i recently bought new mufflers for my car because my stock one's were ****. i took my car to a muffler shop got an estimate for install than proceded to go ahead with the install. i had straight pipes installed from my header back with the new stainless muffler at the rear. I eas going to take my car up to work that day when they were done. the drive to work takes 4 hours so this was going to be my first big trek in my car. the exhaust was completed in about 3 hours and cost me $300 bucks, the car comes off the hoist and when i go to turn it over, click, click, click is all i got. my car had 300,000 km on the motor and was getting kind of tired but had no problems what so ever. we tried push starting it a number of times in 1-3 gear and all it would do is lock up the rear wheels. What happened was the esentric shaft seals wen't on beloved car and it was time for a new motor! so the next week i get in from work i tow it to Abbey Road auto and ask them to put a new Street ported motor in my car, every thing goes well and it's going to cost me 3700 bucks. So we will see what happens!

 

$3700 CDN.....! isnt that kinda expenisve???

 

re-attach battery connections...or clean them

 

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That would be hilarious!

 

Eccentric shaft seals? Huh? Do you mean the oil seals at each end?

Have you considered checking your starter and/or pounding it with a mallet? It could just be stuck.

Can you rotate the engine by hand in neutral if you remove the spark plugs?

 

it works for me all the time...the car just goes click click, i put some grease on the terminals....booya

 

 

dude!, just reconnect your battery cables (pull 'em off and re-attach 'em) It should work fine!

 

Actually that is kinda funny in a mean and sadistic way

There was a time years ago when I was told to purposely leave the ignition 'on' while servicing vehicles, especially if the vehicle is on a lift and the owner wouldn't notice. If the battery was weak, it would die. Instant battery sale, install, and profit. To think that I could of suckered people for a rebuilt engine. Ethics is one reason why I left the trade.

Dead battery, dead starter, bad cables, poor connections, corrosion, or ignition switch usually are the the causes for click/click/click.
So, I have heard of apex seals blowing but has anyone every seized a rotary(during muffler replacement)? Not that it isn't impossible, but if engine has oil and was running well enough to plan for a 4 hour trip, why didn't it start after muffler work? Could it be the scarey carbon lock people tell stories about?

Time for a new mechanic.

 

 

my starter would not turn yesterday. I cleaned all battery connections and connections at the starter. I also carefully dissassembled the starter to find some sludge and buildup on the motor brushes. internally cleaned starter motor reassembled and installed and now my car starts great every time.

good luck, hope thes posts help.

 

it is a new battery, the starter is only a couple months old, the engine had jist passed 300,000 km. tried push starting it like 7 times all it would do is lock up the rear wheels. we put the car back on the hoist took out the starter and put the car in neutral and then tried to manually turn the flywheel with a prybar and it still wouldn't budge!

 

Dang man that stinks.
Good luck with a new engine.

 

thats so odd, ive never heard of a rotary locking up. you tried turning the flywheel and the motor still wouldnt turn? weird. that sux man, i feel for ya.

 

good luck

 

You engine is gone..........sorry man!!

If you try to push start it and the wheels where locked, that's your clue

Does that shop knows about rotary engines?

 

The shop specializes in mazda and rx7's so at least they know what their doing. I've taken my car to them when ever something major happens so they know my car very well. I think it was about time for a new motor anyhow, like i said it had 300,000km on it and was getting kind of tired!

 

300km is not that much for a rotary.

Sounds like your engine is carbon locked (or you threw an apex seal) If it is carbon locked you definitely want to stop trying to push start it. What happens is a piece of carbon breaks off from somewhere in the engine. It wedges itself between an apex seal and prevents the seal from moving (and following the contours of the housing.)

If you didn't damage it too badly from trying to push start it, you can try the ATF trick (do a search) or, I read somewhere Amsoil Powerfoam is good at breaking up carbon. You spray the powerfoam down the intake, in the sparkplug holes and into the exhaust ports, and then pray. The powerfoam may break up the carbon, and you should (withthe help of a liberal ammount of ATF poured in the same places) be able to turn the engine with a wrench on the main pulley bolt. Try moving it both ways at first, and if you get it to move, continue to tun the enine clockwise.

The best thing you can do to prevent carbon build-up is drive the **** out of your car. Redlining knocks any carbon build up loose before it gets big enough to screw up you engine.

Also, I would check inside the bell housing to make sure nothing broke of the clutch or something and wedged against the flywheel. This would also cause what you describe.