It takes a few hours the first time...search and you'll find a good procedure and good tips. First thing to try on a car??? Maybe not...but it'll cost alot to have it done. $50 part, and maybe $80+ in labor

 

will do - any recommendations for where to buy from?>

thanks for the help btw dubulup, gonna go tinker with the idle ^_^

 

malloy mazda...search on that and find the number.

Ray Crowe is the man, go talk to him if you live near there. Mention the forum and you get a little discount.

 

hmm what I'm still concerned about is that the turbos went from about 20hg to 5hg and i felt no power gain... bleh - i dont think im gonna be driving my car until i can figure this out and its gonna take me mooonths

 

Don't get so down...half the fun of owning a machine like this is the finding the problems and fixing them. And then there is modding <--yikes that is addictive.

 

heh cant help it man :\ not until I know more about the car at least ... Anyways was lookin around and found:

fuel filter:
ordering from here - - - http://shop.mazdapartstore.com/?make=MA&x=72&y=10

price:

Fuel Filter
E1000-110397
In Stock $47.20


and this is the best explanation I could find on how to do this:
http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/fuel_filter.html

Look good?

 

perfect! it's hard as hell to get pliers on the clamps...since you can't see them and it's in a tight space. So you might want to change them to screw type clamps and make sure you torque them down.

This is a good idea to do...but I don't think it will solve your problem, get the cat checked out.

 

OK, maybe I'm just confused by your explanation, and I'm not trying to be insulting or anything, but is it possible that you've burnt out your clutch? The reason I ask is because you say the engine "makes no torque" (although it sounds like the engine will rev freely, and makes boost), which of course it wouldn't feel like it was making any torque if your clutch is slipping (or out). Mine went from functional (slipping occaisionally) to out in a 5 mile trip with no warning.

If you can still make 12psi of boost it's likely not a boost leak or a loose hose. Your vacuum at idle seems fine. I'd echo what everyone else has said that the motor is most likely fine. It's likely something else. Oh yeah, and I wouldn't run 12 psi on the stock ecu either. get yourself a Hallman styled manual boost controller and dial that boost back down until you have the fuel modifications to support the 12 psi

 

You don't NEED to test your compression now - you need to look for leaks, bad connections, etc. Sounds like something else. Is your clutch slipping?

But back to the compression test. If it hasn't been done recently, I still recommend doing it. Go to a Mazduh dealership - they have the equipment and even they should get the procedure right. Should be about $80 Just make sure you leave with numbers for all 6 chambers, what rpm and how warm the engine was (it should be warm, I think). Knowing the #s is good for your peace of mind and will give you a frame of reference to compare against. Also, if you sell it get it tested again and hopefully the numbers will support you took really good care of it.

Dave

 

he has no leaks. period.

If you really are pulling that boost pattern its not a cat nor is it a fuel problem. If it was a fuel problem, you would be towing your car home if you really hit 12psi. I would change the plugs and then have someone who knows what a dying clutch feels like drive the car.

Try putting the car in 3rd gear wile sitting still and let the clutch out with your foot on the brake. The car should buck and die, if it continues running push the clutch back in immed. as you are burning what little plate you have left. Basically if it doesnt die right when you pull your foot off the clutch you need a new one. Like I said, if your not sure, have someone who knows drive the car.

If your in Austin Texas ill take her for a spin.

Good call whoever mentioned the clutch..
Ide bet 5 bucks thats what it is..

 

Hmmmm.... Go figure I obviously hadn't considered that either... I'll have my dad take a look and get back to you guys thanks so much for the respones...

 

What I've decided to do in addition is just drive the car a few hours up to KD Rotary in Pennsylvania. They do a full check + compression test for 85$ and I'd llike to check the place out, seeing as when I get sone new injectors/fuel pump/pfc I'm going to have them tune it.

 

Would the car sort of failing to feel power despite climbing boost and rpms, then all of a sudden engaging, but with still less than normal torque be evidence of the clutch slipping?

 

Absolutely, that's the clutch slipping. Try the 3rd gear staart and see what happens. AS mentioned above the car should buck like crazy. If it doesn't then your clutch is toast. Sounds like you've found your culprit. Luckily for you it's an easy (though not cheap) fix.

The trip to KDR isn't a bad idea. A better idea would be to find one of the numerous FD locals in MD to come over and have a look. Poke around and seek someone out. Most people are generally pretty helpful. If you were local to me I'd come take a look at it.

*****Free Advice disclaimer: Don't depend on a shop to do everything for you. You'll end up spending buckets of money and when the car breaks (and it will break), you will be stuck taking it to a shop to fix things (more $$$).

Take advantage of the situation as an opportunity to learn. Most of us "car guys" are car guys because we dove in and learned things on the fly. If you do your work yourself you'll have great satisfaction in knowing you've fixed something with your own hands. Get a shop manual and don't be afraid to search the forum and ask questions

*******End of free advice

 

haha thanks for the free advice :p yeah i understand this and am excited about learning more about the car - but before I jump around in there i really do want to be sure that I understand the engine, all of its functions/pieces/etc... Frankly, I don't think that I can check compression :p nor do I feel ready to replace a clutch myself ..

Since the price of a compression check at a local mazda dealer is the same as the a compression check PLUS overall system check i dont think its a bad idea

i do plan to install everything I get myself - but I'll leave the tuning (once i get the pfc + commander and new injectors so i can get some real boost) to KDRotary

 

Untill you do, try and get KDR to re-jet your restrictor pills, this opens up some of the valves (Like Boost Controller) so that you can get back down to 10 PSI... The thing is 12 Isn't all that dangerous, mazda built in small tollerances, since they knew that things fail, and that most owners even with Boost gauge which wasn't stock on any of the US cars... people wouldn't notice things like +- 2lbs of boost, that's also why the car runs rich under boost to prevent it from leaning out due to a bad tank or clogged injector... either way if you want to be safe / cheap, get the manual boost controller or have KDR re-jet your restrictor pills, to bring you back down to 10 PSI...

 

I was wondering about the 'something leaking under the engine' in the first post. I am new to rotary systems and wouldn't drive this under high boost. If the exhaust was restricted its likely there would be not power and since the turbos are reliant on exhaust flow to power them it makes it less likely. I think I would flag down someone who has a bit more experience on site to help you.. Keep driving it and you may need a new motor.

 

the leak was like just like spilled washer fluid ... not a leak really just me really working the car I think . it hasnt happened again and i haven't seen the slightest sign of leakage so i think that problem is gone.

i dont drive at 12 psi i never go past 10 any more ( i watch the psi guage practically at all times)

i'm 90% sure its the clutch at this point - after the 3rd gear test im 99% sure because it didnt immediately jump and stall out

 

Were your running the AC at all?

If you had your AC running at all you'll develop a good deal of condensation at the bottom of the car that will look like a fluid leak. It's freaked me out more than a few times. If it's a coolant leak then you might have another unrealted problem. Smell the fluid next time and make sure it doesn't smell like coolant, brake fluid, gear oil, or motor oil. If it's just washer fluid then who cares?

I would bet big money that your clutch is gone, but it might not be the only problem you have

 

It hasn't happened again and I've been driving, well, at least cornering hard/braking hard/etc. The washer fluid was full when it spilled... and has yet to spill again - so I'm not too concerned about it. Yeah the clutch is fading/gone.


I'm aware of the AC condensation appearing to be a leak but I didn't have the AC button on and was blasting heat for the most part (at one point i put it in the middle between cold and hot). Also, there was steam coming from between where the brake/clutch fluid is and washer fluid is, so I'm guessing it spilled backwards under a hard corner/accell (i was gunning it this night ... didn't see much from the brakes :p)


The steam was on the complete opposite side of the engine bay relative to the coolant.

 

A slipping clutch is simple to diagnose. Basically, you'll see the RPMs climb under throttle and the speedometer not climb. At low gears it may not happen, but the 'sure-fire' test is to put it in 4th going about 40, and punch it hard. If the car doesn't accelerate smoothly along with the RPMs then the clutch is worn out. When it's worn out completely (it won't take long) this will happen at lower gears too. Any decent local transmission shop can change a clutch, and it doesn't take rotary experience to do it. (One of the few things on this car...)

IMO, since your boost pattern is good, leave the engine alone until you get your clutch thing worked out. Just don't accelerate real hard if you're pushing 12s in this weather. Mine does the same, and it's a little scary because at 12psi you're getting close to POP

 

Getting close to pop is right.

Search for the homemade boost controller, in my opinion you should just get some vacum hose and replace your wastegate actuator hose with an open hose containing no pill or needle valve, forget about the secondary hose, you can leave it alone. This should bring your boost under controll until you have the money for the correct parts. If you have no clue what im talking about do the search and find the directions for a homemade boost controller, it will all make sense. **** the needle valve though, trust me, it wont open enough to keep your boost below 10 psi.

 

Another thing that I question is the fact that the engine is only a few thousand miles old. Generally people will replace the clutch when doing an engine, especially if it only has a few thousand miles left on it.

I think driving to KDR is a bad idea. You may be left stranded somewhere when your clutch fails completely.

 

My car appears to have power only up to 3000 rpm in first then i have to shift early because it bucks...Theres no power. I think imma check plugs first. I feel like only one rotor is spinning at times or my clutch is slipping but I feel like it would be more subtle then it is and less of a dramatic change. car was working fine a couple of days ago.

 

You might want to start a new thread, this one is 8 years old...