Prolonging the life of your N/A S4 Rx7?
 

ok... say you got the rx7 with 148k miles... oil previously was changed every 2-4k miles, its been driven responsibly and is being driven responsibly, and the engine and drivetrain itself is healthy...
my question is, how do you keep the ALL stock engine and drivetrain going past 150k miles? or 160 or up to 200k even?
what maintenence and everything

thanks..

Just an opinion. At 150K most rotarys are in the twilight zone. Then again, all cars are crap-shoots.

:\ well.. my paps 93 f150 4.9 6cyl has 230k miles and the engine has never been apart

but i agree i think rotary engines kinda give out at 150k... or so i read...

maybe mine was taken really good care of
its a 88 vert.

acually... the thing caught on fire :\
and was sitting for about 5 years and i got it running again about 6 months ago hahaaa!

but ya, pulls all the way to 7k rpm if you wanted it too, shifts great only downfall about mine is it runs rich and idles at 2k and 1500k rpm when warmed up
temp. gauge never even gets half way even on some of these hot summer days we had in saint louis
ive noticed when it jumps between idling and accelerating the oil guage is fruit... like when it idles the whole car sounds terrible.. cuase it doesnt stay in one place, and it reads close to 0 oil pressure, but when you give it the gas it goes up to about half way =)
ohh ya... it has an exhaust leak so its loud lol...

i mean i can tell this ones in healthy shape =)

150K? My 87 n/a is at 235,6XX and I drive the shit out of it. I've replaced a lot, but the block's never been touched. I pray I can make it past 250K but who know's with these car's right? But for now, don't worry. Around 170K is an early point to consider a rebuild. Just remember, a redline a day keeps the carbon away! :)

I've seen a couple of 2nd and 3rd gen's (turbo and non) with 400k on the odo. Original everything. Granted, they were gently driven and maintained perfectly so it kinda figures.

I would like to know how many stock rotaries die from the top seal rolling out.

thats what mine did and I assume that if there had been a 2 peice seal instead of a 3 peice seal, that it would still be going strong..

So how does one go about fixing this?
Mine idles at 2k all the time, and I cant get it lower...
I have looked all over trying to see how to fix the idle speed, and I have come across tweaking the screw on the throttle thingamabob.

But when I either tighten it or loosen it, the idle does not change.
Any ideas?

Search the forum for "thermowax" and you should be able to find a few threads dealing with it. Sounds like you may have either a large vacuum leak and your engine runs rich enough to keep it going, or something is holding the TB plates open which is either a tight accelerator cable, thermowax, or dashpot

The dashpot is a round looking thing on the back of the TB. Its pretty much the first thing you see when you look at the back of the TB from the intake side.

mine is at the high 150000's only problem is white smoke shoots out like crazy when pass 5k rpm which is probably only my coolant seals

My FC read 300K when I got it. It smokes during cold start that's about it. The engine is gonna give out any moment now. Good excuse for me to get new engine/car :)

Change all your fluids religiously
Redline the shit out of it = Happy rotary and happy feet

yeah, I only drive my 7 'easy' when it's cold.

And at 235K I redline it daily and push it hard,
but of course I stay on top of the coolant an oil
(which you the OP should as well)

Just do your maintenance like you should. These engines will last a while if taken care of properly ;)

Mines been through over 100 racing events, redlined daily....

What benefit would redlining the engine have to make you do it every day?

^ Keeps carbon from building up.

Pre-mix and regular coolant changes.

Look at the two main failure points of rotaries:

-coolant seal groove corroding
-loss of compression due to seal breakage/wear

im at 107,000 miles and my temp gauge is reading way too high, im alwas above the middle, but it never overheats. im thinking i need my coolant seal or radatior fix

Where exactly is the "coolant seal groove at?" and how much is that fix?

In order to replace the coolant seals, the engine has to be removed and tore down.

http://i34.photobucket.com/albums/d1...n/DSC00480.jpg

If the walls corrode, they can evcentually break down and let the o-ring slip out. It's common on cars with a neglected coolant system. That pitting in the bottom of the groove is common and is not a problem. Most people never find this because they don't bead blast their grooves.

Careful maintenance, especially the cooling system. Use an OEM thermostat, and never ever overheat. The majority of NAs don't wear out, they blow from an overheat or some such. The maintenance section of the Haynes manual (chapter 1) is worth more than the $20 you pay for the whole manual. You can also download the FSM from the forum FAQ. A distant second on the list is to make sure the oil sump never goes empty; check oil level frequently, install drain plug carefully after oil change, etc. Zero oil can also toast the engine in no time. If an oil/coolant buzzer goes off, etc. then you should pull over in half a minute or less.

Rotaries that don't blow instantly from an overheat/ etc. tend to last "forever".

its not like the engines are all that hard to rebuild...at least they're easier than pistons :)

My NA S4 has done nearly 270,000 kms. I dont know what the maintenance was like before i bought it 18months ago. I've had 2 full services since, another to be done shortly. I've had to replace the transmission and exhaust (most likely due to them being 20yrs old). Maybe get the hoses and belts replaced.

I check and fill the oil and coolant weekly, as well as have a good look around for other things. Every few months add some injector and fuel system cleaner to the tank.

I'm getting a rebuild, port and replacing a few things at 300k

some good advice here
another problem just started pretty much ever since i changed the clutch disc a week ago...
almost everytime i turn the wheel even slightly to the right... i get a buzzer and the "oil level" light comes on, it doesnt happen when i turn the wheel to the left, i get really great oil pressure, and my engine doesnt leak any oil...
and also.. my temp. guage isnt working which thats not gonna fly with me.. one minute my oil guage doesnt work next the temp. doesnt work WTH?
i keep having these dreams like the car isnt gonna start one morning LOL
but the engine it self seems to run great...

i also feel maybe its time to move on to something more practical... but i feel like my 7 is a rare car cause i see literaly 0 rx7 here in saint louis.. its odd hehh
maybe an old corolla or a tip top 240...