Qwiksillva

Okay, somehow my 13B turbocharged rotary engine in my Rx-7 Turbo II has met a big problem. I didn't dog my engine nor did I let it overheat on me ever. Here's the problem, my engine's temperature rises extremely fast and very easily, and I'm burning coolant fluid (it's leaking in the rotor housing). Before this problem happened, my main core coolant hose to the engine split and coolant fluid literally poured out the car... I turned it off and had it repaired. So supposedly the inner coolant o-rings that seal the coolant fluid from taking way too much heat and leaking in to the rotor housing have gone bad... I get a whitish smoke from the exhaust... smells strange, not like fuel. Well the engine will get hot easily now. So what could it be? Am I right that it's the inner coolant o-rings on the rotor housings or could it be related to something else? I don't trust myself to repair this all alone. I would have to pull apart the engine to do it. If anyone knows anyone knowledgable enough with rotary engines to walk me through this that would be awesome... I'll pay for some personal help.

EDIT: AUTODEMICS quoted it $2700 to have it repaired. I said no way. Too rich for my blood... and my wallet. They said almost all of that was labor to disconnect, unmount, pull apart, put back together, remount, and reconnect my engine. Wow, labor sucks. I figure that I might as well do it, my labor is free to myself.

HatefulMechanic

welcome to the wonderful world of teh rotary.


i would say their quote is reasonable, however, IIRC its about10 hours to R&R the engine.

are they rebuilding, or are they swapping out? if you have gotten it the LEAST bit hot (which it sounds like you have) i HIGHLY reccomend doing an exchange. get a reman unit for it and swap it out. if you havent or the shop hasnt ever torn down a rotary....you are in for trouble. they are not the car to learn on.

isnt autodemics the RX shop up that way? if so....thats a pretty decent price. these engines are not a DSM. dont be a jew....

Qwiksillva

A remanufactured unit?? Like a whole new engine? Man, I don't want to do that because the existing engine is functional and street-ported. The engine runs fine besides the coolant leaking in the rotor housing (which I know isn't something to underplay).

Yes, Autodemics is a rotary specializing shop off Tilden Avenue which is near the Great Bridge bridge in Chesapeake off of Battlefield Boulevard.

Don't be a jew? I didn't get that, haha. I have a DSM and I am suprisingly more afraid to work on that engine than the rotary engine. Well, I really want to keep the original engine. This Rx-7 was pulling mid 12s before this happened. I would cry if I had to give it another engine...