back pressure on rotary engines??

[chris p]

Been to see a few rx\'s today with some mates who have had experience with jap cars (Pulsars subaru\'s etc) but the one question they asked was do these engines have back pressure ?? (ie to tell if they are in poor state / about to go bang??

is there any other little checks that can be performed

[MikeLMR]

back pressure has nothing to do with the engine condition.

I think he may be getting confused with compression testing, which can be done on a rotary (is a good idea if you are about to buy it) but needs a special compression tester so its not really a DIY job unless you feel like splashing out on an expensive bit of kit or get lucky and find a cheap second hand one.

[chris p]

how much is it it may be a bit of an outlay now but could save me a lot of money if it stops me buying an engine that is on its way out.

[MikeLMR]

Mazda ones are several hundreds of pounds, if you are dead keen on a car its probably best to book it to one of the specialists for a comp test before you buy ?

[davefrith]

A compression test is not a total guarantee of the health of an engine and is a indicator as the engines present state

If you are buying a Rx-7 make sure you have access to a few grand "rebuild fund"