Mazda Rotary Club

General => General Technical => Anything Engine/Performance/Tuning related => Topic started by: Jim_rx7 on October 23, 2008, 03:52:35 PM

Title: Suspect water seal failure - can someone confirm?
Post by: Jim_rx7 on October 23, 2008, 03:52:35 PM
This is my previous thread...

http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=52973


I\'ve not done anything to the car since. Today I removed the AST cap and found something stuck to the underside of it.

Basically a browny/bronze bit of material a couple of centimetres in length. Sort of like an elastic band but softer. (if you get me).

Now I\'m no rx7 expert here, but I would hazard a guess that it\'s a part of the water seal?

Also, the engine was actually rebuilt about 3K ago. So I would assume the likely hood of the internals being ok are good? Simply a case of take it apart and replace all seals?

PS : I\'ve replaced an engine on my last FD so I at least know roughly how to take it out and put it back in.

cheers chaps!
Title: Suspect water seal failure - can someone confirm?
Post by: BlitzBoy on October 23, 2008, 03:56:45 PM
well from reading you previous thread and it pressurising the system so quickly means combustion gases are pressurising your cooling system therefore water seal or plate failure.
Who rebuilt the engine, they may offer a warrenty against water seal failure
Title: Suspect water seal failure - can someone confirm?
Post by: Jim_rx7 on October 23, 2008, 03:57:29 PM
Yeah, I\'m looking into it mate.

Is there anything I can do in the meantime, or should do?

IE... drain all the coolant etc? Does the coolant sitting in it do anything bad if the seals are gone?
Title: Suspect water seal failure - can someone confirm?
Post by: BlitzBoy on October 23, 2008, 04:00:37 PM
well take it to a garage to do a coolant pressure test, if the water seals have defo gone you will get water coming out of the exhaust and the coolant system unable to pressurize when the car is off and cold.

No point draining the coolant till then, only drain it if its going to be a long time before having the engine spilt open
Title: Suspect water seal failure - can someone confirm?
Post by: leon on October 23, 2008, 04:12:41 PM
I dont know I have similar symptoms with the coolant being forced out of the expansion tank replaced but my car holds a pressure test fine :3Confused
Title: Suspect water seal failure - can someone confirm?
Post by: BlitzBoy on October 23, 2008, 04:16:28 PM
also other symptoms that point to water seal failure is white smoke ,difficult to start
Title: Suspect water seal failure - can someone confirm?
Post by: Jim_rx7 on October 23, 2008, 04:21:36 PM
It was putting out quite a bit of white smoke when I got it started after the flooding. Before that it was fine. It also started without any issues once hooked up to a battery.

Coolant pressure test done when engine not running (might sound stupid question).

I think I\'ll still re-fill with coolant and start the car again to see what happens.
Title: Suspect water seal failure - can someone confirm?
Post by: leon on October 26, 2008, 10:56:19 PM
I got my mechanical friend around to test mine after being 99.9% sure he looked laughed then did the test. took a sample of the coolant after running the engine and the color changed when added to the dye (gases present)

It\'s dead jim :3 came to mind.