Just got my RX-7 back from the mechanic, a mostly new rebuilt engine is what I have been given....

My question is about every 30-50 miles the car is begging for a bit more coolant... the engine seems to eat just enough coolant to make the buzzer go off,

However when I go to refill it .. it only takes a very small amount.. probably just a few ounces or more. (about two splashes in the funnel)

Also when I turn off the car after a run, it seems like I can smell a bit of "excess sweetness" like it is puking into the overflow... but I was not able to confirm this..

Anyone have any ideas?

Thanks

 

well if your mechanic didn't "burp" your coolant system that will happen. if it doesn't go away and you see white smoke you have a big problem though.....

 

/me nods.. (btw this is a 1991 Coupe N/A)

that is one of the things I was told..

FWIW .when the car is running at idle it only feels like the rad. hose is about 1/2 filled.. i can feel the water flowing thru it ..

 

Keep the overflow filled and bleed the air out every couple days. Should get the system purged nicely in no time and then you'll be set.

 

thanks for the advice... that sure does comfort me abit to know its "reasonably" possible it's just a "breaking in " issue


nice avatar BTW..

 

you can also just take off your rad cap and let the car idle till it warms up. keep adding coolant till the car is warmed up and there is coolant up to the top of the radiator. if you do that you don't have to burp the coolant system

 

hmmm.... well i have done that now.. 3 times.. .

 

usualy when it happens i am on the road.. (freeway style , just trying to add up the miles on the new motor)

I can go a max of about 50 miles.. when it will start buzzing... then.... i fill it... try to burp it.. fill it a lil more.. and so forth until it is full nearly to overflowing.. then replace cap.. and then about another 40-50 miles later.. repeat..

 

there's no leaks anywhere ? no white smoke coming out the tailpipe i hope ? i put two POS jspecs in my TII did it that way never had to put coolant in again..... who did the rebuild?

 

local rebuilder here in Houston ... he is gonna look at it for me tonight.. i am just trying to gauge other opinions..

there isn't any noticeable smoke, a slight trace at startup of oil.. which has diminished over the 3 days I have had the car back.. today it hardly smoked at all..

leaks.. well i havent looked under the chassis very well./. but my driveway is still clean..

 

The top of the radiator where the low coolant sender is is where the air usually gets trapped. I actually pulled the sender to burp mine. The bleed screw is another one you want to pull when the radiator is flowing out the low coolant sender hole. It took some doing on my motor to get her fully purged. (the leaking bolt on my water pump doesn't help either)

As long as you're not smoking white and she's not leaving puddles or soaking part of your car in coolant you should be fine.

How many miles on the motor now?

 

89-91's dont have the bleed screw

about 150 miles on the engine... only running it to 4 grand max before shifts.. usually less

well except when that 3000 GT was asking for it... (evil grin)

 

as long as it doesn't look like this when you start the car you will be fine

 

i had a small leak the made mine do a similar song and dance.
hardest part about coolant leaks is you usually can't find the small ones by lookin for a puddle. i had a crack in that stupid black plastic "elbow" on top of the water pump housing. water would just boil away once it touched the engine so i never had a noticable leak. took me a while to find it.

good luck

 

LOL.. that's the greatst visual... well it did do that the 1st morning after i drove it home.. for about 60 seconds.. but by the time i pulled outta the driveway it was gone... it was oil smoke im sure.. as it hung heavy in the air.. and did not disapate quickly.. i watched the cloud hang in the air...

 

Have the coolant system pressure tested to eliminate a leak.

 

My leaky bolt is clearly visible and has drool marks on the front cover because of it. I have another pump and housing off a parts motor but its too ******* cold to replace it now. It only leaks badly when its super cold out so for the 5 bucks in extra coolant over the winter (if it stays this snow free anyways) I'll keep my toes from an additional seasoning of frostbite and let her drip.

If we do end up getting hammered, I'll get my lazy *** to fix the failed lower ball joint on my suburban and drive the snowmobile till the thaw. i just can't get myself to part with the 7.... not even for a couple mo's.

 

i drove my car for a year like that. man i felt like james bond with the smoke screen button