solaxyfox

I have a 1983 RX-7 (exact extension unknown - logo was missing when I got it, and I'm still a clueless newb...) that is burning oil like crazy at idle. Blue smoke wafts up from underneath the left sideskirt or the right side of the engine compartment, and I thought I got the last the easy to get to leaks...

I finally finished replaced all *four* of the o-rings in the oil cooler assembly (the top set were blue and still a little supple, if slightly flat) and tightened it down.

The water pump was leaking badly, so I pulled it and replaced it with a new one, although I couldn't find out where the bracket for the metered oil lines connected and I oddly ended up with a spare bolt. I double-checked everything I worked on, and all the bolts appeared to be in place and the various devices secured.

The coolant spilled into the heat-sheild for the thermal reactor, but I've driven the vehicle since then and had it all evaporate off (although I scared someone when I parked it and steam billowed from the hood :P)

I know I have a dowel o-ring leak. There's a small puddle of oil underneath the 'Mazda 12A' insignia on the front rotor housing. I *think* the OMP is leaking as well, as there was a gooey coolant/oil/grime sludge on the engine cradle underneath it...

But why is it smoking on the top of the engine over the rear housing, and on the right? I'm confused!

I havn't gotten a chance to steamclean the engine to track it... but I wasn't aware of any leak that was that bad. It only drips a small puddle now when I park it... and it seems that it only has the problem when at idle. Of course, it could just be the lack of moving air sweeping it away.

Also, my oil pressure has gone alarmingly low. Usually at idle it stayed at 30psi... now it'll dip to 15-20psi at idle, although it retains a good pressure at speed.

I had it recently smogged, and the timing was reported off by 5 degrees and fixed (it passed, go me!).

Anyone know what could cause oil to sit on the top of the rear housing and smoke? I realize I'll burn a little off where the dowel o-ring leak is the most serious, but... idling at red lights and having blue smoke pouring out from under the side-rails

BigJim

I dont really kno what to tell ya as for what to do, but i must applaud you on your knowledge, when you siad you were i newb i thougth oh great, but after reading your post i realise you kno what you are talking about and actaully used the correct terminology, i applaud u and hope someone can help

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

just for note, mazda did away with the thermal reactor in 1981. you may be confusing it with the exhaust manifold. thermal reactor cars did not have catylitic converters. if your car has the reactor, someone may have swapped engines or exhausts. about the oil pressure. make sure your oil is full. the oil pressure can be sensitive to low oil. the smoke is probably coming from an oil leak onto the exhaust. that would be my only guess. perhaps oil from the omp is blowing back onto the exhaust and you notice it when you are looking because it has settled on the exhaust. and is burning off noticibly at idle. also, oil pressure senders are know to fail and become inaccurate. if i let my 85 idle for long periods, the oil pressure reads 0. just drops like i turned the car off. i dirve it and the oil presure is there, no prob. sounds like you have the knowledge and potential to fix your problem. also, sounds like you know about the dowel pins and their tendancy to leak. there is no more advice i can offer at this point. report back and let us know what you find.

solaxyfox

Well, from what it sounds like what I guess I'll do is borrow my 'rents hand-held bissol steam-cleaningn machine, throw down some drop clothes, and try to steamclean all the crud off of the engine.

I'll take the fan and shroud off with I can to get at the OMP stuff, and see how much I can steam away where the dowel o-rings leak. I'll probably get to this mid-day monday, and I'll pose back anything I find...

Or if I figure out where that *spare* bolt came from. Heh.

As for Thermal Reactor... it looks just like the assembly for it Haynes has, a large bulbus thing attached to the exhaust side with a tri-layer heat sheild. Is it just a manifold? Does this mean I could throw a set of RB headers on and it wouldn't effect the smogability of my vehicle (aside from visual)?

Well... I would have no where to hook the air-pump up to, then. Which brings me to another question along that line...

Has anyone even seen a set of decent headers with an air-pump hookup for emissions control, or would that defeat the purpose of performance headers?

Anyway, I'll see what I can find about the leaks when I can. Thanks for mentioning the blowback from the OMP spill, I'll worry about that a bit more now