We have just spent the last 2 hours trying to get the bolt out of the front e-shaft hub (its the big bolt, surrounded by the four little ones that hold the pulleys on). Aside from breaking our knuckles, and inventing new and interesting ways to cuss at a motor, we havent gotten anywhere.

Anyone have a tip or trick we can use? The manual says the torque is only supposed to be approximately 100 ft/lbs. I can tell you, its WAY more then that. I have already bent the **** outta the rear bolt trying to pin the flywheel.

Rat

 

impact wrench and someway to stop the flywheel from turning.. Took me less than a minute with a Mazdatrix flywheel stopper..

 

Did you remove the 4 bolts from around it first? On many cars there is a lock that these 4 bolts hold in place to keep the big bolt from turning.

 

Mine was on so tight that when i tried to take it off, it would turn the rear wheels in any gear

 

first you have to find a way to brake the flywheel from turning. if the engine is out, this can be accomplished by leaving the flywheel on, and using a long thick bar between it and the engine, and the counterweight section of it will catch the bar. Then youll need an assortment of breaker bars to help you loosen the front pulley.

Dont feel bad, on many of the core motors I take apart, my 600ft-lb reverse impact wont consider turning the bolt. I usually wind up putting about 1000ft-lb on it. (my weight 200 at 5 feet of breaker bar)

 

So the bolt is a standard thread? Not reverse? Whew! We had a crowbar that we were using to pin the flywheel, and I was using a 2 ft breaker bar and I was whacking the **** outta that with a really large hammer. Guess its time to go to a bigger breaker bar..

Rat

 

Regular thread - lefty loosey, righty tighty.
The reason is stuck on so bad (even with "only" a 100lb-ft torque rating) is the sheer amount of thread locker along the length of the threads - a good 1"+!


-Ted

 

awwww...F**K!!! I had a sneaking suspicion that there was a shitload of locktite on the bolt, but I wasnt sure. Wonderful...

The only reason I am breaking this motor down, is because it was assembled wrong. Its a damn brand new motor with less then 1000 miles on it. The front and rear housings are swapped.

another question....Can the rotor housings with the rotors in them, be swapped? I know that some of the seals are gonna need to be changed, I was thinking of getting the kit from Atkins.

I would like to rebuild it, then sell it here on the site for relatively cheap, since all it is doing is taking up space in my garage.

Rat

 

The trick with keeping the apex seals intact is to run a rubber band around the rotor.&nbsp You're still taking a chance the corner/side seals will drop, but having a friend to keep track of everything helps here!


-Ted

 

I was hoping to keep the rotors inside the housings, and then just reverse them so the front housing is in the front position. This is such an unbelievable pain in the ***. That motor ran PERFECT! Now I have to tear it apart.....

So would I need to replace the side seals? What about the Atkins video? Do you recommend that?

 

If you figure out how, tell me too!

Nah, you can basically keep all the seals.

When doing a "budget" rebuild, we will just replace the black rubber plugs in the corner seals and spec the apex seals.&nbsp Everything else should be in good shape, if the engine was rebuilt 1,000 miles ago?



-Ted

 

Why worry about front and rear rotorhousings being swapped? al it does is effect emissions...

I know what youre thinking...if yu can keep each rotor with its apex seals inthe same place as the housings they already match, there wouldnt be a breakin period. Well, you cant do that. BEcause the rotors face opposite directions, you cant use a rear one on the front, without removing and replacing the seals in their original position to the housing. It can be done though. You need to slowly catalog which part came from which rotor facing which direction matching which rotorhousing, and reinstall them that way.

No way Id tear down a good motor over reversed rotor housings.

 

Yeah, the engine was rebuilt 1000 miles ago. There isnt any problems with the engine, it just wont pass emissions here in Arizona. I already have another motor installed in my FC. Me and my buddy were sittin around drinking beers (the impetus for all great ideas), and we decided that we needed to get some of the myriad of projects, sitting in my garage, completed. So I decided to fix and sell the motor. Unless someone wants a REAL low buck motor, cause I would consider selling it outright, as-is, just to get it out of my garage!!!

 

They reside in a state with emissions testing. They need to correct the previous shops F%^-up. Attention to detail in the little things is what matters.

 

well, its WORTHLESS to me...I live in Tucson Az, home of the emissions *****. I already replaced my motor with a working one, so now I have a rotary paperweight in my garage...

I am not real happy about this situation, but it needs to be addressed.

Anyone want a motor?

I got a manual tranny too!!!!

 

Already tried that... Its not gonna happen. It came from Mazda Recyclers in Ranch Cordoba, Ca. And its not the first one that they assembled backwards. Problem is, the motor sat for a while before I put it in. And the 1 year warranty expired. So I get to keep the motor..

 

Arizona has emissions? Dont take this the wrong way, but I didnt think they had enough people to worry about emissions and stuff. That's sorta like if TN were to have emissions. Maybe it is just for your city?

Well if you have emissions then it is suck ***. There are plenty of people needing engines in non-emission areas, so Id just sell it as is for a few hundred bucks and be done with it. Youre going to have to put money into it to fix it(sealant hylomar and gasket kit) so I'd just put it on the partstrader and unload it for a few hundred, which shouldnt be a problem, just tell them it wont pass emissions but is a new rebuild.

 

There are only 2 places in Arizona that require emissions testing. Pheonix, and Tucson metro. I just happen to live in the metro area of Tucson, so I have to comply.

Maybe you are right. I should just sell it out right. Might me less of a hassle for me.

 

Oh yeah no doubt. **** if you were closer to me I would buy it and use it in something here since we have no inspection or anything. Just your cross country and shipping wouldnt be worth it.

 

yeah, I can only imagine. Probably in the $300 range....

This sucks... Oh well, at least I got a good motor in my FC now!

Maybe I will put the motor on eBay, people buy the most unbelieveable stuff there....

 

Emissions are getting pretty bad here. (arizona)

We've had a huge population explosion in late years and the Dept of Env quality is trying to keep the pollution down.

Basically they are adopting Californias emissions laws here in the major cities. Not quite as strict yet, but they are getting there.

They test for CO, NOx, and HC, plus a visual inspection and purge test. Ick

 

Oh, as for your engine J-rat..

I just saw one with 196,000 miles! go for $399 on ebay

I had the same problem trying to get the ecc nut off. What I did finally was bought the ring gear brake from
Mazdatrix. It's proved pretty invaluable since then. Was only like $20? Well worth it if you do alot of work yourself.

 

Screw it...I am not going to rebuild a perfectly good motor. I am just gonna put it on ebay.

Rat