To replace the rear main seal, do I have to unbolt the tensioner bolts?

 

No. It's strange that the liquid that is leaking out of the rear main seal smells like fuel. Possibly severely flooded, and a ton fuel mixed with oil behind the oil control rings, and is then leaking out of the rear main seal? That's the only possibility I can think of.

 

Alright, I'll have to pull the tranny back out... The rear main seems like the most logical explanation...

Tomorrow I'll check the fuel return set up by squeezing the return line.
Then, I'll do a bleed test on my primary fuel line... See if it's holding pressure, if not one of my injectors is stuck open or something.
After that, the scent of my oil will be tested.
If everything above clears out, we'll re-pull the tranny and replace the rear main...

Wow, busy day scheduled tomorrow. Lol.

Thanks guys, I'll keep you updated.
Scott

 

I hope you have a 54mm socket ready and a big-*** breaker bar or insane impact gun. Have fun.

 

nope, dont have to unbolt anything (other then the flywheel), simply pry out the main seal, its the orange thing arround the e-shaft, it'll pop right out with a screw driver, then just gently tap in the new one with a soft faced hammer going arround the seal.

 

also if you cant find a 55mm socket a 2-3/16" socket will work too.

 

The auto shop that I'm workin' in at school has a pretty sick set up for tools that students can borrow during class.

I've already pulled apart my old N/A engine and done a clutch job and flywheel re-surfacing. I'm not too worried about the flywheel. ;D

 

2-1/8"

 

err, you are right, i just checked and that size is just about perfect! strange, brian (japan2la) told me to use 2-3/16"? oh well, guess its good i got the JUMBO socket set at harbor freight!

 

There an o-ring behind the rear stationary gear you should check too, while you're in there replacing the rear main.


<-----my 1000th post!!

 

^ Yay!!!

 

Alright guys, I did a few things on the car today... We spent extra time in class so I didn't get everything that I wanted done, done.

First, we pulled the dip stick from the oil pan and it smelled STRONG of fuel.
So, I'll have to change the oil now won't I? And, what could've made fuel get into the oil pan in the first place? I need to make sure that doesn't happen again... I can tell you that for a little while I did the noobish mistake of having the fuel lines mixed up and having a lot of the vacuum lines unplugged. Making the engine run rich... But, would that force fuel into the oil pan?

Then, we crimpped the fuel return line closed. No leaks anywhere, accept for the bell housing still...

Finally we hooked up the fuel system pressure test kit and pressurized the system with a gauge attatched. I'm running a Walboro fuel pump on an otherwise stock fuel system. The system held pressure at just under 30 psi. No less than 27 psi. ever.
That means that my injectors aren't stuck open.

So, with those tests out of the way, I'm convinced that the fuel/oil mixture is seaping out of the rear main seal. Whether or not it's because of the fuel being in the system I don't know. But, I'm going to drain the oil pan and then replace the rear main seal. Hopfully that'll fix the problem. And, depending on how my clutch looks I might as well replace that and get the flywheel surfaced while the tranny is out eh?

 

Was it severely flooded then allowed to sit for a long time? Maybe the fuel sitting in the combustion chamber seeped past the side seals and the oil control rings into the oil. Or possibly the oil control rings are really bad and allowing fuel to seep past into the oil. Just throwing ideas out there.

 

To need RX7: I've no idea how the engine was treated before I got ahold of it. It is a Jspec modle that I bought from Japan2la, Brian for those of you that have done buisness with him, It could've been soaked in a gasoline tank for all I know. But, it has good compression and that's really all I know. And for the oil control rings... I'm really hoping not... That would make me quite disheartened... I saved for six or so months to buy the engine and all of the associated swap parts. Lol. I can't afford a re-build.
But hey, if a rebuild is needed might as well get her street ported too while I'm at it eh? Bright side to every situation.

I'm not going to get to work on the car again untill Monday, I'll get the rear main seal from NAPA and a new clutch line too. Mine is about shredded.

Fingers crossed she'll be running like a champ after that eh?

 

might be a good idea to make sure that it isnt flooded now before you change your oil out too (pull the EGI fuse and crank the engine for about 20-30 seconds with the gas pedal to the floor to clear it out). replace that main seal and pull the rear stationary gear out and replace the O-ring back there too (good idea while your in there) resurface that flywheel and put it all back together and torque it to spec, change the oil out and it should be fine! good luck!

 

Would you happen to know the name of the O-Ring behind the stationary gear? That way I can get it ordered before school starts up on Monday.

 

"o-ring for rear stationary gear" is whats its called be very carefull if you do pull this out.

 

You make it sound like removing that rear O-Ring is a refined process. Anything imparticular that I need to look out for?

 

Mazdatrix: http://www.mazdatrix.com/b2.htm pn:10-555A-0813

Remove the gear, replace seal and o-ring, install. Just dont disturb the engine while the gear is out.

 

So, today was an interesting day in the shop class... We started with the four main ASE tests and I passed all of the three that I took today. Crossing my fingers for tomorrow.

After that we jumped right into the shop. We finished pulling the tranny back out, and after seeing my flywheel off for the third time, I noticed that it had a really light weight after market flywheel. Maybe 12 lbs. max.

That's not even the best part though. After we got the fly wheel off, we used a prybar and pulled the rear main seal out... And with the seal about a cup and a half of oil/gas mix. More gas than oil. Lol, it had the viscocity of water.

So! There is definately fuel in my oil pan. And, A LOT OF IT!! We pulled the oil filler tube off at the gasket and noticed that fuel is coming into the oil pan from there. I'm assuming it's coming in from the vacuum line that connects to the top of that.

Now, as far as I know... There's no way in hell that a properly running/routed engine should have fuel in a vacuum line.

Anyone else delt with that one?
Please and thank you,
Scott

 

The two vac lines on the oil filler neck are for the PCV system. It connects to the TID and to the charcoal canister. The charcoal canister just collects fuel vapors and recirculates them. If any of that vapor were to collect and re-form liquid gas, it would flow out the bottom of the canister. There's a hose on the bottom. You can pull the canister and see if it's full of fuel, but I can't see that happening. Did you actually see any fuel running out of the hoses?

 

I personally didn't I was in the car cranking on the engine... Q, my buddy, said that fuel was coming straight out of the upper part of the oil filler tube.


We had the upper part removed.

 

Man that is nuts. This is thread is like watching an episode of HOUSE.

 

Fewer ***** though.

 

might be a good idea to get the vacuum hose diagram and check all of your hoses and solonoids and your fuel hoses too, if there is that much fuel flowing into your oil filler, the fuel has to be coming from somewhere! you could try following the hose that has the fuel coming out of it back and see where it goes too, thta might give you some answers. check your pulsation damper too, i've never heard of this, but i guess it is possible that fuel is flowing through the vacuum nipple or something? strange... good luck tho!

ps. i agree with dltreezan, this is kindof like a house episode with massive internal bleeding coming from nowhere! lol. i also agee with clokker too, ***** would make this more fun! everything is more fun with *****!