RX7 Advice...

[shelbydave]

Due to some circumstances (Daughters boyfriend being a prick), my daughter is back home and without her car (long story).
Anyhow, a buddy of mine has an '86 RX-7 that she can have. The problem right now is I have never seen it run, as it didn't have any spark when he bought it. I have NO exposure to the Rotary engine at all, so if we can get this thing to spark and run, what other stuff is there to look at? I hear that the seals tend to wear... Can they be replaced, or would it be an engine swap?

If anyone has any advice on what to look at, and how to tell if this is going to be a good car, I would appreciate it.

Thanks

[cordes]

I would avoid it like the plague. Electrical problems out the wazoo from the personal experience I have around them. You are better off to pick up a $400 Shadow and run that.

ETA: Pretty crappy gas mileage for the displacement too.

[Vigo]

I havent done it myself but from looking at those motors it would seem that taking them out to fix them would be really easy.

[BadAssPerformance]

LS1 Swap... FIRST! LOL...

[shelbydave]

Electrical problems eh? I'll keep that in mind when I go down to look at it.

Anyone know how to tell if the engine is OK or totally trash? Anyone had experience working on them?

[ShadowFromHell]

Those things are stupid easy to rebuild if you know what your are doing. I attended a "class" on them a few years ago. I think the guy went from disassembled motor to a complete on in two hours. Alot of times you just replace the apex seals and the gaskets. Everything else will be in good shape. They go for cheap because everyone is afriad of the rotary. If I had the chance for a free one, I would be all over it...

[turboaddict]

having owned over 10 sa's fb's and fc's , they are some of the more reliable vehicles i have owned. as for electrical issues the only with fc's i have had have been parking lights and one bad secondary coil.
the last fc i owned was a 86 base model that i purchased for $150 with a "blown motor". it had 186k on it, all that was wrong with it aside from body damage was that it was flooded. in fact the last 3 cars i bought only were flooded. it also managed 28mpg on the highway.
if you need it i would be more than happy to help.

[shelbydave]

having owned over 10 sa's fb's and fc's , they are some of the more reliable vehicles i have owned. as for electrical issues the only with fc's i have had have been parking lights and one bad secondary coil.
the last fc i owned was a 86 base model that i purchased for $150 with a "blown motor". it had 186k on it, all that was wrong with it aside from body damage was that it was flooded. in fact the last 3 cars i bought only were flooded. it also managed 28mpg on the highway.
if you need it i would be more than happy to help.

It will be a couple more weeks before I can get down to look take a look, but I'll most likely be picking your brain when the time comes...

Thanks!!

[mark]

the kid next door to me took his rx7 (i think its an 85-87 year) and dropped a carb'd 350 in it.
it's not bad. in my area there are a few v8 swapped ones. mostly ls1 swaps. some of them were done right and look awsome, some look... not so much as good.

[guyd_15]

ignition coils and check the coolant overflow bottle (if it looks like water escaped under high pressure) the o rings that seal the combustion and coolant passages have probably failed. Last set I bought was about $120 each.

And if it's been overheated the plates between the rotor housings will need to be Blanchard ground. Good luck finding a machine shop with that equipment.

But it still amazes me they can hot rod 69 or 79 cubic inches and make over a 1000 hp!!!!

Guy

[ShelGame]

Those things are stupid easy to rebuild if you know what your are doing. I attended a "class" on them a few years ago. I think the guy went from disassembled motor to a complete on in two hours. Alot of times you just replace the apex seals and the gaskets. Everything else will be in good shape. They go for cheap because everyone is afriad of the rotary. If I had the chance for a free one, I would be all over it...

Not necessarily. If the apex seals wore out, there's a good chance the housings are trash, too. The housings are aluminum and have an iron coating plasma sprayed on. If the coating wears out or gets grooves in it, the housing is trash. No overboring a rotary to save it. I think there are companies that will re-spray the housings now. But, I doubt it's cheap. The end housings are iron and can be surface ground and honed to save them, but the rotor housings are the killers...

[wowzer]

my son's buddy is well into the upper 400 hp range with his rx7. he has rebuilt it MANY times due to the apex seals going kablooey. last time was at the tuner's dyno. he ended up finally going down to denver to some "guru". i think he is using some sort of airplane quality seals now. its unbelievably fast, 2200 lbs or so?!?!.

[shelbydave]

Not interested in horsepower, just a decent car for her to get to work and dialysis.

[Force Fed Mopar]

my son's buddy is well into the upper 400 hp range with his rx7. he has rebuilt it MANY times due to the apex seals going kablooey. last time was at the tuner's dyno. he ended up finally going down to denver to some "guru". i think he is using some sort of airplane quality seals now. its unbelievably fast, 2200 lbs or so?!?!.

Probably Atkins' seals, big name in the rotary world. Their race car runs like 45-50 psi

To check compression on a rotary, you have to remove the check valve from the hose and watch the bounces of the needle. Get someone to spin it for you while you watch if need be. You want to see at least around 80-90 psi on every bounce. If lower, or if one or two bounces are much lower than the other(s), then you have apex seal issues.

They will run on less (my T2 would run on 40-50 psi), but they will flood on start-up easily. My T2 had a fuel pump switch wired up, had to spin it over 2-3 times then pull the switch on and it would fire. Otherwise it'd flood. It doesn't run at all anymore though, I tried to start it on a cold winter day, it flooded and ever since has refused to start. Waiting on funds for seals and gaskets before I play with it again.

[wowzer]

Not interested in horsepower....

blasphemy!!! off with your head.

[shelbydave]

blasphemy!!! off with your head.

The car is for my daughter. I will be keeping the car in my name until I'm sure the prick doesn't sweet talk her into moving back (I don't want that a$$hole to get a free car again... He already got her car, and he doesn't even drive)
If she gets on her feet, and is done with him, she will get the car, if she moves back with him, I'll take the car, and it will be a track car after that.

[BadAssPerformance]

I don't want that a$$hole to get a free car again... He already got her car, and he doesn't even drive

Repo it...

[shelbydave]

Repo it...

She decided to cut her losses, and not fight over the car. I did insist that we pull the tags off, and turn them in since she was the only licensed driver on the insurance / registration. The fool drove the car across town before his mother told him he had no plates on the car... He called her all pissed off, made her cry, and threatened to take some action on their dogs.

This guy is a work of art, and I'm just glad she's decided to be done with him finally, before I went looking for a hit man.

Also, back when she bought the car, she had both their names on the title per his request, and against my advice. We could take the car, but would have to hide it in the garage 24 / 7 since if he took it, it's not considered theft - only driving without a license.

[ShadowFromHell]

If you have a key, I would go take the car. As long as she is with you, it is not stolen either. Lock it up, and let him take you to court, but I have a feeling that you could buy this dirtbag out of the car rather cheaply if it is worth it.

[shelbydave]

If you have a key, I would go take the car. As long as she is with you, it is not stolen either. Lock it up, and let him take you to court, but I have a feeling that you could buy this dirtbag out of the car rather cheaply if it is worth it.

Actually, it's also not about the car as much is it is about his grip on my daughter. Technically, it's HER car, as she paid for it. her mistake was letting him talk her into joint ownership with this promise that they'll be together forever. It's rather funny that we took the tags, and cancelled the insurance as now he has a car he can't use, and he can't get his license without proof of insurance.

The justice in taking the car back isn't nearly as poetic as the fact that he's screwed, and can't hold it over her to get her back...