rx7 that hasnt ran in 12 years
rx7 that hasnt ran in 12 years
Hey I guys i just bought a 1980 rx7 that's hasn't been driven since 1998 because the lady had it in storage over a winter and the engine siezed. It only has 46000 miles on it. Do you guys think it may be possible to get it running again and if so how would I do it?
engine may have carbon lock or a bad coolant seal and it is all rusty?...take off exhaust manifold a see what is going on in their . if it look dry por some marvel mystery oil in the intake and let sit...try turning the engine by hand (socket wrench)...dran old gas
I have seafoam sitting in there and I looked in the ports and there's no rust just heavy carbon. Im still kinda new to cars so would I need a new starter or something?
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Well if it cranks u don't need a starter and if the car has been sitting for 12 years ima say u have the change the oil, anitfreeze, Charge the battery really well and run some sea foam thru it
pull the engine (or leave it in place but depending on how much carbon we're talking here is may be eaiser to see what you're doing when its pulled), remove the thermal reactor (exhaust manifold) and intake manifold and spray seafoam into the engine through the exhaust ports and through the intake ports and let it sit. every day keep attempting to turn the engien over via a 19mm socket and breaker bar on the eccentric center bolt. if you get it free that doesnt mean it will run. you have to turn the engine over by hand and visially check each apex seal and ensure that it moves up and down freely. you will not be able to do this with the side seals. so if you have movement on all six apex seals it may run. depending on the condition of the side seal it may not run all that well. try that before you replace the engine with a known good unit or rebuild your current engine.
next, pul the tank and take it to a shop that specializes in gas tank restoration. most likely the gas has turned to tar and the tank will need to be cut open and professionally clean. or you can replace the tank with a known good unit. look into inspecting and possible replacing or the front pads and rotors, rear shoes and drums, wheel cylinders, and brake hoses. they tend to crack and split when a car has sat. the tires should also be replaced.
you will want to replace the fuel pump, fuel filter, rebuild the carb, check the fuel lines for free flow, replace the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, belts, , rubber fuel lines to the carb, vacuum lines, thermal reactor gasket, intake gasket, intake o-rings, omp gasket, (inspect the lines) battery (a 12yr old battery cannot be recharged) and radiator and heater hoses. you should look into having the raidator cleaned or replaced if there is a lot of calcium deposits in the radiator or the fins are missing, smashed, or in a state of disrepair.
this car is most likely in need of a fair restoation and unless you have the money, time, and ambition to work on and learn the car then i suggest buying somethig thats ready to go and drive.
next, pul the tank and take it to a shop that specializes in gas tank restoration. most likely the gas has turned to tar and the tank will need to be cut open and professionally clean. or you can replace the tank with a known good unit. look into inspecting and possible replacing or the front pads and rotors, rear shoes and drums, wheel cylinders, and brake hoses. they tend to crack and split when a car has sat. the tires should also be replaced.
you will want to replace the fuel pump, fuel filter, rebuild the carb, check the fuel lines for free flow, replace the plugs, wires, cap, rotor, air filter, belts, , rubber fuel lines to the carb, vacuum lines, thermal reactor gasket, intake gasket, intake o-rings, omp gasket, (inspect the lines) battery (a 12yr old battery cannot be recharged) and radiator and heater hoses. you should look into having the raidator cleaned or replaced if there is a lot of calcium deposits in the radiator or the fins are missing, smashed, or in a state of disrepair.
this car is most likely in need of a fair restoation and unless you have the money, time, and ambition to work on and learn the car then i suggest buying somethig thats ready to go and drive.
B-12 Chemtool
B-12 Chemtool is badass stuff... love it..
I recently pulled a 7 from a field where it had sat for 10 years. After 2 months... MONTHS of carefully decarbonizing the engine it ran like a top with good compression minus the totally jacked up carb that was on it.
I simply took the exhaust manifold off and inspected the apex seals and they were good. So I poured rediculous amounts of MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil) into the spark plug holes and then let it sit. I then came back every day and turned the motor by hand with a 19mm socket about 1/8th of a turn. Ran plenty of MMO thru the motor this way for about a month before I actually tried to turn it over.
There are good de-carbonizing threads out there, never used seafoam but I know it works. Be careful with the B-12 Chemtool I.E. don't spray a ton of it in the chamber because B-12 is not very nice to rubber... especially OLD rubber... (water seals)...
Check for rust etc. etc.
Good Luck!
I recently pulled a 7 from a field where it had sat for 10 years. After 2 months... MONTHS of carefully decarbonizing the engine it ran like a top with good compression minus the totally jacked up carb that was on it.
I simply took the exhaust manifold off and inspected the apex seals and they were good. So I poured rediculous amounts of MMO (Marvel Mystery Oil) into the spark plug holes and then let it sit. I then came back every day and turned the motor by hand with a 19mm socket about 1/8th of a turn. Ran plenty of MMO thru the motor this way for about a month before I actually tried to turn it over.
There are good de-carbonizing threads out there, never used seafoam but I know it works. Be careful with the B-12 Chemtool I.E. don't spray a ton of it in the chamber because B-12 is not very nice to rubber... especially OLD rubber... (water seals)...
Check for rust etc. etc.
Good Luck!
yes, you only take the leading (lower) plugs out and add the mmo from there. the top (trailing) plugs do not have a large enough opening for the mmo to get into the combustion chamber thoroughly.
All of this decarbonizing stuff is great and all... but personally I'd rather spend a $100 on a soft seal kit and tear the motor down and decarbonize it. Your likely going to need front and rear main seals, pilot bearing, and pretty much every other external gasket. By the time you buy them all individually it would cost way more than picking up a soft seal kit. PLUS there's no chance of ruining a potentially awesome set of rotor housings.
I just finished tearing down a 12a for a friend that had sat for 10 years and was completely seized... had I tried to turn the motor over by hand a piece of carbon could have dislodged and scored the housings.
Good thing I didn't.... the motor had spun a bearing shortly after start-up 10 years ago and the rotor housings were essentially brand new.
Your engine has 46k miles on it?? I would venture to say those will be some pretty pristine housings and would be worth there weight in gold.
I just finished tearing down a 12a for a friend that had sat for 10 years and was completely seized... had I tried to turn the motor over by hand a piece of carbon could have dislodged and scored the housings.
Good thing I didn't.... the motor had spun a bearing shortly after start-up 10 years ago and the rotor housings were essentially brand new.
Your engine has 46k miles on it?? I would venture to say those will be some pretty pristine housings and would be worth there weight in gold.
Last edited by 81WideMariah; Dec 29, 2010 at 11:30 AM. Reason: typo
All of this decarbonizing stuff is great and all... but personally I'd rather spend a $100 on a soft seal kit and tear the motor down and decarbonize it. Your likely going to need front and rear main seals, pilot bearing, and pretty much every other external gasket. By the time you buy them all individually it would cost way more than picking up a soft seal kit. PLUS there's no chance of ruining a potentially awesome set of rotor housings.
I just finished tearing down a 12a for a friend that had sat for 10 years and was completely seized... had I tried to turn the motor over by hand a piece of carbon could have dislodged and scored the housings.
Good thing I didn't.... the motor had spun a bearing shortly after start-up 10 years ago and the rotor housings were essentially brand new.
Your engine has 46k miles on it?? I would venture to say those will be some pretty pristine housings and would be worth there weight in gold.
I just finished tearing down a 12a for a friend that had sat for 10 years and was completely seized... had I tried to turn the motor over by hand a piece of carbon could have dislodged and scored the housings.
Good thing I didn't.... the motor had spun a bearing shortly after start-up 10 years ago and the rotor housings were essentially brand new.
Your engine has 46k miles on it?? I would venture to say those will be some pretty pristine housings and would be worth there weight in gold.
https://www.rx7club.com/old-school-other-rotary-63/video-log-restomodding-my-76-rx-5-cosmo-new-vid-new-vid-jul-10-2024-a-923443/
Mind you this is based on the 13B rotary engine, so there are going to be some things that are different, so you may want to do more research on 12A specific stuff. However this will give you a basis to work from. Getting a factory service manual would also be very helpful.
Joined: May 2002
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From: Ottawa, Soviet Canuckistan
Honestly, ATF in a windex bottle and a ton of patience.
Mine had been sitting for 5-6 years when I started on it. The engine was seized tight. I've put over 60,000km on it since I unseized it with no issues at all. Just read the info in the threads posted above and take your time with it. If you can get it turning by hand over the course of a few days soaking in ATF, it will save you from having to pull the engine out and tear it apart. You can pour some down the carb and spray some in the spark plug holes. Getting the engine turning by hand will be battle number one, then you have to deal with the issues caused by the gas turning to varnish in the tank, the lines, and the carb. If you have any troubles with it, PM me. When it comes to getting a sitting car rolling again, I've been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.
Jon
Mine had been sitting for 5-6 years when I started on it. The engine was seized tight. I've put over 60,000km on it since I unseized it with no issues at all. Just read the info in the threads posted above and take your time with it. If you can get it turning by hand over the course of a few days soaking in ATF, it will save you from having to pull the engine out and tear it apart. You can pour some down the carb and spray some in the spark plug holes. Getting the engine turning by hand will be battle number one, then you have to deal with the issues caused by the gas turning to varnish in the tank, the lines, and the carb. If you have any troubles with it, PM me. When it comes to getting a sitting car rolling again, I've been there, done that, and bought the t-shirt.
Jon
Last edited by vipernicus42; Dec 29, 2010 at 02:35 PM.
send me $20 ..and i will make u a copy on rebuilding engine....it's a old one . bruce ? i think it's bruce...i found it at a flea market...it long. i never watch the hole thing.puts me to sleep.
Bruce Turrentine I believe it was/is. But that video was/is also for a 13B, specifically a second gen. You are correct, it is quite lengthy, but good. I haven't been able yet to track down when he made it, ergo how old it is.