Is there a sticky on WHEN it is time to rebuild?
 

I just got my 88 back on the road, and I think it is time for me to breakdown my 94 and rebuild. I have decided to park it until I am ready - hopefully no more than a few weeks to a month or so.

What percentage of rotary engines will destroy themselves when they fail? Is it a relatively low or high percentage?

Does a thread exist where people list the symptoms they noticed - if any - right before the end. I think this would be helpful because people who list their symptoms could get confirmation from others who have experienced the same thing - or, they could get a fix for that symptom and move forward.

Is there a consolidated thread on this subject? it seems to me it would be great if there was a sticky posted somewhere on when it is best to stop driving the car and prepare for a rebuild - before it blows - taking out a number of valuable parts like rotors and housings.

compression check, if low-rebuild
dont know about any sticky for that

Compression check is the first give away

Another is hard HOT starting

Burning oil or coolant

If those check out ok, drive it

Thanks for the feedback, but performing a compression test every few weeks is not practical. What I am speaking of is external signs.

For example:

Back in 1985 I had my first rotary go. I remember just before it quit marveling at how free and powerful it seemed to running. At the same time, it was puffing a lot of smoke every time I down shifted or coasted and then decelerated.

Recently:

One of my current rotaries - a FD has been consuming a lot of oil - about a quart per hundred miles. I parked it a few days ago because last time out of the barn it had an "odd" idle and actually quit the last time it was started - something it never did before that I remember.

Riding home, I looked through the rear view and could see a series of oil puffs coming out of the pipe. I do not want to have the engine turn even once more for fear it will eat something - so, I'll pull it and take a look inside.

These are the kinds of things - along with the result of an internal inspection that I think would make a good stickie.

Try searching...This whole forum is a collection of symptoms and diagnoses.

Sounds like your oil rings are gone, and it won't eat itself. When they do eat themselves it happens in an instant. Worst you'll do now is cost yourself some bearings, and you'd have to work at it. It might be just be your turbos going. You don't have to check your compression every few weeks. You have to check it when something goes wrong. You can do it with a simple pressure gauge. You don't need a special tester to tell if it's broke. Thats what you need to tell how the compression is on a well running engine.

Thanks, Soon as I get my Vert PS replaced, I'll check the compression.

You don't need a Sticky to tell you it's time to rebuild.
The engine will automatically tell you when it's gonna attack your bank account!

(Me?..leisurely drive..enjoying life..went to upshift and Poof!..pukka ,pukka pukka....instant Bank account withdrawal!..no warning!)

I know it's been a while but I decided to take my TT back out of the garage today. The convertible is running fine (although I get no heat or air - <- that seems to be the last issue with it.

I parked the TT because it had been smoking and had an odd cadence to the idle. To be honest, I had intended to try to figure it out, but other life happened and the car sat for a about 20 months. Now I need the garage space to work on another project so I decided to see what is what with the TT...

So, I ordered a compression tester from Australia and...

I ran it up to temperature... It started right away - as usual, it has never had hard or cold starting issues. (outside of the click, click, click, start - which is also rare since I bypassed the security system) , I started it, ran it up to temperature and then performed a compression test.

These are the results:

Rear Rotor Tested first with Front rotor plugs in place, and then I tested the front without replacing the Trailing plug in the rear.

Rear PSI: 101...097...101 RPM = 244
Front PSI: 116...116...115 RPM = 260

Any comments?

I will take it out sometime after the engine cools and I replace the plugs. I also have to find it's registration sticker before taking it out.

I will report back how it runs.

In the meantime I also have to decide what to do about it's instrument cluster... The Speedo, Tach, and ODO have all stopped working.

BTW, anyone have any idea why I can't upload pictures? They get to 90% complete on one file and then stall the browser.

Those compression numbers don't require a rebuild. They look pretty OK. That said, wouldn't hurt to fresh it up if you had that luxury.

Thanks for the analysis... A few days ago, I was tripping over so many threads where people posted their numbers. Now that I want to see them for comparison, I cannot find the,

I will wait for a rebuild... I have other fish to fry in the car.

Again, I appreciate the input.

No worries, I use google to search the forums. Just type "site:www.rx7club.com" before your keywords.

Found a post mentioning minimum spec is 85psi: https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generati.../#post10901404

It'll depend on your variety of powerplant, but 100psi is considered "good" for any of them, excepting maybe the rx8 for which that would be on the low side according to the spec.

It's also listed our in the FSM's which are findable by google search, pretty positive.