so I just found out my engine is a goner sadly.
being located in san Diego I know there are a few shops working on rotarys in the Los Angeles area.

Im not sure how comfortable I feel about having to drive 3 or more hours just to check on my car and make sure everything is going okay while being worked on.
I wouldn't mind this as much but id also have to throw down a lot more money during the towing process and what not as well as other problems that may arise expense wise.

ive done some research and have come up completely short trying to find a reliable rx7 mechanic in san diego, although I may have better luck asking on here myself.

without ever rebuilding a motor before but with general mechanical knowledge im wondering if I should just go about doing the rebuild myself or am I getting in over my head

any advice would be helpful.

 

Use your general mechanical experience to pull the engine, which you pop in the front seat of your daily and drive to a rebuilder.
No tow fees, FTW!

 

sometimes this is the best option, pulling the engine and reinstalling it gives you the knowledge to work on the car when problems arise. when it comes to the internal workings of the engine, it may be best to not gamble with it unless you have backup options.

 

good idea.. in this case can a specific shop be advised to go to in southern cal for the rebuild?
i dont know much about reputability as far as rotary rebuild shops go.

 

They are right. Pulling and installing the engine will save you quite a bit and gain you knowledge. Id pull the motor apart myself just to know exactly what's bad and what needs to be replaced, so you can get a general price on what it would be to rebuild it.

The less the shop has to do the cheaper.

I did all that and paid $2400 for a rebuild from a rotary only shop. Streetport, replace 1 3rd gen rotor, and 3rd gen shaft. Lap the housings and diamond cut the irons. Blueprint. OMP welded shut. New seals, front cover, bearings, and main engine bolts ect..

TBH if you don't need anything lapped... I would try a rebuild myself depending on how confident you are.

 

im seriously considering trying to get it done myself. I was looking at pulling the motor apart just to learn and see how bad the rotors/housing are as well. ive been very interested in being able to build my own 7's and im thinking this is a good place to start.

if not I might just go the route of pulling the motor and sending it off to get redone. my only concern at this point is the internal damage and what kinda trouble I might get into with that.

my turbo is also gonna need a rebuild and im sure I should get my my fuel injectors cleaned as well.
determined to get this t2 on the road again!!

 

I think most builders would prefer to work on an unmolested shortblock rather than the "box-o-parts" your exploratory disassembly would end up as.
Assessing the potential internal damage is one of the prime reasons to pay a pro.
They have the tools, the eye and the experience and know what can be gotten away with and what can't.

 

not really, in general people are lazy. the last engine i had delivered in such a way the engine parts were all thrown into the back of a jeep and delivered that way. no boxes, no protection, dozens upon dozens of parts missing, some parts damaged.

if you are going to do this you should be sure to keep everything neatly organized and actually there versus the black hole which usually sucks up parts you may not think are important, except every part is important.

i just had a 20B delivered in 3 crates, rotors wrapped in saran wrap and labelled with all parts divided by cardboard inserts. this is how you do it if you plan on doing this.

 

my major reason for not already having the car in pieces is to avoid losing any necessary parts as it would be a mess and a pain to deal with im sure.
i would love to learn the ins and outs of the motor but i feel like after thinking about it, i may be better off buying a craigslist heap for a couple hundred and using that as a place to learn rather than destroy or loss parts to my t2 keg

still trying to decide what place i should send my motor to for my rebuild. and im thinking of going with the bnr stage 1 as my turbo replacement.

 

just remember, any turbo upgrade requires supporting mods. anything that adds power needs more fuel and a way to add that fuel

 

is there anywhere that sells rebuilt stock turbos with oem specs?

 

i do them for $250 with core or $375 without a core(series 4, series 5 requires a core).

most any turbo shop can do it, but i don't know where in the valley does turbos. BNR also does stock rebuilds as well as upgraded turbos.

 

good pricing, i think ill get mine from you ill let you know when i decide to buy one. i appreciate all of your help and advice been very helpful