Wow!! could it really be a header gasket?!!? I posted this morning with the same exact problem. I figured it was a blown apex for sure. Mine was slightly different.. It drove fine in the morning (hour drive 75-90 mph) then I went out for lunch and it drove for about 2 minutes.. then pop. No power and shaking violently. Wouldn't idle. I didn't get it hot and never tried to go much above 3k rpm's, but everything else sounds the same. The exhaust is very loud now. Would a bad leak steal that much power?
Unfortunatly for me my car is still a hour away. Trying to get a trailer to get it home, so I can't even look at mine.

Be sure to let us know what you find out!

 

Well, I am gonna figure out what is goin on tomorrow. It has been too long of a day. I found a n/a 92 MR2 and a 93 hardtop Miata, both for $3999. Time to get a loan. If the rex is popped, I am parting her out. PLEASE don't PM me with offers. I will post in the for sale section with what I got...

 

Wow man I'm sorry Rico that does suck!! I don't know much BUT will give my .00002 anyway. I'm not sure, but dosent the "knock sensor" have something to do with that? I mean what the hell,it COULD go at anytime right? Well whatever it is I DO hope you get it going really and good luck to you man!!!

 

Last try tonite...any ideas? The more I think about it, the better this is for me. I am a 19 year old college student, workin on a $7/hr, 30 hr/wk salary, so I need to stay away from fast. Miata, here I come!!!

 

Turbohead, it's n/a so no knock sensor. Could the intake air temp sensor have anything to do w/ it?

 

OK. Let's get down to business instead of random guessing.

1. Compression. Does it check out OK?

2. Change spark plugs. Does that fix it?

3. Fuel. Is it flooding out? Stuck injector? Does it reek like gas while running?

4. Intake leak? Try using carb cleaner to locate any possible problem areas.

5. Header gasket? Can't see that being your porblem as I regularily run engines without ANY exhaust. Might be worth looking at though....

It's call basic troubleshooting, people.

 

Oh man- It doesn't really sound to good.

You aren't alone though.... when my engine went, it went like this:
First thing in the morning, went out to the car- everything had been fine, no indications of any problem.
Put the key in, and gave it a little crank. BUT- I didn't quite crank it enough, it was a damn cold morning, and it needed more than 2 cranking rotations to start. No biggie, done that a million times.
Turned the key again. Click.
Whaa????
Click.
I thought my starter went, or the solenoid. I changed the starter the next day, and still no engine rotation.
I tried moving the engine with the nut on the main pulley- NOTHING. Jammed up solid.
A peice of carbon had dislodged during the first crank, and jammed against an apex seal, locking the engine.
It's actually lucky that the engine didn't start, otherwise my housing probably would have had the seals initials carved in it!

Look, Rico05, you can't jump to any conclusions untill you do the compression test. Everything else is just a waste of time and energy untill you do that. Even run to a shop and ask if you can borrow their tester for 1/2 hour- give em 10 bucks or something.
Even with the plugs out, you can sometimes still hear 3 even whooshes, even with a bad seal.
I strongly doubt an exhaust leak can casue such bad performance. I've driven my car lots of times with only a header, and I notice it's a tiny bit low on power in the low range, but it still idles fine.
Maybe something dislodged from the engine and it's jammed in the header?

Do the comp. test first though.
Good luck man, I totally sympathize with you. My car went while I was in school too. Bad timing.

 

rico how does the exhaust note sound like????
does it sound like a damm hellicopter comming at you\???

if so then your engine is gone like my white car did
my white car did the same as you describe

mine blew the day after i got my exhaust system on there i had just washed the car went to help a friend out with his car car ran just fine the way there i decided to park it we get to working on his car later on after about 6 hrs we decided it was time to go home so i try to start ther car and and started like a helicopter the funny **** is the car ran and it would take a little bit to develop speed turn out i was running on one rotor

so most likely the rear rotot when on yours to
pull plugs out and try to feel for the apex seals if all there might have been the side seal

 

Its a sticking injector. The lady who i bought my $600 90 for, thought it had a blown up engine. It had the same symptons that you had. All it turned out to be was a injector that decided to stay on all the time....until i got it...then it decided to just die, and not fire anymore. I Put some new injectors in it, and drove it for 6-8k miles before i realy popped the motor. From what it sounds like the one of the secondary injectors is sticking on. For a quick test, pull the intake manifold, and disconect the 2nd set of injector wires. Throw it back together and take it for a spin. Can't hurt to try, anyways. CJ

 

Wait just a minute.

What's wrong with this picture? Your RX-7 isn't running right (happens all the time), you think it's blown, and are going to buy a Miata before even doing a compression test?

Go down to the local Auto-Zone or whatever and drop $25 on a compression tester before you part out the whole car. That's the only way you will know for sure if your engine is blown. Rip out the check valve and look for 3 even bounces.

When I blew the motor in my 90 TII, it was at FULL THROTTLE, and it sounded like a V8, but would still idle. I threw a corner piece on the front rotor out the exhaust.

Your motor doesn't just die in its sleep unless you get a big chunk of carbon jammed in somewhere, maybe some ATF would clear that up.

This is insane!!! Don't be stupid, think for yourself! This message board won't tell you if your motor is blown, only you and a compression tester can! We're just here to help.

 

At least try looking at the apex seals through the plug holes. I aleays jump to conclusions too, but I always am just paranoid.

 

Ah yes Jamie, a helicopter exactly what it sounds like. Well, I have less than 0 time or inclination to get a compression tester before Saturday. Let's put it this way, even if it is still running, I am still getting a Miata and the Rex is gonna get a new home. I am tired of the one week fine, one week not fine associated with ANY tuned car. I need something that is econimical and reliable. I am 19. I cam have a Rex when I am 25, and making a bit more than I am now. Plus, I already want a bad *** handler, and all the local AutoXs are won by Miata's. It's been a fun ride, plenty of ups, plenty of downs, but I think it is time for me to get off this ride.

 

dont give up you are a guy that was on this site 24 7 and u have come along way you had a passion for the rex just keep the rex, if the eng is bad, and when get money after school fix it up dont give up I had the same thing happen to me when I was 17 and I sold the car wish I didnt but I did buy one 10 years later with a new eng and have had no prob just get a car to get you by and look for a J eng or pull the eng and do a rebuild it will all be worth it in the end good luck

 

I just don't get it. It ran freakin sweet in the morning. Then this. No bang, no clang just crap. I never expected it to happen this way. I was looking for atriumphant end. Something to write about. Redling in third, pulling away from yet another GT or ricer, then BOOM, and silence. Not this ****. I hope it is just somethin goofy. It has some of the symptoms of a blow, some not. I will check it in the mornin. Who knows, mabye a nice cool evening was all it needed!!

 

rico you ***! You can't sell your rex, not until I crush my GXL out of frustration at least! What did you do to it now? Did you not love it enough this month?!? You can't sell it, I won't let you! You've got too high a post count to not be able to pull the damn plugs and at least tell us what she sounds like! woosh-pfft-pfft woosh-woosh-woosh pfft-pfft-pfft? Come on, a little help here! My damn GXL has better luck than you

 

Rico, rotary's are just like that...they'll do it at the most unexpected of times. My car runs fine, but it idles like CRAP. It won't hold boost at all....and I think it's blown...but that's not the end of it!!! You can get a rebuild for the price of a new car!!! with big street port/exhaust port AND Hurley 2 mm 2 piece apex seals!!!

 

Bad rico, no rotary for you! This is what you get for having that damn T2 hood!

 

HAHAHAHAHA! I love my baby, but I am too broke for ANY fast car. I went out this morinin, cranked it, it started, but as it was cranking, I listened...THUMP-THUMP-THUMP...then the dreaded PAUSE. THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-pause-THUMP-THUMP-THUMP-pause
She be gone. Time to take inventory of all I have on it to sell. I would like to get $500 for what I got on the car including mods and misc parts, then ship her off to the j-yard. Unless someone wants to make an offer on a 91 n/a w/ a blown engine and a dented roof....


Oh and BTW....I WILL OWN ANOTHER FC ONE DAY!!!

 

Damn Rico i am soooo sorry to hear that man! Think twice about dumping your car man!

 

At least try a compression test!

 

Dude do a compression test but if it turns out its toast ill sellyou a running motor for 200-300 (homeboy hookup) Cmon man stay with the damn rotary!!!

 

Damn!! I think my engine just blew too, waiting for a compression test, wish I had some one in the area to give me a running motor for 200-300!

 

man this sux. Every one is getting bad news about their cars these days.
Charles

 

Well, I have had a LOT of life changs lately, and I need to focus on other things than my car. I am gonna find out what kind of compression there is first, but all signs point to blown. Thanks for the cheap engine offer, but I want somethin a little more streetable. Fast is great, and I will MISS the whine of a rotary under WOT, but like I said, it's been fun!!

 

Oh, and I am gonna do the ATF trick once again. I did it back in December, so I will try to see if that helps before I sell any parts. If it is ok, and was just bein weird, I will take offers to sell.