fluid level in the reservior is topped up. Then place one end of the plastic hose over the hole in the end of the bleeder screw and the other end into the catch container.
Then have your assistant pump the brake pedal 3 or 4 times and then push the pedal toward the floor and hold. At this point, use the wrench to turn the bleeder screw open (counter-clockwise). When it opens, fluid will squirt out the bleeder screw and into the container. If your asistant is still pushing on the brake pedal as instructed it will fall straight to the floor. It is important that the pedal is not lifted off the floor at this point or air will be sucked into the brake lines through the open bleeder screw at your end.
Now turn the bleeder screw clockwise until it is just past hand-tight. Tell your assistant to let up on the pedal. This will draw fluid from the reservior into the lines, beginning the process of replacing the old contaminated fluid with new. Repeat this procedure five more times and then pour more new fluid into the reservior. It is important that you not let the reservior get too low or air could get drawn into the system from the empty reservior. Repeat this procedure of bleeding and replenishing the reservior until you get clean fluid spraying out the bleeder screw. Then do the entire process with the bleeder screws on the other three wheels. Top up the reservior to the "full" line and replace the cap. Congratulations, you've just bled your brakes.
The clutch fluid is replaced in the same manner as the brake fluid, but there's only one bleeder screw. It is located in the engine bay on the clutch slave cylinder, which is mounted on top of the transmission on the drivers' side. Just follow the line from the clutch master cylinder and you'll find it. Access to the bleeder screw is a bitch and a half, but it's not impossible to do.
Both of these systems use DOT3 brake fluid. It's the least expensive. DOT5 and above are required if you do lots of professional racing, which produces more heat, but are unnecessary for everyday use. Save yourself a few bucks here.
6. If you still have the stock catalytic converters ("cats") on your exhaust system you may see the "overheat exhaust system" warning light on the instrument panel light up. This requires attention because it means that your pre-cats (the ones ahead of the main cat) are plugging up from years of exhaust deposits. This plugging up causes the exhaust to overheat, and some of that heat will cause local overheating of the engine that won't show up on the temp guage. This of course can and will do the same kind of overheating damage as mentioned earlier. The cure is to remove the pre-cats The main cat typically doesn't plug, in spite of what some mechanics may tell you in an effort to sell you a new (expensive) main cat. Next, use a welding rod or other slim object to punch the deposits out of the pre-cats and then re-install them.
7. Does your coolant level warning light come on under hard braking or around sharp turns? If so, your coolant level in the rad is low. Dump some water into the plastic coolant overflow tank and once the engine is cooled sufficiently remove the rad cap and top up the rad. Then keep an eye on the coolant level and watch for leaks because something caused the level to drop.
8. Fuel filter: It's about $5 on 12A-powered 1st gens (ie: those with a carbureter rather than fuel injection) and located under the car on the left side just ahead of the fuel tank. Unless the person who sold you the car can produce a recent receipt saying this is a new fuel filter it's likely time to change it. It's a simple matter of pinching off the fuel hose leading to and from the filter with a couple of vise grips or clamps, then removing the hose clamps that hold the filter in place and finally removing the filter itself. Install the new filter, making sure the direction of flow indicated on the filter body is correct with the flow of fuel from the tank.
9. Air filter: If you can't see light through it, it's time to change it out. Clogged filters cause excessive fuel consumption.
10: Choke: If your car is a 1st gen with a 12A engine you have a "semi-automatic" choke--- it's the **** that's down low and to the left of the steering column. Pull it out to start the car. Once the rpms stabilize after the first 20 seconds or so, push the **** in until your engine is idling at around 2000 rpm. After 2 minutes push it in until idle is at 1500 rpm, then leave it alone. Once the engine reaches operating temps the choke will retract automatically and idle speed will drop to around 750 rpm.
11. At idle, these engines "stutter." This is normal. There is just enough overlap between the intake and exhaust sequence to allow a small amount of the intake charge to exit via the exhaust before it can be cycled through ther engine, causing the engine to idle slightly rough. This characteristic has been remedied on the RX8 engine, but all RX7s exhibit this trait.
12. Spark plugs: Use only the recommended four-electrode type plugs made by NGK. There are no substitutes, regardless of what the rookie at Napa, Canadian tire or most other retail auto parts suppliers would have you believe. The ones you need are the NGK BR8EQ14 (1st gen cars) or combination of BR8EQ or BR7EQ or BR9EQ depending on which generation, turbo or non-turbo, etc. you have.
13. Performance Modifications ("mods"): There are several mods you can do to improve performance, cheif among them being a freer-flowing aftermarket exhaust. The key is to make sure you only do mods that can be reversed later on, ie: do not throw away the original parts. Not only will your car be worth more in a few years if original, you'll also be able to quickly restore emission equipment to original if your state or province introduces emission testing.
14. Brake pads: The front brake pads do not have "squealer tabs" (ie: small metal tabs that warn you when your pads are almost worn out before they score the brake rotors). Inspect these pads every four months or so. If their thickness is less than 1/8" replace them. The procedure for doing this has been detailed on at least one thread that can be accessed via the "search" button.
15. Battery: keep the cells filled to the split ring (except sealed maintenance-free batteries) but not any higher. You'll know when they're filled but the almond-shaped "eye" reflection produced when the water reaches the level of the split ring. Water levels have to be topped up periodically say, every six months. Use distilled water ONLY.
Keep the battery terminals and clamps clean. Use a wire brush to clean the inside of the clamps and outside of battery posts as necessary, typically every three months or so. If you don't, one day the car will start just fine and you'll leave home to pick up a paper and when you try to start the car it won't even click let alone crank over. The number one cause is build-up between the battery posts and the clamps, and this is true with any car, not just RX7s. Undo the terminals, clean them up with a wire brush (or better yet, a battery post cleaner) re-attach and you're good to go.
You can keep this build-up from forming in the first place by smearing the terminals with dielectric grease or "plastic spray," which keeps the battery fumes from coming in contact with the terminals and corroding them.
16. Which fuel to use? Unless your car is turbocharged or otherwise boosted these cars run just fine on 87-octane. In fact it is the recommended fuel for normally-aspirated rotaries. But if yours is turbo'd use only high-octane fuel to reduce the possibility of detonation, which can destroy these (or any) engine.
17. Finally, it's your car and you can do what you want with it, but if you "rice it out" with hokey-looking wings, body kits, neon, stickers, fart-can mufflers, etc. you will get laughed at and ridiculed by everyone--- except other ricers. And you'll have destroyed any potential for your particular RX7 to ever increase in value. And cops live for the opportunity to bust ricers for every trumped-up charge they can fabricate. It's just not worth it. "Sleeper" performance mods are cool. Rice-mobiles aren't. It's that simple.
In closing, there are many more tips to properly maintaining these cars and most are on this forum. But these are the basics for anyone new to auto maintenance and RX7s in particular. Hope this helps and enjoy your respective rides!
Brett.
04-12-05, 12:30 AM
#7
Rotary Freak
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
Location: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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Originally Posted by Neep
This is one thing that's been worrying me about my new rotary. I'm not noticing as much of a drop in oil level as I expected (meaning: little to none). I've had my new 7 for almost a month now, and haven't had to top off the oil yet. I've deffinately done more than 3 fill-ups on fuel (the 1000 mile treck home took a couple tanks) I've checked my oil every couple of fill ups (sorry, not into the rotary grove yet) and it still looks like it's at or pretty close to the fill line. Is it possible the guy I bought my rotary from just topped it off a bit high, and it's working it's way down now? Or should I suspect something's either wrong with A) my engine, or B) my glasses?
I guess as a suplimentary question, I'm wondering why it's not Ok to overfill a rotary. It seems like it'd be fine, not crank to foam up the oil, so why isn't there a rotary oil resivour akin to my coolant reservoir or a dry sump reservoir?
I guess as a suplimentary question, I'm wondering why it's not Ok to overfill a rotary. It seems like it'd be fine, not crank to foam up the oil, so why isn't there a rotary oil resivour akin to my coolant reservoir or a dry sump reservoir?
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04-12-05, 12:37 AM
#8
Rotary Freak
Thread Starter
Join Date: Mar 2003
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Originally Posted by Pele
Rockin good.
I'd disagree with you on the DOT 3 thing though... DOT 4 is the same chemical base (Glycol) and has a higher boiling point. Hence a simple change of brake fluid can be an upgrade resulting is higher resistance to fade under harsh braking conditions...
DOT 5 is silicone base and is incompatible with DOT 3/4... The system needs to be flushed with alcohol and preferably all rubber components replaced if you use that...
I'd also add in that coolant should be changed every year or two. I forget the location of the drain plug on the engine block. Just drop the upper and lower radiator hoses and flush through with water. It should be good.
1/16 (2/32) of an inch is the state limit in Virginia for both tire tread and brake lining thickness.
Other than that, I don't think I have anything else to add.
I'd disagree with you on the DOT 3 thing though... DOT 4 is the same chemical base (Glycol) and has a higher boiling point. Hence a simple change of brake fluid can be an upgrade resulting is higher resistance to fade under harsh braking conditions...
DOT 5 is silicone base and is incompatible with DOT 3/4... The system needs to be flushed with alcohol and preferably all rubber components replaced if you use that...
I'd also add in that coolant should be changed every year or two. I forget the location of the drain plug on the engine block. Just drop the upper and lower radiator hoses and flush through with water. It should be good.
1/16 (2/32) of an inch is the state limit in Virginia for both tire tread and brake lining thickness.
Other than that, I don't think I have anything else to add.
I knew I was leaving out something important and the coolant flush was it. (Dayum). The block drain plug is located on the bottom of the intermediate housing about 4" below the dipstick.
That's the first I've heard about an actual law governing brake lining thickness. If it's on any of the books here it's certainly not enforced.
04-12-05, 12:45 AM
#11
maintenance
Originally Posted by Pele
Rockin good.
I'd disagree with you on the DOT 3 thing though... DOT 4 is the same chemical base (Glycol) and has a higher boiling point. Hence a simple change of brake fluid can be an upgrade resulting is higher resistance to fade under harsh braking conditions...
DOT 5 is silicone base and is incompatible with DOT 3/4... The system needs to be flushed with alcohol and preferably all rubber components replaced if you use that...
I'd also add in that coolant should be changed every year or two. I forget the location of the drain plug on the engine block. Just drop the upper and lower radiator hoses and flush through with water. It should be good.
1/16 (2/32) of an inch is the state limit in Virginia for both tire tread and brake lining thickness.
Other than that, I don't think I have anything else to add.
I'd disagree with you on the DOT 3 thing though... DOT 4 is the same chemical base (Glycol) and has a higher boiling point. Hence a simple change of brake fluid can be an upgrade resulting is higher resistance to fade under harsh braking conditions...
DOT 5 is silicone base and is incompatible with DOT 3/4... The system needs to be flushed with alcohol and preferably all rubber components replaced if you use that...
I'd also add in that coolant should be changed every year or two. I forget the location of the drain plug on the engine block. Just drop the upper and lower radiator hoses and flush through with water. It should be good.
1/16 (2/32) of an inch is the state limit in Virginia for both tire tread and brake lining thickness.
Other than that, I don't think I have anything else to add.
meaning it naturally absorbs moisture. not only does this contaminate the system over a period of time but water cannot be compressed. meaning the proper amount of hydraulic pressure. A tip for bleeding. Forget the 2 man deal. Buy speedy bleeders which are a one way bleeder valve that takes the place of your stock ones. you open it up and pump the brakes until a steady flow of fluid comes out and then close it. No air can go back into the system. Close it and go to the next one. Easy as pie.
recommend flushing a changing the coolant every 2 years or 30k. Remove the t-stat to do this. this is to allow the water to circulate faster thru the block and drain. the drain plug is located at the bottom left side of the engine. It is a small plug that i believe takes either a 12mmm or 13mmm socket to remove. Leave it out until you clear fresh water thru the block by running the hose thru the t-stat
housing. Tip for aiding your coolant in dissapating heat faster. Add a bottle of redlines wateer wetter to the system. And the most important thing change the t-stat when you do the flush job.
04-12-05, 12:51 AM
#12
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Brett- an excellent list. It is the type of info which should go into FAQ and a copy handed over to every new owner.
Congratulations, this is what the forum is all about.
Congratulations, this is what the forum is all about.
04-12-05, 12:52 AM
#13
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Originally Posted by rx7doctor
I agree about the brake fluid using dot 4 is better. The changing of brake fluid should be done every 2 years max or 30k. Brake fluid is what we call hygroscopic.
meaning it naturally absorbs moisture. not only does this contaminate the system over a period of time but water cannot be compressed. meaning the proper amount of hydraulic pressure. A tip for bleeding. Forget the 2 man deal. Buy speedy bleeders which are a one way bleeder valve that takes the place of your stock ones. you open it up and pump the brakes until a steady flow of fluid comes out and then close it. No air can go back into the system. Close it and go to the next one. Easy as pie.
recommend flushing a changing the coolant every 2 years or 30k. Remove the t-stat to do this. this is to allow the water to circulate faster thru the block and drain. the drain plug is located at the bottom left side of the engine. It is a small plug that i believe takes either a 12mmm or 13mmm socket to remove. Leave it out until you clear fresh water thru the block by running the hose thru the t-stat
housing. Tip for aiding your coolant in dissapating heat faster. Add a bottle of redlines wateer wetter to the system. And the most important thing change the t-stat when you do the flush job.
meaning it naturally absorbs moisture. not only does this contaminate the system over a period of time but water cannot be compressed. meaning the proper amount of hydraulic pressure. A tip for bleeding. Forget the 2 man deal. Buy speedy bleeders which are a one way bleeder valve that takes the place of your stock ones. you open it up and pump the brakes until a steady flow of fluid comes out and then close it. No air can go back into the system. Close it and go to the next one. Easy as pie.
recommend flushing a changing the coolant every 2 years or 30k. Remove the t-stat to do this. this is to allow the water to circulate faster thru the block and drain. the drain plug is located at the bottom left side of the engine. It is a small plug that i believe takes either a 12mmm or 13mmm socket to remove. Leave it out until you clear fresh water thru the block by running the hose thru the t-stat
housing. Tip for aiding your coolant in dissapating heat faster. Add a bottle of redlines wateer wetter to the system. And the most important thing change the t-stat when you do the flush job.
04-12-05, 12:58 AM
#15
Rotary Freak
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Originally Posted by PaulFitzwarryne
Brett- an excellent list. It is the type of info which should go into FAQ and a copy handed over to every new owner.
Congratulations, this is what the forum is all about.
Congratulations, this is what the forum is all about.
(takes bow)
04-12-05, 01:19 AM
#16
1983 GSL, 1987 323 "GX"
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I say we all print out a copy and put it under the windshield wiper of every running RX7 in our area that isn't part of the club. Because you never know when they'll be selling it, and we'd certainly want it to be in Tip Top shape when we get it
04-12-05, 03:26 AM
#19
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archived (with some reformatting and info added) at: http://www.rotorhead.ca/topic.php?fl=tips&cntnt=index
04-12-05, 08:33 AM
#20
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Originally Posted by therotaryrocket
$2500 dollar rebuild?
04-12-05, 09:16 AM
#21
Right near Malloy
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Originally Posted by Aviator 902S
That's the first I've heard about an actual law governing brake lining thickness. If it's on any of the books here it's certainly not enforced.
But yeah. Most inspectors here eyeball it and then if it's close to spec, check it with a tire tread depth gauge.
04-13-05, 02:18 AM
#24
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Originally Posted by Aviator 902S
I've heard of Rotary Resurrection, but the name Kevin Landers doesn't ring a bell.
Kevin Landers == Rotary Resurrection
04-13-05, 02:59 AM
#25
Savanna Rx-7
Originally Posted by therotaryrocket
ever heard of kevin landers at rotary ressurection?
So I think its safe to say that 2500.00 is a good price. I personally wouldn't quote anybody any cheaper than that simply because until you crack it apart you really have no clue whats inside.
Kenn