First off let me say hello guys. New to the forums and the RX series cars, so I figured this was a good place to start.

Anyway, I need some help. I bought a 1989 RX N/A that needed a rebuild. One of the seals inside went and the guy I bought it from said he thought it was a coolant seal or something. Well I am attempting to rebuild it myself, since everything I had read said it was easier then piston engines. But now I think I may be in over my head.

I cant really afford a $3000 rebuild from one of the few rotary shops in my area. So far though I havent run into too many problems in disassembly of the motor. But I was wondering if yall could help me find a place with decent rebuild kits at fair prices. I have found some for about $900 for a complete kit, and I have even found less expensive ones if I buy parts individually. But the thing is I dont know what parts I have to replace and what parts I could get by re-using.

I also saw a thread on here about making your own seals and o-rings, but now I cant find it and don't really know much about that route. But I also have to replace my radiator, oil cooler, and trans cooler as well since most of the fins are screwed and caked in oil and grease. I also have to replace most of my hoses and vacuum lines since most of them broke while I wsa taking the motor apart.

So basically to shorten this whole thing up, where are some good places to start looking for rebuild kits. And also any guidance you guys might have from past rebuild experiences I would really appreciate the info. cause without some help from people who know these better then me, I may be screwed.

 

Also, what are some good solvents for cleaning the motor pieces? I need something that can get through all the grease build up, carbon deposits in the motor, and is also safe on the intake pieces. Basically some kind of cleaner or chemical to bathe everything in to get them all looking new.

 

OK, I guess I should have been more specific in my questions. I read over it and I cant really make sense of it. Its just a bunch of rotary related ramblings. lol. So sorry for that, but since I dont know how to delete this thread and just start a new one, lets just count this as my first post. lol

Where can I find the colored rubber hoses used for vacuum lines. I have only found steel braided but didnt know if those worked ok for vac lines. I have tried auto parts stores and even Summit's website, but cant find much.

What are some good companies that you gus have used before (basically places with good reputations) for buying rebuild kits. And resonably priced as well.

What kind of cleaners can I use to clean my whole motor? Simple Green? Something else? Any suggestions or personal preferences would be really cool.

And what are some things I should look for in my rebuild? Things that newbs might forget about. I plan on going slow so I hopefully dont mess anything up, but I need yalls guidabnce.

 

welcome to the forum man

but honestly dont make your own man if your unsure about your mechanical skills buy the seals off ebay even and do it right the first time

 

places to obtain seal kits include: atkins, rotaryaviation, and oem mazda (call Ray@ Malloy mazda 1-888-533-3400)
You may want to use the atkins thermal pellet plug to replace the eshaft thermostat (which is prone to sticking)
oring kits are relatively inexpensive and i dont see why you would deal with the trouble of making your own.
Atkins is probably the best value for the money although oem mazda is the only preference for some people.

 

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-gen-archive-72/13b-rebuild-parts-lists-395019/ read all of this thread. it should help you with parts

 

http://www.mazdatrix.com/c-silhos.htm

Hoses for ya!

 

OMG, you guys are amazing. Thanks. Im really diggin this place. You guys are great help.

 

its nice to see its helping, alot of time you get the "use the search button" when a new member comes around on any fourm.

 

NO. DEAR GOD NO!! Thats almost as bad as making them yourself. Seriously, unless you want to buy new housings 1000 miles later because you don't have the huge R&D require to make quality seals, then don't do it.
The only places you should get the seals are Mazda (you can get them cheapest at www.racingbeat.com) or from www.atkinsrotary.com.
You can get an excellent rebuild video from www.rotaryaviation.com. It is called the bruce turrentine video or something like that. Atkins also has a good video as well, but not quite as thorough. If it was me, I'd get both.

 

Okay, what about these parts for a rebuild kit:
(Remember I really know nothing about rotary engines so if anything is wrong or un-needed please stop me from buying it.)

Rotary Aviation:
Classic 13B APEX Seal Set - $208
Gasket Kit - $58

Atkins Rotary:
Thermal Pellet - $7.95
2mm Soild Corner Seal Set - $65
93-95 Corner Seal Springs - $27.60
Viton Oil Ring Inserts - $39.95 (Would I only need inserts or whole new oil ring kit)
Rear Main Seal - $7.50

Mazdatrix:
O-Ring Kit - $147.02 (http://www.mazdatrix.com/getprice.as...m=10-S600-N350)

Pineapple Racing:
Front Main Seal - $3.78
0.7mm Side Seals - $142.32
0.7mm Side Seal Springs - $73.44

This totals $780.56 without Hylomar or any other fluids that I will need. While it is cheaper then most kits I have found, is any of this stuff not needed? I dont want to have to buy parts that I dont have to replace because I am also going to have to replace vac lines, rad hoses, radiator, oil cooler, trans cooler, and most of the hosing from those.

Im sorry about this, but I REALLY need yalls help.

 

Like Sideways7 mentioned, the first thing you should do before buying any parts or trying to reassemble anything is get a rebuild video.

I have personally used the Bruce Turrentine videos, and it got me through my first rebuild with no problems. You can find it here:
http://www.rotaryaviation.com/overhaul_video.htm

Another huge help for you would be the Factory Service Manual (FSM), available for free download on several sites out on the net. I don't have a link for one at the moment but google should turn them up.

 

http://wombat.sevarg.net/RX7/RX-7_Training_Manuals/
training Manuals^^

i had FSM's saved but i cant find the pages...

 

Cool. Thanks DarkRacer. That site is probably gonna come in really handy.

 

So is the parts list I made a few posts up any good?? Will that work or should I update it??

 

Are your oil control rings in spec?

 

I am not too sure. After checking some of the threads about rebuilds the only thing I saw to use was oil ring inserts. Thats why I was asking about the oil rings vs. inserts. I really dont know what would be best, to just swap the inserts of the are in spec or spend a few extra bucks and just completely replace them