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Got a 1981 FB with a stock 12A. 64k Miles. I bought it knowing it had an oil leak and it would just be something I’d have to deal with. Does anyone know what this could be?
rebuild is the only way to properly fix the issue. the "when" part of the question is really a matter of how fast you're losing the oil and/or how annoyed you get with it.
rebuild is the only way to properly fix the issue. the "when" part of the question is really a matter of how fast you're losing the oil and/or how annoyed you get with it.
I’m definitely loosing oil, but I check the oil so often that I’m not really concerned about the engine running out. It’s a slow leak. When I have the funds and work out some other issues I’ll rebuild. When I do eventually rebuild, what other parts/gaskets etc. should I replace?
at minimum, you will want to get the gasket kit - which unless things have changed, comes with the main seals, water seals and o-rings. with 64k miles, one might think the engine should be in good shape, so your hard seals would spec out, and you shouldn't need to replace them. so your perfect scenario would be springs and oil seal o-rings. however, life doesn't usually work like that, so it's probably best if you wait until you pull it apart and clean everything so you can see what you will need. keep in mind, depending on your budget, a full rebuild kit is also an option/
at minimum, you will want to get the gasket kit - which unless things have changed, comes with the main seals, water seals and o-rings. with 64k miles, one might think the engine should be in good shape, so your hard seals would spec out, and you shouldn't need to replace them. so your perfect scenario would be springs and oil seal o-rings. however, life doesn't usually work like that, so it's probably best if you wait until you pull it apart and clean everything so you can see what you will need. keep in mind, depending on your budget, a full rebuild kit is also an option/
Thanks for the advice! Regardless of the wear and tear of the engine I’m planning on replacing all the gaskets just so I won’t have to tear it open again for a while.
Regardless of the wear and tear of the engine I’m planning on replacing all the gaskets just so I won’t have to tear it open again for a while.
just for clarity ... in the rotary lexicon, there's a difference between gaskets and seals and o-rings.
gaskets do exactly what they do on any other engine. however, there is no gasket that will ever require you to open the engine itself to change. some are super easy (intake), some are way more work (front cover, oil pan).
seals (and o-rings) can be outside (front and rear main), but most are inside, and they can be hard or soft (insert phallic joke here ). most importantly, some can mean life or death for a rotary - they can be akin to head gaskets or piston rings, depending on which seal you're speaking about.
