Mazda Rotary Club

Cars by Model Type => 3rd generation RX-7's => Topic started by: Nik da Greek on July 10, 2008, 06:22:49 PM

Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 10, 2008, 06:22:49 PM
Well, it\'s been all of a month since I got my FD back and on the road, all mapped up and running like a dream, random annoying second turbo woes all sorted, no more dumping all the boost out of the still-open switching flap, re-re-furbished wheels all beautiful and corrosion free, oil leak from the sump gone, etc, etc. Basically the culmination of a year and a half\'s slog to get all the catalogue of problems that\'ve dogged it constantly sorted out. And, small potatoes  to what some people spend, but it\'s took me a good few grand that I couldn\'t afford to get there......

Anyway, to cut a long story short, since this was the first day free from monsoon deluges for a long while, I thought I\'d go for a spin, burn some ever-increasingly expensive hydrocarbons, run some errands. You just know what\'s coming next, don\'t you?

That\'s funny, I thought, can only manage .2 bar boost on the first turbo. Hhhmm, that\'s not right! A brief stop off via the ever-patient and helpful Jason at Super 7 confirms that the first turbo should always be running, and the only possibilities are that maybe it\'s sucked in something that\'s locked up the shaft. So, I took it home, slowly, lol, stripped out all the gubbins, to find this:

[ATTACH]39844[/ATTACH]

Oh, for ****s sake. What do you want from me, God? Blood?

Dunno if I\'ve mentioned it before (actually, I\'m fairly sure I have) but there are times when I ****ING HATE THIS CAR!
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Dan Norton on July 10, 2008, 06:56:27 PM
Man....thats bad luck buddy!

I feel for you.

I had an mr2 which was one thing after another for 6 months (before the fd), i just had to call it quits in the end :(
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 10, 2008, 07:11:34 PM
Thanks for that, Dan. Yeah, I have to say that this is very close to the final straw. In the past year and a half I\'ve had this car, I\'ve literally put about two and a half thousand miles on her. That\'s been the few times she\'s been on the road and working right, not a lot to show for all the aggravation and expense. I love it to bits when its all up and working, but I\'m really starting to feel that those few fleeting moments simply don\'t add up, financially or emotionally!

Trouble is, I\'m stuck now. I\'ve got to fix it again, cos what\'s it worth in the current state and current market? Two grand for spares? Again, can\'t justify that after all the money already gone into it, so I have to spend more money I don\'t have, just to get it to a saleable state. And then I know I\'ll enjoy it too much to want to sell, until it goes pop again...

I should never have killed the Motego blue one, that never went wrong ever!
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: ro284 on July 10, 2008, 07:49:52 PM
Bad luck Nik, Just how much of a job is that? does it mean the turbo pack off altogether, replace the turbo pack, or can you take out the spinny thing off it\'s shaft and replace just that from the front? hope no small bits have broken off it!
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 10, 2008, 08:02:45 PM
Got to take it all apart to see what\'s broke. The compressor wheel\'s obviously buggered, but dunno about the bearing or the housing. Doesn\'t look good, the whole lot\'s flapping around like a pr!ck in a shirtsleeve, and the blades have enough play to touch the housing. Which is presumably what\'s stopping it boosting, lol. Dunno how much shrapnel from the compressor got how far through the system. Whatever needs swapping, gotta take the turbo pack off either way, I thinks. Deep joy :Laugh!
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: karl_tate on July 10, 2008, 11:04:25 PM
what is the second turbo like, has it been reconditioned??

 i would just buy a new turbo pack, im sure you will be able to pick one up fairly cheap,

sngle all the way though :D
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 10, 2008, 11:10:48 PM
Yeah, the secondary turbo\'s only done 17k. The engine blew its guts out via the secondary turbo in the first place, which was why it was rebuilt. The muppet I bought it off should\'ve splashed for a pair rather than just the wanke!ed one, I guess. It\'ll have to be a fleabay special set of twins, I reckon. I\'ve just put two grand into the car already this year, no way I can reach to a single now. It\'d be murder....mine, by the wife! :Giggle
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Laeeq on July 11, 2008, 12:27:22 AM
bad luck dude.... if you need a turbo pack then let me know as i have just taken a set off and was told they were 99spec.  Although, im not sure how to tell apart from part no on the side which seems different then earlier ones that i also have for sale.
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 11, 2008, 09:09:31 AM
Sounds promising. What sort of cash money did you have in mind? Presumably they\'re all god, not in need of reconditioning or owt?
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: memski on July 11, 2008, 10:15:17 AM
If you need parts I\'ve got a turbopack sat in my garage you can have for next to nowt, they were working perfectly up until I removed them but have been sat for a few years in the back of my garage :|
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: RedRummy on July 11, 2008, 12:39:20 PM
Quote from: Laeeq;515785bad luck dude.... if you need a turbo pack then let me know as i have just taken a set off and was told they were 99spec.  Although, im not sure how to tell apart from part no on the side which seems different then earlier ones that i also have for sale.

99 spec ones will also give you about 30-40 extra hp  
(I know cos I had to remove my 99 spec and go back to early spec.. :(   )
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: RedRummy on July 11, 2008, 12:41:18 PM
Quote from: Nik da Greek;515758Yeah, the secondary turbo\'s only done 17k. The engine blew its guts out via the secondary turbo in the first place, which was why it was rebuilt. The muppet I bought it off should\'ve splashed for a pair rather than just the wanke!ed one, I guess. It\'ll have to be a fleabay special set of twins, I reckon. I\'ve just put two grand into the car already this year, no way I can reach to a single now. It\'d be murder....mine, by the wife! :Giggle

Gutted for ya mate.

Similar thing happened to mine, not quite as catastrophic turbine damage, but melted interior and fins touching the casing...

If you could drop a recond\' set of twins in its place, it might not be as bad as it sounds...

Just hope there is no internal damage (looks OK though)
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 11, 2008, 01:46:01 PM
Cheers for all the help, guys, I appreciate it!

RedRummy, why did you have to swap back from the \'99 spec? Was it cos they were the ones that blew up, or some other reason? Looks like i\'m gonna be spending more time up at Super 7 imposing on Jason\'s better nature!, Drop by and have a laugh at my expense if you\'re passing :Laugh
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: RedRummy on July 11, 2008, 09:36:57 PM
well, mine turned out to be completely melted inside, probably cos the previous Jap owner drifted it round the downtown streets of Tokyo... or something.  All the inside of the casings were cracked from getting too hot and the turbine ended up fouling the case.

I couldn\'t afford to replace them with a set of recond\' 99 spec so went back to standard spec.

It was just what was available at the time..   :(   New set of 99 Spec is  very pricey apparently

In hindsight, I kinda regret not just ripping it all out and going with a nice single tubby.
Title: IT LIVES! Mwuahhahhaha!
Post by: Nik da Greek on August 01, 2008, 03:15:39 PM
Hurrah! Ruby lives again, back from being a single tubby for all the wrong reasons to running like a dream as Mazda intended! Can\'t say enough thanks to Laeeq and Memski who both stepped up and offered to help out with spare turbo packs, particularly to Laeeq, whose rather fine twin pack is now powering my red rocket up the road! Thanks, guys :Thumbs-up!

The state of the busted primary was just horrible. Apart from the missing chunk that you could see, the wastegate housing was, well it wasn\'t actually. Not so much a manifold as a cracked, mullered, pitted, split and generally nadgered collection of holes held together with a bit of charred metal! The bearing on the primary shaft was so knackered you could press the compressor wheel right into the housing face by hand! Just nasty! Not sure what caused it all to fail so badly, whether it was just wear and tear or what, but it\'s a good job it didn\'t do more damage, the entire wheel looks like it was close to turning itself into shrapnel and then it may well have took the engine with it. Scary stuff.

Once again (and I know I sound like a stuck record) I have to give a big up to Jason and Chris at Super 7 for resurrecting the evil thing again. Jason in particular was there til late at night doing the swap for me so as it\'d be done for RS5. Can\'t believe how much better it is to drive now, it must\'ve been on the way out for ages and all the other problems I\'ve had had been masking it. The damned things\' a flying machine now! Reminds me just why we put ourselves through all the grief and expense these cars cost us, when they\'re all up and running sweet, there\'s nothing to compare! I is a happy bunny :yes

Till the next time.....:Giggle
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Kevin on August 01, 2008, 03:27:05 PM
Congratulations mate! :D
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Laeeq on August 01, 2008, 04:11:28 PM
yep...well done and glad you are all sorted.  The twins were fantastic on my car and i knew they will be good for you.  I thought theye were 99spec to be honest..:Hammer

I will be at RS on Sunday so may see you there.:wave
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: memski on August 01, 2008, 04:51:10 PM
Woot nice one, good to hear she\'s running sweet again :D
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: logicalChimp on August 01, 2008, 05:18:57 PM
\'tis good new indeed - must of run out of bits to replace now, surely? (at least for a couple of months, anyway :D)
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Jit on August 01, 2008, 06:20:05 PM
Chuffed for ya dude....i must admit i was close to getting the angle grinder on it at one point and chopping ur front wings off....they were getting in the way and i thought  id do you a favour and remove them for you :D but they didnt let me
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on August 01, 2008, 08:30:27 PM
Oi! Leave my lovely wings alone, you! I can\'t believe you blokes managed to change a turbo pack so quickly without taking the engine out, tbh. Some sort of black magic going on there, I think :yes!

logicalChimp, I think you\'re bang on there. The cars now like George Washingtons\' axe; it\'s had ten new handles and eight new blades, but it\'s 100% original! I\'m just hoping there\'s nothing left to break that\'s not already been fixed, but I know how my luck goes! Hopefully I can get more than the 75 miles I managed last time before she goes bang again...

Thanks to all who offered support and encouragement, means a lot at dark times like this, cheers :cheers!
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Jit on August 01, 2008, 11:30:03 PM
black magic indeed....i think jason must have a voodoo doll of ur car...he only pokes it (that read well wrong) when hes low on work lol
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 07, 2009, 04:55:12 PM
I was wonderring how long before I had to resurrect this thread...

Well, another year, another catastrophic fduk-up just before another Rotorstock. Glad to know my luck\'s stayed consistent :mad:.

Looks like the clutch slave or master cylinder has just gone. Can\'t get the pedal down enough to release the clutch, and it sticks on the floor when you lift off the pedal. Three days before RS6, hmmm, great timing :rolleyes:. Gotta love FD ownership.

Funny, I was expecting to break the diff running at the Pod, cos it\'s just about the only thing I hadn\'t broken on the car already, but it looks like the clutch has gone instead and saved me the trouble.

Sooooo depressed :(
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: leon on July 07, 2009, 05:06:21 PM
Damn thats bad luck! no chance to get it fixed quickly before RS?
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: memski on July 07, 2009, 05:07:50 PM
Have you checked the slave hose? Might have split as they\'re prone to fail after a while. It\'s by the map sensor and runs down to the slave.
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 07, 2009, 05:09:41 PM
Depends very much on how quickly I can get a replacement slave or (hopefully not) master cylinder, and time to fit it/both. Dunno which one\'s gone, and there\'s a Biblical thunderstorm out there atm so I\'m not about to start rolling around under the car in a massive puddel trying to find the leak.

Working awful bloody shifts now as well, I\'d be working on it at one in the morning. My only hope is that the  mechanic next door can fnd time to work on it, and can get the parts in quick enough for whatever it is
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 07, 2009, 05:10:37 PM
Quote from: memski;623935Have you checked the slave hose? Might have split as they\'re prone to fail after a while. It\'s by the map sensor and runs down to the slave.

Flexi-hose is already a braided steel one. Old rubber one already went last year :D (like most other things on the car :()
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: leon on July 07, 2009, 05:23:08 PM
Go on its only a bit of rain you wont melt! :rolleyes: Actually dont its the worst thing you can do working under a car while its ....ing down and cold.
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 07, 2009, 05:32:29 PM
hahaha! We are literally talking Noah\'s Flood here, dude, it\'s black as midnight with forked lightning and all. I\'m not even sticking my snout out the front door, let alone trying to work on the car :Giggle
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: clive on July 07, 2009, 06:28:18 PM
Just clicked new posts and found this, disregard the other thread,

If you can still feel a good firm pedal then it\'s not fluid related,

Check the free play at the top of the pedal by pushing it with you finger,

If it\'s more than 10/15 mm  then grab a 10mm and 12mm spanner and bury yourself upside down in the footwell and adjust the length of the push rod that goes into the back of the master cylinder,

This will either give you a pedal and engagement or if the pedal then goes absolutely solid before it reaches the floor then its a bent clutch fork


Hope this helps
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: d6277n on July 07, 2009, 09:08:26 PM
Sorry to hear the bad news buddy... You didn\'t have a hobby of breaking mirrors in a former life did you?

Hope you get it sorted, if not I\'ll buy you a beer at Rotorstock, assuming it\'s not flooded out :guinness

Chris.
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 07, 2009, 09:17:37 PM
Cheers, Chris. Thanks for the tip, Clive, I\'m off to furkle around in the footwell in the dark now :D
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Jit on July 07, 2009, 09:17:55 PM
looks like jasons got his needles out again!
seriously though dude, my advice would be just buy a brand new master and slave cylinder. I highly doubt uve bent the clutch fork. Get your mechanic matey to fit em both (takes me an hour to change both on the driveway - fiddliest bit is getting the master cylinder past the rear turbo intake) and then bleed the brakes and clutch. IIRC, new cylnders are roughly 120 for the pair
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 07, 2009, 09:36:20 PM
yeah, doesn\'t look like Clive\'s idea will work out anyway. There\'s only 10mm freeplay, but it does feel firm and, well, how it should. Not tried it with the engine off before, more confused than ever now :3Confused

Don\'t think it can be a mechanical problem, cos otherwise it would have come on suddenly rather than gradually over a week, then just got markedly worse just today?

Why can\'t car clutches be like bike ones, they\'re a piece of **** to adjust and work on :mad:
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 08, 2009, 12:58:17 PM
Well, there you go...it\'s the master cylinder seals. Five to seven days to get one from Mazda, looks like th th thats all folks, won\'t be seeing you lovely folks at RS this year. It was a miracle that it made it last year, too much to hope for twice running I suppose.

Gotta love that legendary FD reliability :Giggle
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: L18M on July 08, 2009, 01:15:32 PM
bike it to R6.. i wont have my 7 either.. kinda feels like no point going without it hehe
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: logicalChimp on July 08, 2009, 02:13:10 PM
Yo
 
Speak to Jas - he may have a spare cylinder, depending on whether he had to re-use the one of my old car?  (i think he re-used it, but maybe not - worth a shout :))
 
Otherwise, you could do what (it seems like) a lot of people do - buy a spare RX to keep in the garden as an emergency parts box! :D
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Jit on July 08, 2009, 07:33:55 PM
I can *probably* drop one off at jas\'s tomoro if that helps at all....need to check if its a good un?
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 08, 2009, 11:50:56 PM
Good of you to offer, dude, but I\'m on bloody awful shifts the next coupla days and don\'t have time to get the car to J\'s and I\'m pretty certain he wouldn\'t have time to do it anyway. I may just go for the subtle approach of driving the evil bitch up to the Pod anyway, and hoping I don\'t have to change gear too often :D If she shltes her guts out on the M1, well so be it, its no more than it deserves. I\'ll just leave it in a hedge and hitch home :D
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Jit on July 09, 2009, 12:19:25 AM
seriously Nik, it takes 30 mins tops to change a MC! hardest bit is getting it past the rear turbo intake!
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: clive on July 09, 2009, 09:27:20 AM
If you can get the car there I will change it for you at the meeting,

 If you pump the pedal you may well find you can get it in gear o/k enough for now,

To hopefully encourage you I know there are people out literally bolting cars together to try and get to Rotorstock
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 09, 2009, 11:32:59 AM
Thanks Clive, that\'s a really generous offer. In fact thanks to everyone who\'s thrown encouragement and offers of help at me....Clive, Jit, Jason, and to Jo and Adam for sharing the pain :Giggle, Blitzen for diagnosing the prob so quickly :Thumbs-up Wow..sounds like an Oscar speech, but I mean it sincerely. That\'s what makes our rotary community great, this sort of camaderie and solidarity :). Means a lot, thanks guys

It\'ll be there if I have to drag it there, or drive all the way in one gear :yes
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: BlitzBoy on July 09, 2009, 11:37:24 AM
if ya do a bit of rev matching you might be able to change gears without dipping the clutch lol
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Nik da Greek on July 09, 2009, 11:39:01 AM
Hmmm, works on the bike, beauty of dog boxes I guess....or I could just get it into fifth and never slow down for anything :rollin
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: logicalChimp on July 09, 2009, 12:20:12 PM
If the worst comes about, provided you can get to Toddington (which admittedly is pretty much all the way from where you are) I could give you a tow... would gimme a chance to put the tow hooks to the test :p
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: od404 on July 10, 2009, 11:43:27 AM
Quote from: Nik da Greek;624704It\'ll be there if I have to drag it there, or drive all the way in one gear :yes

That\'s the rotary spirit :Thumbsup!  I\'m expecting to see you there now
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh
Post by: REVIT93RX7 on July 10, 2009, 12:18:42 PM
The Clutch MC is pretty simple to change.  This will be the last bit you need to change and she will run for you with no problems from now on!
Title: Aaaaaaaaaargh (part 27)
Post by: Dan Norton on July 11, 2009, 12:34:49 AM
Quote from: Nik da Greek;623927I was wonderring how long before I had to resurrect this thread...

Well, another year, another catastrophic fduk-up just before another Rotorstock. Glad to know my luck\'s stayed consistent :mad:.

Looks like the clutch slave or master cylinder has just gone. Can\'t get the pedal down enough to release the clutch, and it sticks on the floor when you lift off the pedal. Three days before RS6, hmmm, great timing :rolleyes:. Gotta love FD ownership.

Funny, I was expecting to break the diff running at the Pod, cos it\'s just about the only thing I hadn\'t broken on the car already, but it looks like the clutch has gone instead and saved me the trouble.

Sooooo depressed :(


Just sell it mate and get an S200000000000.....it would be the best move you\'d make :burnout

I\'m gutted i cant get this weekend, for "other" commitments,:Nono!