aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

So here is everything in detail, i don't think its my AST that's not making it start. here is the story
I was driving down the road and all of a sudden i see smoke coming from my right side, i open up the hood and find out its coming from my coolant reservoir, there is pressure building up big time and its all coming out there, then i find out there is a MAJOR coolant dump underneath my car. I thought it was the radiator so i replaced that. The coolant reservoir was still spitting coolant and on top of that, there was coolant gushing out of the radiator cap on the engine block. Later on when we try starting the car, there was still a MAJOR coolant dump. Found out it was the line from the AST into the coolant reservoir. It had popped off. So i ziptied that line. That eliminated the coolant coming out of the reservoir and the radiator cap on the engine bloc. But.....Now my car isn't starting...at all. It cranks and while we tried cranking it, we were spraying starting fluid into the intakes. Its still not starting. The AST isn't leaking. and i can't notice anything else. Im going to check the engine codes today and will post later on it. But any help would be great. I just want my car running again....running 5 miles to work is going great healthywise, but it would be nice to have a car again

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Sounds like it might have overheated.

Look up the "unflooding procedure" for a rotary and do that. You may find fuel or coolant or both come out of the plug holes. Then try to start it and see if it goes.

Once you get it started do a champagne bubble test to see if the coolant seals are still good.

Dave

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

im going to try that tonight,
UPDATE: Tried cranking the car today, coolant is still spewing out of the reservoir.

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

So i did the unflooding procedure today.....It was a LOT of coolant that came out. Then i tried starting it again....nothing. So i checked the spark plugs. Its getting current through the spark plug wires.....I got shocked every time i tested it. But i did a spark test, and i was barely getting any spark from the spark plug. So im going to replace the spark plugs and see how that goes.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

If coolant came out of the plug holes your engine is toast.

If you're not confident in that diagnosis, borrow/rent a cooling system pressure tester and apply pressure at the filler cap (above the belts). I'll bet it wont' hold 12psi for very long. Then you can unflood the engine again and find more coolant in the engine. I'm guessing there aren't many resources for rotary owners on Guam.

Whatever you do, if you can't afford an engine rebuild right now, unflood the engine one more time, then pour a healthy tablespoon of ATF in each rotor and give it a quick crank. Otherwise corrosion from the coolant will destroy the engine internals in a matter of a few weeks. With the ATF in there you stand a fighting chance of having reusable engine parts.

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

You have got to be kidding me.....That blows. Any idea how much a rebuild kit will cost and where i can find one? I replaced the spark plugs with new ones, and it sounded like it was gonna start up, so we're going to get starting fluid and try that. Is there any way i can get my insurance company on this and not say that its a mechanical failure?

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

So i did my research and im going to get a Master rebuild kit from rotaryaviation.com
They are the cheapest that i have seen and i have seen on another forum that they are one of the best. They even include a DVD on how to do it. My question is....
Has anyone ever done a complete rebuild on these?

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Doubtful. It's not a windshield.

Yes people have rebuilt their own engines. If you have mechanical experience, it's reasonable but it will take a lot of time. Also there are most certainly parts that are very smart to replace where if you DIY you can use the money saved on labor to replace the other stuff. I strongly recommend that if you do this, do it well. Half-assing any part of a rebuild without experience is risky and you want to do everything possible to prevent a mistake that would cause you to go in again.

Get the DVDs and watch them, then decide if it's for you. Especially as a first-time rebuilder you will have a risk that the first build will not be perfect. And that is just not fun. There are links to good info in the 3rd gen FAQ.

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

well i was going to buy a Master rebuild kit from rotaryaviation.com so that should be good for everything right? I was also going to get the Super Seals. Im actually a mechanic for the Air force and if it goes through the same procedures we do with our Technical Orders then i should be good. I will take your advice in getting the DVD's first just in case tho.

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

That replaces the seals, but important stuff like the wiring harness, exhaust gaskets, injector service, fpd, etc aren't going to come with that kit. There is also a good chance you'll need to replace a housing or more, especially with the size of seal leak you describe.

Dave

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

why would i have to change the wiring harness? All that happened was my car overheated and now it just spills coolant out of the spark plugs when i unflood it. So i have to change a lot more than i thought? What's a housing? How much is it?

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

electrical feedback and inputs are critical. my guess at the wiring harness change would be a matter of prevention versus cure. however, i don't own an FD so maybe i'm wrong on that one.

housings are the engine's case or exoskeleton (in a sense). there are 2 rotor housings and 3 side housings (aka: irons or plates).

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

crap....so i should replace all the housings then? They are like $700-800 each.... What else would i need so i can just fix everything now

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

what housings do i need EXACTLY, there are like 5 different types

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

the rotor housings are the ones you need to worry about. they're likely to warp first and they seal the rotors in their axis. side housings can be lapped. my advice would be not to stress over this stuff until the engine comes apart and the parts can be assessed.

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

So should i jujst buy the rebuild kit now, because it takes 2 weeks to deliver to my house....id rather do that and start putting stuff on then wait ya know? Any cheap places to buy rotor housings? I only saw some on rx7store, but they are $700 each, GAH!

dgeesaman

iTrader: (7)

Yes you can, but I really doubt you'll have all of the parts you'll need using that kit. There are usually other things that need changing and it's impossible to predict them all.

diabolical1

iTrader: (3)

exactly what Dgeesaman said about being able to predict what you need. if it were me, i'd get the rebuild kit because you'll likely need it regardless of what route you take. however, you really need to take the engine apart and see what you have to work with. in the off chance that your engine turns out to be a loss, you can buy a used one and rebuild it.

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

Yeah i guess i will get the rebuild kit. Anyone know a great website that has an online manual for disassembly of the engine? That way i can start now

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

BUMP!!! UPDATE!!!!
Checked out my car again today. When i try to crank it, the coolant reservoir starts bubbling like crazy!! Then there is an extreme amount of pressure through the radiator cap on the engine block, but the coolant is not hot. So i did a compression test on the housings. IDK if i did it right, but i did a compression test on the bottom spark plugs. And on the front housing i got 1 PSI....on the rear housing i got 9 PSI. What's going on with my ride fellas? Im going to take apart my engine next weekend, so i can figure out what's bad.

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

How exactly do you do a compression test? I took out a spark plug on the bottom of each housing as i was doing it. i did it one at a time, not at the same time. then i tried starting it, there was 1psi in the fron and 9 in the back...was i doing it right?

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

Please don't start a new thread to update an existing thread.

The FAQ thread stickied in this forum:
https://www.rx7club.com/new-member-rx-7-technical-256/frequently-asked-questions-3rd-generation-rx-7-1992-2002-faq-fd-782404/
has 2 links to info on compression tests.
http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/3r...ion_check.html
http://www.fd3s.net/compression_test.html

Check out the threads for info on how to do it.
There is also a video somewhere on YouTube if you want to search for it.

It sounds like your procedure was correct but I could be wrong but your readings sound a bit odd with 1 and 9. What units of measure?

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

ok Thank you.

aznmagic

iTrader: (3)

Ok...so i asked a friend about my car situation. He told me to completely flush out the oil system, change the filters, and put new oil in it. He also said the only way that coolant could be pouring out of the spark plug holes is that someone poured coolant into the oil system. I will check this out, but can anyone confirm or not confirm this? I was going to end up buying a rebuild kit for $1300 but i don't want to do that if it does not have to be done.

gracer7-rx7

iTrader: (16)

I'd recommend you read the compression test links and find the video to verify if you did it correctly.

In your prior post you said the coolant was bubbling in the reservoir while cranking. Plus you say that you have Coolant coming out of the spark plug hole. If so then you have a huge engine failure. Sounds like you may have overheated and warped a housing breaking a coolant seal. This is just a guess based on the info you posted.

You are welcome to take a video of the bubbling coolant and post it up if you want further input. Can't hurt to change your fluids. I had previously recommended doing a coolant system pressure test. Did you ever do it? Connecting a coolant hose with a zip tie sounds jury rigged. I wonder what else might be hosed in the coolant system.