v944god

..that I owned my RX-7 TII, I've spent twice what the car was worth!

I bought the car for around $3k cash, within the first week I owned the car I had a bunch of problems.

I replaced the stock BOV with an aftermarket one I found off ebay for $40, and it was around a 30 minute installation.

That week I was getting a cloud of smoke from my exhaust when I would boost, and I took it to a rotary specialist so he told me it was the turbo leaking.

$80 for a used turbo, $690 to beef up the turbo to a .46 clip (with less backpressure, bigger hp rating, quick spool, etc.. including to port the wastegate)

Hey I can deal with that, a couple hundred here and there is no problem. So as I wait for majestic turbos to rebuild it, my alternator goes. I get a rebuilt alternator + labor + oil change = $200.

Now I'm starting to get pissed off, car is starting to become a headache. I couldn't drive it one day without worrying about it.

For less than a week I had no problems it was working fine. I get off school one day, on the highway, in 5th cruising. I give it gas, boost builds, a loud pop than backfire. Car is shaking violenty, and slowly I take it on the off ramp and it dies. I tow the sucker home for $85.

I was about the break the car into pieces!! God I have some bad luck.

So anyway, I thought it was a small problem, maybee a IC hose, or vaccum hose. I take it to the rotary shop, and the owner tells me its a blown apex seal. I explained what happened, and he said because of the cold air, and the dense mixture of it, etc... it ended up spiking the boost causing it to run lean and blowing the seal. So now I'm at the point of committing suicide! He tells me its going to need a remanufactured engine from Mazda. It's going to cost $800 just to replace the engine for labor, imagine how much for everything else.

So I go back home and start hunting the internet until I find a guy who sells beefed up 13BT engines. I ended up buying a 0k mile just rebuilt, super street ported jdm engine with a bunch of internal mods, rated at 240hp for $2200+core+1yr warranty.

He gives me a package deal for a 6 puck clutch kit with organic mix, and a light flywheel for $400. I ended up buying it because if I'm going to fix the engine why not spend the extra money and do the clutch while I'm at it.

So now I'm going to have a mechanically perfect car, and I ended up paying more for the new parts than for the car. Moral of the story, buy a 951 because thats less of a headache than a RX-7. The rotary engines are less accepted in the mechanics and they can only be taken to specialist who usually charge an arm and a leg. I'm going to end up breaking the car in, driving it for a couple months, and selling it than buying myself a
f$%king 951 like I had planned before.

iloveporsches

Yeah, cause 944-series cars never have maintanence problems!

At least you know you have a solid car now. And you're right, you should have gotten a 951.

EZRider

Once upon a time I was a Mazda rotary engine mechanic The rotary's apex seal was a major PITA and the weakest link in the engine. Then there's thing about literally no power until you climb well past 4000RPM. I hear some knowledgeable people say they are great handling cars. Maybe for the track they are great but for the street they pig out. And back to the apex seals...I don't miss 'em

Matt H

Seems like I mentioned that the T-IIs were not a good second hand car to buy. Did you buy your motor from Rotary Resurection? I will be happy to take your spare from you if you would like to get rid of it.

FWIW - the alternator on that car can be replaced in 15 mins if you know what you are doing, it is probably one of the easiest things to do on the car.
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v944god

Dont get me wrong, the car is awesome to drive! Just alot of weaklinks in the mechanical aspect of the car. These cars can be bulletproof with alot of attention. In the weeks I owned it I babied the thing. I'm more of a piston person than a rotary. Pistons def. have the edge when it comes to getting beat on, but these rotarties are toooo sensitive. Ahkk, one detonation and they are gone.

No, I got it from Rotaryworks, and fellow named Shane. Kevin from RR needed my core first and I can't wait over a month for it.

Z-man

Well, I think the moral of the story is more like this: keep it STOCK!

For example, were all these mods necessary?
IIRC, a BOV does two things: relieves backpressure (good thing), and makes a lot of noise so people know you have a turbo. I suppose this mod was a good thing for your car, from a safety point of view.
Hmmm, maybe the old, tired engine couldn't handle the extra power your beefed up turbo was making... (I think this is where you started getting into problems...)
Yep, seems the engine couldn't handle the extra pressure the turbo gave it!
Now, you were just trying to get more power out of the engine, and it couldn't handle it!
IMHO, the first 'mod' anyone should do on their car is to replace all gaskets/seals...etc. on an old engine. Get the sucker running 100% before you start messing with power 'add-ons.'
If this transaction isn't complete, I say forget about the '6 puck clutch kit' and spend the money you save on replacing worn/old parts on the car. (Suspension and brakes come to mind...)
Exactly my point! You can't mod a car that ISN'T mechanically perfect! Unfortunately, the route you took ended up being very costly. I'm not trying to mock you or make you feel bad, v944god: please don't think that! I am just a HUGE fan of keeping cars stock!

I've owned my 944S2 since 2001. I have ZERO peformance mods on the car. Ziltch, NADDA - NOTHING! However, I probably have over $10K in maintenance invoices! (I(I refuse to add the numbers up!! ) Because my car is properly maintained, I know I can take my car to the track, BEAT THE SNOT OUT OF IT, and have no worries that the car will break down on me. I can bounce off my rev-limiter all day long and the engine won't complain. I can smack the brakes at 120mph, and feel confident the car will slow down enough to take the next corner!

If you get a 951, I suggest that you focus on getting the car mechanically perfect before you start messing with upgraded turbos, wastegates, chips...etc. Heck, you may find that even in stock form, the 951 is quite an enjoyable car!

Regards,
-Z-man.

PS: Saw your car (924S) in wantadpress today. Hopefully it will sell soon!

Dlefko

pics?

v944god

Wow z-man, maybee I didn't explain it all too well.

The turbo was stock when the seal broke. Only a couple of mods from the P/O, I didn't even touch the car and wasn't planning on it, but when things are at the point of blowing up (turbo) I was forced to find a replacement. Plus the apex seal broke off because it was running too lean. Also, the BOV was going to be used to help the new turbo especially with the changes it was about to go through. I wasn't going to touch the car at all until it was mechanically sound, but than all this happened.

I got the new turbo to replace the old one, but it was still at majestics when my apex seal blew. So I was in the process of switching out the leaky turbo, than hell broke loose.

Expect me at the auto-x this summer

Ya I really need to get rid of the 924S, it's been sitting here for too long, plus the damn thing runs. Atleast you saw it

Devia

My roommate has an RX7...between that and my 944, which do you think has more down time!?

RIGHT! The RX7! Actually, I was talking to the guy that helped me get my 944, and we have both been impressed by how Kijo just loves to keep running. And I try to keep her that way.

- Julie

Z-man

Oh, ok. Didn't read your post correctly. Sorry 'bout that...

See you at autox!

-Z.

Matt H

Apex seals are internal seals Z, you would have to tear the motor down to replace them.

V - they will NEVER be bullet proof. I have seen engine built by some of the most respected tuners in the world when it comes to rotaries. I have seen some last years and I have seen others last a few weeks. They are good cars. If I ever buy another one it will start with a rebuild. Do you want to sell the blown motor?
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v944god

Well I heard with the right fuel management, and maintence these engines can last around 150k miles, but they have a sensitivity issue. Usually people can jump into a 951 and drive off without warming it up in the cold weather (not proper but ppl do it), but in the RX-7 I have to let it warm up for 15 minutes before I move an inch. If this baby runs lean once, its over.

I might have to give the blown motor back because I get back $400 for the core unless you can offer me something different.

Z-man

Ok, I wasn't sure where they were located. So, you need to tear the motor down. It's just one big round thingy, anyway, right?!? (Just kiddin')

-Z.

Matt H

Let him have the core, no big deal, I was thinking he wasnt asking you for one! With all the right goodies they can be a lot of fun. Haltech E6K comes to mind. Brian Cain here in Dallas is a Haltech expert when it comes to RXs.

Z- you can tear one of the motors apart in a matter of a morning. An NA motor can be pulled in less than 3 hourse if you have done it before. In all you could pull it, rebuild it, and reinstall it in a 12 hour day if you knew what you were doing.
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iloveporsches

Actually, it really isn't good for a piston motor to just sit there and idle. Not sure about rotaries though. With a regular motor, just hop in and drive off, keeping the RPM's low and the gas pedal light until it's all up to temp. That way the whole drivetrain, instead of just the engine, is up to proper temp.