Inspect Your 2nd Gen
03-30-2003, 10:06 PM
#1
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,467
All of us that own an FC have gone through the task of rebuilding, replacing, or repairing SOMETHING after purchase. Even the newest FC is still 12 YEARS OLD, which is plenty of time for a number of things to be less than average, aside from the hundreds of thousands of miles which may be on the odometer, or may not be. Rolling back the odometer on an FC is not difficult, buyer beware.
Each individual system should be inspected for operational function and overall condition. Gaskets fail, rubber hoses deteriorate, and time, mileage, and heat, to name a few, take their toll on all operating systems.
The mechanically inept should opt for a rotary specific auto repair shop to perform the inspection/repair, the money spent to have a meticulous inspection/repair is nothing compared to the thousands you may spend down the road.
For those of you more inclined to do-it-yourself, go buy a Haynes repair manual, or a copy of the Factory service manual, grab a cold one and follow along:
#1 Cleanliness is next to Godliness, ie: pressure wash/steam clean the engine bay and undercarriage, clean off the decade+ or so of grime that has inevitably accumulated EVERYWHERE. One can rent either or take to a detail shop and have done. (This isnt a necessity, more a personal preference item)
#2 change fluid/filter(if applicable) on following systems: oil, transmission, differential, fuel. If for no other reason, to have piece of mind that the systems are full, to the correct amount, of new and correct fluid, and the filter(s)are correct and new.
#3 replace all belts. They may be worn out, loose, cracked, etc.
#4 Replace the following rubber hoses; radiator to thermostat housing (installing a new thermostat w/ gasket would not hurt), radiator to water pump, firewall to rear plate (next to oil filter), firewall to radiator (smaller diameter hoses, steel pipe seperates two pieces of hose) . Once completed, drain, flush, refill and test entire cooling system. Also install new radiator cap.
#5 remove upper, and middle intake manifolds (have new gaskets handy) and replace ALL rubber vacuum hose with silicone hose equivilant. (see step 6)
#6 Since the manifolds are off it wouldnt hurt to replace the oil metering lines, these are probably brittle and yellow, semi-transparent. (do not reuse old banjo fitting washers, NEW LINES & NEW WASHERS).
These are some of the things you can to do ensure less headaches down the road. Other repairs, rebuilds, or reconstructions may be in your future, but these may bring some reliability to your newly acquired RX-7, and youve got some initial hands on practice for the performance mods that you'll surely want to get started on soon.
Each individual system should be inspected for operational function and overall condition. Gaskets fail, rubber hoses deteriorate, and time, mileage, and heat, to name a few, take their toll on all operating systems.
The mechanically inept should opt for a rotary specific auto repair shop to perform the inspection/repair, the money spent to have a meticulous inspection/repair is nothing compared to the thousands you may spend down the road.
For those of you more inclined to do-it-yourself, go buy a Haynes repair manual, or a copy of the Factory service manual, grab a cold one and follow along:
#1 Cleanliness is next to Godliness, ie: pressure wash/steam clean the engine bay and undercarriage, clean off the decade+ or so of grime that has inevitably accumulated EVERYWHERE. One can rent either or take to a detail shop and have done. (This isnt a necessity, more a personal preference item)
#2 change fluid/filter(if applicable) on following systems: oil, transmission, differential, fuel. If for no other reason, to have piece of mind that the systems are full, to the correct amount, of new and correct fluid, and the filter(s)are correct and new.
#3 replace all belts. They may be worn out, loose, cracked, etc.
#4 Replace the following rubber hoses; radiator to thermostat housing (installing a new thermostat w/ gasket would not hurt), radiator to water pump, firewall to rear plate (next to oil filter), firewall to radiator (smaller diameter hoses, steel pipe seperates two pieces of hose) . Once completed, drain, flush, refill and test entire cooling system. Also install new radiator cap.
#5 remove upper, and middle intake manifolds (have new gaskets handy) and replace ALL rubber vacuum hose with silicone hose equivilant. (see step 6)
#6 Since the manifolds are off it wouldnt hurt to replace the oil metering lines, these are probably brittle and yellow, semi-transparent. (do not reuse old banjo fitting washers, NEW LINES & NEW WASHERS).
These are some of the things you can to do ensure less headaches down the road. Other repairs, rebuilds, or reconstructions may be in your future, but these may bring some reliability to your newly acquired RX-7, and youve got some initial hands on practice for the performance mods that you'll surely want to get started on soon.
03-30-2003, 10:28 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2002
Location: Mike is a Liar!
Posts: 4,848
ok, what about for those silicon hoses.. where to get and stuff like that?
Oh yeah the belts thing is true.. When I started up the Vert this weekend the Alternator belt busted after the first rev..
Oh yeah the belts thing is true.. When I started up the Vert this weekend the Alternator belt busted after the first rev..
03-30-2003, 10:45 PM
#4
Senior Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Jul 2002
Location: Portland, OR
Posts: 2,467
Originally Posted by 75 Repu' date='Mar 30 2003, 08:28 PM
ok, what about for those silicon hoses.. where to get and stuff like that?
Oh yeah the belts thing is true.. When I started up the Vert this weekend the Alternator belt busted after the first rev..
Oh yeah the belts thing is true.. When I started up the Vert this weekend the Alternator belt busted after the first rev..
05-21-2003, 03:13 AM
#7
Senior Member
Join Date: Feb 2002
Location: Massachusetts
Posts: 857
Also add in there fuel lines. These get dry rotted like the vacuum lines and radiator hoses. You'll need about 12 feet of 5/16 inside diameter fuel injection rated line. You get it at any local parts store. If I remember correctly there should be 2 long lines in the engine bay going to the fuel rails and one short one going from the primary rail to the secondary rail. There are also 2 more long ones in the rear at the gas tank. You can access the ones in the front by removing the upper intake manifold. The ones in the rear can be access from under the car and from under the carpet in the trunk where your fuel pump access panel is.
Check your fuses and make sure they are the right ones for the particular accessory.
Change your plugs and wires. Most people don't know that our cars use a different plug and just put in some regular old plugs. The plug wires are probably as old as the car and aren't performing like they should.
Hope this helps some more.
Check your fuses and make sure they are the right ones for the particular accessory.
Change your plugs and wires. Most people don't know that our cars use a different plug and just put in some regular old plugs. The plug wires are probably as old as the car and aren't performing like they should.
Hope this helps some more.
