enigma662

Ok, just tried to start my car, it had a difficult time starting, and then started shaking the whole car when it tried to idle. When I shut it off, it made a loud squeaking noise. The only thing different I noticed was last night, the last two times I started the car, it bogged down a little bit, then started and idled normally. It hasn't been overheated, oil level is normal, could the oil not be getting to the rotors?

Rocking Rotary

iTrader: (14)

Do a compression check

gotorx7

Pull the plugs and do a compression check before you touch anything else...

enigma662

Ok will do, why would it make a squeaking noise when shut down though?

Rocking Rotary

iTrader: (14)

Do the compression check and see were you are. It costs less to rebuild a running engine that an a non running engine. Is the squeaking when the key is on and the car running or when the car has the key off after running??

enigma662

It starts up roughly, starts shaking, and when I turn the ignition to off, it winds down and makes a loud squeak, like something rubbing maybe?

enigma662

Now here's what I don't understand: Why would it have been running smoothly last night, and then when I start it up today, be violently shaking? What could have happened while the car was sitting overnight?

black93RX7

Were you driving the car hard last night?

mad_7tist

make sure the ac compressor is not siezed. map hose etc.. check the dumb easy stuff first

enigma662

I went WOT a few times last night, then went easy for about a mile and ran the fans before stopping. Temp gauge was normal, idled fine, etc. Started the car about an hour later, started a little rougher than usual, but then felt fine. Drove to another place, never went WOT, everything felt fine. Stopped for two hours, started again, felt the same as last time, started a bit rough, then felt fine. Drove it easy all the way home, stopped, idled it with the fans on, shut it off, left the fans running for a bit, then turned them off and went to bed. Tried to start it today, started shaking on me. And that's the whole story hehe.

kuroi FD

hopefully its the map sensor hose its located on the fire wall.

rebuild FD

another 13B-REW bites the dust

I was at RX-7 World this weekend and it was kind of sobering to see this HUGE pile of e-shafts, rotor housings, and rotors he had piled up....most in pretty sad shape

enigma662

*sigh* There's no possibility it could be sugar in the gas tank or anything like that right? Is it the fact that it's a cold start why it's shaking so bad?

rebuild FD

the shaking is the death cry of the rotary....it means you have a blown seal(s)...check to be sure the map sensor next to the brake master cylinder is hooked up just to be sure, but it definitely sounds like a blown engine to me

I know it's very depressing....been there (twice)

enigma662

Oh well. Guess maybe I'll get a sportbike now and put the FD on the backburner while I save some money. I don't understand though, how could it have blown a seal overnight? Could it have blown during startup??

rebuild FD

it is unusual not to notice the shaking/poor idle immediately after a hard run

or perhaps you cracked a seal and it just took awhile to let go

rebuild FD

good man

go buy a GSXR1000 and flog the crap out of it without any concerns

and they run 9s straight out of the crate....gotta love it

enigma662

[QUOTE=rebuild FD]I've always wanted a sportbike, and if I spend thousands getting the FD rebuilt and something else happens to it, i'm stuck driving a Galant for months and months... FD may just have to come second.

pugg57

blasphemere!!! anyways... yeah, just keep checkng the stupid little things... so far, all my issues have been stupid little things that SEEMED like they could have been huge horrible car-life ending autrocities.

DaveW

Rough running at start-up MAY be a sign of a leaking coolant seal allowing water into the combustion chamber. This would account for it happening over night.

Other signs of this are coolant loss and excessive white smoke (steam) at startup. Pull the plugs and see if any of them are coated in coolant, and do a pressure test on the cooling system to see if it leaks down.

If you haven't already, search for "coolant seal" or "coolant leak" threads. There are many threads on these subjects.

If a coolant seal has failed, the proper repair is a full rebuild, but some people have used "Block Weld" or other sealants with some success. there are threads on this, also.

Hyperite

Man, I wouldn't jump to conclusions of a blown engine just yet (although coolant seals require the same fix). Your hard run might have gone a bit lean and overheated the housings, warping them, and breaking the coolant seals a bit. You'll be "ok" for hot starts, but cold starts are a bitch....it'll feel really shakey, sound strange, and (mine) will run on one rotor for a bit until the coolant is cleared out of the combustion chamber. The reason for the more difficult cold starting is that say, overnight, coolant has a long time to seep past the seals.

I second the motion for a compression check, but even easier is a cooling system pressure check.

As for the squeak, I know you said your temperatures were normal when you shut down, which is contrary to what I'm going to suggest you check: water pump. Actually...all the pumps. Water, Air pump, and A/C compressor are what I would expect to be the squeeking culprits.

Rated R1

Did you check the MAP sensor yet?

OneRotor

iTrader: (3)

could have possibly blown during startup, if a big enough chunk of carbon flaked off of the rotor face, it could have gotten lodged between an apex seal and the housing and chipped/cracked the seal. get a compression test, and pressure test the cooling system

enigma662

Ok, I'm thinking it may be a coolant seal, started it again today, this time waited it out, and the shaking stopped and it smoothed out after about 30-45 seconds. Took it for a drive, felt exactly as it did a couple days ago before the problem started. I did notice when I stopped the car that it was dripping coolant from the far front passenger side corner, right under the coolant reservoir there. I've gotten the low coolant buzzer a few times, refilled it each time. It does seem to lose coolant over time. Would this fit perfectly with the coolant seal leak?

Hyperite

Ding ding ding...see post #21