This is the official record:

140k miles on the stock motor, overheated and blew a coolant seal.
Rebuilt using all the original 'hard' parts and new seals, a suspect corner-seal stuck causing low compression..
Rebuilt using 60k mile N/A housings and rotors, too much boost = blown apex seal.
Rebuilt using NICE housings, TII rotors and all new seals. Hose burst, overheated and blew a coolant seal.
Rebuilt using new coolant seals, after 1100 miles and 15psi, blew an apex seal.

This doesn't include running my '87 N/A out of oil (granted I was in highschool), and blowing the coolant seals on the new motor put into it.

7 blown motors for my 7's...

Anyways, the topic to discuss today is the LATEST blown motor...

I've been attempting to sell the TII due to financial stresses. The car had a FRESH motor (the best so far) with all new Atkins seals and great looking street-ports.

At 1000 miles I decided to start running my 'minimum' boost in 1st and 2nd gear, shifting at 5k RPM's. Needless to say, I went a little overboard... I allowed the temptation to get the best of me, and after a 15psi, 3rd gear pull , the motor 'popped' and I literally HEARD the apex seal(s?) go THROUGH my turbo.

Anyways, now I've got to sell some of my aftermarket parts just to rebuild it again . I honestly wouldn't care if the motor blew, it's just that it's nearly $500 everytime... I've got another good housing and rotor sitting around that I can 'port to match', so hopefully it's just one housing and rotor that are damaged.

And the turbo that the seal passed through, was my hybrid and luckily I have the stock turbo (which I should've been running during 'boost break-in'...) that I can toss on in case the hybrid is damaged.

I didn't have anyone to help me do a compression test today, so I just pulled the top plugs etc. and cranked... It's supposed to be like; pshh-pshh-pshh-pshh as the compression pulses shoot out the spark-plug holes, but it seriously sounded like; pshh--------------pshsh--pshsh--------pshsh--pshs-----slpspskdhf... Just like that, lol. It didn't sound like it was 'missing' one pulse, it sounded like it was missing MANY pulses.

I have a feeling that the damage to this motor is going to be dramatic.

BTW, after I initially blew the motor, I was able to drive for several miles on the freeway, before getting off and driving another 5 miles. It was REALLY WEIRD though, because about half-way home another terrible noise occured and the car lost EVEN MORE power and could barely get me home .

Cool... I'm pretty excited about it

 

That sucks man. I thought that a rotary was supposed to be able to handle all kinds of boost? Why is yours blowing apex seals?

 

Not to start a flame war here, but I just don't get how this happens to some people so many times. I know a guy with a Rotorsports Racing rebuild on his 91 T2 who has had no problems with it, and he's running more than stock boost. I know three other cars (one being an FD) with Bruce Turrentine motors who have never had any problems--and all those are being pushed significantly beyond stock.

You're doing all the rebuilds, right? If I were you, I'd get a professional to do this next one, and have it professionally tuned. Five rebuilds seems masochistic to me.

 

pm me with pars list I might want to my some peformance parts

 

Also not the start a flame war, but have you ever considered an LS1 swap or something to that effect? It would atleast be just as fast as you are now, if not faster. And you don't have to worry about it blowing up everytime you go WOT.

just food for thought, thats all...

 

Ever thought that some people just don't care about piston engines? I'm not trying to offend btw. But I know a hell of a lot more people take better care of their FCs with rotary engines because they like the rotary. Even if it means shelling out money time after time, its called love man. I'm pretty sure if most of us on here wanted an LS1 we would have picked up a camaro ages ago.

 

I feel your pain.
You've gone through as many engines as I have in my vert alone.

1. Popped engine myself learning to tune Haltech....full rebuild.
2. Popped while racing due to bad cas....full rebuild.
3. Bad/loose exhaust sleeve kills turbo (overported exhaust)....basic rebuild.
4. Cracked rear iron at the dowell....replace and port match rear iron.
5. Bad call by inexperienced tuner pops my engine....full rebuild.

 

damm, man, i know how it is, u will get a good one sooon enuff

 

damn buddy... that sucks...

you're making me worry that my motor is going to blow!

what symptoms did u have when ur coolant seals blew?

wanna sell me the hybrid now?

 

you want it? lol 20 bucks! j/k

 

Santiago described my sentiment exactly... My interest and enjoyment comes from building these cars and motors and then driving them. It's not that I can't do it, it's just that I take irresponsible short-cuts...

To be more descriptive, the motor lasted for 2 hours of HARD driving. It's was SOO frikkin' fast... It just so happened to blow when I took it to the 'next level' of irresponsibility and decided to race... BTW, it was against a new, mod'd 350z... I was waiting in 3rd gear at 5k RPM's, I goosed the throttle and he hit it (I guess he was waiting for me), I smashed on the throttle and pulled INSTANTLY. Then all of a sudden a 'pop' and the grinding/chunking noise as the shattered apex seal forced it's way out the motor and through the turbo

yeah...

 

i do wil lu sell it?

 

I hear you, Just throwing it out there thats all. The ultimate goal for me is to make power and make a fast car. I'm doing it with a rotary engine now(hybrid, standalone, alky inj, etc), but when that blows I'l go with a piston motor because my end goal equals speed, not prestige. I understand that some of you guys really do love these motors and thats cool.

ryan

 

maybe if you break-in the engine properly according to kevin landers at rotaryressurection.com for like 2000 miles than the chances of blowing are probably reduced a lot. well, it just seems like different problems arose.

 

**** man, my buddy cut a 13.1 on his Turrentine rebuild with stock ports, stock turbo, stock intercooler, Rtek + SAFC. I remember when we put bus lengths on a 300zx TT (basically stock though). But he didn't crank up the boost until he got it on the dyno. I really hope you enjoy doing this. It seems to me that you've built one motor five times, not five motors. Now I'm no expert or anything, because **** I drive an N/A and I've never tackled building a motor before. It just seems like some people can push their cars and have few problems while a small number of people have problems again and again.

Once again, I don't want to start a flame war. It's just that I feel that a small group of people disproportionally blow a bunch of motors, then their stories get out among the general enthusiasts and the rotary gets a bad name. I've met several people who are into cars, and when I tell them I have an Rx-7 they say "ohh those rotary motors... I know a guy who blew his motor four times. Those things are way too unreliable."

Just be careful man.

 

Very unfortunate, maybe it's a sign for a 20b fc? I may be interested in something off it. Just pm with what you are going to take off to sell.
-Eric

 

I really, really do.

Well... I guess it matters how you define a motor. If you're encapsulating ALL motor's I've ever touched into one philosophical and theoretical 'RX7 MOTOR'... (I.E. 'rotary motor' and how it relates to 'Erik Egerdahl') then of course you're correct. But if you're saying that I've only dealt with one physical motor, or one SET of physical motor parts, then you couldn't be farther from the truth...

The first rebuild used the same parts as the original stock block, except it had all new seals, gaskets etc... The second used completely different housings, rotors, E-shaft etc. Now, I already gave slight detail into the differentiation between all of the different rebuilds, so in terms of PHYSICAL parts between the different rebuilds, they've all been different...

Well, I've never claimed to be a professional or an expert. I simply really like these cars, and now, after much research, time and failure, have learned this TII from the inside out... I cannot see myself in, or working on another car. The TII is ingrained into my 'automotive soul'.

The people who push their car's and have few problems are typically responsible and/or choose to have a professional do their work... I don't mind being an example of what NOT to do .

Well, the REASONABLE person would understand this, therefore the ROTARY doesn't get a bad name, the people who blow the motors do.

I don't care what the "general enthusiasts" think. The people that I KNOW and are intimately familiar with the problems I've had, know that the problems can be attributed to me and no-one else. Reasonable people understand this, unreasonable people don't.

I don't really care about giving the rotary motor a good name. I'm more concerned about being an example, even if it means being a poor one. At least it will inspire people to be more cautious...

 

holy **** man!

drop me a PM with what setup you have and i can try to figure out why you are blowing these motors...

 

Dude it's post like these that give the rotary a bad name. Either learn how to tune or diagnose what's blowing your engine. Bottom line is you shouldn't be having these problems. I would also start checking your electrical and fuel system and make sure the injectors are working properly. As far as your over heating problems go, my Fd has nearly over heated twice but the buzzer came on saving my engine. My stock engine currently has over 100k on it and runs perfect. If everything is working fine, you should never over heat your engine if you pay attention to the warning buzzer.

 

I don't see what is so unique about this post. The rotary engine already has a bad reputation. Yep, its a fun engine but not very tolerant of being driven hard or abuse in any way. You may want to seriously consider a LS1 upgrade. The block is good for 1000 hp if you decide to run a turbo on it and you can easily get 500 hp out of with a decent intake, cam, and exhaust.

I can't wait to dump my rotary engine. Don't worry, I've already figured out with to do with it. My 13B is going into a kit plane and should do well humming along at a steady high rpm all day long. In fact, I think the rotay engine is better suited for aviation applications-steady state high rpm operation is what it excels at.

 

My grandfather ran a car repair business in Brooklyn for about 45 years. Whenever he intereviewed a perspective employee, he would of course ask them how much experience they had. So the guy would say "oh, I've been working for 8 years now."

He would then always say "Now is that 8 years, or one year 8 times?"

 

Dude, after you drove it when you blew it that second noise was your rebuild getting even more expensive

Why did you keep driving

James

 

we need some teardown pics!

 

What the hell are you talking about? Not tolerant of being driven hard? If the engine is properly cared for, and built you can beat on and redline a rotary all day long, hell you can even pass redline a few times with worrying about "valves" and "springs" shooting up through your hood

Im a total noob and its obvious to me that the thread starter(im not being offensive in any way) has blown his motors becuase of improper tuning. Sure piston engines are more tolerate of running lean but if you just decide to pump 30 psi into it without tuning its gonna pop and be a more expensive/bigger PITA to rebuild.

 

Yeah , the 787B wasnt very reliable either Homebrew