I went to check my fluids on my 88 n/a, and I had to add coolant.....AGAIN.

I finally was smart and stopped myself from putting the cap on after filling it and started it and let it run, and I shed a tear, do I need to prepare for rebuild time?


ignore the smoke at the beginning, I was holding a smoke in my other hand than realized my stupidity (other than smoking)

 

going to guess the silence means enjoy her while she lasts

 

i dont put much faith into small bubbles, it is the larger ones that make me worry.

it is possible it is the start of a failing seal but only a proper pressure test would tell you. if the engine is original, it's past due... be thankful it lasted this long.

 

far as I know yes its original (105K on the odometer)

its been very randomly only running on 1 rotor on startup (I think, sure sounds like it), and I mean VERY randomly, but after it runs for a few seconds, it clears up and runs smooth, and theres never any smoke either

 

all the signs point towards it, so be prepared.

 

thats what I thought, better start tearing into my spare I got in my dining room, was hoping to put that off as a winter time waster

 

......I had to......(lol~!)

 

I was actually expecting Mr. Smith lol

 

Pull the cap off the overflow bottle and take a sniff. If it smells like gas or exhaust....yep

 

Well my oil reeks of gas, and i drive it 10 miles to and from work, so i don't have the short distance problem, i'll give it a sniff one of these days

 

gas in the oil suggests that the fuel injectors need cleaning. Gas is a crappy lubricant.

 

Already been done, had them rebuilt by Mr. Injector and put them in this year with a new filter, so they shouldn't be the problem

 

Gas in the oil happens regardless. The issue is just exacerbated when doing very short trips everyday. At normal operating temperature, the purge system will suck the residual gas vapor from the oil, the gas just needs to get to temp for it to evaporate. If it never gets warm enough to evaporate from the oil, then it collects.

I live 1.5 miles from work so even during the summer (106+) my engine barely gets to normal operating temp and my needle doesn't even move in the winter. Firstly, I always change my oil part way into winter and at the end of winter for that reason. I barely drive 1,500 miles a year in my RX7 so it's just to get rid of the excess fuel and I am usually changing my oil very early. Even during the summer, on one of my days off I'll take a joyride in the car and get it nice and warm and drive it for a while so the purge system can do its job.

Just to add, several times I have pulled the dipstick and smelled gasoline and then went for a nice extended drive only to come back home with the oil level lower and it no longer smells like gas.

 

start up running on 1 rotor was my sign of a failed coolant seal. the car lasted probably another 2 weeks or so until it pushed it enough to make the buzzer go off.

If you wont be rebuilding immediately, drain the coolant, and run the car for a minute or two to make sure any coolant that could be in the chamber is burned off. then unplug coils and intentionally flood it (if you premix). otherwise just toss some oil in the spark plug holes until you plan on disassembling.

The good news is irons are cheap for NA's My rebuild with iron, soft seals, and new apex seals was about $600 to do myself.

 

I'm hoping i will have good useable parts. The spare motor i have i pulled it when it was running (wrecked the car) and I immediately loaded it up with oil in the chambers and have been turning it here and there since (almost 2 years)

I just want to tear it apart because i know nothing about the engine, it had 90psi even across all 6 faces, but i don't know how long ago it was rebuilt, or by who, or if it was done right. Don't want to drop it in just to pull it back out......or at least try and avoid it

My spare motor also made more power according to my bigbutt dyno, and am very curious why, i can tell looking at it its s4 housings, but the EGR port on the center iron is blocked off (looks factory). So i'm curious if its a turbo center iron as the exhaust ports look original (still have the diffusers)

Its all about that cash right now, need to save for the rebuild and correct tools to tear apart

 

Turbo motors came without the diffusers.

 

the S5 never had a center EGR port or air diverter port.

 

My spare engine is a s4, that i already check, neither of the rotor housings have a knock sensor, just the center iron is what peaks my interest
Not the exhaust diffusers, the EGR period


Well, i think the inevitable happened today, came home to meet charter (been having intermittent internet). Got back in it, fired it up, ran on one rotor for about 10 seconds, than as SOON as it cleared up, my add coolant buzzer started screaming, mind you i just filled the coolant Tuesday

But what has me curious as well is i have no leaks, and it hasn't been smoking out the exhaust at all, so i'm wondering if the front iron cracked and its pushing into my oil, good possibility i'm guessing?

 

not all coolant is equal and not all climates cause much smoke.

 

Good point, its been 70s and 80s here, so if its pulling in minimal coolant it wouldn't really smoke.

I checked the coolant and its low enough in the rad to kick on the buzzer. I do but don't want to let it sit, but same goes for driving it, think for the time being gonna just start it here and there to burn off the coolant in the housings until i'm able to winterize it and prepare it for the yank

 

that's a fine approach, i just wouldn't let it sit with coolant inside the engine for longer than about a week without starting it.

 

That was the plan, i don't want it to sit either, when i can get it to its hibernating place gonna drain the gas and freeze.....sure hope the engine drain plug comes out