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

Every time I think I just blew it up...

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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 06:04 PM
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Every time I think I just blew it up...

I didn't. Everything's fine and I'm just freaking out.

Food for thought. These motors are tougher than you think.
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 06:12 PM
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You jinxed yourself
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 06:27 PM
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Ha... So many times have i thought the same thing, but the thing keeps running!
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 08:09 PM
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From: jordan ny
same thing is happening to me
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 08:32 PM
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Ditto. But I do honestly think I blew a coolant seal. Only one way to find that out though...
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 08:35 PM
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I have thought it a few times too. Last time at the drag strip. My engine has run for 40K+ since I have owned it and it sat for 10+ years... It's definitely a love/hate relationship.
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 09:52 PM
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Love it, Arghx.
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 09:55 PM
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From: puerto Rico
so many times im suprised it hasnt
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 10:39 PM
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lol...
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Old Aug 2, 2010 | 11:17 PM
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I remember one time I was changing the oil. I filled that bitch up with 5 quarts, tightened up the filter, and went to the gas station up the street (I drove it easy). I started putting air in the tires, only to notice a puddle of oil under the car. I was down to half a quart of oil. Turns out I had pinched that little plastic line for my boost gauge under the filter and I never bothered to check for leaks. I called up a good friend of mine... my rotary mentor if you will. I said "that's it, I really did it this time, it's finally done for." I drained what was left of the oil (no metal shavings to be found), filled it back up, and just kept rolling. When I tore the motor down almost 2 years later and the bearings were perfect.
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 12:31 AM
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From: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
i had a drain plug fall out going past the start finish line at thunder hill, i made it halfway around the track, and it wasn't empty yet.

we hauled it back, and the tow truck driver was all "don't worry i did the same thing to the tow truck last week"

we looked under the car, saw there was no drain plug, and paul and i pointed at each other and said "that was your job!"

i built the keg, he put it in, neither one of us tightened plug...

engine was fine, it went another year before it ended up on teds website

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-general-discussion-207/somewhat-eventful-weekend-915959/
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 01:11 AM
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ran my NA HARD tonight and then found out I was pretty much OUT of oil. pulled over at del taco and put 3 quarts
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 01:17 AM
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Originally Posted by Brian_Reynolds123
ran my NA HARD tonight and then found out I was pretty much OUT of oil. pulled over at del taco and put 3 quarts
I let a good friend drive my 7 for a few days and when he came back he said what is that annoying buzzing when you go around corners... It was the low oil buzzer. It ran for a long time after that too.
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 07:08 AM
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ive had an oil line burst on me, but i was only 5 miles from home. low oil buzzer went off, but was able to make it home.. i just kept an eye on the oil pressure

another time i was still running rtek 2.1 and it had this lean spot near redline that i couldnt get rid off. anyway i was doing a pull on the interstate and i wasnt paying attention and it hit the lean spot out and i heard bad knock and car stumbled. i pulled over thinking the engine was toast, but it was fine. it eventually died from coolant seal leak, but not until a while later
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 10:50 AM
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I had no such luck. I was at the NJMP Thunder (or was it Lightning?) taking the lightbulb on stickies. I was pulling a good "G" on the curve. I hit the back straight and I quickly qheck my gauges. I have 0 oil pressure.

After that, it ran like crap. Dave at KDR broke it down and found warped apex seals. After further inspection, the front bearing was spun. It was a good excuse to updrade to RA Superblack seals, but it was a bummer.

I now have an accusump as that was kind of an expensive lesson. Maybe it is due to running the GSL-SE oil pan with the S4 TII engine, but I straight up starved the engine on the long banked corner.

Rotary + no oil does not equal happiness.
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 11:21 AM
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I had an 87 TII back in the mid 90's (from when I was 16-18yrs old). It finally caught on fire from a fuel leak (neglect on my behalf, it was leaking for over a month before it burned). I absolutely dogged the car to death.

I slide it around until the rear shock broke loose from the tower, blew the intercooler piping off of the intercooler, ran it out of gas & oil several times. Back then they were too expensive to have them worked on, and we never had much money. I also lacked any knowledge about them at the time. I did learned/figure-out rather quickly that it would outrun most anything on 4 wheels, including brand new corvettes.

Yes they are alot tougher then people give them credit for. It never seems to amaze me at how many people think they know how unreliable they are. People state ignorant statements like they are facts, when they have little to no knowledge about them, most of the time while they are still trying to wrap their mind around the idea that there are no pistons in the engine.
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 11:26 AM
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I remember my 1st rx7 it was a first gen and dammit if that thing never had oil. Traded it for a TII and ran it for like 1hour w/o by accident and it KABOOOOOMMMM lmao.. Smoked so much that I nearly killed all the mosquitos in the neighboorhood lmao
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 11:44 AM
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Yeah, my rx7 lasted three years with blown seals.
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 11:47 AM
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I was racing with the guys from Houston in the 24 Lemons race up here in Dallas this past June, my buddy that knew nothing about sevens was driving. They were having heat issues with the engine for some reason, temps were getting way up there the whole weekend. Well my buddy pits in saying "The past few laps there has been this annoying buzzer going off the whole time." It was the coolant buzzer, we opened the cap and the engine was BONE DRY. Must have been that way for at least a lap and a half, to the best of my knowledge that engine is still running strong........ The car is missing a passenger side mirror though.... my bad Scott, that dude hit me, I swear!
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 02:03 PM
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About two months after I got my T2 I was sitting in a backup on the interstate. Suddenly I see steam coming from under the hood. I look at my aftermarket water temp gauge and it's pegged at 260F with even the OEM gauge is stuck at "H" . Pulled that bitch over. I thought I was done for. Turns out the fan clutch had gone out. I replaced that and kept driving it. When I eventually tore the engine down (about 1.5 years later) I saw that one of the coolant seal grooves was a little chipped along the wall but had not been compromised.
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 02:28 PM
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Hmm... after working on my car all summer, I took it out to the 1/4 mile track this weekend, and I am/was pretty sure I popped an apex seal. It seemed to have lots of fuel, mid to low 11's for about 8 psi, controlled with a haltech e6X. After about the 4th run, as I was coasting after the finish line, it stalled. It took a lot of work/feathering the gas pedal to get it started. Also, my time had dropped by 1/2 of a second, and didn't seem to idle too well.

Brought it home, popped out spark plugs and listened. Didn't hear any misses with the compression strokes on either rotor. Hopefully will get the compression tester on it tonight to do a better check.
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Old Aug 3, 2010 | 02:46 PM
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From: https://www2.mazda.com/en/100th/
one time our parts driver found this roach of an 87 na. i think he saw it parked, and knocked on doors, i think they just gave it to him too. this thing was BEAT

he had me come look at it, and well have someone sit in it to tow it back to the dealership.

i open the hood, there was enough oil to maybe hit the dip stick, no coolant, car parked its probably dead.

so we tie it to the parts truck and start hauling it back. since the brakes didn't work, i just put it in 3rd or something

after about a mile or so it starts smoking really bad, and then it starts making noises, so i pop it out of gear, and rev it, and it runs!

after we got it back, it turned out to be fine...
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