New to the 7
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Sep 2004
Posts: 12
Likes: 0
From: arizona
New to the 7
Ok heres the story, I buy my 85 from a dealer in phoenix for 2200$ drive it home 100 miles going 80 mph and when I get to my town I notice it starts to overheat, Im like ok I can make it home, so I drive it to my house and there is water shooting out of the overfill basin. I add water start it, It overheats. Replace the thermostat and still overheats and shoots water out the overfill so I thought maybe its the radiator cap so I buy a new one. Different larger radiator in the car when I tried to put on the one they gave me not only being totally differently looking it was also totally to small. Well I desided to look on the net to see if there was any explanations. It seems that exhaust is coming out of the radiator meaning that the coolant seels are toast. So I'm wondering if a rebuild is possible or if I should just buy a new engine. If a rebuild isnt possible then I would like to put a 13b in instead of the 12a, is the tranny compatable, or would I need a 13b tranny also, how difficult is it to put the 13b in the 12a models? I'm totally new to the 7 but it was certainly most enjoyable to drive while running, in fact I loved it and I dont want to trash it, if possible. So please any info on engine swapping and rebuilds. thanks in advance
Rotary Freak
Joined: Aug 2001
Posts: 2,267
Likes: 3
Sorry you are having problems. Do some research and see if there are lemon laws where you bought the car...if so, return the car and find a nicer one for that kind of money.
You can't really buy a "new" engine. Even the ones from Mazda are rebuilt from used cores. Rebuild quality depends on the quality of the parts used and the skills of the builder. The best builders actually use higher specs than Mazda, using more new parts and 86ing things might otherwise get reused. So, you get what you pay for. A really good rebuild, using new rotor housings, apex seals, springs, o-rings, etc. can be over $2400 (e.g. PineappleRacing.com, Mazdatrix, etc.)...but it will last just about as long as an original motor, provided you don't abuse it (detonation or overheating). Builders who re-use a lot of stuff are much cheaper and you can typically expect the balance of the life of the used parts. One guy on here, Kevin Landers, does them at rock bottom prices (~$1,000 I think) and people seem to be happy with the service. You can also do it yourself, but it's not something I recommend to just anyone. The value added by a pro is usually worth the premium.
When you do get a rebuilt engine, before running it, do a good R&R of the cooling system to ensure the original cause of the overheating is not still there. For example, even though you may now have a "waterpumper", that may not have been the initial problem but a consequence of something else, like a bad thermostat or clogged radiator. I know you are changing a lot of stuff now, but it's like closing the barn door after the cows left...once the engine gets that overheated, there is no going back. If nothing else, take the radiator to a radiator shop and get it cleaned before the new engine goes in. Along with the rest of the stuff you've replaced, that may solve any problems that could cause a repeat.
You can't really buy a "new" engine. Even the ones from Mazda are rebuilt from used cores. Rebuild quality depends on the quality of the parts used and the skills of the builder. The best builders actually use higher specs than Mazda, using more new parts and 86ing things might otherwise get reused. So, you get what you pay for. A really good rebuild, using new rotor housings, apex seals, springs, o-rings, etc. can be over $2400 (e.g. PineappleRacing.com, Mazdatrix, etc.)...but it will last just about as long as an original motor, provided you don't abuse it (detonation or overheating). Builders who re-use a lot of stuff are much cheaper and you can typically expect the balance of the life of the used parts. One guy on here, Kevin Landers, does them at rock bottom prices (~$1,000 I think) and people seem to be happy with the service. You can also do it yourself, but it's not something I recommend to just anyone. The value added by a pro is usually worth the premium.
When you do get a rebuilt engine, before running it, do a good R&R of the cooling system to ensure the original cause of the overheating is not still there. For example, even though you may now have a "waterpumper", that may not have been the initial problem but a consequence of something else, like a bad thermostat or clogged radiator. I know you are changing a lot of stuff now, but it's like closing the barn door after the cows left...once the engine gets that overheated, there is no going back. If nothing else, take the radiator to a radiator shop and get it cleaned before the new engine goes in. Along with the rest of the stuff you've replaced, that may solve any problems that could cause a repeat.