Sniper_X

After completing a "top end" rebuild, replacing the MESS of silicone that was the oil pan gasket, and replacing all the vaccum hoses with new ones, i found a oil leak coming from the front housing area!!!

I had earlier asked about this leak in a post entitled "Where is this oil leak coming from?" .

It was theorized that the oil cooler line was leaking, but NOOOOOO.

Its THIS

and THIS...

and -THIS-


I TOLD you that this car was touched by idiots at every turn.

To go through the trouble of rebuilding the engine, and then to rip a gasket on the front cover, and bolt on those NASTY intakes with the frozen ports?!!!

CHRIST!

There goes the oil pan work I did.
And god, it was so beautiful....

I'll have to do it all over again.


Now, THE BIG QUESTION:

How do I keep the needle bearing from slipping on the eccentric sharft when I remove the front cover?

I know Mazdatrix has a how-to on this, but I want to hear other methods of preventing and also RECOVERING from the needle bearing slipping should it happen.

Please let me know anything and everything that you know on the subject.

Sniper_X
Always tinkering....

(but starting to get tired of fixing other peoples F**K UPS!)

Sniper_X

Please try to answer the BIG QUESTION if you can.

My gaskets/o-rings just came in and im itching to re-assemble the car!!!

Icemark

Chances are the gasket just blew out.

Now the needle bearing is actually pretty easy, just jam the clutch all the way down before you do anything.

Once the bearing has slipped you are SOL, and need to pull the front cover entirly. Chances are you won't notice it slipped until its too late, and the minute you torque anything down it will crush the bearing, effectivly distroying it.

Sniper_X

I AM pulling the front cover entirely.
To replace the gasket.

How could the gasket just "blow out"?!

theres no pressure there and the gasket is clean and ripped in the spot that its poking out.

Also no sealant (which they used in abundance) on the gasket.

The front cover has to come off to fix this.

I heard that if the bearing slips, then you have to pull the engine and set it on its *** and put the cover back on.

Is this not true?

Why do you jam the cluth down?
What does that do for you?

ZoomZoomZoom

Hey Sniper...I might have a reason for the blown gasket.
Check out this url...http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/oring.htm

Sniper_X

Have you seen my pictures?

http://downloads.members.tripod.com/...X/red7/gasket/

Icemark

You jam clutch all the way down so that the end play of the eccentric is taken up. This should then hold the thrust washer reasonably tight against the bearing when you remove the front cover. You do want to avoid rotating the motor/and eccentric at all durning this time!

You shouldn't have to pull the motor as long as the eccentric shaft hasen't moved fowards or backwards (end play) or rotated.

I use a little bearing grease (just a dab) to sticky the bearing in place if I have to disassemble the eccentric because someone didn't hold the clutch in while changing the front pully.

ZoomZoomZoom

Hey Sniper-X, that is one CLEAN engine!!!!!
Did you take out the engine or clean it in the car?
What did you use on it to clean it?
Basically HOW besides buying one new did you get this so NICE looking?!?

Sniper_X

Good of you to notice.

ALL of my RX-7s look like this.
ALL
OF
THEM.

My cars are my "zen rock garden".

Some people read, some play golf, some knit, and some even actually HAVE rock gardens.

I keep my cars in factory condition.

I know this sounds rediculous, but that engine compartment is actually quite filthy.

I cleaned the compartment with the engine IN the bay.

However, during any major service I perform, I clean everything to near SURGICAL levels.

It gives me time to think about what I just dissassembled, I also do "go to fast" and I can actually "absorb" the information I learned by removing all the parts.

Then I think about how to re-assemble the parts, and how I can increase thier life while they are out.

My cars would last forever if I had the time.

I only hope that this engine complies with my need to remove the front cover and doesn't drop the needle bearing.

I'm not in the mood to remove the engine just to hold the bearing in place.

When completed, my car will look like a new one.
Like off the showroom floor.
New paint and all.

I have the body dissasembled as I type this, and I hope to have it out of the paint shop by NOV 17th, by birthday.

Sniper_X
Always tinkering

HAILERS

If you do the *jam the clutch* thing I doubt if you will have any problem. I've removed the front cover to strip off the gasket due to having put the wrong cover gasket on (see Mazdatrix FAQ). At that time I did not know about the jam the clutch trick, and had no problem. Before I put the cover back on I did the measuring procedure in the fsm (assy of engine), and did the same after the cover was on. Even if you do have the bearing drop(unlikely since your going to jam the clutch) you just have to pull the oil pump, balance weight, bearing and spacer, thrust washer and realign and reassy. Your gonna have the front cover off anyway. No engine removal required if things go south. By the way, I'm curious about the crud you found in the pan when you took (take?) it off.

Sniper_X

The stuff in the oil pan was pretty small if not invisible.

Apparently the cleaner did not get in the oil.

And the oil was changes right before I bought it, so it was pretty good.