HEy i'm looking to buy an rx7 soon. i'm aware of the reliability mods. But i'm curious, some people have a perfect reliable rx7 while othere are still in and out of the shop? And will rotary engines blow from normal daily driving??? like 75-80mph on the highway??? and what actually can go wrong in the engine bay when something goes wrong? what is it usually? i'm confused about this topic. and if u couuld help me out that would be great. i tried the searches , but one contradicted another and so on.... thanx!

 

This thread could easily contradict itself just as much as the others you found........

 

No two FD's are the same. About the only problem that seems to be common is the occassional oil leak. Even that has its randomness as to where it's located.

Same thing with engine reliability. There are people well over 100k on the original motor. However, when I bought mine a few years back, at 45k it already needed a rebuild (yes, that sucked).

If reliability is a concern, get a Civic.

 

I have read several post from people that have drove there cars as daily drivers for like 100k + and not had any problems. And some folks put engine after engine in. I can say that all of the bad things that have happened to my FD are either my fault (ie overboost, going after power b4 reliability, etc...) or the crap ball people from the past that have done work on my car. The car itself has been a real good car it just dos'nt like to be treated bad.

 

Originally posted by Mahjik
No two FD's are the same.
On the same note, no two FD owners are the same.


If reliability is a concern, get a Civic.
Or any Honda. My roommate has a '90 Prelude with 185K on it and it runs great. If you're die-hard on an RX-7, then you should consider the older N/A models. The SA, FB, and FC have been know to last 200Kmi+ with proper maintenance. They wont burn holes in your wallet either.
On the other hand, if power, style, handling, and the feeling of owning a rare sports car are your main concerns, then FD it is.

 

I am currently replacing the motor in a 93 touring with 86k miles.
Blown Seals have many causes:
Not enough fuel
heat soaked inner cooler
these two things being a major factor.
There are many many other small items that can cause problems. The worst problem that I have found is 10 to 20 small problems at the same time.
While pulling this car apart, I found 6 vacuum lines either pinched completely shut, cracked or not in place even before I removed the intake manifold. The vacuum line on the map sensor was OFF as well.

FD's are the ULTIMATE love/hate relationship. To own this car you must TRIPLE check everything.
I never even drive my FD without checking all of the fluids each time...

my advice: if you want to own one of these cars, LEARN everything you can about it and NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER NEVER take it to a dealer...

Good Luck...

 

is there any way to tell whether the engine was messes around with?!?!?! I DON'T WANNA BE MY CAR'S BIT**! I tried to learna s much as i could, its just so much, do u guys know about any good books on the mazda rx7? or rotary engines?

 

aznlighting2002: man relax! i got my FD around 10 months ago. i had similar concerns like yourself. before i got my FD i purchased two books on rx7s (not many out there, and the ones that are out there arent as informative/interesting). i knew nothing about an FD before i got it (except that its beautiful, and drives like a tiger).

but now, i am so glad that i got this car. i am in complete love with the car. worked a little bit on the car (vacuum hose replacement, spark wires replacement, waterthermosensor replacement, tps adjustment, idle adjustment), and now i feel comfortable about the engine mechanics. (btw: the best way to learn the mechanics of the car is by working on it yourself- theres plenty of how-to information on the web)

but honestly, its not a reliable car. the probablity of a random malfunctioning of a part in an FD is much higher than that of any other car with the same number of miles and one which is driven the same way. if you dont mind maintaining the car, then i say go for it!

i take my car out, and every time i get complemented by someone or the other. it is definitely a chick magnet. and it can shut the peeholes of many drivers in other performance cars.