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Good bones
Hello all I’m excited to begin my adventure with rotors. I covered the story of how I came to be the proud owner of this very original and complete fc in my introduction to the forum I’ll try to add a link. It’s my first Mazda and also first time contributing to a forum or anything online really so I’ll try my best.
Quick background the car was last running with the second owner in 05. I just happened to stumble upon it parked in field off my usual beaten path in northern Wisconsin. I’ve always loved the look of the second gen my older sister had 3 while growing up I’ve wanted one ever since. Speaking to the owner he was a muscle car guy no real mechanical knowledge of these engines and in these rural areas information wasn’t all that easy to come by not many people had internet. He described his challenge in finding the plugs and fuel pressure regulator that cured the first time it failed on him the second time he said mice or something made a nest in the air cleaner he cleaned it and it ran once more said it ran just fine and the next time it wouldn’t start. He said he tried to get it running a handful of times and then just stored it till 2 years ago it got evicted from his garage. I couldn’t pass this car up I tried my best to give it a good look in tall grass and everyone knows you can only press your head so far in the ground trying to see under these things. https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...6dd1c8e8f.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...82ead7b78.jpeg I wasn’t really looking to start another project at this time I had a thing about collecting early liquid cooled vws and I finally accepted that I only need maybe 2 cars or 3 or but oh well I might just have to let someone else build them. I don’t have much extra cash to put in this and even less time during this stage of life so it’s going to be a long restoration. Lots of work can be achieved and only costs your time. So it’s kind of cool for me to share this experience with everyone I’ve never worked on a Mazda and nobody around me knows anything about them. I also haven’t looked under the hood much till I took these pictures so it’s almost like we all get to see what’s going on with this particular car together. I don’t like to look at manuals online I find it super inconvenient and hard to focus so I’d love to hear your recommendations on any manuals. I would love to have a factory service manual but the only one I’ve found was 300 or so and for that price I’ll deal with swiping pages and not flipping them. A reprint would be sweet if anyone has any leads. Thanks https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...2705b94b2.jpeg It’s cold here 2 nights ago when I started it was 5 below. I’m a mechanic so my good tools I leave at the shop and only haul a few things with me also my garage is a mess I procrastinated on getting my place ready for winter and the first snow we got 2 1/2 feet and a bunch of stuff ended up in the garage for now anyway I hope you enjoy my tool warmer lol I was asked about the condition of the body and rust situation in my first post I’ll try to make links from one to the other when I figure out how to do it lol here’s some pics but the only rust I’ve found so far is a small spot on the firewall and rain tray or wiper area whatever and I found that the master cylinder has a slow leak and took away the booster’s ability to fight the rust. It’s actually unbelievable to me the condition of it I work on 3 year old Chevy trucks around here with the frames rotting away I’m in the worst rust spot in the country I’m fairly certain. https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ee6f8da0c.jpeghttps://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...423da9358.jpeghttps://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...64fd91510.jpeghttps://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9319dd9f3.jpeg |
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...941ee0d3b.jpegThese crusty bolts came with minimal resistance I have to say I’m blown away by the build and material quality of these cars so far it’s just been a pleasure and I just have to stop and admire how intricate many of these panels are up front I didn’t know what to expect from Mazda but I’m so glad this car hasn’t been messed with in any way because the amount of screws and tin around the front end is amazing to me
https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f98fec72f.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...2a8ab6d88.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...cab14fed8.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...fb43669c4.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3ab4d8ee2.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...dd681e3e2.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...be981d8df.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...7cc6c98da.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b2d6a0e94.jpeg Driver side has zero issues from what I can tell I lifted the carpet as much as I could without having to remove anything it has slight corrosion on the hatch fuel levers. The spare tire area had about 2 inches of water I pressure washed the car before I brought it in the garage. I did hose it all down really well then checked for any signs of moisture and everything was dry so it seemed and proceeded to give my driveway a nice white speckle paint job. The hatch drains were plugged and filled with water when I brought it home so I had cleared and drained it wiped it down and was pretty surprised it hasn’t rusted from the two years sitting like that. |
https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...b1779c8ba.jpeg
The illustrations are just awesome https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...c5fb7a020.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...113d669e9.jpeg Track day in 05 https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...86b8b74ce.jpeg https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...2358ce55b.jpeg https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...7b14ca12b.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...4e3f4777d.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...af3ac4036.jpeg https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f253915d6.jpeg https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...6bdc9d010.jpeg A small amount of water came in the back after the was so I had to take some trim off to lift the carpet to dry but no rust and the spare tool kit is still complete even air in the tire https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...391a29467.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...fc167862c.jpeg the sunroof drain definitely leaked jacked it up on the driver side remove the body plugs pulled up the carpet and had fans and a heater going for half a week |
I said it in your introduction thread, but you scored really well with this car. Having BOTH factory 10th AE keys and having the car be complete is such a big win. This will make a very special car to clean up and revive, you have a lot of envious huge rotary nerds salivating for you. All the little details add up.
For the factory manuals, they are available digitally on https://foxed.ca/index.php?page=rx7manual The haynes manual can be SOMEWHAT helpful, and you can score one from ebay for $10 if you want something physical to flip through. The minimal amount of rust especially in the Midwest is incredible. I would check for leaves/trash under the cowl because that rust through is a little unusual, but overall this car is very nice given the conditions it lived through. Some good leather conditioner applied liberally in several steps could bring back the suppleness of the seats, as long as you clean them well first with warm soapy water. Be aware that some of the plastics become very brittle with age. Those triangle vents on the dash will crumble if you try to take them out. Ask me how I know. Super excited for you man, keep us updated as you discover more. I would recommend getting some ATF down into the engine to start it soaking, this will help free up stuck seals before you try to turn it over by hand. You can introduce it down through the intake and into the spark plug holes to get working. The longer it sits the better. Take your time and research anything you're unsure about, there's a TON of information on this forum that can answer mostly anything you need. Ask away if you get stuck. Best of luck |
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...0fea045e7.jpeg
The only jack scar passenger side https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...2bfb6c2d1.jpeg Everything is still there https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3da961a3e.jpeg Some of the only engine work I could find https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...720e3288b.jpeg Hmm https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...08a023cdb.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...9b87622c5.jpeg That better not be a tail https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...168c48e30.jpeg Yup the cooler became the engines last defense. Turbo puréed a whole mouse village https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...36b641b5b.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...2a6e10762.jpeg Shaft play wasn’t even that bad nothing worse then any ecoboost I’ve worked on https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...08dd72dc0.jpeg Both are lower plugs the burnt one was from the front So the thought never even crossed my mind that this engine would turn after 20 years i didn’t really even feel comfortable trying after a atf soak in fear of a seal or spring scoring or rust buildup in my experience cylinder holes have looked pretty frightening and I’ve seen some damage so I was fully expecting to just pull it and rebuild but while taking the fan off everything turned freely so I continued on to the plugs and found the burnt trailing plug on the front rotor. So that’s where I’m at I never even thought I’d be doing anything with the engine other than pulling it and bringing it into the basement for damage inspection and best case being able to rebuild it without having to buy everything. Now I don’t have a plan I put a little oil in the spark plug holes and turned it over slowly a few times and man it made beautiful whooshing even and on tempo sounding like each face is producing something. I’m amazed and so happy I can’t believe it. I don’t know what’s the best direction to take now I only had a few hours to play I think I found the issues that prevented it from starting all those years ago the combination of stuffy intake and blocked ports along with a bad plug but I’m not sure there not good things that’s for sure. whatever guidance you may have I’d be glad to hear it and I’d really like to hear any input you may have on paper manuals I’ll use the internet if I have to but I find it distracting and weird to go from the car to a screen it’s difficult for me. Have a nice day everyone don’t forget to smile |
@GtiKyle Thanks I’m very excited I did turn it over a handful of times with just some 5/20 I had on hand I should’ve just stopped and reported the findings. Tomorrow I will get some atf in there I have a hand fluid pump and can be resourceful with siphon action and turkey basterit doesn’t look to be a problem to get it in. Through the intake is it fine to just rotate the throttle plate I’m not used to so many cams and springs and sensors I am completely a baby in the woods with these I have decent common sense but this is all very foreign I’ll try to not let excitement get to me in the future. Thanks for helping me along
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Originally Posted by maplesyrup
(Post 12644867)
@GtiKyle Thanks I’m very excited I did turn it over a handful of times with just some 5/20 I had on hand I should’ve just stopped and reported the findings. Tomorrow I will get some atf in there I have a hand fluid pump and can be resourceful with siphon action and turkey basterit doesn’t look to be a problem to get it in. Through the intake is it fine to just rotate the throttle plate I’m not used to so many cams and springs and sensors I am completely a baby in the woods with these I have decent common sense but this is all very foreign I’ll try to not let excitement get to me in the future. Thanks for helping me along
If the engine spun freely with no resistance then there is likely no damage done from FORCING a stuck engine, so don't fret too much about that. |
that is going to clean up and be really nice. as mentioned the factory manuals are online, and i like paper too, but you can always print it
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https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...67a16b7ba.jpeg
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...37015d624.jpeg https://cimg5.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...d11ed3fa5.jpeg https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...5af1d6c39.jpeg Just a few pictures of what I found I’ll write more tomorrow after I get some sleep hopefully everyone has a better day than that injector lol |
Regarding the coolant passage buildup I personally don’t think it really comes out no matter how much you try to flush it without disassembly. Any opinions on the risk of just flushing the engine as well as possible? I don’t want to risk any engine damage but it would also be nice to get it running without the expense and time of rebuilding right off the bat. At 91k I would love to hit 120 before it needed a rebuild but I’m just going off a guess at this point that the engine is ok. I’ve had atf soaking for almost a week and turning it over by hand and adding fresh but it really sends it flying out the spark plugs which I think is a pretty good sign along with the wiring, bad plug, and bad airflow being factors of the mystery no start and not an internal engine failure. But first things first I’d like to hear what you guys think about the coolant if it was a straight 6 in a jeep I’d wipe it of with a finger and slap it back together but this is an animal of which I’m not familiar and the great lengths the engineers have gone in the name of cooling efficiency in the design it seems crucial. Thanks everyone have a great day
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As I said in my pm, I love this car and love what you're doing to it. Its not going to hurt to flush it out and see what you have. If it were my project, I would fix whats needed and flush the cooling system, clean the tank, check the injectors for good pulse and operation and go for it. Thats what I did with my 10AE thay was sitting. Had it running in less than a day of work! 82k miles when parked and it runs better than any FC that I've ever owned.
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Originally Posted by mazdaverx713b
(Post 12645070)
As I said in my pm, I love this car and love what you're doing to it. Its not going to hurt to flush it out and see what you have. If it were my project, I would fix whats needed and flush the cooling system, clean the tank, check the injectors for good pulse and operation and go for it. Thats what I did with my 10AE thay was sitting. Had it running in less than a day of work! 82k miles when parked and it runs better than any FC that I've ever owned.
I definitely understand the importance of cleaning the fuel system. It’s always amazed me how dirty a tank and everything can get. I’ve seen some pretty bad ones something about Subarus just take the cake. So when the time presents itself I’m going to keep cleaning and researching till I feel comfortable with the system and start reassembly. One thing I do want to modify for sure is the oil metering pump awhile back I saw something about using the factory pump but drawing from a reservoir instead of the dirty oil I need to find that information again. I refuse to premix because I won’t even add oil straight to my dirtbike tank I always shake it up in a can. I’m not knocking anyone who does I’m just not comfortable. If the pump is checked and properly adjusted I have faith in them. Anyway thanks for your input I’ll add updates whenever the project progresses. It’s nice to share with those who also find it fun and interesting most everyone I know just think I’m crazy. Safe travels space travelers |
The external tank you're thinking of is called a Sohn Adapter, which was a very popular modification for the rx8 crowd.
I'm not sure if anyone sells an s4 specific kit or not, I couldn't find it. |
I wanted to ask if you've made any progress with the car.
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I want this..
Good find. |
Small update
@mazdaverx713b thanks for asking sorry I haven’t put forth the effort to reply earlier but the morning I received the email notification you were checking in it made my day.
So some stuff happened and I’m no longer living in the same place and the car hauler I have is rather difficult to load such a low car and the snow doesn’t help any either. I take a look every time I pick up and drop off my daughter. It looks as anxious as I for spring to finally come and move to my new garage. I cleaned up a few small things before I lost access to it but I failed to take pictures of the after. I started at the beginning of the intake system and cleaned the air filter housing. It was rather not pleasant being what I believe the main hangout for the rodents. Most of the nasty drained into the airflow meter sorry if that’s the wrong name for it but I’m sure you know what I’m talking about. It was very crusty so I opened it up and as carefully as possible cleaned for a very long time. Managed to get the flapper to turn without any binding but from what I can remember there was a small plastic not sure how to describe it but somewhat transparent cap size of a pencil eraser that was in the airflow path. Hopefully if that has a function it will still work because it appeared have been submerged in mouse stuff with no way to disassemble it. After a quick search I found out a replacement is way more expensive than I expected as it resembles my old bmw and Toyota so fingers crossed. The throttle body is a very interesting piece nothing wanted to move and all the vacuum ports were completely blocked by mouse. It came out real nice though. It was kinda fun to watch the plates do their thing I really enjoy the thought and engineering that went into these engines even if half of it is there for emissions. After cleaning the turbo it does have some shaft play still not as bad as the k03s I’m more familiar with. I went ahead and opened the waste gate up comfortably within the flapper but still almost twice as good as it was. The hot side has some cracks at the mating surface on the thin divider and stating in the corners. I’ll probably put seals in it I found some good info on the forum for finding seals but have since forgot. I’m not too worried about the turbo from what I’ve read it sounds like an s5 is a good way to go if or when it comes to it. The intake manifolds and associated parts were next up it’s quite surprising to me how the stuff went through the vacuum system all of the smallest ports are clogged with mouse. It’s going to kill me to put that giant cat back on but I won’t have the funds to properly manage more airflow till at least mid summer. I need to finish and sell some of my vw collection I’ve been hoarding for years. I also thought it best to try and get it running in its entirety before removing things so I’m really hoping that after a good cleaning all the emissions stuff will still work. That’s pretty much where I had to leave it I should have asked earlier but can any harm come from leaving it saturated in atf for extended periods? The rotors and housings still have quite a bit in them when I was there I would turn it over every few days and put some more in but I haven’t touched it since January. We still have over 3foot snow banks all around the garage and driveway so it’s going to be some time before I can get it back on a trailer I’ll probably be able to grab the manifolds and and work on that stuff before I can get the car out I’ll take some pictures of the after cleaning then. Thanks everyone have a rocking day |
Couple pictures
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...031e9067f.jpeg
https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...f918303fb.jpeg https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...80f1b9eb8.jpeg https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...abadedfe5.jpeg https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...54edebac2.jpeg https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...07f29a5c7.jpeg This was the piece that I was wondering if it had a function maybe temp or something not sure please enlighten me if you can. This was mid clean but I couldn’t get it any better under that little cap I didn’t want to break something I did pop the cover off the potentiometer and everything looked good along with the connections to the pins but it was late and I didn’t put a dmm on it |
Originally Posted by GtiKyle
(Post 12645129)
The external tank you're thinking of is called a Sohn Adapter, which was a very popular modification for the rx8 crowd.
I'm not sure if anyone sells an s4 specific kit or not, I couldn't find it. https://www.rotaryaviation.com/store..._Adapters.html |
Omp
Thanks I noticed that but I don’t think anyone makes a commercially available one anymore. I did find a write up on how to modify the factory one sometime down the road I’ll try to source another pump on the marketplace or eBay and try to modify that one.
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