Resurrecting 93 RX-7 after 10yr hibernation
02-25-14, 12:48 PM
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Resurrecting 93 RX-7 after 10yr hibernation
Hey everyone,
Man, it has been ages. I'm sure most of you these days don't know me or don't remember me, but I used to be pretty active in the rotary world back in the day, 15-20 years ago. Back in mid-2004, I parked the car in my parents' single car garage in Philadelphia, covered it, and left it there to sit before moving to the Middle East where I spent the next 6 years. I've now been back in the US for 4 years, and now that I'm nicely settled here in central FL, I'm finally ready to bring the car down and massage it back to its former glory.
The car has a "somewhat" blown motor which I successfully drove on for a few months before heading overseas, so once I get it down here, I plan to pull it, rebuild it, replace it, and get the car tuned. By "somewhat blown," I mean that the car still started and drove fine back in 04, never flooded, and still made 11-12" of vacuum at idle even with a streetport.
Please tell me if you think I'm nuts... The current plan on the table is to register the car in FL, get a FL plate for it, and put it on my insurance, then order up tires/battery/plugs for the car, ship them all to Philly, fly up there one-way, spend a few days flushing fuel, coolant, and oil, replacing the tires, battery, plugs, rad hoses, and belts and just generally going over the car with a fine-toothed comb. Once I deem the car roadworthy once again, I was seriously considering getting in it, firing it up, shooting down I-95 and not stopping until I reach my house, which is exactly 15hrs and 1000 miles away. Think it's doable? I'd love to hear your input on this.
And finally, here's an old picture for nostalgic effect:
Man, it has been ages. I'm sure most of you these days don't know me or don't remember me, but I used to be pretty active in the rotary world back in the day, 15-20 years ago. Back in mid-2004, I parked the car in my parents' single car garage in Philadelphia, covered it, and left it there to sit before moving to the Middle East where I spent the next 6 years. I've now been back in the US for 4 years, and now that I'm nicely settled here in central FL, I'm finally ready to bring the car down and massage it back to its former glory.
The car has a "somewhat" blown motor which I successfully drove on for a few months before heading overseas, so once I get it down here, I plan to pull it, rebuild it, replace it, and get the car tuned. By "somewhat blown," I mean that the car still started and drove fine back in 04, never flooded, and still made 11-12" of vacuum at idle even with a streetport.
Please tell me if you think I'm nuts... The current plan on the table is to register the car in FL, get a FL plate for it, and put it on my insurance, then order up tires/battery/plugs for the car, ship them all to Philly, fly up there one-way, spend a few days flushing fuel, coolant, and oil, replacing the tires, battery, plugs, rad hoses, and belts and just generally going over the car with a fine-toothed comb. Once I deem the car roadworthy once again, I was seriously considering getting in it, firing it up, shooting down I-95 and not stopping until I reach my house, which is exactly 15hrs and 1000 miles away. Think it's doable? I'd love to hear your input on this.
And finally, here's an old picture for nostalgic effect:
02-25-14, 01:15 PM
#2
http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/storage.htm
It's a good read.
Sounds like a good plan to me but something I hear a lot about sitting cars is lost compression from failure to lubricate the apex seals, oil control ring failure for same reason or the apex seal spring tension being lost from sitting so long. During rebuild were you planning to replace everything or are you expecting to be able to re use a few hard parts (housings, etc.)?
There's a chance running a bad motor will destroy re useable hard parts.
Check for any rodent attacks on your harness and electrical system.
Change your fuel, and pressurize your fuel and oil before initial start. If you really want to comb over it id probably go about replacing the orings on the injectors and checking/deleting the FPD although some people may not say it's necessary.
Good luck!
It's a good read.
Sounds like a good plan to me but something I hear a lot about sitting cars is lost compression from failure to lubricate the apex seals, oil control ring failure for same reason or the apex seal spring tension being lost from sitting so long. During rebuild were you planning to replace everything or are you expecting to be able to re use a few hard parts (housings, etc.)?
There's a chance running a bad motor will destroy re useable hard parts.
Check for any rodent attacks on your harness and electrical system.
Change your fuel, and pressurize your fuel and oil before initial start. If you really want to comb over it id probably go about replacing the orings on the injectors and checking/deleting the FPD although some people may not say it's necessary.
Good luck!
02-25-14, 02:04 PM
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Yeah I was looking at that the other day. 
That's my only concern is that things will get stuck from sitting and the motor won't make any compression. I was going to dump a bunch of ATF in the plug holes, crank it manually and let it sit for a bit before firing it up for the first time. I drove on the motor in its current state for a few months, so I think whatever damage was done is already done. And yes, I was going to go over it to make sure there were no nests or anything and look over all the wiring.
That's my only concern is that things will get stuck from sitting and the motor won't make any compression. I was going to dump a bunch of ATF in the plug holes, crank it manually and let it sit for a bit before firing it up for the first time. I drove on the motor in its current state for a few months, so I think whatever damage was done is already done. And yes, I was going to go over it to make sure there were no nests or anything and look over all the wiring.How To Store Your RX-7
It's a good read.
Sounds like a good plan to me but something I hear a lot about sitting cars is lost compression from failure to lubricate the apex seals, oil control ring failure for same reason or the apex seal spring tension being lost from sitting so long. During rebuild were you planning to replace everything or are you expecting to be able to re use a few hard parts (housings, etc.)?
There's a chance running a bad motor will destroy re useable hard parts.
Check for any rodent attacks on your harness and electrical system.
Change your fuel, and pressurize your fuel and oil before initial start. If you really want to comb over it id probably go about replacing the orings on the injectors and checking/deleting the FPD although some people may not say it's necessary.
Good luck!
It's a good read.
Sounds like a good plan to me but something I hear a lot about sitting cars is lost compression from failure to lubricate the apex seals, oil control ring failure for same reason or the apex seal spring tension being lost from sitting so long. During rebuild were you planning to replace everything or are you expecting to be able to re use a few hard parts (housings, etc.)?
There's a chance running a bad motor will destroy re useable hard parts.
Check for any rodent attacks on your harness and electrical system.
Change your fuel, and pressurize your fuel and oil before initial start. If you really want to comb over it id probably go about replacing the orings on the injectors and checking/deleting the FPD although some people may not say it's necessary.
Good luck!
02-25-14, 02:06 PM
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I got some quotes to ship door-to-door, and it's looking like 900-1000 dollars to ship it in its current state. If I get it running first, the price drops to 600-700. I figured if I'm getting it running anyway, I may as well just slap a plate on it and drive it down, spending that $700 on a nice set of tires, which I'm going to need anyway. As for the airfare, I can make it a business trip and expense the ticket cost. 
02-25-14, 03:45 PM
#6
Yeah I was looking at that the other day. That's my only concern is that things will get stuck from sitting and the motor won't make any compression. I was going to dump a bunch of ATF in the plug holes, crank it manually and let it sit for a bit before firing it up for the first time. I drove on the motor in its current state for a few months, so I think whatever damage was done is already done. And yes, I was going to go over it to make sure there were no nests or anything and look over all the wiring.
That's my only concern is that things will get stuck from sitting and the motor won't make any compression. I was going to dump a bunch of ATF in the plug holes, crank it manually and let it sit for a bit before firing it up for the first time. I drove on the motor in its current state for a few months, so I think whatever damage was done is already done. And yes, I was going to go over it to make sure there were no nests or anything and look over all the wiring.
02-25-14, 03:47 PM
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Yeah I was on the fence about ATF vs premix. I have a gallon of Protek-R sitting in the car that I can use. I figured since I'm replacing the plugs anyway, it didn't matter much. I'll go with the premix.
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02-25-14, 05:26 PM
#9
I got some quotes to ship door-to-door, and it's looking like 900-1000 dollars to ship it in its current state. If I get it running first, the price drops to 600-700. I figured if I'm getting it running anyway, I may as well just slap a plate on it and drive it down, spending that $700 on a nice set of tires, which I'm going to need anyway. As for the airfare, I can make it a business trip and expense the ticket cost.
02-26-14, 05:47 PM
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I drove a fully blown motor around for about 5-6 months. Seal chipped and went out through the tailpipe I assume. If it's not rattling around in the turbo it's gone and you should be OK to drive assuming nothing else is wrong if you can start it. This advice was given to me by a rotory builder in the Bay Area before he took the car in to rebuild it.
I remember you BTW.
I remember you BTW.
02-27-14, 08:47 AM
#13
Definitely call around for shipping quotes. I just shipped my car from Virginia to Chicago last week and because it is not a direct shipping line I hot quotes for $700-850. I ended up having my friend put it on the national board and got it shipped for $550 door to door.
02-27-14, 12:08 PM
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Yeah I'm still calling around. If I can do it for 500-600 bucks, I'll just ship it. It'll allow me to spread the cost out of extra parts and FL registration and stuff. I'm still up in the air. I really don't want to stop for gas somewhere in SC and have the car decide to not start up again. Thanks for your input so far everyone!
Thanks for your input so far everyone!
02-28-14, 01:09 PM
#15
^ Haha just don't turn it off. Thats what I did when I had hot start issues. Although with the turbo tuff and a 3" exhaust people did look at me funny while I was filling up the car. It will probably be ok to drive it if you start off slow and just keep it consistent. If you're planning on rebuilding it anyway then it'll be fine. I drove My FD with a bad motor from San Luis, Central Coast Cali to Phoenix and back in a weekend and it made it just fine. I think the trip was about 1300 miles. It was still another few months before my motor finally blew so you could be just fine. If it fails rent a truck and a uhaul trailer for like $100 and tow it. That's what I ended up doing. The price to rent one of their pickups and front wheel tow trailers isn't too bad so it might be worth it because shipping companies tend to not care about your vehicle the way you do. If it's an open trailer you run the chance of the car being damaged by rocks, vandals, oil from cars above, and the winches they use to strap the cars down. My first car I had shipped via trailer from FL to CA and the roof was dented because of some straps they had used to winch the car down.
02-28-14, 02:56 PM
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Yeah hah, I'd just keep it running while filling up. One of the things that prompted me to want to drive it myself are all of the horror stories I've read about car transport companies. I'm still up in the air on the whole thing. Luckily, there's no deadline on any of this...
One of the things that prompted me to want to drive it myself are all of the horror stories I've read about car transport companies. I'm still up in the air on the whole thing. Luckily, there's no deadline on any of this...^ Haha just don't turn it off. Thats what I did when I had hot start issues. Although with the turbo tuff and a 3" exhaust people did look at me funny while I was filling up the car. It will probably be ok to drive it if you start off slow and just keep it consistent. If you're planning on rebuilding it anyway then it'll be fine. I drove My FD with a bad motor from San Luis, Central Coast Cali to Phoenix and back in a weekend and it made it just fine. I think the trip was about 1300 miles. It was still another few months before my motor finally blew so you could be just fine. If it fails rent a truck and a uhaul trailer for like $100 and tow it. That's what I ended up doing. The price to rent one of their pickups and front wheel tow trailers isn't too bad so it might be worth it because shipping companies tend to not care about your vehicle the way you do. If it's an open trailer you run the chance of the car being damaged by rocks, vandals, oil from cars above, and the winches they use to strap the cars down. My first car I had shipped via trailer from FL to CA and the roof was dented because of some straps they had used to winch the car down.
02-28-14, 10:15 PM
#19
They do a inspection on the vehicle before loading it which has to be signed off by the person shipping it. If you get the car inspect it before they leave and any damage done will be taken care of by the shipping company.
Also the quotes your getting are not unreasonable. You have to keep in mind that it may not be a direct shipping line which is why the price is higher. For me to ship a car from Chicago to newyork is like 550. From Chicago to Virginia beach my quotes were all like 750-850. Only due to the fact that it isn't a direct line.
Also the quotes your getting are not unreasonable. You have to keep in mind that it may not be a direct shipping line which is why the price is higher. For me to ship a car from Chicago to newyork is like 550. From Chicago to Virginia beach my quotes were all like 750-850. Only due to the fact that it isn't a direct line.
02-19-15, 06:21 PM
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Yearly Thread Update :D
OK so for those who remember this thread from last year, I was just up in Philly last week, and spent a day trying to get the car running. Here's what I did:
* Changed the oil and filter
* Replaced the single drive belt (No AC/PS)
* Put some oil in the leading plug holes and turned the engine by hand
* Cleaned the spark plugs up and was ready to install new ones after getting the car running since the old ones would probably foul
* Drained the old gas through the fuel pump assembly port and replaced it with 6 gallons of 93 octane plus some premix
* Replaced the old seized pump with a Pep Boys special just to get fuel to the engine
* Connected a brand new battery in the hatch
I could get the car to crank pretty well, but it just would not start. I wasn't getting any power to the pump at all, so I ended up jumping 12V from the battery directly to the pump to get it going. I was able to get fuel to the front of the car, but it wasn't making it into the engine as evidenced by the plugs not getting any fuel on them. At this point, I'm thinking that I've got either stuck injectors or a wiring issue affecting the pump and injectors. I'll most likely just get the car shipped down to my house in FL and play with it as time permits.
I'd also like to give Jesus Padilla a quick shout out for being awesome. I was frustrated at the situation and decided to ask him a question over txt msg, not expecting him to even reply since it was a Sunday. He received my message and immediately called me back, spending around 30 minutes walking me through a few things. The man is awesome and I can't wait for him to build me a nice motor once I get the car down here. Should be fun!
* Changed the oil and filter
* Replaced the single drive belt (No AC/PS)
* Put some oil in the leading plug holes and turned the engine by hand
* Cleaned the spark plugs up and was ready to install new ones after getting the car running since the old ones would probably foul
* Drained the old gas through the fuel pump assembly port and replaced it with 6 gallons of 93 octane plus some premix
* Replaced the old seized pump with a Pep Boys special just to get fuel to the engine
* Connected a brand new battery in the hatch
I could get the car to crank pretty well, but it just would not start. I wasn't getting any power to the pump at all, so I ended up jumping 12V from the battery directly to the pump to get it going. I was able to get fuel to the front of the car, but it wasn't making it into the engine as evidenced by the plugs not getting any fuel on them. At this point, I'm thinking that I've got either stuck injectors or a wiring issue affecting the pump and injectors. I'll most likely just get the car shipped down to my house in FL and play with it as time permits.
I'd also like to give Jesus Padilla a quick shout out for being awesome. I was frustrated at the situation and decided to ask him a question over txt msg, not expecting him to even reply since it was a Sunday. He received my message and immediately called me back, spending around 30 minutes walking me through a few things. The man is awesome and I can't wait for him to build me a nice motor once I get the car down here. Should be fun!
02-19-15, 09:35 PM
#21
water pump. aparently the shft seal gets hard, then it will begin to leak after a few hundered mies. t least thats what happened to my FD which was stored for 10 years.
