I have an update,

The rear rotor is good at 90+ PSI all around. The front rotor has almost 0 (1-2 PSI) compression, the pulses are extremely faint. Pulling the plug wires did not change anything as far as how the engine ran. However, it doesn't seem to be sending anything - oil, antifreeze, etc out the exhaust. The cooling system appears fine. I really don't know what it could be - unless a freak occurance happened and two apex seals stopped working.

THe other thing I can think of is they are carboned up. THe car was extremely well maintained and it may never have been driven hard. Should I try the ATF or MMO trick or call it a day?

Thanks,
Brian

 

This is the same problem I had on my SA, except mine was in the rear rotor. What happened is one of the apex seal gave and the pieces were thrown around by the rotor. The apex seal pieces gouged the rotor to the point that the metal of the rotor was pulld over the other two apex seal leaving them competely compressed. The car still ran fine, didn't smoke but could only do 50 mph. You are not seeing smoke because the apex seals are a dry seal, that is they seal between the three combustion chambers and not between the combustion chamber and oil like an oil ring on a boinger. It sound like this is the problem you are having. It does seam doubtful that at least two of your apex seal got stuck by carbon at the same time, but I guess anything is possible. Good Luck.

Kent

 

My original engine had a similar death, except it was because a piece of rag that was blocking off the intake ports was accidentally pushed into the engine without me knowing (a friend was welding up the two little extra exhaust ports in the sleeves in the '79 engine). I went to crank the car over, and it cranked and cranked, but never started.... well, cranking it over had ripped the rag (a piece of a jean type material apron) into shreds, and the threads, etc had jammed all 3 apex seals on the front rotor down... Required an overhaul to repair...

 

Update - I'm going to pull the exhaust manifold tonight and check out the front apex seals visually.