need a new engine?
 

Hello all,
Ive been away for some time on deployment and returning in good time... so now I have to see about settling with the issue of my FD.
I was driving it while home from training, it had been sitting up for about 5 months with proper storage techniques applied. All of the sudden I had a huge loss of power, the car would accelerate very slowly but maintain a cruising RPM, there wasnt alot of smoke coming out as that was the first thing I checked while still driving. I pulled over... the engine idle sounded funky but was still not smoking. It turned out I had to drive her home, which felt like driving a 10-wheeler semi's performance. I did the poor mans compression test the next day and the rear rotor seems to have lost compression. The engine still runs.
Now for quite some time the radiator would go empty over night with no noticable puddles on the ground... this worried me but was something I got used to... which may be a culprit. I got an email from Dan at Atkins motors, he thinks it needs a new motor, but I was wondering if anyone has had a similar instance or if most agree I need a new motor. Thank you in advance.
Clark

Coolant does not just evaporate. How much coolant were you adding?

If the rear rotor has not compression then you need a rebuild. Do a real compression test.

You can buy a compression tester for $25.00 at the local parts store or even Wal-Mart I think. Just go that route and see what you find. Also how much coolant are you loosing over night?

On the coolant issue:
Typical scenario, I get up start the car in the morning and the low coolant buzzer and light go off... I fill it up, no problems. I drive around for the day... there is still water in the radiator, though it never seems to go into the overflow. I get the next morning... once more the coolant is gone, without a sign of water on the ground. This didnt happen all the time about 4 or 5 times a month.

:badrebuild: Same thing happened to my RX8 actually...

Make sure the line to the overflow bottle isn't pinched or kinked. Did you ever smell the sweet coolant smell coming from the exhaust? And it's not the map sensor right?

Tim

normal fc coolant issues mine did the same thing to the previous owner when i tore the motor down the apex seals and side seals were bad and the reaqr rotor housing had about 2.5 cups -3.5 cup of water in it, like in other engines a bad radiator cap can cause alot of headaches, as well as a stuck thermostat both are important to expansion of collant system my guess is that it sat to long and go time made it bad with the end result just like how mine died

incorrect. coolant doesnt just seep into the motor after a few months of sitting.

i had mine sit for almost a year and nothing happened.


sounds like the coolant seal finally let go which would need a rebuild. a new housing at the worst.

im not going to get in to a pissing match with u im a mechanic, ever seen a head gasket pop around a water jacket, happens when you have a bad thermostat and a bad vent system, no place for pressure to go so whats it do, it takes out the weakest link, gaskets or seals, thermostas get stuck after long storage ever seen a scaled up thermostat well enough of it can keep them from opening, ever seen a radiator cap with a swollen gasket often given away when removing the cap, it will get stuck in rad. fill neck, and also he stated that it happened after driving after storage, ie motor got hot from a faulty t.stat or a radcap which could have made a end seal let loose, as for the a new motor hard to say if its needed he needs to tear it down and inspect it, and find the cause of the engine failure, and determine if rebuild is feasable in respect to cost, time, and reliability, dont take me wrong cptpain storage alone would not make the coolant seep pass seals but something made it i was simple throwning a cause out that may have lead to its death