Project Phoenix: Bringing a FPD fire victim back to life.
I will be logging my journey of bring this 87' base model back to life from what I believe to be a fuel pulsation damper failure related fire.
http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/189.jpg http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...7/P2200117.jpg Plans: Get the motor running, assuming the seals have not ceased.
The car is all original (aside from the fire damage), and is in very good shape. I can't decide if I should keep it original? Will an original base model be sought after 20 years from now? What do you guys think? If I decide not to keep it original, I would like to build a nice rounded N/A, with an emphasis on reliability and budget over speed. I'm more interested in setting up the suspension/brakes and having lower gearing than trying to make more power for now.
Eventually, I imagine the motor will go, assuming it already hasn't. I would like to attempt my first rebuild. Again, a focus on reliability over power.
Or maybe just do a simple stock rebuild with quality components for my first rebuild? Preface: Although I am not new to FC's, its been a while since I've worked on one (or driven one). I purchased my first FC, an 87 TII, back in 2004 as my first vehicle. Some of you may remember it/me. I was young, had a nice job, and no other financial responsibilities... So I built it up fast, some good decisions, some bad... http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...7/today025.jpg http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...7/P2200104.jpg Well after DD the TII for 3 years, dumping every dollar I had made/saved into her, I needed something that I "wouldn't tinker with" for college. So motor problems came up, and instead of fixing her I purchased a Jeep. The Jeep very soon became my new toy, as it related my love of the out doors, automobiles, and geology (Which I am currently pursuing a degree in). The Jeep began to draw as much money from my bank account as the RX-7 once did, but it has taken me to some amazing places. From this stock Jeep that had been wrecked: http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...k/Image021.jpg To a decently capable machine: http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...Wheelin063.jpg http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...9/P7010883.jpg http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...9/P6290606.jpg Meanwhile the once love of my life, the blue TII, sat in my parents garage for the past 3 years. -Expect to see updates on this car soon. Well as I transfer colleges, my roommate-to-be acquired the red base model RX-7 seen above. He drove it three days before it caught on fire. He later decided to join the Air Force instead of going to school with me, and decided he was no longer interested in the FC. So I offered to purchase it from him for $250. Being the nice guy that he is, he said I can have it for free. It sits behind a shop near my parents house for a year until I find a place to keep it. After DDing the Jeep for nearly 4 years, I realized that I miss the spirited drives, and speed induced adrenaline I adored so much in high school. So with the motivation of a friend, we decided that it was time to bring this old gal back to life. So it's been long enough that I am nearly a newb all over again. Especially since all of the fun stuff like OMP removal, silicone vacuum lines, and rats nest removal had already been performed on my original RX-7 when I bought her. Any insight in these areas would be greatly appreciated. :nod: [ |
Enough B.S./Irrelevant back ground stuff:
This is the car, as she sat for two years behind the shop. I had only seen her once before. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...7/P2200116.jpg The body was in amazingly good shape, no rust to be found. Aside from the faded paint, with small cracking on the hood, there is only one dent on the entire car. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/187.jpg I'm on pretty good terms with the shop owner who had been keeping the FC. He originally had taken a look to see if he could fix it for my friend, but determined he didn't have the time/knowledge/resources to fix her. When I picked up the car, he had already removed the TB/UIM and a couple of Vacuum lines. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...7/P2200130.jpg http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...7/P2200127.jpg The interior is nearly perfect, just one crack in the center pannel, and a few small tears in the driver sear. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...7/P2200124.jpg Damage Assessment:
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So far I have already acquired a "new":
I just ordered all of the gaskets from Karack as part of his group buy, and will be picking up the injector o-rings as well. I will order the silicone vacuum lines when I figure out the best place to order them from, along with what lengths to order. Length of vacuum lines needed?: FC3S Pro says:" To replace all of the vacuum hoses under the engine, you need approximately: 30 feet of 4mm (~3/16"), 10 feet of 6mm (~1/4"), 2 feet of 10mm (~3/8") - upper intake manifold to brake booster." Mazdatrix says 13ft. of 3.5mm and 6.0mm of 6ft. As far as lengths needed, I'm going to assume I should go with the FC3S pro measurements? |
looks fun... gogo banjo bolt.
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Love seeing these cars brought back from the dead, great build!
I've always wanted a wrangler, so expensive though... |
Nice, from your past experience, you probably dont need much help from the forums. Good luck.
I too want a wrangler |
Looks like a fun project. If I were in your shoes, I would get everything back to stock. It's nice to have a drivable, worry free RX-7. Something I miss dearly. :)
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Thanks guys
Update #1. A storage unit is not the ideal place to work on a car, but it will do for now. My faithful assistant, Scout, was on hand to... Well hes not much help. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/015.jpg Went ahead and swapped out the engine harnesses, as many of you know accessing the ECU can be a real pain. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...RX-7/010-1.jpg Removed the LIM and remaining fuel rail, hoses, lines, etc. The 6 port actuators and LIM were surprisingly hard to remove? http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/009.jpg Figured out why the clutch had no pressure: http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/012.jpg Some burnt stuff: http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/017.jpg The injectors, do yall think the two on the left are re-usable? http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/019.jpg http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/022.jpg My long time buddy Mitch came out to help me, you can see his STi in the background. He has been a big help, and has really pushed me to get this thing going. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/037.jpg Any idea what this was/goes to? I found it in the hatch. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/039.jpg Went ahead and put in a new O2 sensor. We also pulled the plugs and funneled some 10W-30 into the motor and turned it over by hand. Judging by the sound it still has some compression in each housing. Any hints and tips to help break loose possibly ceased seals? Thanks guys |
Seals in 13B's are pretty hard to carbon seize, unlik ethe older engines. If it were me I would have pulled the plugs, used a squirty bottle with ATF to put a couple of squirts on each rotor face. Just squirt a bit in, turn, squirt a bit more in, turn a bit, repeat. let that sit for maybe a day, then turn it over by hand a few times before cranking it over on the starter. If the seals had a little carboned up this will loosen them right up.
I would not re-use the injectors unless you have them tested, as good ones are not hard to find for reasonable cost. |
Wow, that thing looks great (besides the engine bay :lol:).
Originally Posted by breckboarder55
(Post 10443693)
Any idea what this was/goes to? I found it in the hatch. http://i70.photobucket.com/albums/i1...20RX-7/039.jpg |
Originally Posted by breckboarder55
(Post 10443614)
The car is all original (aside from the fire damage), and is in very good shape. I can't decide if I should keep it original? Will an original base model be sought after 20 years from now? What do you guys think?
Good luck with the build. The car is in clean shape, so it'll be nice once running again. |
Originally Posted by beefhole
(Post 10443688)
Looks like a fun project. If I were in your shoes, I would get everything back to stock. It's nice to have a drivable, worry free RX-7. Something I miss dearly. :)
Originally Posted by D Walker
(Post 10443716)
...with ATF to put a couple of squirts on each rotor face. Just squirt a bit in, turn, squirt a bit more in, turn a bit, repeat. let that sit for maybe a day, then turn it over by hand a few times before cranking it over on the starter. If the seals had a little carboned up this will loosen them right up.
I would not re-use the injectors unless you have them tested, as good ones are not hard to find for reasonable cost.
Originally Posted by need RX7
(Post 10443725)
Wow, that thing looks great (besides the engine bay :lol:).
Looks like the plug for the windshield wipers, the half with the clip thing mounts onto the wiper motor itself.
Originally Posted by JerryLH3
(Post 10443787)
I'm not entirely sure RX-7s at all will become collectible. It's hard to tell. Some people think the day of "collector" cars are gone. That may be the case, but there is no telling. That being said, even if RX-7s do become sought after cars in stock condition 20 years from now, the base is not likely to be the most sought after. If I was an RX-7 collector 20 years from now after cars in stock form, I'd want clean Turbo IIs, a GTUs, 10th Anniversary edition, etc.
Good luck with the build. The car is in clean shape, so it'll be nice once running again. I do agree that if they do become collectors, this model would not be the most sought after. So maybe I won't feel to bad to make a couple of small changes. |
This looks like a fun project. I have the exact same car: red '87 base. Funny, I'm also an Aggie and bought it at Fred Brown Mazda the day I graduated. I keep it bone-stock so maybe I can help as a reference.
Do you still think the fire originated at the primary rail? Hows the compression? If it were mine I'd try to keep it stock for plug and play parts from salvage cars. There's a lot of salvageable hardware out there for now. As I'm sure you know, Texas exempts cars over 25 years old from emissions testing so that may have some bearing on your decision too. |
Never ever use atf if you don't plan to rebuild the engine immediately!!
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Originally Posted by SirCygnus
(Post 10444883)
Never ever use atf if you don't plan to rebuild the engine immediately!!
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nice pics !
hmm wow, that fire really chewed a lot of stuff ... hmm even I got a S5 and the PD is not as bad as S4 I should really consider getting a new one with the rebuild ... fire is not fun. :( |
It's great that you are finding the old love you had for this car. With that said you should just buy a brand new PD, I wouldn't risk another fire with a used piece.
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This scares me a bit, my pulsation dampener has a few hairline cracks in it, and rub marks from the omp rod...
breckboarder55- imo you should do a few mods to make it more enjoyable to drive. |
Originally Posted by Cratecruncher
(Post 10444824)
This looks like a fun project. I have the exact same car: red '87 base. Funny, I'm also an Aggie and bought it at Fred Brown Mazda the day I graduated. I keep it bone-stock so maybe I can help as a reference.
Do you still think the fire originated at the primary rail? Hows the compression? If it were mine I'd try to keep it stock for plug and play parts from salvage cars. There's a lot of salvageable hardware out there for now. As I'm sure you know, Texas exempts cars over 25 years old from emissions testing so that may have some bearing on your decision too.
Originally Posted by SirCygnus
(Post 10444883)
Never ever use atf if you don't plan to rebuild the engine immediately!!
Originally Posted by cluosborne
(Post 10444894)
Ditto, it can eat up the seals. You can use marine fogging oil, motor oil, or 2-stroke oil. Inject a couple of teaspoons into each spark plug hole--that'll build up compression and help start it up as well as lubricate the internals.
Originally Posted by nycgps
(Post 10444896)
nice pics !
hmm wow, that fire really chewed a lot of stuff ... hmm even I got a S5 and the PD is not as bad as S4 I should really consider getting a new one with the rebuild ... fire is not fun. :(
Originally Posted by 1SWEET7
(Post 10444934)
It's great that you are finding the old love you had for this car. With that said you should just buy a brand new PD, I wouldn't risk another fire with a used piece.
Originally Posted by nate91242
(Post 10445148)
This scares me a bit, my pulsation dampener has a few hairline cracks in it, and rub marks from the omp rod...
breckboarder55- imo you should do a few mods to make it more enjoyable to drive. I'll probably swap over the eibach springs and Tokico Illuminas I had on my TII. I have an old set of Yokohama ES100's in something like a 205/16r that have been sitting in my parents garage for 4 years, I might find some light/used 16"s to put them on. Then eliminate rear steer, strut and a-arm braces, try to find an LSD, etc. Engine wise I'm pretty sure I'll:
I'm kind of a hippie (by College Station standards anyways), so I'm contemplating leaving the cat on, or going with a high flow if I get an aftermarket exhaust. That's a lot of maybe and probablys... ;) Thank you for the support and kind words guys n' gals! :icon_tup: |
the atf will eat the rubber seals internally. just dont put it in there man. chevron with techron and premixing will get rid of all that in no time.
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Pretty sure the ATF will not eat the rubber seals in the combustion chamber unless you literally soak it and let it sit for weeks. It will loosen carbon deposits on apex seals. Have used this technique for 12A's many times with great success.
Also, techron may work, but you will definitely have better luck using ATF, Marvel Mystery Oil, or even kerosene to loosen carbon and varnish before starting an engine thats sat or been gummed up. |
This makes me want to go banjo bolt, also i love your dog!
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Partial Update:
Originally Posted by SirCygnus
(Post 10446638)
the atf will eat the rubber seals internally. just dont put it in there man. chevron with techron and premixing will get rid of all that in no time.
Originally Posted by D Walker
(Post 10446648)
Pretty sure the ATF will not eat the rubber seals in the combustion chamber unless you literally soak it and let it sit for weeks. It will loosen carbon deposits on apex seals. Have used this technique for 12A's many times with great success.
Also, techron may work, but you will definitely have better luck using ATF, Marvel Mystery Oil, or even kerosene to loosen carbon and varnish before starting an engine thats sat or been gummed up.
Originally Posted by Marck
(Post 10446854)
This makes me want to go banjo bolt, also i love your dog!
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Found some very helpful links:
Emissions removal for S4 NA's: http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/2n...s_removal.html FPD to banjo-bolt conversion: http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/2n..._dampener.html Electric 6-port actuation: http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/2n...elec6port.html |
Does anybody use teflon tape on their clutch lines?
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