what would cause a TII to overheat? i am lookin at a TII and the guy selling it said it had overheated once. what the most probably cause for this. im taking it to mazda to have it checked out (compression tested) before i get it, but what else could cause this? radiator gone bad? any help is appreciated

 

there are many things that could have caused the overheating.
low coolant, bad coolant, thermostat, water pump, ign. timing maybe, cavitation, and so on
be careful though, bad things can happen to a rotary if overheated, even just once

 

1. A small external leak.
2. An expensive internal leak.
3. Tired old thermostat.
4. Prevoius owner fixed leak with "stop leak stuff" and clogged up the radiator.
5. Tired old fan clutch.
6. Internal erosion in the pump housing.
Overheating seriously shortens the life of a rotary - haggle the price as if the motor is about to die..

 

ah good to know..the cars getting a look over by mazda next week...i told the guy what you guys said...he said if theres something major wrong with the motor, he will help replace it...not too bad, maybe get a new motor out of it

what does overheating do to the engine?...obviously its no good, but how does it shorten the life of the engine speciffically?

 

Don't forget slipping the water pump belt! that's my personal favourite..

The heat frobs with the springs that push the apex seals outward (the "apex seal springs").. It makes them less springy, so you lose some compression.. It also can warp the housings and o-rings, allowing coolant to get into the compression chamber and/or exhaust to get out.. none of this is good..heh

-Tesla

 

hmm ok...so if somethings wrong it should show up in the compression test? what is a normal compression level for a FC?