Can't figure out how to pull the front bumper off my 1986 sport rx-7. Can anyone help me with some direction or diagram to help because I lost and frustrated. Also does anyone have any idea how to test a blower resistor in the car.

 

As a starter, pull the front wheels off the car. Then remove the long cover inside the wheel well (has a bunch of screws holding it in place). From there on I forget the secret but it'll come to you as you go along.

OR if in a bind, read the BODY section of the online FSM.

 

You will need a good 12" or 18" extension depending on how long your arms are.

For the fenders, once you remove the fender plastic there are several bolts on top of the fender that you access by lifting the hood. There are also bolts underneath the fender holding it to the bottom of the car...often rusted and will snap during removal...I'd soak them in PB Blaster before attempting removal.

The PIA Bolts attach the fender to the bumper and there are 3 or 4 of them that you have to hit with the extension and I believe a 10mm socket. A flashlight will help you see these...as Hailers said removing your wheels will be a BIG help.

There is also a bold or two holding the fender into the door frame area.

I'd strongly suggest picking up a Haynes manual or downloading a shop manual from the archives which will show you the location of all the bolts.

Good luck.

 

Its a PITA. Terrible design, especially the front where it bolts to the bumper. There are bolts facing both ways (coming from the bumper w/ heads you cant really see, and going toward the bumper, they way they all should be)

Halfway through you'll be tempted to rip it off....resist this urge.

You've been warned.

 

test blower resistor with a voltmeter

 

I BROKE every bumper to fender bolt/stud.

Bear in mind my car doesn't have any cancer rust. The bumper bolts and my rear bumper core bolts BROKE off during removal. No amount of pb blaster could have saved them.


Advice to you, RIP IT OFF as manly as you can. Re-attach with zip ties and painless bumper removal every time.

 

lmao ^^^

hmm need to take mine off aswell to add my s5 fogs that i had for like 6 months!!! and my turboII lip i had for like almost a year!!! Xd

 

most are 10mm. it is a long job. and to test the resistor use a mutli meter. remove all power from it set the meter to ohms or the omega symbol. it says O.L or max it is open no connection. then it is bad.it may have a color code on it.

 

How do you remove the fenders?

 

pop the hood and there should be bolts going down the fender. open the door and there should be another bolt or 2 on the fender. Its hard to see unless you open your door all the way. Under the car there is another bolt. follow the fender down and look up, its small like the others. 10 mm and the one under the most likely will break. Now the hardest bolts/nuts to get off are the ones keepin the fender and the front bumper together.

 

There are 4 bolts(?) along the top edge (you see them with the hood open, 2 more on the bottom edge (behind the wheel well) and a secret one in the door jamb (open door to locate).

 

http://support.corksport.com/instruc...-6-125-WEB.pdf

this will get the bumper off for you.

 

Thanks guys!

 

as nopistons said, zip ties work way better for the fender-to-bumper bolts. I snapped all of those off (the ones that didn't break upon removal anyway) and run zip ties. on my car which is an 86 sport, my bumper was also connected with snap fittings on the bottom to the plastic undertray. had to break all those too but I do not bolt that back up. I have the under tray bolted to something else down there and the bumper isn't connected on bottom. I figure the 4 bolts on top under the hood and my zip ties in the fender location are more then enough. haven't had any problems.

I also only bolt the fender at the door jam and a middle underhood bolt. all my bottom mounts are rusted away currently until I can repair them. fenders are fine this way though, the jam bolt seems to hold them in place all the way down to the bottom anyway.

 

the stud strips for the bumper/fender are cheap, dont use wire ties

 

^relieves some of the hassle. 50lb test zipties will hold them just fine for any regular driving. I should know, I zip tie them and drive and very bumpy VT roads, with stiff PBM coilovers. try it, if you do it right you won't even know they are zip tied. the bumper is still bolted with 4 bolts up top under hood so its not a safety issue.

obviously its personal choice, if you don't think you will be taking these off any time in the near future I guess bolt em back up but you will be kicking yourself the next time you do have to take them off.

 

thanks for the tips. gonna be using zipties now when i but my car back together. do your fenders flap at all? and your sig just saved my life. thanks again lol

 

if you are mad drifter guy then yeah, if you like nice tight body seams, then go for the stud strips

 

^FWIW, the gap between the bumper and the fenders is as tight as with bolts. I put the zip tie around through the fender side (in that fender skirt area) so the left over tie and the lock don't get in the way of the seam. my bumper doesn't flap at all, I don't hear my fenders flapping either but they might be minimally ONLY because the bottom section behine the wheel isn't bolted due to rusting out so I can't. if that wasn't an issue then this would be just as good as OEM.

hate to add to the stereotype but ya, I drift this car and daily drive it. doesn't change the fact that it works well. have you ever used zipties before? in the sections I'm talking they hold everything together just as good as stock. I'm just trying to help the guy out to make things easier.

 

That's why its there man, much easier to find what you're looking for. Need it in my sig for all who don't know how to make their searches, you know, informative.lol

 

Same procedure for S5?

 

100% same procedure.

this is almost the most impressive thread revival ive ever seen. should have waited a little longer to make it ten years lol