Pre assembly checklist
 

This is my first rotary and my first rebuild, please excuse the dumb questions that follow.
I have read most of the faq section and I have a few more questions.

1. Everyone says if you put new apex seals on used housings you need to tow start it, what do you do with an auto?

2 kinda unrelated but my hi beams don’t work I’ve heard mention of a solder joint problem but haven’t found a clear explanation

3 I’m not very accurate on the press and I missed 2 bearings, will they be fine?
should I take a punch and bend the tabs back out, these both have green loctite on them, going into a stock NA that might see porting and nitrous far in the future

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3f8475617.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...566c111d4.jpeg

1. I assume they are referencing that compression may be low until the seals break in, but this doesn't necessarily mean you will need a pull start. You should be fine with a healthy starter and a fully charged battery.

2. The solder joints they are referencing are probably the ones in the headlight switch. I haven't personally had an issue with them, but I have had a problem with just about every other solder joint in the car. The repair is to reflow all the solder joints on the board inside the switch assembly. I find best results from sucking some of the solder off with a desoldering braid, then applying solder.

Someone else will have to answer question three, as I have no experience with that.

alright thanks man, ive seen your thread you've got a really cool build

Thank you! Make sure to post a build thread of your car soon :)

mom considering it, since I have it apart already I’ll just name it the memory tester 😂

the 'how to modify your Rx7' book foxed.ca - /rx7manual/manuals/how to mod your rx-7/
mentions you can grind off the tab for the bearing, i can't find it, but if you used loctite than you really don't need the tab

[QUOTE=j9fd3s;12534839]the 'how to modify your Rx7' book foxed.ca - /rx7manual/manuals/how to mod your rx-7/
mentions you can grind off the tab for the bearing, i can't find it, but if you used loctite than you really don't need the tab[/QUOTE
Thanks! Would it be a good idea to take a punch and hammer them back a little anyways?

pull starting a rebuilt engine that has new seals and "well used" housings isn't uncommon, but as WondrousBread said, it's not always needed. It's just and easy way to get more engine speed for a longer duration to build up compression. I think I've only had to do it once on a rebuild and I found out later I had somehow let a corner seal fall out during the assembly.

I personally would stake the bearings in place. It's not going to hurt anything to have that extra protection from the unlikely instance the bearing wants to spin.

Thanks for your help guys, what is everyone’s opinion on break in period for a fresh rebuild, all new bearings and rotor seals and springs everything else reused

you'll probably get lots of oppinions here. I typically keep it under 1/2 throittle and 4k RPM for 500 miles and try to keep the RPM from being at one spot for too long. I also premix at 1oz/gal with a working OMP. After 500 miles I start upping the RPM and reduce to 1/2 oz/gal premix (still with a working OMP). After about 1000 miles I consider it broken in and have fun with it still premixing at 1/2 oz/gal.

that doesn’t sound bad at all, if I don’t wait that long what sort of risks am I running, I’m curious

I don't there is much risk to anything. The engine may not last as long is all.

alright thanks again, I’ll probably try the 500 and 500 way it sounds pretty good

https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4cb21f6a2.jpeg
https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...11d4e00a3.jpegI have a couple questions regarding clearancing side seals, first of all, is it .002” as soon as I can shove the feeler gauge in there or when it slides smoothly, and secondly how usable are these parts above, the side seal I was moving it and I ran the end of it into the rotor, the corner seal I learned my lesson and tried to turn it with a screwdriver to get it out because I couldn’t grab it. Any help would be much appreciated

ideally that corner seal should get replaced, although if you filed off the burrs it will run

so the side seals need to be able to move freely without binding, the feeler gauge is useful to get them consistent, but you're really shooting for as tight as possible while still moving freely.

thanks, I found that I was measuring it wrong and they were all really too tight,i ordered new corner seals for the two that look like that. Will the bent one still work fine it moves freely when its installed.

Hey guys I’m on my last side seal, it checks out with a feeler gauge but when I push it all down at one time the ends stay down until I push the middle down, is this normal or is something else wrong here?

That is not normal. Make sure you cleaned out the groove very well. Built up carbon will make it stick like that. The best way to clean the grooves that I have found is to use an old seal the scrape the groove out.

Another thing to check is take the corner seals out and try it again. If it only happens with the corner seals in, chances are your clearance is set too tightly.

If I remove the corner seals it slides just fine, but the feeler gauge fits perfectly. I suspected it was dirty and scraped it out a few times, the .003” fits but drags a little. For context it’s a 1990 na I’m using Atkins cryo seals and stock Mazda corner seals.

you mght have a slight taper on the ends of the side seals. That is to say that length of the side seal inside the groove is a bit longer than the exposed area where you are using the feeler gauges.

Welp I squared it up and now it’s .006” :cursing: the guy who does the partial orders at atkins has to hate me…

so I read somewhere if your oil control rings have a little bit of a ridge on them where the mold came together they won’t seal, is this true? Mine have some fairly big ridges.

mold?

I assume you're talking about the actual orings and not the metal control rings? Mold seams are common on all standard orings. I wouldn't be too afraid to use them if they have a little bit of flash on the seam.

yea that’s what I mean they’re pretty rough, they’re the viton rings from atkins

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...18d8af510.jpeg
This is by far the worst one, pardon my bad pictiure, the others are similar and have a ridge the whole way around on both sides.