Sometimes the manual (shop factory manual) will actually tell you the number of chain links from crank to cam. Maybe the Z forum people have one apart and can count for you. Can't think of anything else that I would try...but:

If it really seems like everything is lined up, jump one tooth on the cam both ways and see what happens - ONLY ON NON-INTERFERENCE ENGINES!

 

The manual not only tells us how many links from sprocket>sprocket but the chain has two links with shiny sideplates that should align with the sprocket's punched holes.
Our second engine was never right and we knew it from the beginning.

So, you say, that is stupid, why did you do that?

Well, Sigfrid was convinced that our "freshly rebuilt" motor HAD to be right (remember, this engine was sold as a newly rebuilt, running unit) and the mistake was ours, not theirs.
As reality set in and the murky provenance of the engine was revealed, this confidence evaporated and here we are.

 

Hopefully you can laugh about it one day

 

Oh, I'm laughing about it now.

We've made so many stupid mistakes that if I couldn't laugh, I'd give up.

 

Well, the gaskets are "out for delivery" but since it's currently 2°, I'm not sure when I'll get the chance to actually begin the work.

I am continually surprised how cheap parts are for this engine, the timing cover gasket kit (six pieces and the crank oil seal) was $9 (i got the most expensive German option, the cheapest was $6) and the Nismo "competition" oil pan gasket (supposedly reusable) was $27. Valve cover gasket was $8.
Our timing chain/sprockets/guides all appeared new (the cam sprocket was not stained like the rest of the valvetrain and the guides had no wear marks at all) so we opted not to replace them.

Sigfrid leaves for CA on Friday and returns for Thanksgiving.
Best case scenario has me fixing the engine before he returns and having her drivable.
He can then register/tag the car and during the Christmas break we'll transfer the project over to my place, where I'll begin on the interior.

If I fail, I don't know what will happen.

As disturbing (and expensive) as this engine issue has been, we are still in pretty good shape as far as cost>value. We'll never find a chassis in such excellent condition for the paltry price of this one...we're not underwater yet.
Thing is, I'm unsure how committed S. is to this Z specifically...he may be happy with any rorty old sports car and I'm sure he could find one in CA that is already registered/tagged, thus avoiding all the paperwork/inspection hassle this car will require.

We will soon see, I guess.

 

Then encourage him to sell it to u or locally once u guys sort it all out. He'll save the trouble legalizing it in CA, and maybe you'll see the car once in a while. Seems like ur more into it than him anyway.

 

The polar vortex is slowly loosening its grip and temps are beginning to reach tolerable...I hope to get to work again this week.
I don't mind (too much) being uncomfortable but see no point in actually suffering, so I kinda set 35° as a baseline acceptable work temp and we should hit that Tues/Wed, if the weatherfolk are to be trusted.

Meanwhile an interesting thing has happened with the FC.

The warning cluster clock has been "dead" for months...I'd resoldered a few times but finally gave up and just ignored it. But every once in a while I'd catch a flicker out of the periphery and it seemed like the clock was actually still keeping time...but I wasn't sure.

Then, for some reason, as the weather got colder, the clock began to display again. The lower the temp, the more stable the display. And yes, it did keep time and it appears that it's the lighting that is weird. The clock works, the backlight is intermittent.
Must be something about the light level crossover and now I'm kinda interested in fiddling with it again.

Which is silly given that she has to be emission tested again in March and I'm pretty sure she won't make it this time.
I really should be trying to figure out what to do about that instead of the clock.

 

My clock did the same thing, and I had never touched it. The display seemed to work when it was under 50 degrees.. Which is not often in So Cal.

 

I hate emissions testing. In Missouri, if you fail and spend a specified amount of money to fix it and it can't be fixed, they give you a "waiver".

No such tax in Colorado?

 

There is Tony, but it's set up to discourage all but the most desperate.
It's way more expensive and only good for a year (emissions is every other year), so you don't buy much time.

My engine approaches 300k miles and I assume the internals are basically done for, so a rebuild seems like an unlikely proposition. With everyone seemingly turbo swapping, you'd think there'd be some S5 NA kegs laying around but that hasn't been the case around here.
I would seriously consider an engine swap before spending any cash on this particular engine if I can't come up with a drop in replacement.

 

Maybe it's time you cash in some of those bonds and buy a 20b to refresh and run N/A. Will it be an emissions nightmare if you do that?

 

its been my experience as long as the air pump, and ACV are working, you should be in good shape for an emissions test.

you need a cat, but it doesn't need to be a great one, i've passed with cats that if i posted pics, people would use words like bad.

engine needs to run, but thats about it, i've passed with moderately bad engines.

so unless it smokes a lot, i think it should be pretty easy

 

^ Been my experience too. People remove emissions stuff that doesn't increase performance, then complain it doesn't pass emissions. If it's running fine and maintained (spark plugs, air filter, etc.), and has a cat with the air pump and ACV there (you can remove the silencer hose, though), then you should be fine. If a car is smoking, then I'll find out the cause, not because of the e-test, but because I want it to run right.

Those without cats, I always say have a setup where you can install and remove it easily for the test, if you insist on not running one regularly.

 

these plugs passed smog last week.

on the plus side though, buy Rx8 plugs, they should last 2x as long, because as they wear they turn into FC plugs

 

Yeah, I guess it's time to liquidate all my Enron stock.
I'm gonna be rich!

She, like me, smokes a lot.
Although in a strangely inconsistent way.

Counterintuitively, 10w30 Castrol GTX= very little smoke at cold start while 20w50 Castrol High Mileage smokes like a bastard pretty much all the time.

My car has the full emissions (and engine control) package intact and as far as I know, functional.
She's had low compression and oil pressure since we met in '07, yet run beautifully for nearly 100k miles with no significant issues at all. Basically, I've assumed she was on her deathbed since the day I bought her, which is how I got involved in swaps so early. Most seem to go through a cycle of rotary rebuilds before falling to the darkside but I converted sooner because the NA never seemed worth resuscitating.
Now I'm not so sure.
(Still pretty certain this particular unit is toast but we're talking a NA rotary in general)

Yesterday I went over and prepped the car for the timing chain revamp.
Normally this would be trivial work but the cold and being alone made things much more difficult. I removed the hood, radiator, valve cover/coil/plug wire harness, sway bar (required before dropping the...), distributor/oil pump & spindle and the crank pulley.
Just remove the water pump and front cover, reset the timing chain, put it back together and wait a day for the sealant to set...see what happens.

At the end of my labor, I was sitting in the Z (just daydreaming) and had a vivid recollection of the transition from the 240Z to the FC.
In the space of two days in Dec. '07 I went from daily driving a (almost) full bore, rock-n-roll Z to a bone stock '91 NA rotary and the most lasting impression is how much nicer the FC was to be in.
Bloody Buick in comparison.

Just getting old and soft.
But it does make me wonder...
If it somehow works out that I could get the Z, would I really want it?

 

lmao! no probably not.

 

I wish this were true. I took a 100% stock car I picked up with 200k miles through emissions and it failed with 2000+ HC, he didnt even let the test finish . Bought a cat thinking the one in the car was bad...and it wasnt. Only thing I can think of is a clogged ACV or the air pump isnt pumping?

 

really high HC's like that is the ACV being bad/not working.

feel free to do some extra reading here Foxed.ca - Mazda RX-7 Manuals

but basically under ~2500rpm, and 25% throttle, the air pump air is fed to the exhaust ports, over that, and the air pump air isn't needed, and its dumped. the default position of the ACV is to dump the air, so if there is a problem with the valve, or the vacuum feed to the solenoids on the S4 (hint hint), the ACV won't work, and you fail smog no matter how many cats you have.

 

Today is the day.

I redid the timing chain yesterday, it's a very straightforward procedure and it turned out just like the pictures in the manual said it would. I can see how it might be easy to end up one tooth off and suspect ours was but can't say for sure.
Anyway, I'm 100% confident it's correct now.

Pretty sure the timing set is new, the guides are completely unmarked and the chain fits in the #1 position, which is for new, unstretched chains.

Front cover and water pump were put back on and I'm waiting 24 hours for the sealant to cure.
This morning I've got about two hours of reassembly and then we'll see.

I'm cautiously optimistic.

 

And the entirety of the FC sub-forum holds it's breath to see whether this piston-powered Z will run correctly!

 

That We Are!

 

You two comprise "the entirety" of the forum?
I knew it.

I haven't time to detail what happened yesterday...it was wild...but will return later with the scoop.
Till then, just keep bating your breath.
Both (all?) of you.

 

 

Come on man!

 

Waiting...