JustJeff

iTrader: (13)

I was assembling my engine got to the water seals and found two of them cracked at the seam.

I got them from Atkins. The other two are fine.


Here is the other one


I tried calling Atkins but they were closed. I really don't want to put assembly off till I/they replace them. Can they be repaired?

SpikeDerailed

iTrader: (7)

Nothing that'll last any real time. Just do it right.

lastphaseofthis

iTrader: (8)

super GLUE!!!!

Naw, for reals even if they hold water, a few heat cycles and they won't.

JustJeff

iTrader: (13)

I talked to Atkins, Dan I believe. He offered to either have me return the bad seals and he'd replace them. Or told me how to make them work.

Silicone sealant on those areas once they are in place. It's the same advice a friend had given me. I had read about it in the past; some people buy the water jacket directly from the source, cut it and seal it themselves.

What I'll be doing, per Dan's advice. Don't use any hylomar or crisco in the suspect area. The dry spot will be the crack, which will of course be in the intake area. Dab a spot of RTV.

PvillKnight7

iTrader: (16)

I'd exchange them since it's an option.

Nothing wrong with a silicone patch job in the intake area of the coolant groove...but if you paid for a new seal you might at well get it.

JustJeff

iTrader: (13)

^Unfortunately I'm pressed for time. I start a new job next Monday and for a lil while I'll be working two jobs.

I'm letting the RTV "cure" a little while I assemble other parts. I think they're good but opinions are appreciated

What I did was lift the cracked area out of the groove, put a dab of RTV under the seal. Pressed the problem area in and wipe the RTV that came out off.

I put one on either side of the middle iron,that way they aren't facing each other.

AmT_T

iTrader: (11)

Don't be surprised if your coolant seal mysteriously blows man. I work with that high temp RTV stuff on jets all the time It's good but I wouldnt trust it to hold my seals together. I'd do it right the first time!! (just my 2 cents)

SpeedOfLife

iTrader: (16)

You say you start a new job soon, but you'll have to invest even more time into this motor if that seal goes early, which it very likely will.

K-Tune

iTrader: (26)

Just rent a car or something man...that is not a risk worth taking AT ALL.

PvillKnight7

iTrader: (16)

I would have used more sealant....like filled the groove for 1" on either side of the crack.

GregW

Had the same thing happen when building an engine for a buddy. Called Mazdatrix (place he got them) They sent a box we with new ones in it and had us send the cracked ones back in the same box. They said there is a shelf life on them and we must have gotten the ones that fell down behind the shelf. Hopefully Atkins is just as cool.

I should add, as soon as I moved them in the package we could tell they were cracked. For all you know those seals could be 20 years old.

JustJeff

iTrader: (13)

I've got more time to think about it. The assembly hit a new snag. I found corrosion on my middle iron that I swear wasn't there before a couple days ago. Here's a link to that thread

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/middle-iron-corrosion-960023/

My concern about the new job starting isn't that I don't have transportation. It's that I'll be working two jobs while training at the new job. I wanted to get as much done before Monday as possible. Now I"m all out of days off till I"m working two jobs.

About patching them. Atkins said they patch seals with RTV all the time and Dan walked me through how to do the patch. I posted pics hoping someone who has done this kind of thing would chime in...let me know if I did it correctly.

Side note: some people buy the seals and cut them to length, seal them themselves and use them.

Atkins was very cool and gave me the option to either send them in for replacement or patch them. What with my indecision about what to do with my middle iron I may send them in.....seeing how I'm not gonna get much done between now and Monday anyway.

just startn

iTrader: (33)

Id out new seals in personally. Your saying your not going to have time to work on your car with all these jobs....It's not going to grow legs and walk away. Relax it will be there when you have time for it. Don't rush anything. it's a car man. not life or death situation.

AmT_T

iTrader: (11)

+1 why take the risk to just do it all over again man. We are trying to help u out.

JustJeff

iTrader: (13)

What with having to stop to get opinions on the middle iron and not getting the engine assembled on my days off. I'll send the seals back to Atkins.

Talked to Dan this morning. Unfortunately he won't send me replacements till he recieves the cracked ones. I offered to email him pics as proof but he didn't like that idea.

freq

iTrader: (6)

Same thing happened to me.
Buy new seals-get them sent out immediately., return the new ones, have them refund your card once they get the returns.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

i'd have used super glue to reattach the broken section then apply silicone over the break as a seconday measure.

it will be fine though. just apply a second layer of sealant over the patch prior to assembly.

since no one else seems to have any faith i figured you could use some. the people who are skeptical, well they really have no clue just how fragile the seals are in that section anyways.

JustJeff

iTrader: (13)

Yeah, I got Dan's assurance that they repair them for their own builds all the time. I remember reading about people buying the same seals from..um..Mcmasters or one of those e-tailers and then cutting and sealing them. A friend who's built more engines than me also talked about how repair would work just fine.

BUT I didn't get anything done on my 3 consecutive days off. My goal was to have the engine assembled and one of my two rear subframes dropped and the diff off. With that not happening I"ll just wait and do it in my free time. Not happy about it, but such is life.