First off: I would like to confess to not searching before hand, but I'm spazing some right now

I picked up the car for $900 with the thought of a dead starter. After all, it was doing the click of death. Yes, I'm a nub when it comes to rotary. I admit it.

Anyway. I have no history for the car. I can tell you that it has 150,000 miles and that it has new wires/plugs. I can also tell you that I replaced the slave cylinder before I played with the starter.

I replaced the starter only to find out that NAPA had given me the wrong replacement starter. Long story short, I didn't feel like doing the starter again on my back, so I took it to a grague I worked at a year ago. Around 11 or so, mom got a call saying that the engine is seized.

Anything I can do about it without replacing/rebuilding it?

 

pour atf down it and let is soak for a few days
then turn it backwards by hand a little
then start turning it the right way by hand a few times
use more atf and let it soak

then try and start it

 

First to clarify:
I tried turning it by hand and it wasn’t budging (not sure if this matters, but I wanted to put it out there)

and now my question: how much atf? take the plugs out?


Thanks for the answers

 

half a quart of atf. put it in the spark plug holes or down the carb. i have found that going through the plug holes works well. try using a breaker bar to turn the engine. you will need that and a 19mm socket to go on the eccentric pully's bolt. keep trying. lets just hope it is carbon locked instead of being locked because of oil starvation.

 

Plug holes are kinda tricky to pour it in though. Take off the aircleaner lid(big blue thing), hold the throttle open, and pour it straight down the carb. When you're done letting it soak and the motor is unlocked disconnect the ignition coils. Then take out the plugs and crank it to blow out the extra ATF, burning a lot of ATF WILL kill your cats. Put the plugs back in and start it up.

 

i use an oiling can to squirt the atf in the plug holes.

 

With the clutch in or the car out of gear, will it roll?

 

atf it ... i did it ... the shi--- works .... provided it breaks your seals loose and those morons at the mechanic shop didnt dink with anything , then take the plugs out after she is loose and crank her over to blow out as much atf as possible ... cause she will smoke oh my will she smoke .. good luck p.s ( do a search on it)

 

Okay, gummie don't just pour a whole shitload of it down the carb.

Check your e-mail, I sent you a doc on how to do the ATF/MMO/Amsoil thing PROPERLY so that you purge as much of it out of the system as possible before starting it.

Yes ATF does work, but there are alternatives which aren't as harsh on things like the rubber oil seals. There's also a right way and a wrong way to do this. You have to think the process through, and make sure that you do it the safest and most reliable way possible.

In short - YES there is a way to unsieze the engine without rebuilding it - I've done it on my 4-yr sitting car. Check your e-mail and have fun.

Good luck.

Jon

 

I sent Jon another e-mail.

To fill you guys in on what it said:

I stopped by the garage today and found out that they tried to rock the engine unstuck (they put it in gear
and rocked the car back and forth a lot). They think that the problem lies in the eccentric shaft. They also said that if it really is the apex seals that are stuck and I do manage to get them unstuck, some of the seals will be left on the housing wall and that it will wear away at the remainder of the apex seals on
the rotors, causing me to slowly but surely loose compression.

What's your take on all this, considering what they tried (but failed) to do with rocking the car?

I need something that will be reliable; I don't want to be out eating with my friends and then realize that I have to pull my top two plugs to put some oil in the chambers so I can get enough compression to start the car. I also live in NJ. I think we are second to California when it comes to emissions laws, so I need working cats :x

I'm going to probably try the ATF thing, but incase it doesn't work out: who do you sugest shipping a 12a out to so they can rebuild it?

Yes, I know the rebuild will be like 2x what the car is worth

Edit: sorry about the length

 

will swapping a 13b be a good idea?. 13b carburated??

 

No, I live in NJ and have to get through emissions

 

dude, i think you should get your car outta that shop. they probably did the worst thing the could to get the engine un-stuck. hopefully they didnt break an apex seal.

I say get your car back, ATF, MMO or whatever it, and see if you can crank it by hand. (if you want to keep your cats, take them off before using the ATF)

oh, and swapping a 13b is a good idea if your 12a is dead

 

Would it be leagal to have a 13b though? That's the question...

 

easiest way to unstick a motor is to get it going 15-20 km/h and dump the clutch in 5th gear....


used 12A engines = CHEAP.

 

Im not sure how easy it would be to get a 13b to pass emitions testing... you would need the nikki carb off the 12a and the rats nest, but i dont know if that will all go on the 13b easily...

anyone else know?

Terrh - sure that is an easy way, but if the seals are really stuck wont they break off?

 

I'm pretty sure 12a Nikki's will not work with a 13B swao (at least for emmisions sake) Manifold is different, carb is different, yadda yadda. It's not a 'plug 'n play' deal, in any event. That's not even getting into flow, etc..(For that answer- seek out Sterling or Rx7Carl).

If you need the car to pass emissions you'd be better off in the long run to get a working 12A.

(You'd really be better off by making a few friends in the right places for emissions, if you ask me!)