Is it a kettle? No it\'s my water seals :(

[Grizzly]

Have you seen this http://www.mazdarotaryclub.com/forums/showthread.php?t=42129 he has a Stock rad for sale CHEAP!!! at least it makes you mobile.

[RemarkLima]

Cheers for that, it is cheap but it looks like changing the rad is a total ar$e of a job, so I don\'t need the car for every day use and most of my travel is via train so may as well hold out until I can get a decent replacement and no major headache swapping it all out twice!!!

Good spot tho\', very much apprecaited! As you said on the other thread tho\' I think I\'ll go for a Koyo N-Flo, just so it\'s a decent long term solution

[RobbieRX-7]

Changine the rad is pretty easy mate.

[Grizzly]

Yeh just make sure you have lots of space handy for all the Plastic C**p mazda saw fit to put in the front of the stock FD

It is a Daunting job but once the Ic and Battery tray are off you will be suprised how much space you have.

[RemarkLima]

But reading the workshop manual, all the undertray and ARB mounts need to come off as well? Or can it all be done from the top and the manual just says do it from below?

Not that I\'m adverse and I have the space, it\'s just a PITA to do all it all again twice

[Grizzly]

I have had a go at it from the bottom of the car and TBH i couldn\'t get the front tray bolts out so i had a rethink and did it from the top, after i got it all stripped i noticed the 10mm bolts that hold the rad in place are facing upwards anyway so unless they could be got at from inside the middle bumper opening you would have to take the ic out anyway. I would recomend removing it from the top though, there is always some water left in the rad and its not about getting an Antifreeze shower

[RemarkLima]

LOL @ Antifreeze shower, not nice!

But you think it can all be done from the top? No access from below at all? Just the undertray is always an ar$e, I\'ll do it if I have to but if it can all be done from the top, so much the better

[Grizzly]

I had a look round and this is the only "How too" site i could find (gives you an idea)

http://www.rx7guru.com/radiatorhowto.htm

[RemarkLima]

Cool, really honestly many thanks for all your help with this! And Robbie as well!

Looks like it\'s easy from above, so that\'ll be the plan for the weekend

Once again, thanks and I\'ll keep you posted to how I get on.

[RemarkLima]

Well, as seen on the other thread, I had a fecking nightmare getting the Koyo N-Flo fitted... But it\'s in!!!

Everything is looking good so far, I\'ve warmed it up, then will check the level tomorrow and go for the first test drive

Thanks again for everyone\'s help!

[RemarkLima]

Right, back onto what the fduk is going on!

I\'ve fitted an alloy rad (after muchos swearage), then the AST blew after a long journey (where upon everything was fine), 120 mile round trip, mostly motorway. 60 miles there and no problems, no leaks after I\'d parked up and no buzzer when I set out again after a couple of hours.

Then the AST exploded just before home on the way back, tres mal

So, fitted new WGT alloy AST last night and filled up with water again and went for a blast, so a couple of buzzers when I first started, fine think I as I must have lost loads of water when the AST went (but it didn\'t overheat before I shut down the engine), so topped up and all was good.

Drove around for about 30 mins, stopped a couple of times and let the car idle, fans came on, fans went off, so they\'re all working OK and temps all looked good. Hoses weren\'t hard and stiff, just hot and under "normal" pressure.

Then went to my old mans, again let idle, all seemed fine. Then shut down so it would obviously get very hot, the hottest it\'ll get, and left it for 10 minutes, again no visible leaks onto the floor.

Turn the ignition back on and coolant buzzer goes again, so we top up again, it\'s not a lot but enough.

So, hoping it was just an airlock (I\'ve been filling up with the throttle body hose off) I head back home, been "giving it some large" here and there just to get the system in duress and park up.

Again no visible leaks, but only a few hours later, ignition on and buzzer goes again!!! AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!

But then it starts on the button hot and cold (always better hot) and there\'s no steam from the exhaust at all.

If it were leaking onto the turbo\'s surely there\'d be steam from that as well?

Any other ideas before I end up driving my gf\'s Figaro all the time

[RemarkLima]

OK, reading around on RX7Club:
http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.php?t=657948&highlight=water+loss

I think that if you just replaced the motor then you may have gotten a pin hole, or a small air space between the couplers in the overflow return line....sooooo instead of rreturning water from your overflow take you are drawing in air.

This was happening to me. I replaced the line a blammo I never had the issue again. Some have had luck with just zip tieing the lines at the couplers and overflow (there are two joints..three lines).

goodluck and it is worth a shot!
-josh

Worth a go???

[RobbieRX-7]

IMO i think all the pipes in the engine bay should be replaced on any fd over 10years old. Thats what i did. They have been through a lot of heat cycles in the cramped engine bay. The 3 hardest pipes which are a fduker to do are the 2 turbo coolant hoses and the rear iron to throttle body hose. All the rest are easily accessible. Look on robs site here http://www.robrobinette.com/turbo_lines.htm

ps, did you get the ast?

[RemarkLima]

Hmmm, looking like a small single turbo may be the way forwards then

Providing my engine\'s not blown of course!!!

I fitted the WGT alloy one I managed to pick up yesterday, and at work at the mo\' so should be sat at home hopefully! I think I may try it with a plastic AST after reading about sealing problems with the aftermarket AST\'s. But many thanks for sending that! Gives me some options to try, so very much appreciated!

Also, should the overflow line, when hot, be filled with coolant? So if I were to take that off coolant shoud come out, or at least right near the top? Otherwise I\'d suck in air when it cools down right?

*clutches as more straws*

[RemarkLima]

Right ho all,

It\'s fduk\'d, definately, the exhaust pressure from the water seals is what has finally cracked the rad and split the AST. So lucky I\'ve been able to get so far and really it does idle and drive perfectly, so such a shame I can\'t somehow extend it\'s life, but as they say, c\'est la vie.

Video for confirmation:


Basically, no bubbles at all until the thermostat opens and then all of this starts to happen immediately. But with the cap on, it all works perfectly, idles, warms up, fans come on, fans go off etc...

I may just get a lower milage engine from a breakers and swap it out for now, then maybe rebuild my current one at my leisure... But I\'ll get it back on the road, maybe get a small single tub at the same time and just be done with it