I'm worried about my FD
06-21-07, 10:03 PM
#1
I'm worried about my FD
I imported an FD from Japan with a 133k on it and i'm just scared to push this thing. Every once in awhile i'll put it out but the car is pretty much stock. I just would like an honest reply how long does a rebuild usually last for with agressive street driving. I just fail to believe these cars are as fragile as a piece burnt piece of toast or it wouldn't have the amazing legacy of being possibly the best JDM sports car ever made. (and i say that proudly) Just by driving this car i don't feel any weaknesses it pulls better than anything i've ever driving before and it makes me feel like a million bucks when i'm driving it. I just don't have a million bucks to spend on it or much time to work on it myself. I work fulltime and i use the car as a daily driver and i don't find anything wrong with it but i would like to consider doing a rebuild because the car has 133K on it and i have no idea the last time it was rebuilt. I will continue to drive it an hour to work and back until i notice something wrong. Some feedback would be greatly appreciated on how many miles/km's everyone drives their FD everyday is it a weekend thing or a daily thing?
06-21-07, 10:13 PM
#3
Rotary Freak
Doesn't make all that much sense to buy a car, import it all the way to Canada, and then worry about driving it. If you were wise, you put aside some more money to repair it in case the worse happens.
If, you did, then go ahead and drive the **** out of it and have fun.
If you didn't put aside money for a rebuild, then you just screwed yourself and can't really afford to own the car. Sell it to someone who can, then save until you can really handle the car (economically), and buy another.
If, you did, then go ahead and drive the **** out of it and have fun.
If you didn't put aside money for a rebuild, then you just screwed yourself and can't really afford to own the car. Sell it to someone who can, then save until you can really handle the car (economically), and buy another.
Last edited by BLKTOPTRVL; 06-21-07 at 10:18 PM.
06-21-07, 10:16 PM
#4
I'm assuming you are talking 133,000 Kilometers since you are from canada.
your car has about 86K miles. A rebuilt can be anywhere from 5K-30K no one knows for sure. My first engine lasted all the way up to 108K miles. WOT that thing every chance I got.
Rotaries are meant to rev high. So If you actually baby it too much you are allowing carbon to buildup. And of course excessive carbon = bad news.
**** it man, these cars aren't made out of paper, they can take some abuse. They just can't take lean conditions and that's where most peopple screw up. Since you are stock going lean is not a concern of yours.
your car has about 86K miles. A rebuilt can be anywhere from 5K-30K no one knows for sure. My first engine lasted all the way up to 108K miles. WOT that thing every chance I got.
Rotaries are meant to rev high. So If you actually baby it too much you are allowing carbon to buildup. And of course excessive carbon = bad news.
**** it man, these cars aren't made out of paper, they can take some abuse. They just can't take lean conditions and that's where most peopple screw up. Since you are stock going lean is not a concern of yours.
06-21-07, 10:56 PM
#7
thanks for the advice montego i might aswell drive it hard and enjoy it...it was a huge hassle to get it down to canada and i have money for a rebuild i just don't wanna be left without my car for the little bit of summer that i have left up here in canada...and BLKTOPTRVL i do consider myself wise because i purchased an FD if i have to take the bus for 11 months a year to drive my FD for one month i would. i've been waiting forever to own one....ouch soo many people bashing new owners and rx-7's it's ok though thanks for the feedback guys.
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06-21-07, 11:55 PM
#8
I just fail to believe these cars are as fragile as a piece burnt piece of toast or it wouldn't have the amazing legacy of being possibly the best JDM sports car ever made. (and i say that proudly) Just by driving this car i don't feel any weaknesses it pulls better than anything i've ever driving before and it makes me feel like a million bucks when i'm driving it. I just don't have a million bucks to spend on it or much time to work on it myself. I work fulltime and i use the car as a daily driver and i don't find anything wrong with it but i would like to consider doing a rebuild because the car has 133K on it and i have no idea the last time it was rebuilt.
1. OF COURSE a car feels great when it's running properly and obviously you don't feel weaknesses. If we could all predict something was about to go wrong by the sense of weakness on the butt-dyno, none of us would have blown engines!
2. Rebuilding your engine is not a form of preventative maitenance. Wait til you actually blow the motor to rebuild it.
I work fulltime and i use the car as a daily driver
and BLKTOPTRVL i do consider myself wise because i purchased an FD if i have to take the bus for 11 months a year to drive my FD for one month i would.
Okay buddy, we'll see about that. I'll keep an eye out for future "****, something broke" and "JDM FD for sale in Canada" threads by you 
06-22-07, 10:17 AM
#11
I imported an FD from Japan with a 133k on it and i'm just scared to push this thing. Every once in awhile i'll put it out but the car is pretty much stock. I just would like an honest reply how long does a rebuild usually last for with agressive street driving. I just fail to believe these cars are as fragile as a piece burnt piece of toast or it wouldn't have the amazing legacy of being possibly the best JDM sports car ever made. (and i say that proudly) Just by driving this car i don't feel any weaknesses it pulls better than anything i've ever driving before and it makes me feel like a million bucks when i'm driving it. I just don't have a million bucks to spend on it or much time to work on it myself. I work fulltime and i use the car as a daily driver and i don't find anything wrong with it but i would like to consider doing a rebuild because the car has 133K on it and i have no idea the last time it was rebuilt. I will continue to drive it an hour to work and back until i notice something wrong. Some feedback would be greatly appreciated on how many miles/km's everyone drives their FD everyday is it a weekend thing or a daily thing?
If you want some piece of mind, get a compression test done and do basic maintenance you would do anytime you buy a used car this old:
- oil,
- tranny oil,
- diff oil,
- fuel filter,
- coolant - don't forget to properly bleed air from the system search for burp,
- spark plugs,
- spark plug wires,
- bleed brakes.
- stock or K&N air filter for the stock air box
Spend some time reading the FAQ sticky. This has been discussed before.
06-22-07, 12:20 PM
#14
SiKoPaThX...look buddy if you have nothing positive to say about RX-7's don't say anything at all. This is an RX-7 forum if you don't like them you should leave and maybe take a trip to honda tech because you'd make a great addition to them. You haven't done anything but state the obvious ("DUH RX-7's BREAK" - SiKoPaThX) nothing helpful and you don't seem knowledgable about the car at all ...On forums, I don't know if you notice the only reason why a group of people talk to each other is because of the cars that they own so we basically give our cars a voice and personality thats why forums are soo popular we ask for feedback on past or current experience with other owners..just for the love of our cars..and it looks like you hate on RX-7's more than a fat woman on the rag that hasn't gotten any in a year.
On another note i've never owned a honda i've had a 1998 240sx with and SR20DET in it and i currently have an 91 MR2 Turbo and obviously a 92 JDM FD...but thanks for letting me know what current/former honda owners are like i'll know to stay away from there. Everyone on the forum you've been very helpful i've read alot of threads on reliability and my car has most of these mods when it came off the boat i'm going to replace my vacuum hoses, replace the air separation tank and disable the exhaust gas recirculation valve unless anyone has any objections to that. For the most part i'd like to thank montego and i've done my homework on this car before i bought it. People act like if you do your research you should realise you shouldn't get one...why not? why am i gonna let the RX-7 be a dying breed? I'm gonna beat the crap out of this thing on street and track. Thanks for the feedback guys.
On another note i've never owned a honda i've had a 1998 240sx with and SR20DET in it and i currently have an 91 MR2 Turbo and obviously a 92 JDM FD...but thanks for letting me know what current/former honda owners are like i'll know to stay away from there. Everyone on the forum you've been very helpful i've read alot of threads on reliability and my car has most of these mods when it came off the boat i'm going to replace my vacuum hoses, replace the air separation tank and disable the exhaust gas recirculation valve unless anyone has any objections to that. For the most part i'd like to thank montego and i've done my homework on this car before i bought it. People act like if you do your research you should realise you shouldn't get one...why not? why am i gonna let the RX-7 be a dying breed? I'm gonna beat the crap out of this thing on street and track. Thanks for the feedback guys.
06-22-07, 12:28 PM
#16
yeah, no dry skin is definitely a pee pee sniffer. I would try to get a different car for your daily driver, though. 1. the 7 was meant to be a weekend toy. 2. less tickets. ( at least that was the case for me) and 3. you live in canada, have fun trying to drive your fd everyday in a foot of snow. otherwise, you should be good. oh, and don't worry, if it does blow, it's not like you'd be the first guy to have an fd sitting on jackstands.
06-22-07, 12:40 PM
#18
Remember this is an enthusiast's forum, many of us are abusing our cars because that's our idea of a good time. Most rotary failures happen to people who didn't maintain their car properly or modded it carelessly. From my research, these cars fail due to one or two main causes:
1. Cooling system failure - overheating (often due to old hoses, pressure caps, or thermostats that should have been replaced)
2. Tuning problems - running lean & detonating (usually due to too much boost and not enough fuel)
I've owned my FD since it had 46,000 miles on it; it's now sitting around 82,000 miles. About 5-10,000 miles ago the car developed a tendancy to overheat (I suspect a coolant seal failure) but it's fine for short (<100 mile) trips, I've even taken it autocrossing.
Be sure you're changing your oil at a regular interval, since older rotary engines tend to mix fuel in the oil system (due to blowby and/or worn seals). Most people recommend installing a downpipe, but if you've got a Japanese version you should already have a catless downpipe (from the turbo to the main cat converter). In your case, I would change all the fluids and filters (especially the fuel filter) and also install coolant temp and boost gauges. These will give you an idea of how the car is running.
Most people would recommend that you NOT touch the vacuum lines unless you're replacing something that's already damaged: the system is pretty complicated, so sometimes you're more likely to do harm than good. The vacuum system seems to be designed to fail safely (you won't overboost due to a failed vacuum line or solenoid). The cooling system, on the other hand, will let your engine roast itself if a failure occurs. If you don't know how old your hoses, pressure caps, and thermostat are, it would be a good idea to replace them soon.
Hope this helps,
-s-
1. Cooling system failure - overheating (often due to old hoses, pressure caps, or thermostats that should have been replaced)
2. Tuning problems - running lean & detonating (usually due to too much boost and not enough fuel)
I've owned my FD since it had 46,000 miles on it; it's now sitting around 82,000 miles. About 5-10,000 miles ago the car developed a tendancy to overheat (I suspect a coolant seal failure) but it's fine for short (<100 mile) trips, I've even taken it autocrossing.
Be sure you're changing your oil at a regular interval, since older rotary engines tend to mix fuel in the oil system (due to blowby and/or worn seals). Most people recommend installing a downpipe, but if you've got a Japanese version you should already have a catless downpipe (from the turbo to the main cat converter). In your case, I would change all the fluids and filters (especially the fuel filter) and also install coolant temp and boost gauges. These will give you an idea of how the car is running.
Most people would recommend that you NOT touch the vacuum lines unless you're replacing something that's already damaged: the system is pretty complicated, so sometimes you're more likely to do harm than good. The vacuum system seems to be designed to fail safely (you won't overboost due to a failed vacuum line or solenoid). The cooling system, on the other hand, will let your engine roast itself if a failure occurs. If you don't know how old your hoses, pressure caps, and thermostat are, it would be a good idea to replace them soon.
Hope this helps,
-s-
06-22-07, 12:44 PM
#19
yeah, no dry skin is definitely a pee pee sniffer. I would try to get a different car for your daily driver, though. 1. the 7 was meant to be a weekend toy. 2. less tickets. ( at least that was the case for me) and 3. you live in canada, have fun trying to drive your fd everyday in a foot of snow. otherwise, you should be good. oh, and don't worry, if it does blow, it's not like you'd be the first guy to have an fd sitting on jackstands.
06-22-07, 03:56 PM
#20
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yeah, no dry skin is definitely a pee pee sniffer. I would try to get a different car for your daily driver, though. 1. the 7 was meant to be a weekend toy. 2. less tickets. ( at least that was the case for me) and 3. you live in canada, have fun trying to drive your fd everyday in a foot of snow. otherwise, you should be good. oh, and don't worry, if it does blow, it's not like you'd be the first guy to have an fd sitting on jackstands.
06-22-07, 06:52 PM
#22
Original Gangster/Rotary!
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06-22-07, 08:36 PM
#25
It Just Feels Right
Like any high performance car, there will be some issues sooner or later.
My advice, always add octane boost and lubricant to your fuel. It's cheap insurance against an early rebuild.
My advice, always add octane boost and lubricant to your fuel. It's cheap insurance against an early rebuild.