dexmex88

I was very excited, cranking the FD for the first time after installation of some things including boost guage, heater core, and ignition wires, and I was gonna take it down the road! Well I had to put some coolant in becuase I took the heater core out. Well I start putting it in and **** just starts pooring out where the Radiator Coolant Only pipe is. Oh, **** what the hell. I put the little dipstick in and it came out like it was full?!? But I took the heater core out? Anyway I decide what the hell, you are getting cranked tonight. I put the key in and turn. It fires up! But oh **** again, it idles at like 3000+ RPM's for like a couple seconds and I just turned it off because it scared the **** out of me, I mean this thing is my baby. I finally got the guts to turn it on again and it fires up and this time settles around 2000, and then goes to 1500, so I say the idle is probably turned a little so who gives.
I back the car out of the garage and I feel this wierd putting kind of thing like at idle the car is just putt-putting, it was really wierd, but anyway I give it some gas and look behind me and holy crap again ! White smoke everywhere! Like it was cloudy outside, so anyway I took it up the driveway and decided the putt-putting and the shitloads of white smoke couldn't be right. So I took it back down the driveway and parked it back in the garage. When I got out all I see in this cloud of white smoke that smells like total crap. What in the hell is wrong with my car?!?

dexmex88

Also the car hasnt been driven but like 5 miles in the last year and a half if that has anything to do with it.

bee

Jesus son, take a breath. Trying to read that was the worst 20 seconds of my life. You sound like your about to break out in tears.

Have no fear though, at the very worst, it's a blown coolant seal, meaning you need a new motor, no biggie.

dexmex88

A blown coolant seal? A new engine no biggie are you freaking crazy? Tell me that this is wrong.

re_rotary7

how long has the car been parked before you tried to start it?

dexmex88

Well the guy I bought it from said it had an overheating problem and that Mazda told him the heater core was bad, dont know what the hell that has to do with it now that I think about it, but anyway he said it had been sitting for like a year maybe a bit more, I trailered it to my house and to get it off the trailer it had some trouble cranking, and it now has been sitting in my garage for about a month.

Fatman0203

Hmm sounds more like a lie and it wasnt the heater core and actually the O-ring. Sorry =/

re_rotary7

when you start it up blip the throttle to bring the idle back down, if it doesnt come back down dont worry. let it run for some time while you monitor the guages, if it even looks like it is getting hot shut it off. the smoke could be all the carbon that has built up over time and is burning off, if it is this it will go away. search for accelorated warmup to learn more about that and why your idle jumps up when cold. do not drive it or get on the gas while it is smoking just let it idle to see it it will go away. if it doesnt go away pull the fuel pump relay and and pull the coolant cap off the neck, crank it over to see if coolant comes out, if it does you have bad seals, if it doesnt that doesnt mean you dont have bad seals. welcome to the 3rd gen world.

dexmex88

So does bad seals really mean a new engine?

yetisoldier

An overheating problem would lean towards the theory that your coolant seals melted. What color is you car by the way? I knew of a black fd with a body kit on it that had a new engine in it that they could not get working right that smoked a whole lot. It was around the NewPort News area or I geuss I should just say the peninsula. Did your low coolant light come on?

Fatman0203

Pretty much, do it your self for 1,100 + your own labor. =P
Sorry to break it to you, did the white smoke smell like coolant?

dexmex88

I mean I really dont know, the smell was really different though, I thought it might be a fuel problem, with all the putting and smoke.

re_rotary7

did it smell sweet?

dexmex88

I mean I dont know if the low coolant light was on, I didnt really look I was so worried about the smoke. I am only 17 and don't make a huge salary so it better not be the seals, because I don't have the money for an engine.

dexmex88

I wouldn't say sweet, but it didnt favor gas.

Fatman0203

Anywhere near sweet would mean coolant, sorry man. mix some coolant and water and burn and see if it smells alike. Your in Virgina, your close to Ray Crowe at Malloy Mazda that gets the best prices on OEM parts including engines.

XSTransAm

this is exactly why people on this forum caution the younger crowd about buying a rx7... I wish i had listened.

dexmex88

I mean are really heading toward bad coolant seals and new engine because if so I am screwed. Where is Malloy Mazda and how much does an engine cost? I mean this sucks bad, I am gonna call this guy soon and kick his *** if this is true.

re_rotary7

there is alot of things you could try to rule out the other possibilities, instead feeling screwed you should be out trying to determine if you need an engine or not.

Fatman0203

Search Ray Crowe and Malloy Mazda

2nd fill the coolant to the top. This is coming out of the exhaust pipe you say? If coolant drops look around the engine, lets try to troubleshoot every other solution before we decide on o-rings.

dexmex88

Well it wil have to wait till tom because I am so pissed now if I try to go work on it and something happens I will probably take a match and set it on fire. I knew $8200 was too good to be true.

Fatman0203

8200$ , stick? 93 or 94. More about the car, even with a blown motor for that cheap aint bad.

dexmex88

93, auto nothing special

dexmex88

but right now what I have looked at Im thinkin that I am starting a "Lets keep all the RX-7's on the road fund" Anyone want to donate money for me to keep mine on the road go right ahead haha. Well I think it probably is screwed, can I still drive the car around? Will it hurt the car?

Androidmj

if your having money issues, sell the car, buy a reliable car, and wait till you have a good job to buy a better rx7.