Finish a JDM swap to a 1991 Turbo 13B from an N/A motor. Seals are intact, but there's no compression. Turns out the apex seal are stuck. WHAT DO I DO NOW?!?!?!?!

 

Take 3 teaspoons of ATF fluid and put it in your top and botom rotor housings,stick your plugs back in pull out EGI fuse maybe disconnect the CAS and try to start it for about 6 revolutions and stop.Let it sit for a moment and turn it another 6 revolutions and see what u got. If they are still stuck after that try more ATF fluid and do the process over again.

 

Put a battery charger on it so your starter has some serious power, then crank it and floor it until you get it running on a couple sides hopefully from the help of the ATR or oil trick. Then just keep it floored until all the apex seals pop out. You will know when it does.

GL.

 

Currently, were using some type of powerfoam from Atkins rotorys, a lot of gunk came out, but the rear rotor hasn't fired yet. Never buy a motor from Osaka JDM.

 

Why not just rebuild the motor that has sat for who knows how long and has a likely hood of only lasting a few yrs of use at best?

 

Compression should have been checked before the motor was ever installed.

That foam stuff is more for carbon than rust, you may want to try spraying some pb blaster in there. If you take off the exhaust manifold you can manipulate that apex seals to ensure that they are moving.

 

^yes
I did this on a used jspec. Use a flat head screw driver to gently press the seals. Don't smash them. Eventually they will work free.

 

with the exhaust manifold off, you can tell if it is definitely a stuck seal.
If you get something thin enough to pry it a little bit, it might get unstuck.

I did this on a 13b that was sitting outside the shop for 7 months through rain and snow lol, it didnt have any manifolds on it so water got inside. Amazingly it started fine after I got 4 seals unstuck. I also let it sat in ATF fluid for 2 days.

Also, always get compression numbers when buying engines.

 

Don't waste time with ATF because it really does very little against carbon.

Use something designed to clear carbon like carb cleaner or one of those shitty scam fuel additives (Z-Max or whatever bullshit product your auto parts store carries). Apply directly to the apex seals liberally through the exhaust ports. Shoot carb cleaner in through the spark plug holes, let it sit, and slowly rotate the engine to move the resulting junk out of the exhaust ports.

Diesel fuel is also very good and removing carbon.

Don't use PB Blaster becuase it WILL massively swell any rubber seals.

 

Not checking the compression, that was my fault for actually trusting a company to treat a U.S. Sailor with a little respect. We will definitly re-attack it again today.

 

The rear rotor is starting to gain a little more compression, the power foam is working, we just have to continue to work it. Thanks for all the advise. I will keep you all posted on the progress.

 

you could also pour motor oil down the lower intake manifold. about 2 quarts should do it. divide the 2 quarts equally into all 4 lower intake ports. rotate the engine by hand to work the oil into the seals. rotate it for about 5 or 10 minutes then let it sit 1 to 2 days. the oil will penetrate into the seals and loosen anything that is stuck. this is a good trick for a ceased piston engine and it works great for rotary engines.

i have done this to "fog" the engine if it is going to sit for more than a month. trust me, use 5w-30 Pennzoil...........it works!

 

That sounds more like a recipe for seizure than to fix it, has that ever worked? Because my engine had great compression when parked, but sitting with a dead battery for 6mo caused one front apex seal to stick. It starts but runs rough with no compression on the front...I'd hate to try something you said as a joke and completely ruin it...

 

You should prob consider rebuilding -- take it apart, replace the soft seals at least (water seals, etc). I just finished working on a jdm I picked up a coupla weeks ago. The front seals weren't too bad, but all the rear seals were stuck -- apex seals, corner seals, side seals, etc. Also, if it's been sitting for who knows how long, those water seals are probly on their way out.

 

it works for me.
Though, I dont beat on it to unstick them....
I just drive it normally for 50-60 miles. From reading the vacuum, it gets better and better. It went from 60 psi on all faces with "semi-stuck" seals to 90psi after 50-60 miles.

 

pull start it.

 

So what happened with your car.... hows the car running