DIY Rebuild..ish....... HELP...

[Alex T]

HI Guys and Girls..

Can anyone help.

Bobfish (sorry I cant remember your name!) kindly compression tested my car the other day (thanks matey), and came back with.. Well Not too good results.
According to his tester, the front chamber was prob a little down on compression and the rear chamber was very down on compression.

Now,
To my understandings of what he said, its the side seal(s) that have gone, or going?
Is this correct? And how easy/hard to rectify.
And does my problem as outlined below sound about right for this diagnosis?

Basically, the car, once started is a little (more than usual) lumpy and pops and bangs when cold.
Then after few mins it setles down. and then I take it for a drive, and it seems to go ok.

Then once I park up, and let turbo timer cool engine down, then it switches off. For a couple of mins, I can hear water bubbling away? Engine feels a little hot, but nothing major on the gauge?

So.. have I got more than just the  side seal prob do we think?


Many thanks.

Alex

[Jit]

how down on compression did he say it was?

[Alex T]

it didnt give numbered results on his tester unfortunately,
It was the one where you watch the number of \'bounces\' on the needle

Front chamber just got three even bounces, whereas the rear chamber got one large bounce and then nothing really.

[Alex T]

Tried the old redex trick too. Seems to have helped bit, but not alot.

[Ricco_04]

Front chamber just got three even bounces, whereas the rear chamber got one large bounce and then nothing really.

Sounds like one of the apex seals has gone to me

[Alex T]

I think Carl H mentioned Apex seals before. Which are these?
Is this different to side seals then ?  Apologies for my sillyness!

[Jit]

yeah one large bounce and nothing def sounds like an apex seal (or rotor tip as you might know it)

[Alex T]

big job ?...

[Jit]

wel..engine rebuild

[Alex T]

Anyone want to do it?! As i dont think I have the tools or the expertise to do so!!

[Martiny]

It is a big job. Its very difficult to quote on a cost. Its very poor economics to strip that engine and then only replace one or 2 apex seals.

What needs to happen is: strip it, clean everything, then measure everything and see what can be re-used to rebuild. Its probably wise to replace all the apex seals, and their springs, at least. Probably better to do all the corner seals and springs, side seals and springs, and then there are oils seals on the Rotor, too.

The bubbling could be a water seal leaking due to side plate corrosion, so we might be looking at a side plate or two, as well.

Then the Rotor housings (in between the side plates) can be worn , or could have chrome chips in the surface that the Apex seal slides on.

etc...etc..

So you could get away with under £1000 MAYBE, or maybe its £1500 plus if the housings are replaced, without Labour.  

I would offer to do it, but I dont have the  time to even get MY car/s to the state I want.

I would suggest you buy the rebuild DVD, and watch that, and then decide if you could do it yourself.

[Alex T]

:mad: not good!!

I think I\'ll give RX Motors a ring later!

Shame really!

[RobbieRX-7]

You could always ask carl (bobfish) He rebuilt the engine in his red fd. I\'ve got a rebuild dvd if your interested

[Alex T]

Yeh, Carl did say he\'d be up for it. Will see if he posts!

[adamprem]

hi mate, the same thing happened to me and it was seals that failed, i got a rebuild kit from atkins rotory.com from the u.s., the cost about $1000 which is around £500 and then got a mate of mine to strip, clean, machine and rebuild, ill get the engine back in a week or so but you should defo have a look on www.atkinsrotory.com so you can have an idea on prices.