tapdatmac

iTrader: (2)

First off, I have a 85' gsl. Last week I pressure washed the engine bay to get some of the 25 years of grime off the car to prep for a FMOC conversion. After the conversion I started the car just fins and let it warm up. No problems. When I took it out for a spin the engine is making a new whine that I have never heard before and it has some hesitation between 2.5-3.5k rpm. Besides the pressure wash, I put in a new FMOC, new stainless oil lines, and a new oil pan seal from racingbeat. Besides those changes I accidently changed from 10w-40 to 5w-30 oil.
Could this be a oil problem because of the lighter oil or what should I look for as a culprit.

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

Did you just put 5 quarts of oil in and call it a day? Did you check the oil level after it ran for a while? A lot of people will put 5 quarts in and never validate that the oil comes up to the correct spot on the dipstick.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

Could you be any more vague on what you are asking?

Are you asking what is causing the whine noise?

Are you asking what is causing the hesitation?

Oil weight is not going to cause either one of those.

The hesitation could be from moisture that got into the cap and rotor.

The whine noise could be from anything. Need to remove the alternator belt and start the engine and see if the noise is gone.

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

^^agreed. more info and specific problem questions please. pressure washing the engine bay is never a good idea. you can ruin electronics in a blink. you may have shorted a coil, you may have water in or under the cap..alos 5W30 is kinda light on the oil weight. the fsm suggests 20W50 for the summer months and 10W40 for the chillier season.

tapdatmac

iTrader: (2)

Sorry but I had to be vauge to get as many ideas as possible on what the problem could be.

1. I was wondering what posters thought could cause the new whine from the engine?
Would 5w-30 cause any major immediate problems? I will be taking it all out and replacing with 10w-40. (This part of California never really gets that cold.) I know that the new oil pan gasket is leaking already so I need to fix that. Since I have the leak I check the oil level every two weeks.

2. What could cause the hesitation that I am now experiencing? I did spray the inside of the cap with wd-40 to get any moisture out and when I pressure washed I made sure not to spray on the top of the engine. I just needed to get the road grime and old oil off the bottom of the engine and from under where the old beehive was.

3. Any ideas how to get th oil pan off completly to do an inspection. The engine brace is on one side and the steering is covering the back.

Kentetsu

Make sure that your new oil lines are not rubbing on a pulley or something (causing whining noise).

Go ahead and replace the cap and rotor (probably due anyway).

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

1. Try to localize the whine by using an engine stethoscope, or by just listening thru a length of rigid tubing. This can help you lock the source down to within a couple inches usually. Most likely culprit is the alternator having gotten wet inside. Another possibility is the pressure washer having blown some crap into the AC clutch if you have one. Dizzy's another option, but sounds like you're eliminated that.

2. No suggestions that haven't been mentioned already.

3. How did you replace the oil pan gasket, if you couldn't remove the pan? You'll never get a tight seal unless you completely scrape the old surfaces.

There's not much to see on the bottom of a rotary with the pan off, anyway; You can see the pickup tube & replace it's gasket if needful, you can see the OPR but generally can't do anything with it, and you can see (but not do anything with) the oil pump drive chain... that's about it.

Unlike the bottom end of a piston engine, the bottom side of a rotary looks pretty much like the top; a smooth curve of cast metal.

ray green

iTrader: (14)

Yep I agree, the pressure washer was a bad idea. Next time try engine degreaser, some scrub brushes, a hot detergent wash and a low pressure garden hose rinse (put a plastic bag over the dizzy).

I'm betting the hesitation is water in the dizzy or igniter connections and the whining is some grease or oil you inadvertently blew out of a bearing somewhere, as mentioned above. I don't think WD 40 will remove water from down in the body of the dizzy, where it causes the problems, or from the igniter connections, so you need to do better than that, in my experience. Best to open everything up and blow it out with a high pressure air hose, then you know it's right.

But Kudos on cleaning up the engine bay! That's the best part of an RX-7. Got any pics?

tapdatmac

iTrader: (2)

Thank you everybody for your suggestions. Ill try to localize the sound but it is hard to hear from the engine bay. Once inside the car it is easier to hear and it revs up with the engine. At idle the car sounds normal. Ill check the belts and the Alt. I do need a new cap and rotor so that will be changed soon. Radiator has a small leak so that is getting replaced w/lines.

So what some of you are saying is that even though I washed down low in the bay to get oil off from under the old beehive and the bottom of the engine moisture could have still gotten in to parts on the top side of the of the block. That sucks.

As far as the oil pan is concerned, Once taken off there is about 1-1/2 inches of play without removing the engine brace or steering componants. I thought I got all the old gasket off but it is still leaking. Apparently I missed some and now have a leak in the new seal. I need to redo it again.

Does anybody have an easy way of removing the steering rod that passes under the oil pan?

DivinDriver

iTrader: (15)

Screw-type tie rod puller (small size) is the right tool; you can usually borrow them from the local auto-supply store. The fork-style ones will work too, but usually tear up the rubber boots.

Leave the nut on by a few turns so stuff doesn't go flying, apply the tool with a big wrench or air gun; pop, off she comes.

tapdatmac

iTrader: (2)

If the whine is coming from the alt then what is the recommended fix? (besides replacing it) Is there a lube for the pully that is recommended. Maybe replace the belt?