AveM

I asked the seller about the mileage of the rx7. He said 152,000 miles. It made me worried that in the future the engine would have a problem. Then he said it was mostly highway miles. Is there a difference between highway and city miles for the 13b engine. I know the general difference of highway and city, but specifically for a 13b engine.

WANKfactor

iTrader: (1)

I would imagine it would make a difference. Constantly in the sweet zone for oil pressure and whatnot

SwappedNA

iTrader: (1)

Have the engine compression tested, that is the biggest indicator of engine health, though not the only indicator.

WANKfactor

iTrader: (1)

Yeah. Its still miles tho and unknown history. Do all the checks

AveM

Okay, that what I was going to do when I get my hands on the vehicle. I planned on a compression test and generall check on the engine from a rotary specialist.

AveM

Yay the owner has had the rx7 for 20 years and before I will buy it he will install a new clutch, a new pressure plate, a new bearing brake, a master cylinder clutch, a master cylinder clutch slave, pressure hoses and windshield

mr_vaughn

iTrader: (1)

Where is he getting the windsheild from?
I can't find any in Southen California for S5 Coupe

AveM

I have no idea, I live in South Louisiana and I guess the guy got it through the shop he was sending his fc to.

13bSwap

highway miles are easier on the brakes and steering. It also helps boil off condensation in the engine regularly. Other than that, it's still regular wear and tear on the engine

arghx

iTrader: (3)

Any car with 152k miles and 30 years on it is going to be suspect.

AveM

That’s true, the guy is getting a lot of stuff replaced like I said above, the only thing I’m worried about is the engine but I plan on getting a comprehension test.

doug910

Just to add, miles aren't really the best indicator for a vehicle condition when the car is 30+ years old. Maintenance history is MUCH more important, and depending on the price you're getting it for/how clean the car, there's only so much maintenance history you can expect over the lifetime of the car. You can't really purchase an FC RX7 in the same way you do a 5 year old Honda CRV, you're just going to have to assume that you'll have to put money and effort into the car unless you buy the nation's cleanest example.

Compression tests are good, but there's also other ways a rotary can fail. Blown coolant seals are the most common example of a silent killer with no warning signs. If you're truly worried/don't want to put in the money/time to rebuild an engine, just be patient until you find an example with a recently rebuilt engine from a reputable shop.

AveM

I’m buying it for $2200 with replace parts that I said above. I’ll check the coolant seals as soon as I get it and I’ll get the maintenance history of it. I plan on replacing parts that need to be replaced and if there is a blown coolant seal I’ll save up and learn how to take apart the engine. I still have to learn a lot about the car though. I still need to do research on the coolant seals. Thank for letting me know.

doug910

Sure thing. Just a little more info on coolant seals because that's what I experienced - bought a good, running car, 6 months later it blew a coolant seal. You can't directly check them and there's no warning signs that they're going to pop. If they hold, they hold. If they pop, they pop.

Coolant seal failure symptoms can vary from case to case depending on where the seal breaks around the housing. If it breaks near intake area, you'll most definitely get huge plooms of white smoke as the engine sucks in coolant during the intake stroke it burns it off. If it breaks near the exhaust area, it won't be as obvious because virtually no coolant will seep into in the engine to burn off as tell tale white smoke symptoms (combustion pressure > cooling system pressure). Instead, you'll have bubbles that enter the cooling system. If it's a minor failure, it might take several hours of driving before the bubbles start to cause in any issues. In my case, it was about 20 minutes of driving before the bubbles started to over-pressurize the cooling system and thus, coolant started to puke out of the overflow bottle since it had no where else to go. Since then, I taught myself how to rebuilt the engine (easier than I thought it would be), and now I'm enjoying a healthy engine with the peace of mind that I built it with OEM parts.

If you're willing to learn how to rebuild a rotary and put some money aside for it, my two cents would be to just buy it. $2200 is a pretty good deal for a running FC. Enjoy it while the engine is still healthy, do preventative maintenance, learn as much as you can about rotary engines until it's time for a rebuild.

AveM

Yeah learning how to take apart the engine when I have a problem with it will help. I plan on having the car for a long time so getting used to how it works would help. Before and after I buy it I will check on things that need to be checked. After I will try to check the coolant seal “if it’s possible”. then I will replace parts that need to be replaced like filters, all the fluids, and things that leak oil. After everything is replaced then I can buy the fun mods and parts.

DR_Knight

iTrader: (23)

Just be prepared to learn on your own and try to find used replacement parts. Tbh, Rx7’s are how old pc video games are like world of Warcraft.

it’s hard to get into rx7s now as most of the knowledgeable community has moved on. Plus prices for parts are at a premium now, ~3x what they were over the past decade. I recommend you do your research before purchasing.

and btw, I view s5 engines at ~130-150k miles are going to soon require a rebuild. Wear on a rotary motor usually will not leave all components usable, especially the rotor housings if they have not been exposed to premix. Profile tolerance wear occurs and will need replacing.

You should be looking into vendors such as Atkins racing, pineapple racing, rotary aviation, goopy apex seals, rotary resurrection, mazdatrix.

ive been collecting spare t2 engines/trans/etc as the parts have been so difficult to find at good prices.

AveM

Thanks for letting me know. I have found people who are selling 13b rotary parts. I am well aware in the future I will have to take apart my engine. That's why while I own it I can research the engine. The guy has fuel injectors in the car but I might see how they are handling up if they might need replacing. I planned on selling my 2008 Camry but I figured I'll just slowly save up for when the engine does give out. I think learning how to take out the engine would be a challenge, but in the end would be worth it. I plan on doing a compression and checking if the coolant seals are in good condition, and if they are not I'll just research all the tools and components needed to take out the engine or replace coolant lines.