Spring time tune-up
 

OK so I got a 90 RX7 Vert from the original owner last July and spent all fall and winter usin' and abusin' her.
I went through a set of brand new kumho solus' on the rear in about 10k miles and they are B A L D. I love my car and plan on keeping her for quite a while

It's time to show her some love though and start piecing her back together. I went to a shop here locally that gas a great reputation for working on Mazda's. The owner has been working on them for 35 years now. He's supposed to be the Rotary authority in the area and pretty much the best guy to go around. They have a reputation for being expensive though so I thought I might try and get a little feedback on the prices they shot me to see if I should go somewhere else or if they were givin' me a good deal.

I'll just list what they say the car needs and the prices they gave me.

1. Spark plugs - $118.50 installed
2. Fuel filter $83 installed
3. Front brake pads - $165 installed
4. Oil Pressure Sending switch is leaking - $145 installed
5. Replace the fuel dampener - approx $200
6. ?Rear transmission seal? - $185
7. Brake fluids flushed and replaced - $182
8. Clutch fluids " " - $58
9. Shifter bushing replacement (clamshell to eliminate play in shifter) - $95
10. Loose door handles - $70 to have them repaired

120 bucks to install spark plugs?! wow

run far far away

where is the "Do it my damn self and save butt loads of $$$" option? seriously $83 to replace the fuel filter? that's like a $10-15 part and takes at most 30mins to swap out. which mean this guy is charging around $140 an hour in labor?

EDIT: I don't see anything on this list you couldn't do in your own garage this weekend.

spark plugs are like a 25 dollar part...

I would buy you spark plugs and install them for a total of $80 :lol: Seriously, i would never go to this place your talking about.

Holy crap. Most of that stuff can be easily done by anyone in a day for literally hundreds of dollars less.

i say DIY. plugs are easy.. id never pay someone to do them for me.
and fuel filter, brake pads. all too easy..

i say run far away

Some of those numbers are close to average if you look up the book time and assume an industry standard labor rate and part markup. Others are a little high. For example, the spark plug quote isn't as bad as it sounds.

https://www.rx7club.com/attachment.p...1&d=1269043230

At .8 labor hours and an $80/hour shop rate, that's $64 in labor. Then each plug is $7 or $8 if a normal person bought it at a parts store. But there's going to be a shop markup of at least 20%. So let's say $9 a plug or $36. That puts you at $100 before tax. The pulsation dampener quote isn't bad at all, the tech will probably have to do a vac job. Some of the other jobs are a little high, but nothing outrageous.

half an hour of labor according to Alldata. Assuming an industry standard shop markup on the part that's only a little high.

I don't think you guys realize how much regular people pay every day to have their car worked on at a shop. The independent shops need to charge at least $70-$80 per hour just to keep the lights on and pay the technician. Whichever tech does that pulsation dampener for example could easily lose money on the job if the car is being difficult. And part mark-ups are normal. Do you have any idea how much mark-up is on products bought in retail electronics stores for example?

To the OP, if you want cheaper then find a trustworthy shadetree or a professional who is looking for side jobs.

go to auto zone and get the rx7 manual and a good set of tools and save thousands the rest of your life. and call a friend or someone who has done te work before to give you a hand if you get stuck.

Wow, thanks for all the responses guys!

I would really love to do the work myself, how ever. I have no tools....no experience working on cars, no garage, no idea where to get the parts, basically I have nothing but the car.
WHICH I LOVE!!!
I've grown up with racing, from my go-cart I've been driving since I was 8 to the dirt track my father an I used to go to every weekend and ESPECIALLY the Supra my Mom's old BF used to have. XD

My car (Roxy) has ignited my passion for driving. It makes me feel alive......I'm gonna stop now before I get to sappy though....LOL

So, after all this input, I was thinkin' maybe I just have the shop fix the tranny seals, flush the fluids and replace the shifter bushings?

How big of a task would it be to replace the OPS switch?

You can do the oil pressure switch, fuel filter, and spark plugs in about an hour...they're all in the same area.

Spark plug varies...some are 5/8", some are 3/4".
You need a 9/16" or 14mm wrench for the oil pressure sender. It's a PITA to get to and you have to take it out in like 1/8 turns, but it does come out easy enough.
You'll need a 10mm open end wrench for the fuel filter, as well as a pair of standard pliers and it would be a good idea of replace your fuel line to and from it.

The prices the shop quoted you aren't really bad...most of us here think they're horrible because we ourselves would not pay to have done what we could so simply do.

My suggestion to you is to go to Harbor Freight with $75 and buy these items (or something similar):

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=36648
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=40582
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...temnumber=1793

Also download the FSRM here:

https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...18#post5131218

That should cover all your needs. Also look at aaroncake's website (http://www.aaroncake.net/RX-7/) for a lot of good info.

If anyone knows of any other tools he should have, please post up.

not sure if you listed it but a torq wrench comes in handy and i saw one at harbor frieght yesterday for 25 bucks.

Shifter bushings are easy, 3 bolts and can be done sitting in the drivers seat.

http://www.mazdatrix.com/faq/ssinstal.htm

This should give you an idea of what needs to be done, even though it is a short shifter install.

Seriously, just spend about 1/4 of the labor charge they were going to rape you with on tools at harbor freight and you'll have everything you need.

There are plenty of threads (many w/ pictures) and forum members that can help (some might even come help you if you're close). Between that and a Haynes manual you can knock out everything on that list....the only thing i might let the shop do is the trans seal and door handles (and unless the bold is just loose, I'm interested to know how they plan on doing that)

Geez, $50 just for an inspection.....these guys certainly don't miss a chance to get paid. Hopefully going to get a straight pipe exhaust on today.

=D

Now what you need to do is download the factory service manual and make a little trip down to walmart and pick up a nice stanley Mechanic Set for less then 50 then go over to advace auto/napa/auto zone/car quest/what ever your local parts store is called and pick up plugs, wires, and filter and start learning the basic's since the 7 is a black hole to the normal man's wallet(really its worse then a GF/wife/kids at times) and learn to do most basic stuff on your on.

Decided to do a tune-up first. Ordered some plugs, brake pads, fuel filter and an OPS switch. Everything should be in on Thurs. by the latest hopefully.

I hope you're not too attached to your hearing, and you better hope that all the police are on vacation every time you go for a drive. :lol:

^Ditto. I want a louder car but it's so hard to find a compromise between "stock" and "747 on take off" with the rotary.

Ehh...I figure I'd rather be deaf than blind...you can't rightly drive blind and all but not being able to hear, well that's just one less distraction from the road
+
Everybody'll be able to hear me comin' so to know to get the hell outta mah way!

Seriously though...like without even mufflers, just chrome tip straight pipes, how loud we talkin' bout? :scratch:

...at idle.

Anybody wanna point me in the direction of where I might be able to learn how to put this stuff on Roxy?

Those prices are pretty much in line with typical dealership pricing. The pulsation damper price is too low, as the part alone retails more than $200.

I recommend the Haynes manual for noobs because it has pictures and is written for noobs. The FSM is a good companion.

I have been very happy with my Falken Ziex ZE-912 tires on my 88 convertible. They work well in the rain and have a good tread wear rating, and they even autocross fairly well for an H-rated tire (top rated cheapie tire by Grassroots Motorsports). I hear they don't work so great in the snow, but I keep my car in the garage when snow is on the ground and let my F-150 deal with the road salt. If you are really serious about autocrossing, then you would obviously want performance tires rather than touring tires like this. For me, I would rather eat a few seconds of time during an autocross rather than eat a set of tires every 10 months.
http://www.discounttire.com/dtcs/tir...%2FPerformance

Really bad idea.

Be sure to initially install them by hand, and just use tools for the final tightening.

This could be a problem if the rotor is corroded to the hub. If the rotors come off easily, then just take them down to your local brake shop and have them turn the rotors (usually under $10 each). You may want to write down the minimum thickness so the shop can let you know if you need rotors. If you do need new rotors, then I recommend the Brembo blanks from Tire Rack.

Before changing the pads, you may want to pick up some grease for the caliper bolts. Also check the condition of the W-springs, brake pin retaining springs, and backing plates, which you can buy from your local generic auto parts store.

You should have the shop perform these two.

I like using ATE Super Blue brake fluid because you know when you have flushed all the fluid because it turns from amber to blue. Plus, ATE makes excellent fluid that is good for both street and racing use. Once I need to replace the blue fluid after 2-3 years, I use the cheaper Castrol LMA which is amber and nearly as good as the ATE Typ 200.
http://www.tirerack.com/brakes/acces...tail.jsp?ID=21

You probably just have some loose backing nuts. If you take off the interior panel of the door, you can reach the nuts with a socket extension. There are two nuts per door handle, and if I remember correctly you need to have the window up to get to one of them, and the window down to get to the other. Be careful removing the triangle-shaped plastic piece by the mirror. You can buy an interior removal tool that will help with this and other interior parts. It looks like a screwdriver with a forked end. You only need one, and you can get it at your local auto parts store:
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=66188

He can use cheaper regular chrome sockets as opposed to those impact sockets, although that isn't a bad price for impact sockets. I prefer to spend more money on good tools like Craftsman, Snap-on, or SK, but I have more money and less patience than most of the members of this forum.

Here are some good tools to have for an RX-7:
- 3/8" ratchet and metric sockets, including 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm
- 3/8" spark plug socket
- 3/8" extension, 6" long or so
- 1/2" ratchet and metric sockets, including 17mm, 21mm, 23mm, 24mm
- 1/2" 1 1/4" socket if you plan on removing the hub nuts
- 1/2" extension, 2 to 8"
- 1/2" drive to 3/8" socket adapter
- 1/2" breaker bar
- 1/2" click-type torque wrench, range 30-175 ft-lbs is good, 20-250 ft-lbs is better.
- Metric open-end or combo wrench set, 8mm, 10mm, 12mm, 14mm, 17mm
- Multi-bit screwdriver set
- Really big, stout, #3 Phillips screwdriver for the brake rotor assembly screws

I think that pretty much covers it. Does anybody recall if there are any 15mm or 19mm bolts? I can't think of any off hand.

I have both a 15mm and a 19mm socket in my RX-7 tool box...including a 24mm and a great big bastard...I think for the flywheel nut. I've used them on the seven but it's been 8 years or so, so I don't remember where.

I suggested the impact sockets because they're made better...the standard cheap chrome stuff from Hf tends to be a bit brittle. Snap-on would be better, and is my preference, but you can get the job done with cheaper tools.