Rotary Extreme RX7 Build Day 27 Guardian Angel

My Guardian Angel was watching over me today !!!!!!!!!!!!

Day 27

Lets start with the very very very bad and then end with the good.

While I was installing the belts I wanted to spin the engine, so I got about 1/4 turn then it stopped. I went the other way and got about 700 degree of rotation then it stopped. I went back about another 2 turns then it stopped. Well I think the shaft rotates 3 times for every one rotation of the rotor so I knew something was stuck. – Oh crap

I was thinking maybe some silicone fell in when I removed the fuel inserts, but that was not it. So I took of the turbos and the exhaust manifold and guess what I saw – BLUE PAPER SHOP TOWELS !!!!!!!

What happened was the towels I put in the spark plug holes for painting were sticking into the chamber. When I rotated it the first time it pulled off some pieces inside. When I took off the exhaust I saw a little piece in each exhaust port. But these we not the show stoppers so I kept rotating while inspecting the rotors through the exhaust port and BAM !! – there it was. A big piece of towel smashed against one of the faces of the rotor. With the skills I learned from playing that old game called “OPERATION” I was able to use some long needle nose pliers and pull it off the rotor. I continued to rotate the engine and it was smooth sailing. PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF PUFF all good. How many of you guys just went PUFF a bunch of times…lol

I reassembled everything and the only thing I did not like was the feeling of the bolts securing the front turbo oil return to the front pipe. I switched them out and I was able to get the snug feeling. Looking at the old bolts they looked like they were ready to strip.

I wanted to share that I have a special tool for break hoses loose and pulling them off. Its a needle nose pliers with a curved section creating a circle. With these you can rotate hoses to break them free. When I installed my hoses I used my aluminum welding rod trick and put some grease on the inside of the hose so I could install it easily and allow the hose to not be twisted.

Accomplishments for today were installing the alternator and both Belts. I also assembled the 2nd turbo charge relief upper pipe which is just chilling on the 2nd turbo for now, I see the resting position is open so I guess when the cars running is uses vacuum to hold it close. And I screwed in the spark plugs into the engine to keep dirt out.