2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992) 1986-1992 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections.
Sponsored by:

dumping coolant in engine

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 03-29-06, 11:50 PM
  #1  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
dumping coolant in engine

Im dumping coolant in my engine and its flooding the car, im not burning coolant though unless i unflood it. What could be the problem?
Old 03-29-06, 11:56 PM
  #2  
yes,thats me \/

iTrader: (1)
 
cdaleracer669's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Eaton, CO
Posts: 861
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
well quit pouring it in your engine, dummy. just messing wit ya i dont quite understand what your trying to say here??are the coolant seals shot allowing coolant to seap into the combustion chamber and filling it up?
Old 03-30-06, 01:47 AM
  #3  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
im not sure what the problem is. I can drive it and its fine, i dont burn coolant or anything. but SOMETIMES when i stop/turn car off the car floods, and when it does taht i burn coolant off. After a while it will stop and it wont burn coolant anymore. It only floods sometimes.

If the seals are gone wouldnt i notice a loss in compression? Wouldnt i also have oil in my radiator and vis versa? Im hoping its not the seals. But i have no idea.
Old 03-30-06, 02:08 AM
  #4  
Play Well

 
fcdrifter13's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?
Posts: 4,218
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Check for bubbles in the cooling system.
Old 03-30-06, 08:50 AM
  #5  
Engine, Not Motor

iTrader: (1)
 
Aaron Cake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 29,789
Likes: 0
Received 108 Likes on 91 Posts
It doesn't sound like you are burning coolant UNLESS you are actually watching the level go down.

Engines buring coolant will generally spew large clouds of sweet smelling smoke, overheat in short order and consume coolant. They may also push coolant out of the recovery bottle due to the pressure generated.

It sounds like you may just be experiencing the typical flooding, and mistaking the sometimes grey smoke generated for coolant smoke.

Check out this for info on overheating: http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/cooling.htm
Old 03-30-06, 04:49 PM
  #6  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Its not over heating and it only smokes right after the unflooding, i let it idle for a few minutes and it clears up. Could it just be something simple as a bad injector?
Old 03-30-06, 09:15 PM
  #7  
yes,thats me \/

iTrader: (1)
 
cdaleracer669's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Eaton, CO
Posts: 861
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
its probably gas burning then. whats it smell like
Old 03-30-06, 09:46 PM
  #8  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
smells like really sweet smell. Kind alike coolant, and the smoke is white. I notice my coolant drop a little after unflooding.
Old 03-30-06, 09:51 PM
  #9  
Back in the game

iTrader: (-1)
 
TehMonkay's Avatar
 
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Louisville KY
Posts: 2,456
Likes: 0
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
Maybe the tension bolts are loose and after the engine cools down and shrinks a little it lets a little bit of coolant past the seals?

Long shot.
Old 03-30-06, 11:58 PM
  #10  
yes,thats me \/

iTrader: (1)
 
cdaleracer669's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Eaton, CO
Posts: 861
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
if its a sweet smell it is coolant. why only when its flooded, i dont know.....hopefully someone can chime in and help ya
Old 03-31-06, 12:32 AM
  #11  
Junior Member

 
Rx7Tunr's Avatar
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: Exton, PA
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by TehMonkay
Maybe the tension bolts are loose and after the engine cools down and shrinks a little it lets a little bit of coolant past the seals?

Long shot.
it is a long shot but it does sound like something along those lines, cuz it doesnt sound like he's losing drastic amounts of coolant. odd. im used to piston engines, rotaries are like a whole nother dimension to me lol
Old 03-31-06, 12:40 AM
  #12  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
hmm, ill see if i can tighten them up tommarow, i didnt know that was actully possiable for them to come loose like that.

Thank you everyone for the help.
Old 03-31-06, 03:04 AM
  #13  
Play Well

 
fcdrifter13's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2005
Location: We're all fine here now, thank you. How are you?
Posts: 4,218
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have never in my time on the forums or talking to people that describe the same problem as you, or ones that know far more than memention those bolts backing out. Now you say it only smokes when It starts up right. Or it has set for a while. Put pressure on the sytem and see if it drops and you are loosing coolant. Like you said you are losing small amounts of coolant. This leads me to believe a small crack has formed and it is barly seeping into your engine.

Once you put presure on the sytem with one of those testers you will know. Try it when its hot and when its not. Always do what is easiest before you go and drop a tranny struggle getting a flywheel off and then arnt able to get it back together.
Old 03-31-06, 03:11 AM
  #14  
Sharp Claws

iTrader: (30)
 
RotaryEvolution's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 0
Received 41 Likes on 40 Posts
iron failures can cause intermittent issues like this depending on how far you drive and how long the car sits. when an iron fails it creates a one way check valve into the cooling system that doesn't always seal up the combustion chamber to the cooling system.

it's hard to describe without showing you a picture of a broken seal wall. your best bet is to do the bubble test when the engine is flooded to be sure it is a failed iron/seal.

why people keep calling them coolant seal failures is beyond me, i have never seen just a coolant seal fail...
Old 03-31-06, 09:01 AM
  #15  
Engine, Not Motor

iTrader: (1)
 
Aaron Cake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 29,789
Likes: 0
Received 108 Likes on 91 Posts
OK, are you loosing coolant? I find it hard to imagine that a broken seal/iron (happy now? ) would leak ONLY when an engine is flooded...
Old 03-31-06, 05:17 PM
  #16  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
im not loosing it until i unflood the car. (poping the egi injector fuse out and cranking it) Then Sometimes it will smoke for maybe 5min or so or sometimes it wont stop smoking until i shut the car off (which drains it ALOT like 1/2 the radiator). Which causes it to flood again. What is this bubble thing you mentioned? whats happeneing?
Old 04-01-06, 01:46 PM
  #17  
Sharp Claws

iTrader: (30)
 
RotaryEvolution's Avatar
 
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Central Florida
Posts: 5,107
Likes: 0
Received 41 Likes on 40 Posts
coolant fouls ignition causing flooding, it may not be the case but it explains why it floods. fuel/oil smoke usually is hard to mistake for coolant smoke, you can hardly see through coolant smoke but fuel and oil is generally a thin smoke you can see through.
Old 04-02-06, 12:36 AM
  #18  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I was telling someone about it and they said my seals are going. The car did sit for about 5 or 6 days due to me not having a radiator fan. So im thinking it may be that irons thing. What is required to fix that?
Old 04-02-06, 01:03 AM
  #19  
Wassup!!

 
Rotor13B's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2001
Location: Longmont Co.
Posts: 1,081
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like on 1 Post
Intake o-ring coolant seals?
Old 04-02-06, 12:37 PM
  #20  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
coolant seals, im assuming since the problem is comming from coolant.
Old 04-02-06, 08:36 PM
  #21  
Engine, Not Motor

iTrader: (1)
 
Aaron Cake's Avatar
 
Join Date: Feb 2001
Location: London, Ontario, Canada
Posts: 29,789
Likes: 0
Received 108 Likes on 91 Posts
Take a look at this page:

http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/cooling.htm

Go down to the bottom of the page and read about the "bubble test".

Long story short: With the car cold, remove the rad cap and start the car. Look into the filler neck. Do you see a steady stream of bubbles that increases when you rev the car? That's a sure sign the o-rings are no longer sealing (bad seal, cracked iron, warped iron/housing, etc.) and that combustion gasses are being pushed into the cooling system.
Old 04-02-06, 09:07 PM
  #22  
Senior Member

Thread Starter
 
CrypticApathy's Avatar
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Tampa Florida
Posts: 308
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
ill try it tommarow, its to dark out now. Im taking it to a local rotary shop tuesday. Im thining of just doing a 13bt swap instead of a rebuild. I found a motor/tranny/wiring harness for about 900.
Old 04-02-06, 11:54 PM
  #23  
ditched the 2nd gens.

iTrader: (19)
 
project 88 gxl's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Georgia
Posts: 802
Received 2 Likes on 2 Posts
be glad it's not leaking into your bell-housing... no fun.
Related Topics
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
82streetracer
Haltech Forum
11
03-11-19 05:34 PM
alphawolff
1st Generation Specific (1979-1985)
17
11-17-15 05:57 PM
gtcd
1st Generation Specific (1979-1985)
30
08-19-15 02:44 AM
Kyo
2nd Generation Specific (1986-1992)
3
08-14-15 02:00 PM



Quick Reply: dumping coolant in engine



All times are GMT -5. The time now is 09:09 PM.