I don't know where to start looking. My '81 RX-7 over-heats when I'm in line at a drive-thought or just idling. My coolant is new and my K&N air filter is newly cleaned and oiled. The temp gauge starts to drop as soon as I get going again. Where do I look next or is this normal? Thanks!!

 

Different things can be wrong but has nothing to do with your airfilter. Looks like your fan is not working and only the ride wind cools the engine, it should spin while the car is at idle. I also would check if your car has no airpockets in the hoses and bleed them because you changed the coolant. I also would check the thermostat, maybe it doesn't open all the way anymore.

Be carefull NOT to overheat your rotary because they really do not like that with more fatal damage possible!

Succes

 

Thank you for your quick reply. I will check these things. I've only had the car 3 weeks and don't know what maint. it has had.

 

i agree. the fan clutch has gotten to the point it's not engaging the fan enough to draw the heat out of the rad while sitting still. u can try to find a replacement clutch, check here if someone has one they'll sell, or just go electric.

 

Assuming that the belt that runs the water pump is not loose, then you have a bad fan clutch.




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had the same prob with my 86 fan clutch wasnt working prop so i replaced it with electric fan, fixed it straight away

 

fan clutch or thermostat as the others say.

 

Either way it's an easyfix. Start wit the easy thermostat first then move onto the more complex

 

Suggesting that the thermostat is bad makes absolutely no sense. If it were the thermostat failing to open, then driving the car wouldn't cool it off either.

The fan pulls air through the radiator. The car moving forward, will accomplish the same thing. If he only overheats at idle (not moving), then he has a fan problem. Not a thermostat problem.

Not trying to be a jerk, but we don't want this guy wasting his time fixing things that aren't broke either.