2furious

I took my FD to the shop the other day. I was planning on getting my plugs and fuel filter replaced and my oil pan gasket replaced or resealed. Since there was alot of oil around the gasket, that was their diagnosis the last time I took it in. Whenever they got it apart, they said that it doesn't seem to be the oil pan gasket but the actual oil delivery system or something on the side of the block, and it will be around $800 to fix. Since I don't know anything beyond what I can see on top when I lift the hood, I wanted to see if someone can explain this to me and possible reasons why this is leaking oil. I don't want to pay them that much money and then turn around and have to rebuild in a month. Thanks.

DamonB

The only expensive places to have external oil leaks are the pan gasket and the rear main seal. All the others are not too bad.

If it is in fact leaking at the side of the block the rubber o-rings under the oil filter stand are a common culprit. To verify this yourself look closely and see if the oil appears to be leaking at the oil filter area and running down the side of the motor. The o-rings cost pennies and take an hour to replace even if they are idiots.

rotary-tt

You forgot one. The front cover. It is like $1200 to replace a $15 gasket and is a common issue. I have this problem, unfortunately

Another is the turbo oil return lines...

2furious

Since I've had a few people tell me it's my oil pan, and it's obviously not, which would be the next most likely source of the leak that would cause it to appear to be the pan gasket? Not that I doubt my mechanic because he's the only one in town I can take my car to (besides the Mazda dealership that was recently bought out by the local Chrysler dealership; highly doubting my RX will ever see their shop since I wasn't comfortable there when they were solely a Mazda dealer), but I want to make sure the 800 bucks is worth it and will get the problem fixed for good.

2furious

Yeah, I think he said something about the oil intake or induction, dunno if he meant the turbo return lines or what.

rotary-tt

Mine looks like the front of the pan gasket and it is the front cover. Expensive...$800 is cheap for the labor. Mine appears to leak from the area where the oil cooler attaches to the front cover...

2furious

Well, if that's the case, maybe I like my mechanic more than I thought. He did quote me $300 if it was the oil pan gasket when the dealer wanted well over $400. I think my guy's laor rate is only 55/hr.

rotary-tt

That is an excellent labor rate for an FD. I've seen people charge $95/hr to work on a FD.

I also confirmed with Pettit that the leak from what appears to be the front of the pan is the front cover...

2furious

OK now, dumb question, but I'm trying to educate myself. What is the front cover, and what causes it to start leaking?

jpandes

I thought I had just an Oil pan gasket leak. I turns oout that my front cover is leaking... It takes 12-13 hours to remove everything just to get at it. My car is leaking BAD. This along with some coolant seals starting to go, has prompted me to get a streetported motor! It's getting built right now...Woo-Hoo!

rotary-tt

The rotary is a big sandwich and the front cover is the first piece. Take a look at the parts diagram on Mazda formance. Pull down RX7 93 1 OF 3 ENGINE
http://www.abcpages.com/~mazda/RX7%2...3%20ENGINE.pdf

Scroll through the first couple of engine slides and you'll see the front cover.

2furious

If it is the front cover, after looking at that diagram, they can have my 800 bucks to fix that. I guess I'll stare at the car for another month while I save the money for that. At least I have new plugs and a fuel filter now.

DamonB

Oooooh yeah, forgot that one. Sorry to hear about it.

Hyperite

How do you fix the rear main? I've had this little dribble for about a year now, but it hasn't been bothering me enough to do anything.
~Tom

DamonB

You pull the tranny and flywheel. After that it's a piece of cake

rjester

I was told that my oil pan gasket was leaking. After it was replaced, I still had a leak. I took it back and they put die in the oil to see where it was leaking. The front cover gasket was the culprit. It is now on a lift having the gasket replaced and most of the brittle rubber hoses. It is expensive. They are applying the labor that i paid for the oil pan gasket toward the front cover. The total labor is going to be about $1200.

poss

iTrader: (5)

OMG!!! 1200 for a front cover job? geez, that's highway robbery. It's not an easy job, but it's not 1200 worth either. If anyone in the central midwest area needs it done, let me know. I'll do it for 600 plus parts. I fixed mine around 2 months ago and no more leaks
my car is leak free for the first time since I bought it.

DBreeze

Good idea ISUposs, if NEone in Cali is willing to bring there car to my garage, I'll fix that leaky front cover for $599.95 plus parts and rent a room out for $21.95 a night for how ever long you intend to stay.

spurvo

A new meaning to "cottage industry"?

NO WAY could I afford my car and have others do the work. Labor at $65 an hour? Joke!!!!!

rotary-tt

Sounds like a common issue. You think the pan is leaking and it turns out to be the front cover.

$1200 is what Mazda charges. Anyone on the East coast want to do mine? $1200 is too much for a $15 gasket...

2furious

OK, I picked my car up tonight. The mechanic told me that it is my oil metering pump that is leaking. I think this is just an assumption on his part b/c I'm sure they didn't take the whole thing apart just to tell me that. So, could the oil metering pump disguise itself as a gasket leak, and should I spend $800 on getting it fixed? I asked him about the front cover, but I don't think he was paying attention to me. Sucks that the only shop available has a total of 3 mechanics, and they're all redneck *********. If I didn't have such a bad leak, I'd drive it up to AIM in Indy.

2furious

Any thoughts/opinions on the oil pump diagnosis?

rotary-tt

The oil pump and the lines are also in the same general area. And the lines get brittle with age. I would think this would be cheaper to fix than the front cover. Do you have more than 1 dealer in your area? Get a second opinion and get them to give you the hrs to repair.

spurvo

Actually, if it really is the OMP, this isn't so hard to deal with. I know mine was leaking right at the point where the pump mates with the engine block. The rubber O-ring had gone hard (hmmm) and was leaking oil slowly. I had been SURE it was front cover or front seal.

To do this, you pull the intake and the inlet to the primary turbo. Look through the manual to see where the OMP really is. Once you find it (really easy) you can loosen and disconnect the two lines that reach around the front of the waterpump housing and then tuck up under the water pump. Just disconnect them, don't pull them out from under the water pump. Then loosen and remove the three bolts that hold the OMP to the block. Clean the area carefully so as to not allow the collected grime into the engine or the OMP, then replace the oval shaped rubber O-ring. It helps to lightly oil the O-ring to help it stick to the OMP as you plact it up next to the block. Then replace the OMP, making sure the slot fits the drive shaft (you'll see what I mean). Tighten the bolts to ~85 INCH pounds (no, really. Inch).

Next, you need to re-attatch the oil carrying tubes. You need to replace the copper O-rings here as well. There are two small ones that go under the hollow bolt head, and then a one piece washer that covers two holes, which goes between the tube connector and the OMP itself. Tighten these to ~85 inch pounds as well, or just "pretty tight".

That's it. Put all the stuff back together and run it. Oil leak should be gone if this is the problem. Should take three hours if you are meticulous and want to clean everything while you're down there. I would also reccoment removing the under cover in case you need to work from below, or drop bolts ('cause that NEVER happens, right?).

The part number for the rubber O-Ring is N350-14-604, the two outer copper O-rings (washers, really) are PN N236-14-603B, and the inner copper O-ring is N390-14-602.

Try it yourself. Even if it isn't the problem, $800 is too much for this little job. Hope this helps...

2furious

Thanks for all the advice. I'm not very mechanically inclined, but I'll set a day aside and try that. Also spurvo, since you're good with part numbers, what's the part # for the undercover b/c if that's the plastic tray that goes under the radiator and everything, I don't have one. Thanks