Fatman0203

This just happened recently. I was parked at my girlfriends house for about 2 days straight since we took her gas friendly Ion to a small trip to the beach. When I came back, started here up went to the gas station realized I had no wallet came back. Parked and I hear the errie sound of the gurgling overflow tank. I was like wtf?! I open the hood and grab a flashlight, around the turbo area there seems to be a leak, since I can smell coolant burning and a light stream of steam. Are these the famous turbo coolant hoses? If so , how hard are they to replace? Do I need to take off the turbos?

Fatman0203

I also did a search, and realized theres like 3? hard lines and 1 or 2 rubber lines to the turbos?

DamonB

Most likely yes.

Not very.


No. Drain coolant, remove airbox and airpump. There are two rubber hoses a few inches long going from the block to the turbos.

https://www.rx7club.com/search.php?s...der=descending

Fatman0203

I dont have an airbox, nor an airpump so theres half of the hassle =P.
Got a pic of it Damon by chance?

DamonB

http://www.rx7.org/Robinette/turbo_lines.htm

There are two. They are each labeled "coolant line" in the pic.

Fatman0203

Looks like the one on the bottom is the tougher one of the two. Huh?
I also found the pic 2 seconds before you posted =P

allenhah

iTrader: (4)

Doggonnit...that picture on Robinette's site would have been VERY helpful when I was replacing the hoses last weekend. Grrrrr....

=]

whitelight7

iTrader: (5)

I had a similar problem so here is my contribution. My symptoms were: after my 7 warmed up after driving a few miles, some steam would come from under the hood sometimes. But then the steam would stop after a while. Closer inspection showed steam coming from the passenger side of engine, somewhere around the turbos. The coolant level was fine everytime I checked it. Never saw coolant puddles or coolant dripping from under the car, just steam - sometimes. I replaced both turbo coolant hoses and solved the problem, no more steam. The hoses were very hard, and bloated as mentioned above. The hoses had a small leak at the hose clamps. These hoses are know to fail because of the heat from the turbos.
You do not have to remove the turbos to replace these 2 hoses. I HIGHLY recommend that you buy a pair of long-handled (8") angled needle-nose pliers to remove the lower hose clamp.
I bought OEM hoses from Mazdaformance (http://www.mazdaformance.com).
N3A1-13-54X $8, N3A1-13-536 $4

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Tips:
- Use a knife to cut off the old ones. Much easier on the fingers when they're cut wide open.
- Consider a set of hose pliers from harborfreight.com for $12 - they make wrestling hoses much easier.
- Use a dremel with polishing brush wheel to clean the corrosion off the hard pipes.

Dave

Fatman0203

Update!
Well after doing 30 hours a week at work and the rest toward school, working on the car wasnt happening. I decided to give in, and take it to my mechanic (not rxy related but w/e he does a good job). So after 2 days, he finds it. Says theres a leak near the LIM, he says he thinks it has to do with emmisions but he's not sure, hasnt taken it apart enough to find it. Anyone have any idea what this might be?
Oh yea, should be passing by tommorow to see it and take a pic maybe to help other forum members out.

Fatman0203

Bueller .... Bueller ..... Anyone? ..... Anyone?

obviousboy

have him just replace the hoses for now and see if it stops the leak...

When mine was leaking it seemed like it was coming from the back inside part of the turbos (I thought I didnt crank the bolt down tight enough) also water was pooling further back then where the hose was...fixed the hose and it fixed the problem

alberto_mg

It might be he doesn't know what he's looking at

wrankin

The only other hoses in that area are the ones for the heater core (btw. the FSM is wrong because it shows the heater core on the left side - which would be only for a right-hand drive car).

The other hose would be the one coming off the back of the block on the passenger side that connects to the throttle body. This one is a PITA to get to, or even see for that matter.

-bill

Fatman0203

Ive checked squeezed, done everything to the hoses plus they were replaced not to long ago maybe 6 months ago if that. Its not the turbo coolant hoses trust me.

Fatman0203

I think thats it then. The heater core it must be, because I had very very crappy heat. *eureka* thanks.

Fatman0203

Update. Doesnt seem to be the heater core (but Im going to tell him to take a look at it since its apart. Anyways, is there some sort of METAL cooling line that runs between the turbos and the block? Maybe out of sight? He says thats what it is, that the metal pipe has a small crack, and that its leaking under pressure only.

DamonB

Yeah, there are steel lines bolted to the turbos that carry coolant to the bearings. The rubber turbo coolant lines go from these to the block. One hard line is on the outside of the turbos and can be replaced without removing them. The other line is between the turbos and the block and requires removal of the turbos to remove it.

Fatman0203

Sounds like thast the one. Im guessing vibration and time caused it to crack for w/e reason. I know if it happens again then I need to worry. Im hoping after this I will have another 6 months of no problems.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

That or the last person to install coolant hoses gorilla'd it into leaking. It's not hard to do, considering what a b*tch that lower hose is to access.

Dave

Fatman0203

This is very possible, since my dad didnt know better and had a run of the mill shop replace some hoses. Good point, I'll make sure to point that out to him. The car was running great for 4 to 5 months before this happened. Now my dad calls the car unreliable. I said 4 to 5 months is record breaking for the FD lol.