Newbie Lurker - 85 RX7

[JerinX]

So, after working on Chris' car with him and learning more and more about my car and playing more and more in that parts catalogue...here's the full toy list for my car. I have the part numbers and web-links to the parts in my excel spreadsheet...and none of these include tax or shipping (blech).

Check list that's done:
OMP Rebuilt
Thermostat Replaced

Parts in-hand that still need done
Oil cooler o-rings
Water hoses surrounding oil cooler.

Below is the rest...

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Responsible Man's List
Part                            Cost
Silicone Hose Kit              $90.00
Oil Pan Gasket                $38.76
Brake Lines                     $83.00
Throwout Bearing            $29.01
Oil Cooler Bolt & Washers   $4.24
Clutch Slave Cylinder       $15.56
Clutch Master Cylinder      $38.99
Clutch Line                     $22.00
Parking Brake Cable          $10.00
Brake Cable Bolt              $2.00
Brake Cable Cotter           $1.00
Gauge Cluster Glass         $20.00
Right Vent Louvers Off-Black    (not available, the hunt is on!)
Battery Tray                   $10.00
Responsible Man's Total          $364.56


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Irresponsible Man's List      
Part                              Cost
Bushing Replacements (Full)      $160.00
Rear Left Lens                        $190.98
Rear Right Lens                       $205.76
Rear Center Finisher                 $12.00
Front Sway Bar                  $135.00
Shocks (front)                   $156.00
Shocks (rear)                    $103.00
Spring Set                         $184.00
Reupholstering Seats           $400.00 (ballpark)
Molded Carpet Kit               $205.00
Body Work & Paint              Dream On
Irresponsible Man's Total               Let's not worry about numbers yet...


[RX-7 Chris]

You forgot large street port from me, haha.

I did a spread sheet in excel as well.

[G-Man]

Drop me a PM - I might have a spare set of rear taillights for you, and maybe some other stuff.
For shocks, how much performance do you want? I got KYB GR-2 from RockAuto for about $50 each. RockAuto is a good source for OEM-type stuff.
Good luck!

[JerinX]

PM'd.

Forgot to add, a full lock set, a driver window regulator that doesn't suck, and the "under cover" (the thing that goes underneath the very front grill that the black vent thing bolts into)

[JerinX]

BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAA.

My RX-7 has just had all locks except the ignition replaced (and they are FUNCTIONAL! i will be going back to the junkyard tomorrow for the ignition). All mechanisms have had a healthy hand of grease and now work like butter.

I also have successfully converted my car to use the power hatch release. This is a major accomplishment for me. WOOO.

Also, Chris...the fender on the junker are pretty solid as far as I could tell.

[RX-7 Chris]

sounds like some good progress.

[JerinX]

Adventure in RX-7 land, Saturday edition:

So I go to meet the lady for some after-work lunch, and my car seems...sluggish. I start getting worried - I put the gas to the floor and it just feels absolutely bogged down. Just trash. It couldn't hold an idle - kept stalling every time I let it rev down. I had to keep on the gas at red lights to keep from stalling in the middle of the street. I tried flooring it and my pace was something that might have been as fast as a gimp snail.

Things start rattling through my mind - my fuel filter crapped out in my last one RX, and it felt like that exactly...spontaneous vacuum leak appearance, could be that. Maybe I'm low on oil?

The fuel filter looked like crap, so I replaced it - $5 - but no change. I top the oil off, as it was low - but nothing. I think maybe something's sticking, so I shove a can of seafoam in there and take a lap up 25 - no change. I figure the last thing I added to the car at all was the automated hatch release, and so I disconnect that - no change. Still can't hold an idle. I start to rage.

So, I pop the hood...and of course, my unsecured hood stay is floating around next to my two ignition coils. I didn't think twice about it, and went to grab it to put it in, and in about a tenth of the second the searing flesh on my thumb+forefinger told me what the issue was. The floating, unsecured hood stay had found its way over and bridged my coils in some way. I flip the thing up with all the impotent range burning fingers can manage, and my idle instantly shoots back up to normal.

Son of a #(%&$. Two hours of my Saturday worrying over my dumbassery. Let this be a lesson...floating hood stays are bad. I have a new fuel filter, at least.

[RX-7 Chris]

that doesn't sound like fun. You know that was over 4000 volts going through your hand? Hope you are OK.

Were you ever able to get the ignition out of the car in the junk yard?

[JerinX]

Yeah, it's not the first time I've electrocuted/burned/done something stupid to myself. I'm a pro at self-deprecation. I'm fine.

I wasn't able to get it out - stuff came up Friday and yesterday that I just never really got too concerned about it. Honestly, my doors locking was more important than my ignition. But, the ignition isn't going anywhere anytime soon I don't think.

[JerinX]

So, I went for the clutch master replacement yesterday. It took me three hours to finally figure out how to get that *#&$ing bolt above the clutch out. Sadness, rage, despair, and then all of the sudden sitting there next to the driver door on the ground, I tried and found the golden spot sitting down - just reaching in, angling above the clutch rod, and glory. I can do it with my eyes closed (well, I have to because I can't look while I'm doing it this way). This caused both immense joy and equal levels of rage that I spent all that time on my back in a tweaked position. In satisfaction, I hucked the #*$&ing master and went to install the new one.

Another hour and a half, and I ended up with two stripped bolts and more rage - long story short, the studs on the master cylinder Rock Auto sent me had to long of a stud and too broad of an unthreaded anchor point. I tightened the (*$% out of those bolts, and it was still just flopping around - pulled it out with some serious labor, and determined the issue.

Defeatedly, I retrieved the master cylinder I had hucked into the trash and transplanted the studs. This was at about 10pm last night, and so...the replacement contnues this morning.

PS: The secret of the rattling in fourth is resolved. The #(*$er who owned this before me put a small (read: "just sitting in the damn hole") bolt in place of one of the slave cylinder's appropriate bolts. Ace Hardware indeed has every spring, nut or bolt ever. I love it.

[JerinX]

Okay, so the rattling in forth is still there, and despite the new system (and 20 different pump up/bleeds) being THOROUGHLY bled of air, the clutch is still soft as #%*$. It might have firmed up a HAIR.

I got down there and watched, and the hydraulics are performing perfectly - the pressure on the clutch immediately pushes the bracket back. The rest of the gears are fine. It seems like a perfectly functioning master and slave.

This makes me think my issue is in my transmission, and far, far more troublesome than I first thought. The pressure that other people feel on their clutches, at this point, I think is not from the hydraulic system as much as fight-back from whatever that bracket the slaved is attached to. Is the throw-out bearing beginning to really fail? I dunno, but...I need some ideas.

[RX-7 Chris]

It could be your throw out bearing, clutch fork, or even the clutch. You will end up needing to drop the tranny if it is any of those things.

[JerinX]

ARGH. I am not sure I'm sold on dropping my transmission myself yet. Damn it...I might as well replace the clutch and bearings even if it's only one or the other, just to be satisfied that it's done being messy.