2nd gen rx7 issues hot ....hot.....crappy looking coolant.

[cjb25hs]

I just bought this car late last fall..... car was a good runner and has a fresh motor according to the shop I purchased it from. I wanted a good ITS car and just want this thing fixed. I live in Pittsburgh and need a place that can fix the cooling issues and probably repair the engine. The car smokes when started and the coolant looks like sh*t. It never seems to pull the water from the over flow bottle back in the motor so seems to be low on water....spits it out with a bit of oil like residue. I tried to drive the car this past weekend on an open lapping day and got (3) 5 min sessions. oil temp 240 water temp 240........ the more I talk to people the more it sounds like it is f**ked up. The car has a Haltech system, so who ever fixes it needs to tune it probably......... BTW the car came with no slpitter but used to run one and I guess it needs one...but I think it is beyond just getting one. I want a top performing engine...... Where can I get the car fixed and be a top running car..... like I said I live just outside of Pittsburgh.....I WANT IT OUT OF MY SITE AND JUST FIXED...please help.....I think I may have made a bad decision.

Greg
724-622-1898
[email protected]

Greg, you should call Mark at McB in Bridgeville. He know has 2 Rx& ITS cars in the stable down there an I know he has fixed cooling issues with one of them.

[rsx858]

Greg, What kind of radiator / Oil cooler setup do you have?
Does the car continue to puff white smoke after it is warm or just on startup?
What does the smoke smell like... sweet antifreeze / water? or exhaust fume?

Common issue of a busted 13B is a blown water seal in which case you will be able to tell by the white smoke... requires rebuild

[gpeluso]

well, talked to Dave at KDRotary..... he is calling me this after noon and is sending someone 5 hrs to come and pick up the car......happy with Dave and Darrell (shop owners), not thrilled about this purchase....got to drive the car a total of 15-20 min..... should have done MUCH better homework. Atleast I have my trusty specmiata to run this weekend...... not a great return to IT racing. This car was wrecked at LimeRock and I have a feeling that there may have been some damage related to heat that may have not shown it head.... The car was then raced at Watkins without the undertray and or splitter.....the resevoir water looked like sh*t from day one. Like anything else I will just need to dump alot more into it....... I'll let you know what is the true problem when the guys tear into it. Thanks everyone.

Greg Peluso

[rsx858]

Dave is a straight up guy and absolute RX7 guru... hopefully youll be fixed up in no time!

[dyoungre]

The time line of what occurred isn't completely clear - did the engine run ok last fall, but overheat when you 1st took it out this year? I've witnessed engine seals fail if they are stored over the winter without sufficient glycol - everything was fine in the fall, and then oil and water became one over the winter. Water in the engine freezes and expands, failing the main O rings.

[seckerich]

It is always a good idea to store these cars with antifreeze in them. The cast iron will corrode quickly and let the seals move and they blow first time it comes up to temp. The area around the water jacket in some of these motors is .070 or less depending on core shift in casting. First put a pressure tester on the cooling system and see if it pushes AF into the chambers. Sniff tester(O2 sensor) on the open radiator cap with the motor running will find a leaking seal as well. If the car was designed to have a splitter and it is gone the low mounted oil cooler will not work. All the air is ducted with the splitter opening. Run the car with 200-220 water and never over 230 oil if you can. We run the factory 160 thermostat in all our cars.

Worst case you will need one cast iron and a seal kit if everything else was as advertised. If you have the motor cracked open replace the apex seal springs. Don't give up, it will be worth a little headache when you get it right.

[gpeluso]

time line...
i picked up the car in the fall and tried to run it an EMRA time trial event.....the water looked crappy then.. ran a 5 min session and saw water leaking from the rad area. I was upset that I pick up the car and it had isues....at the track I removed the resevoir and cleaned it out in hopes this was not coming from the engine....it was cold out and the car never got hot in 5 min.

this winter the car was stored in a heated garage and started once a month.

over the winter I replaced the spark plugs and oil due to the car flooding during one of the start ups.....the way the car is tuned , it is a bitch to keep running until it warms up.(Haltech system). I also fixed one of the hoses on the bottom of the rad.

last week......took car to open lap day and experienced what I stated earlier.

Conclusion.......car was messed up when I got it!