what is wrong? everyone says something different..
 

Hey there

I have an 89 GTUs N/A and I got a problem. I've talked to many knowledgeable rx-7 people but everyone seems to say something different about my car -- so I wanted to see what everyone here has to say.

I have to push start the car (roll it down a hill or get pushed fast enough to pop the clutch and get it started). When it's been sitting for a couple days and I push start it, white smoke comes out the exhaust for a couple min usually until the car gets warm, then it's fine. Also the check engine light is on and after driving for more than 10 min or so it will beep and say add coolant. Also when idling for a while it will sometimes start leaking coolant. But it does not leak coolant when driving.

Now I've been told it's the side seals and the coolant seals and that I need a full rebuild. I've also been told it just needs a rebuild with the basic rebuild kit. I was also told all I need is the O-ring kit because the apex and side seals are most likely fine. The car doesn't run rough or anything, and I was told that it compresses fine from the guy I bought it from (although I have no reason to trust what he says). But like I said it doesn't run rough so I wouldn't be suprised if it does compress well.

Any help would be very much appreciated. Thanks.

You should start by fixing the initial coolant leak. If its leaking coolant you should figure out where your leaking coolant from. After that you can see if its holding coolant or if its burning it off. If your car is burning coolant you need at least a basic rebuild. Everyone on the board will recommend replacing at least your apex seals while you are in there. Along with the basic gasket kit. You should also replace the rubber plugs in the corner seals and get FD corner seal springs.

Do a compression Test and a pressurized coolant system test

The seal between combustion gasses & water jacket is a rubber O-ring in a groove all the way around the aluminum housing.
If it leaks you get coolant in the combustion chamber and overheating symptoms, just like a blown head gasket in a piston engine.
I have had this happen, and was able to patch it with radiator stop leak.
I caught it early, before there was too much erosion of the O-ring.
The short version:
Hard to start, catches & sputters, blows white smoke, then clears up & runs OK.
To fix:
Good coolant flush, add half the stop leak, idle warm up to full temp, shut off & cool down cold, (repeat)
Do a search under "block weld".
Many have had good luck with that product & there is a good write up on the forum using it.

If it leaks again, it's rebiuld time.

if I do the block weld and fix just the coolant issue is it going to turn over everytime? I guess that would depend on if it is the coolant that is flooding the engine right?

My 91 NA's internal coolant seal started to fail.
I caught it early & the "pixie dust" held of a year until I sold the car.
It was still starting & running normally then.
It's a matter of luck, but it's worth a try.

should I just go down to my local kragen or napa to get a block weld kit? I did a search and was reading up and some people were saying to use the copper block weld kit and you need engine degreaser... correct?

To be really through - yes.

I lucked out with just the brown powder Barrs Leak.

I called kragen and they have a bottle of K&W copper block sealer for like $7 is it going to be any good?

Yes - It's OK.

If this one dosen't work, then the other brands would do no better.

I agree with banzai, a compression test and a coolant pressure test.

All of your problems could be as earlier diagnosed, or something else. For example, the coolant leak could be coming from the weep hole on the water pump. The hard to start cold, from low compression, the white smoke from flooding because of low compression, or maybe just leaking injectors causing both. The low coolant warning a combination of the coolant leak and an air pocket in the system.

But, to narrow it down you need to do some testing. Find the coolant leak, do a compression test, and a coolant pressure test. Then you will really know what your problem(s) is/are.

yeah I need to do a compression test to be for sure on a lot of things. But I think I'm going to try the block weld first and see if that doesn't fix the problem. Today I went to down to pep boys and bought 3 cans of CRC block weld and a gallon of purple power degreaser for the block weld. I'm probably going to start it tomarrow -- I'll keep you guys posted on the status of my block weld. I found a couple tutorials but does anyone know of any really good popular block weld tutorial?

thanks

also try blue devil i just got some i havnt had time to put it in but i hear it works great i have the same proplem sputering and white smoke i was told it was a coolent seal

but the block weld stuf is really time cunsuming do the seach you will see what i mean allso i can give you a number were you can get blue devil

pm me

eric

all that block weld is probably better to leave out untill you find out the real problem, if you do need to rebuild I hear that it is harder after you have used block weld. Anyhow in the FAQ for FC it suggests removing the engine coolant cap and radiator cap, remove the egi fuse and crank the engine and have an assistant tell you if there is coolant bubbling where the cap goes, that sounds like a good test.

yeah, i am having a very similar problem it seems. first i am a complete noobie to these car and know very little about them. Second i just bought this car about two weeks ago and noticed every now an then it would smoke a lil(i am just learning to drive a 5-speed so i havent really had it at high rpm's alot much as of now, but seems like thats when it done it), i took it to my uncles garage(hasnt dealt with any of these cars but maybe just a basic oil change once or twice, but understands the basic internals of the car) and had them change oil, check coolant, tranny fluid and put a new belt on it. ok fine, we go to start it back up and it would not start. ok, first we try pumping the gas a lil to see if that does it(nope), second we look over everything to see if any connections or anything were bumped or anything(nope), now we try to roll start(nope) now we make sure its getting good spark(its fine) but still wont start, now we pull the plugs out and they are gassed like no other(everyone of them) so....we replace them and try to start...nope.....now we try to get a good run and go and roll start it again, it fires up but is smoking like a freight train. we let it run 5-10mins(the smoke dies down) but when you rev it up to about 3500-4000rpm it still boils out the smoke...but it runs alright..sooooo anyone have any clues? i had him order a manual for it to look through it good maybe help some, but i figured the best help would come from someone with expierience. any help would be muchly appreciated. thanks

You flooded it, and it takes quite a while to clean it out. Change the oil again if you really flooded it.
When you pulled and replaced the plugs, did you just take the old ones out and clean them, or did you buy new ones?

that doesnt explain.....
 

that doesnt explain why it wouldnt start in the first place? we tried several times before pumping the gas. (the constant smoking has cleared up, it runs fine now...all but the smoking when you hold it about 4k or more for a few secs. just kinda worrys me to drive it not knowing if its gonna do somthing like that again. so my question is even if we did flood it, it is running fine now, i drove it probly 30-40 miles last night after it quit the constant smoking. just still smokes when you hold it over 4k. any suggestions? i am pretty sure it was doing that before we even messed with it, just didnt have it in those high rpms very long.