xtremeskier97

I am really wanting to rebuild a nice 7. I have an 86 GXL with a rebuilt engine in it but the body/frame is all messed up. I was in a headon collision with it about 6 years ago but got the body work fixed, not knowing that the frame was bent and is chewing up tires.

What I want to know is how much money should I be prepared to spend on getting a body with no engine or non-working engine that has never been in an accident and has a true frame. Was thinking S5 instead of S4 if my engine will work in it.

My 7 has been sitting for a little over a year with no starts. I has only about 20,000 miles on the rebuilt engine and over 200,000 on the body. I am currently trying to get it started, but it seems as though the engine is stuck/seized. I have removed all belts and replaced starter and alternator. I am going to get a breaker bar and socket tomorrow and try to crank by hand to free it up after squirting some oil in the trailing spark plug holes. Jose(a good friend) who owns Jose's Rotary in Haughton, Louisiana (just down the street) told me to squirt a little ATF fluid in the spark plug holes and then try to crank it backwards a little to free it up, but with the 'horror stories' of the atf trick, I wanted to try standard oil first.

What do you'll think?

Any ideas would be appreciated.

Icemark

a little ATF used like that should be fine. You are just using it to increase compression and not as a detergent.

xtremeskier97

Well...not necessarily trying to increase compression, though that would be nice. Im just trying to get the thing to move. It's stuck...and it has only been sitting for a little over a year with just over 20,000 miles on it. Im really surprised that it IS stuck to be honest.

1987RX7guy

iTrader: (3)

For a rollling chasis I would only pay UNDER 300 dollars with a tittle.

Icemark

No, I mean if the car has been sitting, chances are the Apex seals are stuck compressed. The little bit of ATF will help build enough compression from the stuck Apex seals that you can start it, as well as provide some minimal pre-lubrication.

Not a permiment fix for compression, but rather a way to help get it started after the car has been sitting for a long while.

and as far as cost for a non running body, $100 to $900 depending on model and condition. No more than $1000 for any FC model that is not running.

xtremeskier97

Ok...thanks. My wife picked up the ATF, oil squirt bottle and a new air pump belt (it was so messed up it would have snapped in a heartbeat once the engine turned over!).

Should I just put oil in there first to see if it helps or just go straight for the ATF?

Of course...Ill need to pick up some spark plugs also, as Ive read that it really fouls them up.

And about the rolling chasis....would that be a stripped chasis or the whole car minus the engine and trans?

1987RX7guy

iTrader: (3)

Use two stroke oil. ATF is supposed to be bad for the soft seals.

xtremeskier97

Hmm...2 stroke oil....can I get that at like AutoZone or PepBoys also?

JamesBong

Either will have the 2-stroke oil. You can also pick it up at any place that sells gas powered tools, such as lawn mowers or chainsaws. So if Sears or Home Despot are closer than Poop Boys. That's where to go.

BTW, I picked up a "Rolling Chassis" with a bad motor for $900. After replacing the vaccuum hoses, fixing a few leaks, and correcting timing (The primaries were lined up with the secondary mark). I've got a strong runner and a spare motor from my old dead AT. Deals are out ther, you just have to look for them.

xtremeskier97

OK..thanks...will get some and try that first. Id rather be safe than sorry. If that doesnt work, which I think it will, then I will try the ATF.

xtremeskier97

I squirted some 2-cycle into the spark plug holes this afternoon. Tomorrow afternoon, I will see where we are at. Is there anywhere else that I can squirt in some 2-cycle? I mean, all that is going to get soaked with what I have done is 1 apex seal on each rotor. What about the other 4 seals?

Any suggestions? Maybe I could take of the TB and intake manifold? Would I be able to squirt some in there?

xtremeskier97

Bump

Ok...getting ready to go down to the car and see if anything is freed up.

Anyone have any suggestions to my previous post?

OneEyedJack

iTrader: (5)

well from my understanding (which is far from complete) when you squirt the oil in to the plug holes, it gets spread around the minute the rotor is rotated by the starter, so hopefully it gets where it needs to be before the motor turns over.

xtremeskier97

My engine is seized though....and with the oil that i put in there...im sure it has only hit one seal on each rotor. I would like to free up all of them at once if possible so that not just one is loose but the others still stuck.

Anywhos....if there are any other suggestion, please let me know....Im going down in just a minute to see whats what. I may end up taking the whole TB and intake off anyway just to sii if I can.

sleejay

how much should you be prepared to spend?
ALL OF IT.

xtremeskier97

Wow....i must say...that was the most helpful post of ALL!!


Now...back to the situation at hand...I went down to the car, and engine still wont turn by hand. I was thinking, what if i removed the intake manifold and the exhaust manifold?! That would allow me more spots to shoot in some oil, right?!

spot_skater

try to crank it by hand a few turns
then see where you're at...
that's just what i've read from articles that had to due with severe flooding, maybe it won't hurt though, it may move the oil or ATF around a little more and give you some compression

good luck

xtremeskier97

Still not turning...

Im going to make taking the intake and exhaust off a last resort...because it is a lot of work that i dont have time for. I removed the starter and tried to move the flywheel with long flat head screwdriver both ways...but it wont budge.

Im going to call Jose at Jose's Rotary and see if I can tow it in sometime this week so he can have a look at it also.

Wanked_FC

iTrader: (1)

you can use a breaker bar on the main pulley, it should be very easy to move the engine internals.

xtremeskier97

Tried a breaker bar several times....no go. I dont have the time to pull the intake and exhaust manifolds. I live in an apartment and dont have the space to store everything anyway. Jose should be calling me back sometime so maybe I can tow the car in to his shop. Now....I just have to find a tow dolly. :-/

jhammons01

hell, if you get the exhaust/intake manifolds off, you should just unhook the vacuum/wiring harness.......then get some of the guys hangin' around the apt and pull the motor out by hand. Carry it into your apt and start dissasembling it. Your down to the short block anyway! Get a Case of beer for the guys and go at it. If that motor does not turn with at breaker bar Jose is not going to bring any magic.

if the motor only has 20k on it you should be able to rebuild fairly cheaply. Look in the 2nd gen archives at 13B rebuild list
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...9&page=1&pp=15

That thread will tell you exactly how much you'll spend on the motor. unless you need housing and/or Irons

I wouldn't be looking for a rolling chassis just yet.