Gun

When I get my first FD I want to learn how to work on it myself. I wan to be able to change out parts like the turbos , DP, etc.. my self . I was wondering how hard is it to do these things so I can save a little money on labor charges? :p
What have been you guys experience with your FD? Hard or not?

Gun

65Imp

iTrader: (8)

-At first you're gonna spend a lot on TOOLS the more the spend the less you'll cry, and the lower your medical bills.
-patience is a virtue, you'll always need to remember when working on your car
-As long as you don't expect to drive it relatively soon, go ahead and DIY. There is a learning curve and you will be slow the first time. The forum and a knowledgeable friend will take you a long way.
-Get to know Fabrication, body, paint, welding shops that can hook ya up, as well as a performance store or two, and definately a rotary specialist (for when you screw up).

djantlive

It's not as easy to work as as most American cars that have more space under hood. However, sites like this have great information and lots of help when you need it.

So, it's not too hard since you've got lots of people who have done the same job and are willing to offer great how-to instructions.

With tools, it's worth spending $70-100 buying a 150 pc set from Costco or something. If you don't work on cars all day, you don't really need $300 set of tools from Craftsman or $700 set from Snap On.

wickedrx7

iTrader: (14)

Here is a lost of things you will need to do
-get a service manual(vary interesting to read)
-get a good set of tools, it is a lifetime investment as long as you don't lose them (craftsman for weekend mechanic)
-serch the forum for answers before asking, I am sure someone has asked before you
-Allow lots of time to do the repair, take your time (ie don't try to install a DP sunday afternoon and you need the car monday)
-learn all you can about what you are going to do before you jump in.
-Last, have fun, and if you get frustrated take a break

Dr Wankel

Wicked,

Thats a good list but you forgot one thing. -------Always plan on spending about 5X what you think it will cost to fix something because you will probably find a bunch more stuff to fix when you tear into it.

bajaman

All good advice. I do have to day that spending bucks on GOOD tools is definitely worth it. CRAFTSMAN is absolutely good enough for a weekend mechanic, as far as hand tools go. But you need to consider the future too. One of the worst things is NOT having the right tool for the job. NOT having the right tool makes some 1 hour jobs turn into 2 DAY jobs. As a kid helping my dad work on cars, we literally only had a small socket set, open end wrenches, a hammer, pliers, etc. And we did some very involved work.
It sucked.
As I started working on my own stuff, I decided that NEVER AGAIN would I curse and cry in frustration simply because I didn't have the right tool. So over the years I have bought thousands of dollars worth of tools. Some things I bought I have used only once, BUT I have that tool if I need it again. When I had a diesel Audi (one of several Audis I have owned) it required special tools that I have to this day.

The best thing to do when tackling a job on an FD is to RESEARCH the problem, ask for advice. Knowing the right approach, knowing what to remove to make your life easier, is invaluable.

Now, having said all that, I WILL say that I WON'T tear into the internals of a rotary. That, in my opinion, is best left to those with the experience of having done it several times before.

I've rebuilt, from the ground up, just about every piston engine there is. But I won't do rotaries....well, not unless I could find a salvage motor and tinker with it extensively beforehand.

3rdGenLuvr

Since everyones bringing up tools. I agree on spending the money the first time and buy quality stuff.........craftsman is fine!
But learn from other ppl's mistakes. I would suggest learning about different hand tools and finding out how they're supposed to be used. I cant even recall all the times a particular job was prolonged or worse yet damaged cuz I didnt have the right tool(s). There is a wealth of tools out there for many different tasks make your life easier and learn about them before breaking somethng.

Also be sure to bookmark every RX7 how-to site there is.....they cover alot of the projects you'll probably want to get involved in.

IMHO, the RX7 isnt that much worse than many other cars out there in terms of working space under the hood. Hell they even put the oil filter up on top for ya!

Like a few of the guys said above.....PATIENCE and TIME is key to successful DIY mods.
(quick story- many yrs ago when I was younger, I wasnt too patient and had a bad temper to boot. Well I was doin some work on my ShelbyZ (STOP LAUGHING!) and I was having a hell of a time getting the airbox lid off. I broke a tab and clip trying to muscle it.....I temporarily went insane and punched my fender (ouch and dent) and then picked up my screwdiver and stabbed my battery!!! Assanine I know but it did help me cool down.......a few $$$ later all was like new) < Dont let this happen to you!

Gdluck!!!!!

Toadman

Agreed...don't take shortcuts in anything, as much as you want her back on the road. Relax(breathe deeply), do it right, think, and hang out here for help. Stress/hurry = sloppy mistakes. It's like working on a Cessna, where you can't afford cutting corners just to get back in the air.

Gun

Thanks Guys. Once I get my FD I will try and hook up with some others who have them in my area. The closet FD that I know of is about an hour away. But once I get a FD it will be worth the drive to get some first hand XP on them.

thanks again
Gun