I recently purchased a 1980 RX-7, not running...previous owners said the apex seals need to be replaced. before I start dissmantling it im wondering if any special tools are required

 

nope, the only tool you will need thats outta the norm will be a 54mm or 2 1/8" socket to remove the flywheel nut

 

rotary engine stand adapter, I made my own, flywheel holding tool, same and a dial indicator to set your end play when you put it back together...

 

Hope ya got a good deal on it. Apex seals needing replaced could mean alot of bad NLA parts. Hopefully it didnt throw a apex seal while runnin and destroy the housing. Ide get a rebuild video from atkins that tells ya a step by step process of pullin the engine apart and putting it back together.

The 2 1/8 socket u can get from any tractor supply store that sells tools for em. And the flywheel hold tool u can use any long bracket type setup as long as u get some bolts into it ive seen ppl use the air pump bracket after removing it.

 

I'd do a compression test before pulling it apart, it doesn't take very long to do and it'll give you an idea of how bad it is before you tear it apart, if it needs it at all. Some people think if it doesn't run for any reason=bad apex seals, never trust what the guy selling it to you says. I bought my car not running and it ended up being a clogged cat.

 

+1 i've bought cars that were flooded because the owner thought the engine was bad....

 

Agreed - make sure it IS the apex seals first, tho compression problems can be caused by other seals gone south. In a rotary, generally if ANY of the internal seals are gone, the engine needs to be pulled apart to replace anyway.

Couple of points here:
-how LONG has it sat?? important because if the gas has sat in the car with no added preservatives, etc. it can go bad, leaving gunk in the fuel system AND CARB! So THAT needs to be up and running correctly before you try to eliminate "stuck seals" as the problem. So: if the car HAS been sitting a Yr +, I would drain the tank (81-85s have a drain plug, 79-80s don't) and CHANGE THE FUEL FILTER!!!! ($3)
- is there SPARK? easy to check, don't zap yerself

Assuming the above systems are OK, now:

Sometimes the seals (apex and others) get compressed just because the car has been SITTING for long periods, combined with a build-up of CARBON in there. The carbon makes the seals stick so they don't spring up as they should, allowing poor compression. SO: its worth a shot to DE-carbon the motor, free up the springs/seals and see if that helps. Will cost you about $8 for a can of SEAFOAM to find out. Pore the can (as mush as you can get in there, there is not a lot of room...) into the motor THRU THE CARB so it goes directly into the block. If the car turns over, then DRY crank (ie Ignition DISCONNECTED so no spark!) a couple of turns as you add SEAFOM, add more, crank again - what you are trying to do is get the SEAFOAM into all three chambers. If you crank too much you just pump it out the exhaust and leave nothing inside to work on the carbon (SEAFOAM loves to eat carbon).
Let it sit a couple of days to let the SEAFOAM work its magic.

Then dry crank it quite a BIT to flush the SEAFOAM out (too much in there will inhibit ignition), then re connect the ignition and see if she'll fire up.
NOTE: SEAFOAM smokes like a BASTID!! -so if she lights up, be prepared to **** off the neighbors! do NOT do this in an enclosed area!!!!!! It will stop smoking eventually. You've been warned!

SEAFOAM is sort of the last line of defense (others may jump in here??) against a no-compression-engine. If this fails and you have confirmed (!) there is no compression (mazda has the tool to check this) THEN you face the rebuild.

If so, my advice: spend the $30 and buy the Mazdatrix 13B rebuild DVD and see what you need and are up against!!!! (I have bought all THREE DVD rebuild videos out there and the Mazdatrix is the Best IMHO) It will be the Best first $ you will spend on a rebuild! Watch that, and if you are still game, you now know what you need and what it will take to do.

PLUS- LOTS of rebuild experience here for some of the other details involved. Check the Archive! But start with the DVD-

Welcome and good luck-
Stu Aull
80GS (with 2nd motor being rebuilt NOW)
Alaska

 

Depends on what you call "special." An accurate set of calipers or micrometers for measuring housing width & seal dimensions are handy, as are extra-fine feeler guages, inside snap gauges for checking bearings, v-blocks for checking shaft runout, and a pilot bearing puller.

Good torque wrench.

 

sears also has the socket depending on the size of the store...


Here's how i made my stand adapter... found some pics

 

The very first thing I would do, is the poor mans compression test. Pull the leading(bottom) plug, pull the fuel pump fuse, and crank. You should hear an even pulse of pfft pfft pfft of air squirting out the spark plug hole. Do the same for both rotors. if you hear a pfft -- pfft or something that doesnt sound even and regular, you have a bad apex seal.

This doesnt check how much compression you have, you could still have evenly worn seals or weak seal springs, and have low compression. But it will tell you if you have a seal that has totally failed.

 

hows this coming along man?

 

Correction: it could have a STUCK seal.

G'luck.

 

Ever take the motor out?