wadamw

I'm not really sure where the best place to post this is, so mods, if you feel that it fits better somewhere else, please move it.

I recently found a 1985 RX-7 for sale on craigslist. It has 127k miles on it, and the original engine and clutch still in it. I've never owned or maintained a rotary engine before (but have long had a desire to do so), so I was hoping more experienced people could provide some input on what I should be looking at and the questions I should be asking to make sure that this car is going to be reliable for the time being (I'm working this semester, and won't have much time to fix it if it breaks; next semester I won't be driving as frequently, and will have the opportunity to repair it if something does go wrong).

The owner is supposed to call me later tonight, and I plan on going to test drive it tomorrow evening. The only additional knowledge I've gained so far is that the current owner is using it as a daily driver, and that the clutch is beginning to stick.

So, any thoughts?

wadamw

I suppose my primary concern is how long the engine will last before it needs a rebuild. How long will the average first gen go before the engine needs a rebuild? How much could I expect the rebuild to cost?

Go48

iTrader: (7)

Find a RX-7 enthusiast in your area (post in the SE section of this forum) who can go with you to check out the car and also do a proper compression test. Whether or not the engine is healthy depends on many factors, so without some basic tests it is impossible to say how long the engine will last. A rebuild will cost at least as much as the price you pay for the car. If you do some of the work yourself, like removing the engine and shipping the core to RR (http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/1stgen/home.html), and assuming the major components are in acceptable condition and can be reused, think $1,300-$2,000 minimum.

You can do the complete job yourself for about half of that, but it appears that you will not have the time for that.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

must be the silver 7 in stone mountain? in all the manual shift cars i've owned(rotary and non), i've never experienced a clutch that sticks. if the clutch isn't disengaging completely, it could just be the clutch master/slave system needs bleeding. have someone work the clutch pedal while u watch the slave cylinder. it should push that arm(not sure of the correct term) a good 2 in. i'm currently working on a friends 85 gs. the issue was that there was a slight squeaking sound and hard to get into gear. now usually a squeaking sound with the clutch in ppl will automatically say release bearing(throw out bearing), but not in this case. if it's the release bearing, just resting ur foot on the pedal will make it squeak. in this case, it didn't squeak unless the clutch was in WITH the tranny in gear. when holding the clutch in(sitting still with engine running), it was difficult to shift into gear, and forget putting it in reverse without shutting the engine off first. the problem was the pilot bearing. what happens is when that bearing wears out from lack of grease, it tends to "grip" the pilot end of the input shaft, causing it to continue to turn even with the clutch pedal in. when u push the clutch pedal down, and everything is working as it should, u remove the connection of the flywheel with the input shaft, stopping it from turning. this allows u to shift gears and access reverse while the engine is running. if for some reason there's something that continues to keep that input shaft turning, it make shifting into gear more difficult and u can't get reverse without stopping the engine first. if u've ever had a manual tranny out, u can wiggle the input shaft with ur hand. the pilot bearing supports the end of that shaft for when the clutch pedal is pressed, keeping it in line and centered. now if the pilot bearing is completely shot and there's nothing left, it's quite possible that when the pedal is in it allows the shaft to drop enough that the clutch disc contacts the inside of the step(recessed area in the flywheel) that the disc sets in, keeping it turning. which will also give the same effect of keeping that shaft turning. keep in mind this is what i have experience and how it works but may not be ur particular situation.

Damzil

iTrader: (1)

find a rotary specific shop and get a diagnosis for like $60 bucks... to cheap the whole thing otu and get it laid out in the open...

then you can truly determine if it's worth your time and money from a professionals perspective... from there you can do the repairs yourself for much cheaper than what was quoted to you.

I did that with my 7 and I've been taking baby steps towards my goal, without having to worry if she'll break down on me in the process.

If it does after you buy it, you have proof of consumer protection (lemon laws and such) that will go against the previous owner or the shop, so you have insurance of your project investment.

wadamw

Thanks for all your help. I am going to take it to a mechanic and have them take a look at the engine, and find out what the cost to fix the clutch would be.

Rxtasy3 - yes, it is the one in Stone Mountain