Was talking to the O.P. about coming to help when I got stuck in Wythe... lol

 

I have never used seafoam before, but from what I have been told they are not good for rotaries....I was told that seafoam destroys/eats paper and since the factory coolant seals on fc's are a semi-paper based material......That is what I have been told.....It also is weird that I have had 2 buddies seafoam their fc's and have had to do rebuilds....I have had 5 fc's with one having close to 170xxx miles on it....Never have seafoamed any rotary and all of my vehicles that I have sold are still running strong today....I am not saying that seafoam was the cause for my 2 friends rebuilds, but I will just stick to this....Besides, I think the kid needs to learn a LOT more about his fc before he starts doing things to it that he might not understand......

 

Excuse me, let me correct myself.....FC engines have the semi paper-based coolant seals......

 

I've never heard it ruining your coolant seals and I've never known anyone to have problems using Seafoam in their wankels...in fact, seafoam has saved a few engines. I've SOAKED good motors in the stuff! There will always be someone nay-saying...it is ridiculous at this point.

In my OWN experience, for example, I've had compression numbers come up because of using seafoam and even pouring a good bit into the rotor housings + turning the engine over every few days. Engine still runs fine.

I seafoamed the hell out of one of my other FCs...a car that has driven across the country, been autocrossed, driven hard...a car that gets 23mpg on average driving like a jackass...this same car also has over 200k on it now and still runs like a Bernena sewing machine!

I've seafoamed a car that has over 260k on the original motor, and it ran a bit better and is still going strong today.

Let's be totally honest, either the people who have been telling you these stories aren't doing it right or they are abusing/neglecting their cars in some other fashion that causes these failures. I won't pretend to know all of the chemicals and their affects on different parts of the engine (That seafoam won't even come into contact with in the first place), but I won't have you argue with actual experience versus your hear-say.

Furthermore, I do believe there was a very aggressive debate between IceMark and AaronCake regarding 'ATF' and it's use as a pickling fluid whether or not it would turn your coolant seals into Jelly. Well, true, ATF would most definitely destroy your coolant seals if it ACTUALLY CAME INTO CONTACT WITH THEM!

 

Sorry, I don't mean to sound like a bitch, but lets not confuse the guy.


FD, have you been able to get it running yet?

 

OK, I didn't intend to start a debate.....The guy I got this information from is pretty reliable but I can't argue with your first hand experience....I have a guy in richmond that deals with the headaches that I can't figure out when it comes to my rotaries......He had never said anything to me in the 6 years that I have been dealing with him about seafoam.....So I guess what I am trying to say is that I posted that up there to get you to give me your reasons why you use that stuff.......And it sounds pretty impressive........But all in all, I really want to see this kid get his car running and learn about things like I have just now before jus reading something off the net and potentially f*cking his car up befopre he can actually enjoy it........Do you kinda get where I'm coming from??? I was'nt trying to attack or try to prove you wrong.......It's just obvious that he has to get the basics first...(i.e. get the car running)........But i have no intentions of having a debate.........Because I damn sure dont know everything about a rotary......
Come on kid, I want to hear that s5 run!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

wow

sorry for my break in communication but I work all week and did some stuff with friends this week.

only progress on the car is:

found out where that red wire went..and removed the carpet in the hatch

to inform you there was a red wire that was mysteriously sitting in the engine bay, coming out from the firewall and then sitting close to the battery

i was removing interior and stuff and removed my storage bins to find that the red wire was underneath there.

maybe it has to do with a previous' owners audio setup or battery relocation but I am such a huge noob that I dont really know.

I really have a strong desire to learn about this stuff but i really lack any friends that are into it or know anything about cars. and no backround/family that were ever into cars.

but my to do list is still the same

new battery?
new front tires. the tires i have are pretty much shot.
new gas
top off radiator ? i searched earlier this week but what type of coolant is good? huge noob Question again... if coolant differs from car to car on a general basis.

 

New battery, yes.

I wouldn't buy new tires if the ones on there hold air even for short periods of time until you know the car runs well enough to rely on.

New gas, yes...just add a few gallons of fresh gas after you drain the tank.

Use antifreeze which is safe for aluminum.

 

If you are just trying to get it started for less than a minute ... you could put the coolant on the backburner for a bit. BUT ... if you are planning to run it for any extended time (more than 3 -5 mins) you should prolly get it.

 

Stink, he should top it off with water at the very least as it is a given when you get a rotary started after it has refused to do so for a long time you want to not only warm it up, but make adjustments appropriately.

 

Any update?

 

True ... I did not think about that for some reason ... my bad ... you do wanna work the seals for a bit

 

You must a very busy kid....You have people like me that are kind of anxious for you to get that car running.......

 

some of you VA guys should get a road trip going and head over to this guys house and get this sucker running...

 

working on it tonight

 

good luck man!

 

ok,

Saturday night we drained the tank and filled her up with 5 gallons.

Sunday afternoon, bought a new battery, still no start but really close.

Sunday evening, pulled the rx-7 to the top of a long slanting hill, on this road that goes downhill for about 1/2 mile.

we popped it in 3rd and it was running but not well, after more distance it began to respond to my foot tapping the gas.

when we came to another spot where we could pop start it again we did, this time it responded much better but still barely any power,

Put it in 1st and drove it a good distance (1/5 mile) up a steep incline and back to my house.

tried to crank it sitting in my driveway but no luck

I feel like if I try the same thing over again tomorrow evening or whenever I get a chance it will run again.

ALSO: putting it in neutral always killed the engine so it doesn't run on its own

AND: it smoked, It smoked ALOT!
tons of white smoke.

could my engine be carbon locked? as well as having some oil put in the plug holes?

also before I ran it I topped off the radiator reservoir with water.

and I checked the oil after all the action and it was at a very healthy level.

PLease help I feel like its so cloosee and thanks for all your previous help guys

 

Not, not carbon locked, otherwise it wouldn't crank at all.

Check your timing:

On the main pulley, there are two stripes, a red and a yellow (They may have faded by now and are just two blank stripes.). I forget which is which, but turn is so that the right most (As looking at the pulley from the front of the car.) one is lined up with a pointer. (You'll see the pointer next to the main pulley.)

Remove the cover for the CAS. (It's round, about the size of the end of a soda can, on the spark plug side of the engine, on top, in front of the oil filler neck. Two Phillips screws)

There will be a two pointed wheel on the top and a magnetic pickup sensor to read the points on that wheel. One of the points should be pointing at the edge of the sensor.

 

In my experience with rotary engines, whenever the engine has sat for a while and you get it to finally run, there has always been a sh*t ton of smoke.......I mean a LOT!!!!! My advice is once you make sure the timing is right and all of the fluids are topped off correctly, get it running and keep it running.....Dont rev the sh*t out of it.....The smoke will eventually go away....It may take a while.....But eventually should go away and be able to run on its own.....So, you finally got it to run.....Good job......Now once you get all of the roadblocks out of the way(i.e. getting tags/insurance, tires,getting the car inspected blah blah blah) you can finally enjoy the rotary experience!!! Welcome to the club, kid!!!!

 

im still a little worried about my starting problems, because shouldnt it start regardless of the timing? especially after a new battery and having it pop started and run for a bit?

 

Eh, that's debatable. In my experience I've adjusted the timing either which way and still started and run well enough.

 

^

Unless the CAS has been removed ever since the car last ran and may be offset.

 

having a hard time locating any markings such as the red and yellow marks and the indicator near the pulley

 

With the CAS unplugged (or better yet, ignition off), spin the engine slowly using a ratchet and socket (17 or 19mm?) clockwise facing the engine. May be a little easier and smoother if you remove a spark plug from each rotor housing. The marks are not much more than a couple of closely spaced 'nicks' in the pulley closest to the front cover, the timing pin being mounted in the front cover (if it hasn't broken off). The paint usually goes away with age.

edit: nevermind, other poster already mentioned this...see sig. below for FSM link...check out part about lining up the CAS.

 

Congrats man!