Should I or Not?

[LubeDude]

I have a Mazda 87 RX7 Non Turbo that my wife drives that has 275,000 miles on it. I have a chance to get an 87 RX7 Turbo II with 70,000 miles that the owner says is seized up. I cant imagine that with those few miles that there could be anything seriously wrong with it! Its owned (Original owner) buy an older fellow that babied it all its life! The car has never been wrecked and is in VERY good condition! He says that he drove it to town and all was well and after he shut it off that it just is seized up and wont turn over. Im thinking maybe its carbon locked, a commom thing with rotorys. We are talking maybe $500.00, Ya, Ive made up my mind, Im going to get it! Ive leaned a lot about rotorys over the years and think I can figure it out.

 

[POINTER94]

Re: Should I or Not?

Hey Lube Dude,<br /><br />Can you keep us posted on the progress of this car. I have always had an interest in the rotory engines, they just seem to make sence to me, 40% less parts and high reving.<br /><br />I would like to know if they are as hard to work on as the Mazda dealer would have us believe.<br /><br />Thanks

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Should I or Not?

Actually they only have 3 (three) Moving parts, Two rotors and the crank! I will tell you this, If you like working on cars, buy and old rotary! Just this last sunday I had to unflood my wifes car. If you start it, and shut it off right away two times in a row, there is a good chance that it wont start the third time! They load up and flood out like a 2 cycle! Pain in the but when it happens too. You have to pull the plugs, pull the fuses to the fuel pump and ignition, turn the engine over untilll you clear out the gas, then squirt oil into the rotors, put old plugs in and turn engine over breifly to get the oil around in the combustion chambers, pull old plugs out and put in new, reinstall the fuses an hope for the best. Sometime you have to do this 2-3 times before it starts. Smokes the neighbors out bigtime when it starts. Ive had to do this about 6 times sence Ive had this car. Usually at least once a year. I just cant seem to get it through the wifes head not to do it! Backs the car up to wash it, then runs it back into the carport. Chances are it wont start the next time!<br /><br />The new RX8 seems to be a great new design of the rotary. Wish I could afford one!

 

[Stratosfied]

Re: Should I or Not?

LubeDude, I have always wanted a RX-7 but wound up with a 91 Miata. I sure don't know squat about the rotary engines but could it be, or do they have a timing belt that could have broken?

 

[lund17]

Re: Should I or Not?

Lube Dude <br />I've always had a lurking fascination with the rotary and could never understand why such a seemingly smooth design wasn't more popular until I read about your problems. That would certainly give the motor a bad rep. Why does this happen?

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Should I or Not?

Stratosfield: Nope, no timing belt, chain or otherwise, No cam, No lifters, No valves for that matter, no pistons, no pushrods, no rocker arms, no heads either!<br /><br />They load up if not cleaned out after starting! Actually they are a great engine once you learn the querks. Not great mileage, 18-22. Interesting thing about them is that they get better gas mileage the faster you go! If I drive 90 MPH across the desert to Idaho, it will get 27 MPG. 70 on the interstate and I get 22-23MPG. Mine has a beeper that goes off at 7,000 RPM just to warn you to shift, It pulls so smoothly to that RPM that its easy to not remember to shift, there is no straining feeling or sound that makes you think its time to shift like a piston engine! I think if it didnt have a rev limiter it would go to 10,000 in a heartbeat! Also it has oil injection so you have to watch your oil level regularly so you dont get low, It has a low oil warning light that lets you know if you forget though! Very interesting car.<br /><br />Having the car Im thinking about buying towed home so I can look it over better tomorrow!

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Should I or Not?

Is it true that rotary engines drink gas like there's no tomorrow and chase it with some gas and then wash it all down with a whole lotta gas? Or do they just get bad gas mileage?<br /><br />PS love that RX-8, beautiful!

 

[bluewater19]

Re: Should I or Not?

My first car was a 1983 maxds rx-7. Of course being a speed freak I put a holley 4bbl on it and a header and all those other goodies. I had the rotor housings street ported and such. That motor only displaced 1.3 liters and made over 200hp! Bad part was the torque band had moved up so high It would not hold 5th gear on the freeway unless you were going 75. It was a real dog below 4500 rpm but from there to 8500 what a beast. <br />I currently have a 1986 with almost 200k on the clock.(bone stock) I love how smooth those wankels are.

 

[bluewater19]

Re: Should I or Not?

Oh sorry I got so wrapped up thinking back I almost forgot. You should get that TII for sure. Those are sweet!

 

[Peter J Fraser]

Re: Should I or Not?

Hi all,<br />I have a nephew who raced behind rotaries for a number of years. His last car was built up from a "Batmobile" RX7 with a 3 rotor non turbo engine. The car was built to comply with the Japan GT Cup series rules and had a very small restricter in the manifold to limit power. It still made 540 hp on the dyno though. Kinda scary power. Top speed at 200 mph +. He took it to Japan and raced it there where it was sold at the end of the season. The same guys who built his engine also prepared engines for your ProImport drag competition on the east coast. With 1 turbo they were pulling over 1500 hp out of those engines, a couple of seasons back they were running 200 mph on the 1/4.<br />The rotary is an incredible engine but thrash it and it can burn more fuel than an angry V8.<br /><br />Regards<br /><br />Peter

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Should I or Not?

Ya, the three rotaries can develope unhead of HP figures, and you are right about the fuel consumption!<br /><br />Year ago I beleive it was Evenrude that experimented with rotary outboards, they just stacked another rotor for more HP, Problem was the fuel consumption If I remember corectly! There was almost no limit to the HP they could develope!

 

[Peter J Fraser]

Re: Should I or Not?

I think it was Suzuki back in the early 70's also had a rotary powered motorcycle. It was quick for its day but I think the reliability problem was too much in the finish. Certainly sounded different though. <br />I remember seeing them when I was living in Perth, West Australia about 1973/74.<br /><br />Peter

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Should I or Not?

OK, Ive got the car at the shop right now with the rotars soaking in seafoam! We will see how it is tomorrow! I mean it is really frozen, it wont move one iota!

 

[bluewater19]

Re: Should I or Not?

Keep us posted!!!!

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Should I or Not?

Still frozen!!! If it doesnt free up buy tomorrow afternoon, Im going to tow it backwards and put it in fourth gear and pop the clutch and see what happens! This will spin the engine backwards from the way it froze up!

 

[Link]

Re: Should I or Not?

Still waiting to hear about how the reverse trick worked

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Should I or Not?

Pouring down rain today, probably wont get to it untill Monday! It can soak some more and that will probably be good!

 

[Peter J Fraser]

Re: Should I or Not?

Lubedude,<br />What about pulling the starter off and barring the motor back on the ring gear? <br /><br />Peter

 

[LubeDude]

Re: Should I or Not?

You mean like a crowbar betrween the flywheel and the bell housing? Maybe as a last resort!

 

[CalicoKid]

Re: Should I or Not?

Why not put it in reverse and tow it forwards? (Just kidding, I know that is a pretty wimpy gearset).<br /><br />I used to have a Johnson snowmobile with a rotary engine, 1972 I believe, It was pretty gutless on the bottom end but once wound up it went like hell. The track was too wide though and it couldn't keep decent traction. Tore up belts pretty bad too.