And my engine project begins
12-05-05, 07:40 PM
#328
hey dDub ~
i'm curious about your oil pressure at idle. what is it like?
EDIT:
i didn't see the video and i understand that you're having some issues, but if you weren't able to assess it when you started it before, then just keep me in mind whenever you do get it running right.
thanks
1
i'm curious about your oil pressure at idle. what is it like?
EDIT:
i didn't see the video and i understand that you're having some issues, but if you weren't able to assess it when you started it before, then just keep me in mind whenever you do get it running right.
thanks
1
Last edited by diabolical1; 12-05-05 at 07:42 PM.
12-05-05, 07:42 PM
#329
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Don't know yet. When the car was started that first time my stock oil pressure gauge was dead (bad sending unit) and my autometer gauge wasn't hooked up.
I will let you know once the car is started again with stuff hooked up.
I will let you know once the car is started again with stuff hooked up.
12-06-05, 01:10 AM
#331
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Jesus christ i sure hope i can get my motor running for cheaper than that.. I just want to replace whats broken. apex seals side seals . can i get away with using bearings and stationary gears, and oil control rings. and just change what fails the most? looks like i will need alittle help to rebuild my ****.. btw did you need to replace the exuast sleves?
12-06-05, 01:24 AM
#332
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This wasn't exactly a stock rebuild... It was meant to be very detailed and to cover my bases, mods, intentions, and desires.
You can keep whatever is in spec if you truly want. Bearings might need to be replaced, control rings might, side seals might, etc. All depends on what's going on inside your engine.
The bare minimum, in my opinion, for a rebuild is all o-rings/gaskets, including oil control o-rings, side seal springs, corner seal springs, and apex seals/springs. Everything else depends on whats in spec or not, and what your intentions are. Maybe some other stuff I'm not thinking of because I'm tired.
Also, rotor bearings are like 20 bucks a piece for OEM ones, its a good thing to replace if you're in there and your bearings show wear, nice and cheap.
You can keep whatever is in spec if you truly want. Bearings might need to be replaced, control rings might, side seals might, etc. All depends on what's going on inside your engine.
The bare minimum, in my opinion, for a rebuild is all o-rings/gaskets, including oil control o-rings, side seal springs, corner seal springs, and apex seals/springs. Everything else depends on whats in spec or not, and what your intentions are. Maybe some other stuff I'm not thinking of because I'm tired.
Also, rotor bearings are like 20 bucks a piece for OEM ones, its a good thing to replace if you're in there and your bearings show wear, nice and cheap.
12-07-05, 01:28 AM
#333
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Originally Posted by slpin
hey dustin... are you a bit jealous that his runs with no problems and on first try?
hahahah just kidding
hahahah just kidding
Drew that is an awesome job you've done! I hope all the tuning goes well. I cant wait until I get a MSnS too.
12-14-05, 05:19 PM
#334
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Not exactly sure yet about everything, but today might be the death of my rx7.
Started it up for the 2nd time, last time there was not much smoke, this time there was enormous amounts. Furthermore, oil was pouring out of my exhaust leaks at the header to borla xr1 connection... and when I say pouring I mean POURING. Tried to give the car some gas, would hardly rev, so I stomped on it and it rev'd up a bit, let go, and it died.
From there I took the header off to check inside the engine. Front rotor appears to have a failed oil seal. I reached inside and felt pil on the rotor, rear one I can't tell but it doesn't appear to have an issue, or at least not as bad.
Pictures of front rotor looking inside.
Then after rotating the engine over to get to the next face of the rotor, we see this.
Oil....
I still need to talk to a builder friend of mine, but I think I know the answer. Needs to be torn down and overhauled a little, but I'm just not sure if I'm going to or not. Really not sure what I'm going to do at this point.
I've poured thousands into this car over the past 4 months or so... and this is just incredibly depressing. I have some thinking to do.
Thank you to all, though, that encouraged me and gave me support along the way, it was appreciated.
Started it up for the 2nd time, last time there was not much smoke, this time there was enormous amounts. Furthermore, oil was pouring out of my exhaust leaks at the header to borla xr1 connection... and when I say pouring I mean POURING. Tried to give the car some gas, would hardly rev, so I stomped on it and it rev'd up a bit, let go, and it died.
From there I took the header off to check inside the engine. Front rotor appears to have a failed oil seal. I reached inside and felt pil on the rotor, rear one I can't tell but it doesn't appear to have an issue, or at least not as bad.
Pictures of front rotor looking inside.
Then after rotating the engine over to get to the next face of the rotor, we see this.
Oil....
I still need to talk to a builder friend of mine, but I think I know the answer. Needs to be torn down and overhauled a little, but I'm just not sure if I'm going to or not. Really not sure what I'm going to do at this point.
I've poured thousands into this car over the past 4 months or so... and this is just incredibly depressing. I have some thinking to do.
Thank you to all, though, that encouraged me and gave me support along the way, it was appreciated.
12-14-05, 06:20 PM
#337
I wish I was driving!
The atkins/RA viton oil control o-rings are an SAE size that comes *close* to fitting the stock metric size. Close, but not exactly. They're a little oversized.
Pressing in the oil control rings with these is kinda tricky. If you do it by pressing it with your thumb... you'll likely crack the control rings on the rotor-side. Best method I've found is to lube 'em well, lay the rotor onto the hydraulic press, place the control ring into position, lay a piece of thick lexam/plexiglass overtop, and press in the center. That way, you can watch if any of the o-rings are binding and tearing as they are pressed in, and press down on all sides of the o-ring uniformly.
Personally, I don't like the atkins/RA o-rings. They seem to bind a bit much for me even after being run.
If I were you, I'd tear apart the engine, replace the inner coolant seals and the oil control o-rings. I would also very careful inpsect the seal carrier for cracks. For replacements, I would use a metric or-ing, either stock, or the viton ones offered by Dave Gibson. The metric o-rings go in much easier.
Pressing in the oil control rings with these is kinda tricky. If you do it by pressing it with your thumb... you'll likely crack the control rings on the rotor-side. Best method I've found is to lube 'em well, lay the rotor onto the hydraulic press, place the control ring into position, lay a piece of thick lexam/plexiglass overtop, and press in the center. That way, you can watch if any of the o-rings are binding and tearing as they are pressed in, and press down on all sides of the o-ring uniformly.
Personally, I don't like the atkins/RA o-rings. They seem to bind a bit much for me even after being run.
If I were you, I'd tear apart the engine, replace the inner coolant seals and the oil control o-rings. I would also very careful inpsect the seal carrier for cracks. For replacements, I would use a metric or-ing, either stock, or the viton ones offered by Dave Gibson. The metric o-rings go in much easier.
12-14-05, 06:35 PM
#338
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I've used Atkins o-rings before without issue, but guess there's a first time for everything.
Yah it sucks, but oh well. Life goes on, and in the grand scheme of things this isn't a big deal. However, that being said, I'm not sure if I'm going to fix it. I do not have the time, I'm tired of pouring thousands of dollars into this car, and honestly I think I'm out-growing it. When it started up today and at 1000rpms was annoyingly loud and hurtful, I think I realized I'm not the same person I used to be. My earlier intentions of a crazy ported, free flowing exhaust, 10k rpm redline was more of a childish endeavour. If I did fix it, I'd probably go with a more mild stage 1 Kahren style streetport and 8k redline with a quiet exhaust.
That being said, though, I do not have the money to keep pouring into this. Lately I've been trying to think about my future, and the future with my gf. I've been putting money away and investing it rather than spending it on frivilous things. Because of that, I do not want to start another project by pouring more and more money into it. I think my time with this rx7 is over. I'm going to tear it down, and if it is indeed the oil seals, and god forbid more, I'm done and everything aftermarket on the car will be stripped and sold. Sad to say, but there are more important things in my life right now, and a crazy rx7 is not one of them.
After that I might get another 2nd gen and leave it close to stock. Just suspension, exhaust, intake, simple things. But I'm not sure if I want another 2nd gen, I think I'm growing out of them. We shall see, and only time will tell.
I of course disappointed, but I am not upset. It was a great hobby and it occupied my time when I had nothing better to do. But my time is precious these days and I cannot continue with the way I was before.
Thanks again to all, thanks for any support, suggestions, kind words, etc. All of it was greatly appreciated, and I will post pictures whenever I get around to tearing the engine down. I still need to talk to some people, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what oil shooting out of the exhaust ports when you turn the engine over means.
R.I.P. 1988 rx7 GXL 12/14/05, you will be missed (for now).
Yah it sucks, but oh well. Life goes on, and in the grand scheme of things this isn't a big deal. However, that being said, I'm not sure if I'm going to fix it. I do not have the time, I'm tired of pouring thousands of dollars into this car, and honestly I think I'm out-growing it. When it started up today and at 1000rpms was annoyingly loud and hurtful, I think I realized I'm not the same person I used to be. My earlier intentions of a crazy ported, free flowing exhaust, 10k rpm redline was more of a childish endeavour. If I did fix it, I'd probably go with a more mild stage 1 Kahren style streetport and 8k redline with a quiet exhaust.
That being said, though, I do not have the money to keep pouring into this. Lately I've been trying to think about my future, and the future with my gf. I've been putting money away and investing it rather than spending it on frivilous things. Because of that, I do not want to start another project by pouring more and more money into it. I think my time with this rx7 is over. I'm going to tear it down, and if it is indeed the oil seals, and god forbid more, I'm done and everything aftermarket on the car will be stripped and sold. Sad to say, but there are more important things in my life right now, and a crazy rx7 is not one of them.
After that I might get another 2nd gen and leave it close to stock. Just suspension, exhaust, intake, simple things. But I'm not sure if I want another 2nd gen, I think I'm growing out of them. We shall see, and only time will tell.
I of course disappointed, but I am not upset. It was a great hobby and it occupied my time when I had nothing better to do. But my time is precious these days and I cannot continue with the way I was before.
Thanks again to all, thanks for any support, suggestions, kind words, etc. All of it was greatly appreciated, and I will post pictures whenever I get around to tearing the engine down. I still need to talk to some people, but it doesn't take a rocket scientist to know what oil shooting out of the exhaust ports when you turn the engine over means.
R.I.P. 1988 rx7 GXL 12/14/05, you will be missed (for now).
12-14-05, 06:44 PM
#339
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I remember when I started working at the hospital a few years ago. One day the service elevator went out. We had just recieved a load of treated 3/4 plywood, in preperation for some very severe weather we were going to recieve on the weekend. A tropical storm was coming in. Well it was Friday and the 48 (fourty eight) sheets had to be taken to the 18th (eighteenth) floor. So my boss says, "I don't care what you have to, just have the sheets on the roof by 3:30." Me and my co-worker at the time, Alan, had no other choice but to haul the sheets up the stairwell, 18 floors. 48 sheets, 24 a piece. At about the second one, we stopped. We were exhausted, and we knew we couldn't go any more. I told my boss, it was too hard, and we couldn't do it.
He said, "If it was easy, anyone could do it."
We had all 48 sheets up on the roof by 3:30.
He said, "If it was easy, anyone could do it."
We had all 48 sheets up on the roof by 3:30.
Last edited by bigdv519; 12-14-05 at 06:47 PM.
12-14-05, 06:47 PM
#340
I wish I was driving!
Very understandable and very mature. I can commend you on your decision to put family before a project car.
I haven't worked on a project car of my own in over 18 months... I have a peripheral ported engine that just sits with just a few hours of idling on it sitting wrapped in plastic tucked away in a corner. I would love to finish the project, but I simply don't have the time anymore. If I do have anytime to tinker with cars, its always for other people, and smaller projects at that.
Work, school, property, and the girlfirend take up pretty much all of the time I have. Its eally a matter of priorities, and having been an enthusiast for so long, can honestly say that I know you've got yours in order.
I haven't worked on a project car of my own in over 18 months... I have a peripheral ported engine that just sits with just a few hours of idling on it sitting wrapped in plastic tucked away in a corner. I would love to finish the project, but I simply don't have the time anymore. If I do have anytime to tinker with cars, its always for other people, and smaller projects at that.
Work, school, property, and the girlfirend take up pretty much all of the time I have. Its eally a matter of priorities, and having been an enthusiast for so long, can honestly say that I know you've got yours in order.
12-14-05, 06:48 PM
#341
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Originally Posted by bigdv519
I remember when I started working at the hospital a few years ago. One day the service elevator went out. We had just recieved a load of treated 3/4 plywood, in preperation for some very severe weather we were going to recieve on the weekend. A tropical storm was coming in. Well it was Friday and the 48 (fourty eight) sheets had to be taken to the 18th (eighteenth) floor. So my boss says, "I don't care what you have to, just have the sheets on the roof by 3:30." Me and my co-worker at the time, Alan, had no other choice but to haul the sheets up the stairwell, 18 floors. 48 sheets, 24 a piece. At about the second one, we stopped. We were exhausted, and we knew we couldn't go any more. I told my boss, it was too hard, and we couldn't do it.
He said, "If it was easy, anyone could do it."
We had all 48 sheets up on the roof by 3:30.
He said, "If it was easy, anyone could do it."
We had all 48 sheets up on the roof by 3:30.
Difficulty is definitely not the issue, I've worked on this car and these engines enough to no longer care about the actual work. The issue is what my intentions are, what I really want, and if these projects are the logical decision anymore pertaining to my life.
12-14-05, 06:50 PM
#342
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Originally Posted by scathcart
Very understandable and very mature. I can commend you on your decision to put family before a project car.
I haven't worked on a project car of my own in over 18 months... I have a peripheral ported engine that just sits with just a few hours of idling on it sitting wrapped in plastic tucked away in a corner. I would love to finish the project, but I simply don't have the time anymore. If I do have anytime to tinker with cars, its always for other people, and smaller projects at that.
Work, school, property, and the girlfirend take up pretty much all of the time I have. Its eally a matter of priorities, and having been an enthusiast for so long, can honestly say that I know you've got yours in order.
I haven't worked on a project car of my own in over 18 months... I have a peripheral ported engine that just sits with just a few hours of idling on it sitting wrapped in plastic tucked away in a corner. I would love to finish the project, but I simply don't have the time anymore. If I do have anytime to tinker with cars, its always for other people, and smaller projects at that.
Work, school, property, and the girlfirend take up pretty much all of the time I have. Its eally a matter of priorities, and having been an enthusiast for so long, can honestly say that I know you've got yours in order.
Still thinking about everything, but like I said I may not be gone
The best and most logical decision for me right now in my life, is probably something simpler and more commutable rather than crazy.
12-15-05, 09:28 AM
#347
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Well that's about the most depressing thing I have read here in 6 years... 
A slight suggestion...Instead of giving up, can you store the car for a while? Store it, then walk away and get on with your life for a few weeks/months/years. Come back and look at it again with a fresh perspective. Failed oil seals are not too bad. Sure, you need to pull the engine apart but that just requires a gasket set and seal to replace the failed one. I know that when you've worked so hard on something for along period of time, a failure like this can put you in a dark place. Sometimes all it takes is to step back for a while, then come back with renewed enthusiasm..
A slight suggestion...Instead of giving up, can you store the car for a while? Store it, then walk away and get on with your life for a few weeks/months/years. Come back and look at it again with a fresh perspective. Failed oil seals are not too bad. Sure, you need to pull the engine apart but that just requires a gasket set and seal to replace the failed one. I know that when you've worked so hard on something for along period of time, a failure like this can put you in a dark place. Sometimes all it takes is to step back for a while, then come back with renewed enthusiasm..
