I am buying a 1988 Turbo-II probably today. The car has only 3psi compression in the rear housing. I really want to drive the car around, besides the fact that I am driving it 8 hours home on saturday. Will I kill the motor before I I leave for the 8 hour trip if I drive it before then, and will the car make the trip back in one piece.

 

motor is probably already dead. I wouldnt drive it for the risk of a seal givin way and cutting up the rotor + housing costing you ANOTHER 400+ bux for a new one

 

The damage to the rear rotor is already done(or whichever one it blew). If it starts and runs well enough for you to drive then have at it. BE aware that youre going to get POOR gas mileage and you're going to be CRYING about 20 minutes down the road because of the fuel vapors getting back inside the car. THe best thing to do would be to figure out which rotor is dead, and kill fuel to that one by unplugging its fuel injectors, but that'd require you to do some work to it before leaving. Probably for an 8 hour drive I would do it though. IF not that, then locate and cut 2 of the fuel injector wires for the dead rotor. It'd save you a lot of fuel, a lot of vapors, and the possibility that excess fuel could start an exhaust fire(I have seen it happen a couple of times).

In short it's not the best idea, ESPECIALLY for an 8 hour drive. But, I have done it before(for an hour or 2) and it's not going to do any further "damage".

 

Oh I know the motor is dead. I am going to get a JSPEC. Just wanted to be sure the car would make it to wherever I need to go, and maybe cruise around town some before then.

Ben

 

bump

 

NOT THE BRIGHTEST THING i HAVE HEARD TODAY.

 

First off, there are MANY gradations to a blown motor - a motor is not just "bad" or "good".

I've driven my car with a blown motor for a LONG time before - got respectable gas mileage, actually had a decent idle, etc.

The only way to tell is start it up and drive around the block. Does it seem to drive OK? Does it hold an idle fairly well? Is it relatively easy to start the car if you shut it off (to get gas or the like)?

You're not going to hurt the engine any more than what's already been done. But, if you have to squirt oil in the combustion chamber and crank on it for 10 minutes to get it to start every time, and it dies as soon as the idle falls below 2000 RPM or something like that, you definitely don't want to drive that sucker a long way home.

Might want to see if you can find an RX-7 enthusiast that's near the car that can check it out for you and give an honest appraisal.

Dale

 

I am an RX-7 enthusiast. I know pretty much how down it is. It runs and starts. It does idle, thought not too well. Figure about the idle I will just adjust it way up if I have to. Am going to look at the car now so I will have more info soon.

 

bump

 

bump with the "more info"...

 

if the seal breaks peices can go through the turbo and the rest is history

 

9 times out of 10, the turbo is unaffected when the motor goes. Lord knows I've been through enough blown TII motors. The part of the apex seal that breaks is typically VERY tiny - smaller than a piece of rice. It usually imbeds itself in the rotor or housing.

Again, if it's blown, it's probably not going to get "more blown" in a short term. I imagine the guy buying the car will probably be limping it home and not trying to drag race everybody.

Dale

 

indeed