whats up guys, im new here and new to the rx7 scene . as u can tell from my name i am a camaro fan. but things are changing in life and im switching to rotarys,
i found this rx7 for a killer deal.runs and drives great. has 104k miles. what do u need to know on owning a rotary, i only know that u cant use synthetic oil. anything else i should know?

 

Check the flow of the oil metering pump. It supplys oil to lubricate the apex and side seals, as well as helping to provide a seal for compression. The reason I recommend this is because there has been alot of talk about rebuilt motors not lasting as long as the original. (I know you don't say you have a rebuilt or replaced motor, but bear with me)
I bought an 87 with a Mazda rebuild in it. With 20k on it, I decided to check the pump output. It was half of what it should have been (at the specified rpm, 2000 I think). The rod had been put back on with the wrong clearance and instead of 1mm of clearance, there was 5mm. It didn't even engage until 1500 rpm or more.
I don't know if it has had an effect or not, but if the motor or pump has been replaced, it may not be adjusted correctly. Since this is crucial to combustion chamber sealing and seal lubrication, it needs to be working, and, maybe, could be a contributing factor to shortened engine life. Theoretically.
Since the oil injectors sit on top of the motor, they may 'cook' and clog, too (I have no corroboration of this, just makes sense, but it happens to the bearings in turbos). Haven't checked those yet. If they are clogged, no oil goes thru, no matter what the pump is doing.

Things to check:
TPS
engine codes
compression
clogged cats (high fiber diet works! )
lower front strut mounts rust through
thermostat (does it work properly?)
check for vacuum leaks
etc,

 

well i just got home, its a 88 not a 87, sorry i misread the add .i drove it home 55 miles. only problems i got is the stupid idle. when its in nurtuel it has a 1k rpm diffrence, like for instance. its sopose to idle at 1k, instead it over laps. goes from 1k-2k on and on and on. sometimes when i came to a stop it just started to rev high by its self!. to stop the self revving i had to hit the gas pedal a couple times, although i didnt feel no sticking, i duno what it could be.
as far as cooling the guy put a new waterpump in,new plugs and wires. the oil pressure gauge doesnt work...were on the motor can i hook a aftermarket guage up? i just need to know were i can put the oil line at. about the temp gauge. it sits about a 1\4 up from the C.so it looks like it keeps cool. i also dont think theres a thermostat in the car. is that good or bad for the car?im use to my sbc motors so i never used 1 on my motors. thats about it. other then that the gas pedal is very touchy, like i barely touch it and the car will jerk yur head back a bit

 

o yeh, i forgot to add that theres 1 cat instead of 3 for better air flow.

 

88's are very much like 87's. The only real difference I've found is that the resistance of the fuel injectors is different. 86-88 all had 3 cats originally (nonturbos, at least).
Mazdatrix sells an adapter plate that goes under the oil filter to hook up both an oil pressure gauge and an oil temp gauge, $40 or so.
If you do not have a thermostat in the car, you should put one in. If your not sure if it has one, do the old test of starting it cold and see if the radiator stays cool while the engine gets hot, then very suddenly gets hot as the thermostat opens. The consensus is that the Mazda part is the best.
My car does a similiar idle thing but it settles down to 800 when warm. Turn on the a/c and see how that affects the weird idle. If it changes it (smooths it out) I would check the valve (BAC or ACV, don't recall which off hand) that is related. Could be sticking. Speaking of sticking, check the throttle linkage and lube it.
I'm not one of the forum experts, by any means, just some of things I've had to deal with.
There is a 'search' function that may be of more help to you. It will come up with an 'enormous' amount of stuff, so be patient.
Good Luck.

Oops!- Forgot one thing, check and clean inside around the throttle plates. Could be some muck that causes them to stick erratically. If you have cruise control, check that the cable isn't too tight. Same for the throttle cable.

 

i found the problem with the idle. found out to be the little idle screw was allllllll the way in. now it idles at like 900. im still tryin to find out why the idle screw went all the way down on the 1hour ride home.i also sprayed wd-40. then i noticed antifreeze come out from this ruond piece in the top of the radiator. i guess it never ends

 

End? You mean it's suppose to?

 

ahh that lovely place on top of the radiator..

if you find a way to cause it to quit leaking let me know

we've tried everything from jb weld to steel putty.. it STILL leaks.

 

i put on this gasket maker. its blue in color. bout 3 dollers at the parts store. i had it sittin for 15 mins or so and started it up teared up my driveway poped the hood and all i saw was a bubble were the anti freeze wants to come out. but i seen no leaks.

 

Adjust the TPS. This could cause a looping idle. So can a vacuum leak, clogged filters(air/fuel) and other regular maintenance items.

Make sure you have a genuine OEM Mazda thermostat. They work better than any parts store brand.

There are too many things that can go wrong and cause crazy oil pressure and engine damage. Make sure that the sender is hooked up. This is why oil pressure should be monitored:
http://mazdatrix.com/faq/oring.htm
http://fc3s-pro.com/TECH/HOWTO/OTB/otb.html

Change the oil/filter frequently. I do every 2000 miles. The car is oil injected and should burn some. Top off regularly(oil should be checked with every tank of gas until burn rate is measured). If you want, you can remove the MOP and run premix in the gas tank.

You can buy the haynes service book for like $15 and download the FSM from:
http://fc3s.org/
http://teamfc3s.org/main/
http://www.iluvmyrx7.com/

You can also buy the racingbeat/mazdatrix/hayes rotary catalogs. They are good reading and worth every cent.

There is no scientific or proven reason on not running synthetic oil. Some people say it causes carbon buildup. Combustion temperature is hot enough to burn off any oil. But, because of the recommended frequent changes, cost is usually the best reason not to run synthetic.

New gaskets/seals/orings/hoses/clamps etc. should stop any/all fluid leaks.
http://mazdatrix.com/b8.htm

Owning an RX7 and learning rotary specific knowledge go hand in hand. The learning never stops.

http://www.mazdamotorsports.com

 

i hope there is still someone looking at this forum: for a long time now i've been dreaming about getting an fd for my first car - although i pretty much have the money now i feel like i'm too young (i'm 19, almost 20) to own my dream car. so i'm thinking about getting a turbo II for me to learn RWD on and if i were to wreck that i'm not out too much money. this one TII i've been looking at is an 87 w/ 150,000 miles on it for $2,500...good deal? whats the engine life like on an fc (i know its better than an fd but how much?)

 

i posted that question here now:
https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...hreadid=132064

 

hey forty, i got my 88 for sale if yur intrested. i got bored of it already, im lookin for a turbo 2 so i can tinker with turbos. email me if yur intrested