2ndGen_Kevin

i just got an 87 rx7, i had recently started it up a few nights ago and it seems that there is coolant burning in the motor. I heard that this is caused by a bad coolant seal. it also sometimes clicks when i attempt to turn it over, i've also heard that this is caused by a symptom known as carbon lock. I'm just looking for some verification on this information and if these are the problems with my motor what can i do to fix them??

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

How do you know it's burning coolant?

Search this forum for "bubble test" to determine if combustion gasses are being pushed into the cooling system.

Carbon lock is actually quite rare and locks an engine solid. Any clicking you hear when cranking the engine is probably starter related, assuming the engine still rotates.

Kentetsu

Take a look in the 1st gen section, in the Archives, and look for my thread I posted last year. Title of the thread you're looking for is "coolant seal fix, maybe". Total cost is under 4 bucks...



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nsmith09

thanks for the info Kentetsu!

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Be aware that the block weld trick is to be only used in the event of an emergency. It should not be used to get a little more life out of a water pumper. The stuff will clog your rad and heater core, and is a real pain to remove when you chose to rebuild the engine. Unless you absolutely need to use the car with no other option, then just rebuild it properly.

rothvanberg

if you are burning water/antifreeze you will smell it see it at tail pipe white smoke = burning water black smoke = burning oil your car will have a hard time starting after driving somewhere your coolant resivoir will overflow car will over heat

Kentetsu

Hi Aaron. The process I used involves the use of a product which contains aluminum flakes. I haven't had any issues so far with clogging the system, or reduced coolant flow, and there are no signs of buildup in the radiator.

When I installed a new(er) intake manifold in October, there was no sign of the product in the passages or around the Orings. However, there was some buildup in a small area inside the top radiator hose where I had a small leak at some point. It was pretty neat to see the path the coolant had been taking (escaping under the hose clamp due to a small dent in the thermostat outlet) before the product sealed it.

I specifically chose this product over others containing brass etc. based on the assumption that if any of it made its way into the combustion process (which is likely to happen before the leak is sealed) then it would simply burn off. Brass or copper, on the other hand, could hang out for a while and tear things up a bit.

Also, this is a radiator leak fixer rather than a block weld type product. It is safe to leave it in the system (according to the manufacturer, anyway), and you don't need to pre-clean the system or drain/flush/drain/flush/drain/flush like the old method.

So far I've got about 12,000 miles on this repair, and over a dozen autocross events. Still holding up just fine.

But if the motor had had other issues besides just a bad coolant seal, then of course I would have gone with a rebuild or replacement. But taking the time and spending the money to rebuild a perfectly good motor just to replace a coolant seal, well it just didn't make sense at the time...

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

We're not talking about the Paul Yaw block fix then? I admit, I did not read the link.

2ndGen_Kevin

so another question ha ha sorry, not related to the coolant seal at all. the other day the car broke down again but this time it was because fuel was leaking. at first we didnt know what it was then we found out it was the pulsating dampener. so we replaced that and shortly after another fuel leak started. this one is MASSIVE. went through a quarter tank in about 10 minutes. im thinkin its one of the injectors because its under the intake manifold and the fuel is falling on the top of the block. any suggestions??

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Jumper the yellow test connector at the airbox. This is a test connector for the fuel pump. Turn the key to IGN (don't start the car) and the pump will run. You should now be able to locate your leak by checking possible areas.