ItsNiceToBurnRice

I recently read about the pulsation damper, and today I started my ride up and drove up to get plugs, and I smell this terrible gas odor. So immediately the damper comes to my mind. I pop my hood and twist the **** and burn the **** out of my hand but i swipe my finger underneath it, and violla, gas. ****!!! I start freakin and call the dealer. They say theyve never in 15 years, heard of that part going bad, and it wont catch my car on fire. They tell me my car was just flooded, because I actually did just start it up and drive literally 3 minutes away without warmin it up at all, and then turned it off. I kept askin them, "why was the damper wet with gas then", they just said it was flooded and that its not unusual to have gas leakin when flooded. The good advice they told me was to make sure my car was good and warmed up until i drive it, and to drive it hard, hard and fast. They said the 7 is very tempermental, it was made to drive high, hard, and fast, thats what it wants or its stubborn. WHo is right? Was my **** just flooded or what?

Dyre

LoL

Next thing to do is call them, tell them your exhuast has white smoke and your losing collant, but its not driping anywhere. If they are anything like most dealers they will tell you your headgasket is blown. I've heard of the horror stories.

Im not sure on the NA, but it would be quiet a feat to 'feel' the damper while the car is still together on the TII since its buired under the IC and Upper manifold.

Take the car apart and see if the screw has fallen out (ussall cause point of falure)

The reason the dealer hasent heard of any pulsation damper problems is becuase all the evidence burns to the ground!

ItsNiceToBurnRice

It was definetely hard to touch, but if my **** was flooded which it couldve been, would by any chance that damper be a little wet or anywhere else on the motor, i think im over reacting, cause later on i let her warm up and took her to some nice redlines for about a half hour, and i didnt smell any gas with me heat on that time.

AE Turbo

Pulsation damper leaks ain't no joke. My first RX7 had a fire. Get it checked out. Your beloved FC on fire is not a nice sight.

Want more info? Looky here:

http://www.mazdatrix.com/c-pulsation.htm

Flobb

On an N/A it's pretty simple to get to. I say the dealer is freaking idiots. Remember, the people who put stuff up on the forum is quite often from personal experience. Mechanic's aren't always great at finding problems. Some just fix what they are told to and make up other things to fix at the same time. And how the hell would they remember if they ever in 15 years fixed a specific part?

Oh, and I forgot to mention. I have never had my engine flood and I frequently start up my car cold, pull it out of the driveway or move it, and shut it off. All of 1 minute of running time.

AE Turbo

And another thing;

I was at the junkyard this past weekend and saw 5 FC n/a's. 3 had fire damage. The dealer hasn't heard of pulsation damper fires because who the hell takes a burned junk car to the dealership?

HOZZMANRX7

iTrader: (43)

Then, when you have the engine fire, hand the letter to your friendly lawyer and retire independently wealthy. Gas leaking from a flooded engine with fuel injection is one of the the most stupid things I've ever heard.

Seriously, start the engine and while its cold shine a flashlight in the space between the alternator and the intake plenum. You'll probably see gas dripping and maybe pooling on top of the engine, thus why you can smell the gas inside your car. Once the engine heats up, the pooling will be gone simply because the hot engine evaporated it.

To borrow from the old Fram oil filter commercials, tell the dealer they can either pay now to fix it, or pay later to replace the whole car. If they still say it's normal, get it in writing. Just promise to send me a post card from your all expense paid trip to Hawaii financed by your "I told you so" settlement.

Dude, if I wasn't in the habit of carrying a fire extinguiser, my beloved Vert would be in the boneyard now courtesy of a bad pulsation damper.

MIKE-P-28

iTrader: (1)

Ok, got no problem smelling raw gas, but where abouts is this thing, I think Ill replace it just for spite. I got way too much in this car to let it burn my house,garage, and possibly me and my son.

Aint worried about the price, whats involved in changing one?

Its a 88 N/A

ItsNiceToBurnRice

So how much is this pulsation damper?

rx7_ragtop

It's about $150... probably a bit less.

Tell you what... WHO do you believe?

MY CAR BURNED because of this. $2500 to fix it- good thing I had comprehensive insurance, so I only paid the deductible. Also a good thing it happened JUST as I pulled up at home, so I could get it out- otherwise $2500 wouldn't have fixed it, it would have been easily totalled. That $2500 got me new fuel injectors and rail, new OMP lines, new vacuum lines, a new wiring harness, a new TPS, (actually a used throttle body I think) a new underhood liner, and the work to put it all on.

Call Rotary Performance (RX7.COM) and ask them about the pulsation damper. (they did my car by the way...) Call Mazdatrix and ask them. Call Ray Lockheed. Get on the TeamFC3S mailing list and ask.

This is a KNOWN PROBLEM with these cars. FIX IT NOW, or you WILL regret it when the car burns.


Brad

MIKE-P-28

iTrader: (1)

from mazdatrix.com

20-1800-JE27.....PULSATION DAMPER......84-88 ALL.............$ 124.51

MIKE-P-28

iTrader: (1)

Thanks guys, ordering one in the morning...
My car has 124k on it, and its perfect, not a scratch or dent. And definately dont wanna a flamed broiled car...

Not to mention I dont like walking!

Scott 89t2

I would never take an rx-7 to a mazda dealer. they have no clue. only use them for buying parts

phone them up again and ask them what clyinder it sits above....

vaughnc

The one thing the dealers do have is a KICK A$$ parts department. I go quite often to thumb through their rx-7 parts books. They STILL have parts for rx-3 as well, that should tell you something

defylogik

you can pressurize your fuel system without risking a fire by letting the engine cool down and using a jumper wire on a connector on the passenger shock tower. i forget what wire exactly to jump out but it says in the manual. this will help narrow down there your leak is coming from. if you have an 86-88.. which im sure you do if your worried, you can pop the plastic cap off of the PD with it on the car and see if the screw is in the cup.. or missin or loose.

ive had two 86-88s and they both had been leaking.. the first one i never bothered with, the second i fixed a week after i got my car...

scott