i have a running 13b t but after checking the compression i realized it is lower than at should be along with other signs of the engine going bad like it having trouble starting hot, burning oil, and the super strange problem, i found that my oil cap has antifreeze on it!!! has anyone heard of that? Anyways back to the point, i was told that when deciding to rebuild i should change out my rotor housings for completely new ones along with ALL of the seals, O rings and such. If i were to just put in new apex seals that would be only a temporary fix it that true??? if so how temporary are we talking?

 

theres no way to tell..while the motors out and apart its just in your best interest to replace all those parts so you can ensure a healthy rebuild. just replacing the apex seals is a gamble.

 

well is there really a way to tell in what kind of condition your rotor housings are in? and is there a way to possibly remachiene the rotor housings of restore them because they are redicously expesive when buying new.

 

If your housings are in OK shape you shouldn't have to replace them (i.e. chunks missing, major scoring, etc...), but if you wanted optimal performance that would be the way to go. Getting the housings lapped if they are in good shape would also be a great idea. Sadly, there is no cheap way to get your motor rebuilt. You might want to look into low mileage imported Japanese motors, a rebuilt motor/getting yours rebuilt, or a re-manufactured engine from Mazda. All of these will be over $1,000 American.

 

Mazdatrix says a minimum of a rotor kit and gasket set. I'd get new housings if I were you just to make sure.

 

Wait untill you have the motor apart before deciding what to do.... I recently had my motor rebuilt because when I bought my rx7 I had no idea what condition the motor was in... I assumed it was bad (cause the engine wasn't put in correctly)and didn't want to attempt putting the car together just to pull the motor out cause it was bad.
However when I took it to precision, we pulled it apart... and the motor was immaculate... looked almost brand new, there were no chatter marks, no scoring, everything was perfect... but my seals were stuck because the motor sat for so long. All I needed was all new seals and gaskets... we replaced the bearings to be safe, lapped the housings, cleaned the rotors and bridge ported it.

Before anyone flames me for buying an rx7 that I didn't know the condition of, hold your thought... I got it in immaculate condition minus it running for 5000 bucks. Only one small door ding, black interior is in perfect condition, and the motor was practicly brand new (but I didn't know that nor did the previous owner). Mines an fd however.

 

thats a good idea i think im just going to wait until i got the motor torn apart. also probably going with a bridge port and 3 mm apex seals i wan to make this motor faster than it was when i got it.

 

There is a very good list of minimum rebuild parts and purchase prices/locations/part numbers in the 2nd gen section Archive.

There are internal seals that MUST be replaced, seals and springs that should be replaced, and some things that a lot (but not all) of people just leave in.

A lot of people don't want to chance sizing new side seals to their motors, and so just reuse the ones that were in it. Some people trust themselves or know someone to size these, and that is the best way to get maximum compression out of your engine.

I can't really go into detail at the moment, but that thread along with Iceblue's rebuild thread, and AaronCake's project TINA build threads are gold for rebuild questions.