Knoxville/East TN Rotary shops?
 

Hi everyone,

I did a forum search and couldn't find any current info on this. Can anyone point me to a talented rotary mechanic/shop in the Knoxville or East Tennessee area? Just relocated into the area (from wintery NY) and don't have any contacts here like I did up north.

Your experience is appreciated!
Gary

Congrats on escaping NY, and welcome to the area. Wish I had good news about shops, but I don't. We pretty much all work on our own cars. There is a shop up in Morristown (about an hour east on I-40) - Rotary Resurrection. I've never had any work done there so I can't vouch but I'm sure others will. Other than that, most mechanics around town will just look at you funny if you ask them questions about a rotary.

What kind of RX-7 do you have?

Thanks for the reply even though it wasn't good news.

I've got an '85 GSL-SE which I just love. I've had it since 1990 and it is basically all stock. I ran it in SCCA autocrosses early on but never really made changes and kept it in the stock class. Haven't autocrossed it in quite some time though.

I'm not a great mechanic so finding resources to help is going to be key especially as old as this one is getting. I don't see ever giving it up.

Well you should be fine then, the S3 13B lasts forever, and if you've had it that long then you know everything that's been done to it. If you do have any trouble with it, there are plenty of rotorheads including myself around here that will help you out.

If you'd like to get back into autocross, there's a great group here in Knoxville. We have the majority of our events at the Pellissippi State campus in Hardin Valley, west of town. I run both my first and second gen. I have a friend that races a GSL-SE as well. We also started a rallycross program this year. I use my first gen for that too.

The Solo II schedule and message board can be found here: ETRSCCA

I know it looks like it hasn't been updated since the Clinton Administration (it hasn't) but they do keep up with the Solo II schedule.

Great. Hey, do you have anyone around here that you trust or like to work with on the general maintenance stuff like brakes, suspension, drivetrain etc. Again, I just don't have the tools, time or perseverance to do it all myself.

I've got some sounds coming from the right rear wheel area that are worrisome. Sounds like bad wheel bearings, cv joint or something along those lines. Don't want to push that too far and do worse damage in the process.

Loving Knoxville so far. No more shoveling snow!

addictedperformanceunlimited.com |

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RX7Club.com - View Profile: The Goat

rotary resurrection is in Morristown. He does great work

Thanks for sharing the info!

I don't let other hands touch my 7's, but I did have a wheel bearing in my Subaru replaced at the Meineke on Kingston Pike one winter. The guy did a good job despite the suspension being a rusty mess from years of Connecticut winters.

any good with fuel systems? i believe thats the problem with my 88n/a, seems to hesistate/bog down around 3000-3500k, i figured it had to do something with the fuel system

Does it hesitate around 3800 and pull fine at higher RPM? Or does it just bog and not want to rev higher?

yeah 3800,runs normal after that pioint, but its just been getting worse

That's a pretty common problem on FC's, particularly 6 port cars. It's usually bad grounds, or 5th and 6th ports not opening on the N/A models, or a combo of the two. If you search "3800 RPM hesitation" in the 2nd gen section you'll come up with a boatload of threads about it. You can try having the secondary injectors cleaned too. It's something that should be done from time to time anyway.

ok, well all i need now is to find someone to do the work, hah

Not to highjack your thread and welcome to the area but, would anybody be interested in teaching another knoxvillian how to rebuild rotaries?

I've yet to rebuild one. I try to blow them up but they just keep spinning! I don't think you really need a teacher though. There's a lot of good videos for sale out there and there's always youtube.

i havent rebuilt one yet, but from what i gather from taking half of one apart, its easy. i mean, there are only 3 moving parts inside a 2 rotor.....

Rotary ressurection for engine work. But any decent shop can handle bearings, suspension, brakes. They are the same as boingers.

There is a guy in Sequoyah hills. Sequoyah hills service center i think its called that used to be a big rotary guy 20 years ago when I had my 87. Last time I went by there he still had his miata with a 20b in it but it looks like it hasnt been touched in 10 years... Lee Grasher (spelling might be off) used to work on them too I think he is in Andersonville. I have been out of Rx7s for a while and just now getting back into it. I work on my own stuff.

Btw I'm kind of out of the way but if your in Tellico Plains and you come by the NAPA mention to me that your a member here and I will cut you a good break on parts (kind of limited on the things I can get for FD's though). The skyway and HWY 68 through Coker Creek are both great drives if you haven't discovered them yet.

-Steve

There's a 20b Miata in Knoxville? I want it! I was referred to a "Lee Grazier" years ago but I never did find the guy. You pretty much have to work on your own stuff with these cars around here.

Tellico Plains is a nice area, especially on up the Skyway. One of my favorite drives. I like to come back that way sometimes when I run the Dragon.

Suspension work isnt too hard, neither are brakes. Ive had my fair share of time spent under other peoples cars (1st and 2nd gens primarily), and while its been a while since ive mucked about with anything rotary (stupidly traded out a couple years back) I still know enough to help out from time to time.

When you gonna come back to the Dark Side, Derrick?

bump towards additcedperformanceunlimmitted!

Ill be swinging back to the darkside once the legacy is paid off and running, and possibly if the civic gets traded/sold off to facilitate the return to doritoville. I miss my old NA...not even gonna lie, I miss it quite a bit. Would straight trade this civic in a heartbeat for a running S4 NA.

Looking for meetings in Knoxville Area, thinking about getting RX-7. Thanks, Tom