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Looking for advice: Sorry it's a ramble, be warned.
I've been trying to get back into the rotary lifestyle for about 20 odd years now. Whenever I had the opportunity there wasn't anything available, when I was broke there was lots etc.
I found an add for what was "a garage find" kinda deal. Car was running when it got parked and sat for 15 plus years.
Drive 7 hours to go look at this car, I'm tired, it's late I'm stupid etc. The exterior looks really good, barely any rust except around the windshield. There's some rust on the underside but what I can see on the ground in the dark with a flashlight doesn't look un-repairable. I'm told it won't start b/c the starter is junk, try it and it just clunks. I recognize the sound and go to try turn the engine over by hand, won't move.
I've read lots of post of people saying how an engine sat and "seized" up but they got it unstuck and have a great engine/car now. I hope for the best and figure it might be the same situation. Look over the car and it's nearly all original and most everything is there.
I take the gamble and go ahead with the purchase, knowing the engine and it's not really the colour combo I desired. Load it up and drive another 7 hours with turns to 12.
I get home am deliriously tired, but I have to know about this engine. I pull the plugs again, pull the intake, pull the exhaust. I can see into the rear exhaust port and see quite a lot of rust in there (explain the stuck engine). Coolant seals let go and then the car sat? Maybe?
I've soaked every spot with MMO, gonna give it a few days and more squirts of MMO but I'm guessing with the amount of rust it's just likely the engine is junk.
I'm rambling b/c I took a gamble and it's biting me in the ***, I know that I shoulda walked away.
Can rusted housings/rotors be saved? Is it even worth trying to free the engine or should I just tear it down now?
Is a complete car minus engine worth anything to anyone? Do I just cut my losses and part it out?
Again I apologize for the long windedness, I just wanted to vent after being up for 31 hrs over this.
From what i can see that car looks to be in good condition cosmetically. Take some pics of what the engine looks like now,ports etc.Advise against trying to turn until you at least get some of that rust out that you can see,shop vac out what you can. Disassembly likely way to go at this point,much less potential damage done this way.
Don't know what you gave for the car,don't need to know. Check the car thoroughly for rust,take some pics of rust around windshield and post here. Sometimes what looks like a small amount of rust blossoms when windshield trim is removed and may need windshield removed for repairs
What's miles on odometer? Check brakes,suspension . Check upper rear suspension links reinforcement plates in wheel wells both sides,pull rear bins and look at inside of body that corresponds with reinforcement plates for rust. Very common to find rust here,it can be fixed unless its gone too far. Inspect area of spare tire well in rear of car for rust.How is interior of car?
Basically you want to look over the car as thoroughly to see what exactly you have and make a list of all the needs before yo make any decisions. It is possible to find a good used 12A engine,used 13B engines are less scarce,so all this is doable.
Hello GSLSEforme, thanks for the reply.
I tried my best to get some pics in the ports with my phone, yeah I'm thinking tear down is the only way to go. I highly doubt it's going to unstick itself without being in pieces. If I have to remove windshield it's not the end of the world, I used to do that back in the day.
Canadian car, 173000 Km's 107000 miles or so. Brakes function to a degree, but are rusty from sitting. There is some rust on the floorpan under drivers footwell, and some into the "frame" piece about 3 inches long. Passenger side rear where the trailing arm for the rear end connects has some rust/hole there also. Those are the 2 most concerning spots I know of. The other bits are easy cut out and weld a patch kinda work.
I'm gonna end up going through the car thoroughly and as you say make a list of everything I can find. Interior is in decent shape, couple tears in the seat and the carpet in the back hatch needs replacing. Some vinyl coming undone, but everything is "there" just needs some help.
Eventually in time I was thinking of going 13b just for the power potential and availability etc. Just wasn't expecting to get so involved so quickly lol.
You can pick away at the list slowly. Post some pics of the rust hole on pass side link reinforcing plate. I've done a lot of these over the years,definitely pull the bins and check out the other side of the rust thru. I can post pics of how i went about repairing that area of car.
Rust on roof at top of windshield,I’ve seen worse. You have your work cut out for you with the floorpan rust and frame rail and rust around upper link on pass side.
I would pull the bins both sides and look in at floor and inner fender wells. One thing i’ve learned concerning rust is it is always more than what you can see before you start probing and uncovering more.
Do you possess welding skills and equipment to do this type work?
Need to be thorough In investigating to determine if this project is worthwhile to you. You’ll not get out of the car what you have put in time and money wise. You will invest more in it than you can recoup selling it.
A lot of people that have a love for these cars,that doesn’t matter as there is no intention of selling it.
With coolant sitting in the engine, it's likely that the irons are not useable. The cheapest way to go is to source a known good used engine. The rust is pretty bad, even by Ohio standards. Its fixable, but you will need to fix it properly otherwise the rust will continue to spread.
GSLSEforme - I'm gonna end up going through the car with a fine tooth comb basically. I'm not doing this as a get rich quick scheme, this thing is mine. Only concern when it comes to money is my stash of it doesn't last forever. Thanks for all the great info GSLSEforme
mazdaverx713b - There wasn't any coolant in the passages, what you see in the pic is MMO and WD40 and carb cleaner. I was just speculating on coolant in the engine, I've heard of that happening. If I can't salvage the engine I'll just find a new one as you say. I was told they drove the car in the winter a couple years, (Canadian winter in Ontario) that would explain the rusty underside. It can be repaired it'll just take some time. Thanks for your reply.
Last edited by k-wade; 09-09-19 at 08:52 PM.
Reason: Spelling
It looks to me, in the picture showing an apex seal, that the apex seal is rusted badly. And in the other picture I can see that the rotor is rusted badly. This is an indication that coolant or water has been sitting inside of the engine and has ruined vital engine components. It would be worth tearing down for the experience, but seeing that, i would personally buy another engine. Also, saw your post on Facebook regarding this car. Appears to be in nice shape otherwise.
Managed to get the engine turning by hand, little by little until I had full revolutions. Got some new gaskets ordered, new plugs oil change and see what happens when I hit the key.
If this has not been mentioned - filling the chambers with SEAFOAM to sit a few days can work wonders for dissolving carbon build up in all the rotor-bits...
Stu A
80GS
AZ
Yeah, there's some of that in there too. Along with like 5 other liquids, seems to be cleaning it up pretty good. I do love me some SEAFOAM, I use it in all my vehicles.
09-08-19, 12:14 PM
