new to the rx7
 

i brought my husband a rx7 and i had to add oil. when i removed the oil cap the cap itself had water on it. is that normal? also the oil fitler is leaking oil, when can i do to stop the leak? i tried to tighten it but it wont. he's deployed and its a surprise gift. can anyone help.

Some gunk on the oil cap can be normal, but water...that could be a bad sign (leaking water jacket seal) or just a fluke. Keep an eye on the coolant level (in the radiator, not the overflow tank), and do an oil change. If there is any water in the oil, it should be evident after doing one.

As for the oil leak near the filter, it may be the o-rings under the filter pedestal. The pedestal itself is held on by two 10mm nuts, and can be removed fairly easily. If the o-rings are old & cracked, oil will leak from this area.

I'd recommend taking it to a shop and have all the fluids replaced. No telling what kind of condition your oils and fluids are in. Especially if the car has been sitting a while.

An oil change will get rid of the old oil and let you know if there is another problem. They'll also replace the oil filter which will solve the leaking problem if it is just a filter seal.

Have them drain the transmision and rear end and add new oil. Also freshen up the clutch fluid and brake fluid.

If the car hasn't been driven much, seals will dry out and things will loosen up. As you operate the brake and clutch you might find your fluid starting to black from sediment, and the master cylinders start to get mushy because the seals are going bad.

But fear not...all that's normal, especially if the car has been sitting awhile and not serviced lately. And unless there is crack or serious problem discovered, it's just age.

Good luck.

new to rx7
 

thank you all for the info. the car was driven daily and before i brought it, it had a oil change, tune up and all plus inspection done. all the fluids are good. i want to take it to a shop but most shops up here that i have called dont work on rx7. would this problem be ok if i wait until hubby gets home to fix it or would from now until july it get worse.

I guess it depends on whether he'd mind working on the car :). If the car's not going anywhere, an oil leak won't matter for the time being. And you can't tell if the engine is losing coolant, if it's not being driven regularly. All in all, the problems can likely wait.

Don't worry too much about the moisture under the oil cap. Happens quite often, especially if the car has been modified or has an issue with the emissions system. Minor issue most likely, possibly not an issue at all.

For the oil leak, it most likely is the O-Rings in the beehive cooler or oil pedestal (not sure what year the car is). It can be tough to get to one of the bolts necessary to replace the seals, but not real bad. However, you will most likely have to replace all of the coolant hoses under that area. If they get soaked with oil, they will fall apart in short order. Blow one of those lines on the freeway or something, and you can smoke your motor before you even realize you have a problem. Not worth the risk....




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hes gonna love it haha. how lucky

what year is the car? i'm in g'boro nc, dont know how far away hubert is but depending on the year i wouldn't mind taking a look at it.

its a 87.

are there any mazda dealers where you live. they might be able to help if its the last thing you could do.

seeing as i live in a main city and my mazda dealership didn't know the difference between a primary banjo bolt and a fuel pulsation damper i doubt she's gonna find help at the dealer, hell they told me the fpd would be a 3 week wait cause they only have two in stock located on the east coast! I'm trying to see if i have a friend in wilmington cause i think thats the closest thing to you outside of jackson

Trust me, you're much better off learning from us and getting your hands dirty. Not to say that all mechanics are crooked, or stupid, but with the economy the way it is nobody's turning away business.

I just had this discussion with my Dad, who had a problem with his van not shifting into overdrive. He took it to a tranny shop, who told him it was shot and he needed to replace the tranny for just under 5 grand. The truth was that a solenoid had gone bad, and it cost under 100 bucks to get it repaired. Like I told him, the tranny shop would have been turning away a potentially large sale if they had told him the truth. Nobody is turning away a potential cash sale these days, some can't afford to have high morals anymore which is a really sad thing....

Where is it leaking oil? If it's right under the filter itself it could be that whoever changed the oil last missed the o-ring that comes with every filter. Sometimes the old o-ring sticks to the oil filter mount, leaving 2 o-rings to seal where only 1 is needed. If there are 2, it always leaks as one squirms/slips to the side. Whoever changed the oil should have caught the leak and fixed it. Take it back to them first for a repair. All that needs to be done is one of the o-rings need to be removed. Be sure to lube the o-ring with engine oil before tightening the filter back down.

If there's only 1 o-ring under the filter, then one or more of the smaller o-rings between the filter pedistal and engine block has failed. If you're handy, you can remove the oil filter, then the 2 nuts under the pedistal. There you will find 2 small o-rings. Take those and the pedistal to your local auto parts store and have them find you the correct diameter and thickness replacement o-rings.

The following link is to the online Factory Service Manuals. If you download the 87 manual, in Section 1, page 22, you will find the 2 o-rings that mount under the pedistal. Look for the oil filter, listed as part #6. The o-rings are under the pedistal that the filter mounts to.

http://www.wankel.net/~krwright/cars/rx7/manuals.html

The nuts that hold the mount are a pita to get to, but a short 10mm wrench and smaller hands make removal easier. Assuming you live on base, hopefully someone can help you if you don't feel up to the task.

As a side note, I want to thank you for being so nice to your hubby and him for his service to our country.

its leaking right from the oil filter i check the oil level everyday. it's not leaking alot where i have to put oil in it everyday. not to many people or dealers here know about rx7 and i would hate to take it somewhere and they mess the car up. i was worried if that small leakage would mess up the engine. i'm fix it this weekend and hope its just a small problem. thank you all for your help and for the link