wstrohm

Four months and 1840 miles ago, we finally had our oil leaks fixed at Irvine Mazda. A new oil pan was fitted, front and rear shaft seals replaced, and the oil level sensor O-ring was replaced. Since then there has not been a drop of oil on the garage floor... until I noticed one today. Under the right (passenger) side of the engine, approximately below the turbos, there were two parallel patches of oil, separated by a distance about the size of the turbo diameter. I am thinking the oil input line is leaking onto the top of the turbo housing and flowing down on both sides of it. This has absolutely nothing to do with the previous locations of the oil leaks, or any of the fixes done to stop the original leaks. The engine seems to have lost about one pint of oil to this leak over a period of maybe three days.

Has this problem occurred on anyone else's FD? Is there an O-ring or something at the oil input interface? I have not read of this particular problem on this forum.

Thanks for your time!

Smitter

it could be leaking from the oil feed lines or the return lines, if thats the case a gasket replacement or just a tighteninging of the bolts may fix it.

it may also be leaking from the turbo cartridges themselves, which would mean u need a turbo rebuild or replacement. does the car smoke while idling or under load? this means your turbos are possibly leaking internally aswell. how many miles on them?

wstrohm

The turbos are original... about 96 K miles on them and the engine. I understand that oil may be leaking from input or output lines, but I do not understand how internal leaking gets to the floor. Yes, there is some oil smoke at startup, but not when the engine is warm, either at idle or under load. If it were the return lines, would there be two patches of oil with a space in between? Seems like that indicates two different drop paths from engine to floor, and if there is only one leak, it would have to be directed to two different drip paths, like from above the turbo, not below it.

What does it take to get to the input oil connection? If I remove all the passenger side air ducts, will I be able to see it?

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

oftentimes the oil drops onto the engine subframe and then collects in the hollow areas and eventually drips down out of the holes in the subframe. Take a closer look and see if this is the case in your situation.

mgoddard1

On that side of the motor you have the oil feed line for the turbos which is a y pipe on top of the turbos, the two oil return lines which are below the turbos, and the oil metering pump which is below and in front of the turbos. I've had leaks from all of those places before I put a new motor in and replaced every single gasket and o-ring. You'll have to remove some turbo inlet piping and the the airbox to look around and find the source of the leak. If is leaking from the turbo oil inlet lines you would probably have some smoking from it as well from it dripping on the hot turbos. Good luck.

wstrohm

Thanks for your replies. I'm having a look at it today.

katit

iTrader: (1)

Without looking - you can't tell.
In my case it was oil injector nozzle leaking. To the point where vacuum line swallow in oil and started to leak down block on turbos and making everything look like ##$%. In addition, oil was sucked into intake through vacuum line making it look like turbo pushing oil.

wstrohm

Whew! Has nothing to do with engine lubrication at all! It turns out to be a leaking right front shock absorber. Oil was running down the shock's housing to the lower suspension arm, then running along that and dripping off its bottom all the way to its rear edge. That oil smells just like engine oil! I'll do a search on shock absorber replacement in this forum, and since I have the 1994 FWM, and have done all four shocks (& springs) on my 1990 Miata, I think I can probably handle the job myself.

Would you folks advise replacing the left front shock as well? Or "Don't fix it if it ain't broke?" The shocks are all original and have 96 K miles on them.

katit

iTrader: (1)

Replace pair at minimum. At 96k even if there is no leaks - they done. I would do 4

Which ones you choose - up to you

wstrohm

Thanks... I appreciate your input. The job, at least on the front, looks pretty straightforward; like the Miata.

katit

iTrader: (1)

I can give you my 0.02 though. If you like your ride - go with OEM stuff. New shocks will make car feel so much better. Rear pillowballs probably due as well if never been replaced.

wstrohm

Pillowballs and rear toe-in link bearings were replaced at about 85K miles. I just priced the parts (including the "Bound Bumpers" and "Mounting Rubber" at the Huntington Beach Mazda dealer. For one shock replacement: $301.61. For both fronts: $603.22. For all four shocks and associated rubber parts: $1079.44.

"Shocking!"

katit

iTrader: (1)

Call Ray for rubber stuff. Not sure about shox, maybe use KYB, it looks like this brand aftermarket OE replacement. Maybe they make original ones too.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

shox.com
Koni sport adjustables

Here is an oldie but goodie
http://www.fd3s.net/suspension.html#SHO

apexFD

Jeez for that price you could get a set of entry level coilovers.



=Ben

wstrohm

Started shock absorber replacement today. Doing a "cheapie" RF shock only job, just to see how the car feels afterward. Bought shock, "bound bumper," and "mounting rubber," but when shock was removed from spring found a destroyed "lower spring seat," which was rubber but looked like metal in the parts catalog. So now on hold waiting for that one part so I can put the new shock in the spring. Parts cost is now about $312.

One issue: The parts catalog, and also my 1994 factory workshop manual show the top of the spring milled flat. But the actual spring is not milled. It is coded with a brown dot, which according to the manual is the "FD17-34-011" part for auto tranny cars and manual tranny cars with steel sunroof. We have the latter, so it's the right part, but why isn't the spring top milled like in the pix? We bought the car new from a dealer in September 1994, and no previous spring replacements have been done. Without the flat-topped spring, the upper surface against which the spring is compressed does not match the angle of the spring coil, i.e. the end of the coil digs into the rubber.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Yep that is the way they all are. Eventually the rubber compresses where it meets the spring.

Keep a good eye on the location where the original spring met that upper shock bushing thing and try to mount in the same location. This helps ensure a consistent ride height from one side of the car to the other (learned that the hard way).

Those lower spring seat pads are always garbage on the cars that I've done suspensions on.

wstrohm

Can't do that, since all parts are new. There may be a problem there since I'm doing only the right front. Also, because the lower spring seat was not available, the spring is sitting in the compressor overnight while I wait for the part, which may reduce the spring free length slightly (hope not). But for sure the lower end of the spring will be in the matching section of the shock's spring seat.