nobodymv

iTrader: (3)

Hi All

I am driving a 1984 RX7 GSL-SE with 160,xxx miles and original 13B engine. In preparation in driving the 3 hours to Orlando for Mazdapalooza, I thought it wise to change some fluids including oil.

I replaced in this order - the oil filter / then drained the old oil and replaced it with Royal Purple. I then went to check the air filter. The top of the box was a little hard to get off. At first I thought maybe some adhesive was placed there by the previous owner. When I removed the cover and filter, I observed a good amount of oil inside the box. It does not appear too fresh to me b/c it is more sticky then wet...if that makes sense.

This is my first oil change since purchasing the car, so unfortunately I do not know how long it has been there. I HAVE noticed 2 things:

1. Although my dipstick read I was 1 QT low, when I refilled the new bottle with the old oil, I only filled up 3 quarts and I know the car hold 6.1 QTS...I was ALOT lower on oil than I thought I would be !

2. Lately the car runs a little rougher than when I first got it. (Maybe b/c the oil was low?) Sometimes when I have been driving (40-50MPH for a while and approach a traffic light, the car either stalls, or the RPMs drop almost to zero then go up to ~700 RPM

3. There is NO oil on the filter itself.

Suggestions? Is this a sign I have blown a seal? I have never had a car where oil has entered the airbox...so this is a first for me.

I wanted to include a picture to illustrate what the inside looks like, but even with my cam set at 1.2 MP, the picture is still 385.4 KB bytes exceeding the forum's limit of 250.0 KB for this filetype. I wish I knew how to make my pics smaller !

Any help will be greatly appreciated !

esmith972

To get past the size limit, upload the pictures to www.imageshack.us and paste the very last link on the page where it shows your picture after it's uploaded.

djessence

What color oil in the airbox. Could be previous owner had a K and N and over oiled it.

K&N oil is generally pink

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

The oil fill figures that are posted are misleading. When changing the oil, the oil cooler never fully drains, especially if the engine is cold. There is a plug on the bottom of the oil cooler, but I can't recommend removing it to drain the rest of the oil. Behind the plug is the thermostat for the oil cooler. It normally takes about 4+ qts for a change. As far as what was in the air filter box, it could be the adhesive that holds the filter media to the rubber gasket. I have seen some of these deteriorate and leave black gooey mess.

nobodymv

iTrader: (3)

It is black...almost like tar

I am going to try and upload the pic now here:




[img=http://img143.imageshack.us/img143/9161/1000539wo9.th.jpg]

djessence

If its almost like tar, it will be as trochoid said.

nobodymv

iTrader: (3)

So am I to understand that the previous oil change had too much oil filled, and it has overflowed into the airbox

Or am I to understand it is excess sealant to hold the filter to the gasket?

In either case...anything to worry about right now?

Thanks

Crit

iTrader: (6)

Your dying issue is likely either the BAC getting stuck or not functioning, or you have a vacuum leak. Those strike me as the most likely cause, anyway. Are you still running an airpump the the 3/4" port on the backside of the air box?

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

Doubtful that the oil was overfilled. When that happens it gets sucked into the intake through the vacuum lines, bypassing the filter. Nothing there to really worry about.

Starfox07

I have the same problem, its a pita to remove. In my thread (just a couple down from yours actually) somebody said it might be the filter's oil that has been 'cooked' by the engine changing it into the sticky substance you see. Is the consistency of it like black silicone, really stretchy, and really really sticky? I really doubt its coming from your engine, motor oil, from what I've seen, never gets that thick.

EDIT: After seeing your picture, I think we have the same problem! I was told to use either dry ice, carb cleaner, gasoline, or that green cleaner to get it off.

EDIT2: It seems we both have red se's....it must be a conspiracy!

j9fd3s

iTrader: (3)

the stuff in the airbox is the rubber seal around the filter melting, it happens with crap filters here and there.

even if you way overfilled the oil on a gsl-se the airbox is too far away from anything to get oily.

nobodymv

iTrader: (3)

Just seems odd. The filter appears to be fine...no melting obvious. The crap in the airbox is liquid...just thick and not runny, so it does no appear to be a melted seal. When I touch it...it appears to be oil on my finger.

CRIT - Novice here....BAC ? - I haven't given it any drinks ! As for the "airpump" - guess I am lost there too. All is stock, so I would say Yes I am still running it....although I don't know if I would know it if I saw it. Additionally...there was a hose that ran from one of my cats to under the hood. It was cut in half when I received the car, so I have removed both ends and have yet to replace it with a new hose.

NOTE: BAC = Bypass Air Control Valve - Where is it?

nobodymv

iTrader: (3)

Guess what....this guy is learning...

After further research I have learned the following:

"the BACV essentially helps to compensate for a load put on the engine by say the a/c or power steeing. what its does in a nutshell is increase the vaccume to the engine, raising the idle to compensate for the load. i guess in theory it does the same thing a throttle opener would on the 12A."

True? If so, this can explain alot of what I have going on. If my A/C is cranking, I notice that the car is more succeptible to stalling. Is the BAC valve the same as the ACV? I looked at a drawing on one of crits prev. posts (BTW....you sure had ALOT of parts for the SE pictured!) and it seems like if is located front center of the block - correct?

Thanks all for your patience in what I am sure seems like novice questions