Mazda Rotary Club

Cars by Model Type => 2nd generation RX-7's => Topic started by: Koose on November 12, 2010, 12:56:15 PM

Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: Koose on November 12, 2010, 12:56:15 PM
Hi folks,

Well ive done alot of work to my FC3S turbo II\'s cooling system, but i think the O ring between the water top up spout and the rad itself has gone as it dribbles water out, does anyone know a part number or where i can find one ?

Also, how simple is bleeding on these cars? I fired it up after filling the coolant to the brim, my newly installed oil and water temp gauges werent registering a temp(they start at 50 degrees) even when the dash cluster coolant needle was saying a third on the temp scale and the heaters were JUST starting to blow warm, not wanting to do any damage i turned her off.

Many thanks

Mark
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: dthebuk on November 12, 2010, 02:18:37 PM
Try using some silicone based sealant in place of the oring (i had problems with mine). Worked a treat.

Bleeding is fairly simple, finding the plug on the engine block is fairly hard the first time round. on the passenger side if the engine bay its left of the engine mount. Easyish to get to from the top with a socket, though its hard to actually see it
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: Koose on November 12, 2010, 03:17:58 PM
OK thanks buddy, so i need to open this tap thing  first ?

Also, where is the sensor that tells the dash gauge what temp the waters at ?

Also, what temp should the stat open at ?
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: monterx7 on November 12, 2010, 04:36:05 PM
Quote from: dthebuk;726347on the passenger side if the engine bay its left of the engine mount. Easyish to get to from the top with a socket, though its hard to actually see it


thought that was the coolant drain for the motor
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: dthebuk on November 12, 2010, 08:10:46 PM
well if you\'re bleeding it you might aswell change the coolant out at the same time :P
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: TiddlesRX7 on November 12, 2010, 08:26:09 PM
Bleeding the system can be a PITA. just do it as you would with any car but expect to top it up after/during your first trip out. You can get air locks so give the hoses a good squeeze when bleeding. It took me around half an hour or so last time I did mine. I always carry some coolant with me when I have done mine as it tends to need topping up for the first week or so if you only use the car a little.

The stock temp gauge is before the thermostat, so it will read before your aftermarket gauge if your new gauge is installed in the top rad hose like mine. The stock gauge reads half way up before the thermostat opens then my aftermarket one starts to read.
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: no_boingers on November 13, 2010, 07:55:47 AM
^^^ yes what he said ;)  It depends on where the sender for your new gauge is located.  Usually they are located in the rad top hose. This means your gauge will read cold until the thermostat opens and then it will zoom up to "normal" over the next 3-5 seconds!  Quite worrying the first time you see it do that.
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: 1990_fc3s_t2 on November 13, 2010, 09:05:15 AM
So would putting the sensor in the lower rad hose allow you to see the car warm up from cold??
Bought a new gauge and got the hose insert thingy just not installed it yet, now wondering where i should put my sensor? top or bottom hose?
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: TiddlesRX7 on November 13, 2010, 10:09:53 AM
Short anwser is yes but.....

People put them in the top hose for 2 reasons. 1, So they can see what temp water is coming out of the engine. 2, so that they can see when the thermostat opens. Meaning that the car has warmed up. If you put it in the bottom hose you\'d be getting a reading straight from cold. But when the car warms up and the thermostat opens (So you have a flow through the whole system) you\'d be getting a temp reading after the rad. So in effect you\'d be reading colder then the engine water temp. Not really what you want
Title: Radiator O ring and water temperature
Post by: 1990_fc3s_t2 on November 13, 2010, 10:31:47 AM
ahh right, top hose it is then! :Thumbs-up