My Mazda RX-7GSL-SE build log with the occasional balsa inclusion

rsv1cox wrote:Forget the fuel pump, put 12 volts across it and no workie.

Uh oh. That is definately not good.

I worked up the courage to spin the starter this morning. Fresh oil, plugs out.  After the locked up fuel pump I had my doubts.  But, spin she did, a couple of times 2-4 seconds.  Breathed a sigh of relief.  

Waiting for a new fuel pump and fuel filter to get it started I did a little disassembly.



Live rear axle, trailing arm suspension with coils and shocks. My Mg's all had leaf springs.




Ya gotta stop as well as go!!!

1972-1974 was the only years for the round wheel arch on Midgets. I have owned a 72 and a 74. I don’t know why they went back to it in 75 as the rounded arch looks so much better in my opinion. Other differences from 74-77 is the obvious rubber bumpers and the increase in ride height to meet federal bumper regulations. 1974.5 was the beginning of the end for LBC’s

Bob, have you driven a rotary powered car?

Cribbs74 wrote:1972-1974 was the only years for the round wheel arch on Midgets. I have owned a 72 and a 74. I don’t know why they went back to it in 75 as the rounded arch looks so much better in my opinion. Other differences from 74-77 is the obvious rubber bumpers and the increase in ride height to meet federal bumper regulations. 1974.5 was the beginning of the end for LBC’s

Bob, have you driven a rotary powered car?

Two of them.  One mentioned here on pg. 1. Pictured with my son's '86.

First was a new 1985 GSL-SE.  New off the showroom floor I never had the chance to do any maintenance on it other than routine before I sold it.  The second one I didn't keep very long, so I'm learning maintenance on them as I go.  




Agreed on the rounded wheel arches. One reason why they bring more than the later models.

Glad it turned over for you Bob ….. I don’t know much about rotary but I hope those seals you mentioned are in good shape….. I bet you already know what that looks like if you have to dig deeper…. Plus I would imagine this car has a good following for parts and etc…

In the mid ‘80s I had a 74 Mustang with a locked engine…. The one that was cousin to the Pinto….Had a little V-6 in it… It had been parked about three years due to a bad starter…. I needed it to run again so got a starter but no bueno….. Pulled it with the tractor in front of the house…. Manual transmission…. It would just slide the tires thru all four gears….I emptied a can of WD 40 thru the plug holes and still no go after soaking several days…. Finally I pulled enough stuff off the front of the engine to get to the harmonic balancer…. I was gonna turned it over or break it….36” pipe wrench did the job….. I know you’re not supposed to do this because of the rubber in the HB…. But needed the vehicle soon…. Drove it for five years then traded for the Z

spun over > Thats a Good sign to start with after setting all this time (least its not gummed up )

You are on the way to getting it to purrrrr. I like it.

NEW222 wrote:You are on the way to getting it to purrrrr. I like it.

Thanks Chancey.  It was auctioned as a "Garage find", might have been but I know it spent years sitting outside, too many leaves and debris in the bodies channels.  Sun damage to the rear hatch area also.  A shame that these speciality cars are left to rot, but I caught this one just in time.  The body and most of the interior is in great shape.  

Which leads me to this:



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TAK4u98XiHo

I don't expect that many will watch the whole video, but it's a lobster dinner for me.  I eat these up.  But, for all the experts working on this I see no referance of them draining and replacing the oil first, a disturbing trend in these videos.  The first thing I did in my RX-7 was drop the black crankcase oil and replace it with fresh. I have to think that they did, but no mention of it was made.  Restoration 101.

Video was done for people's entertainment, to get as many favorable comments as possible, so they skipped mundane details, would be my guess. You are right though, the first priority would be to drain the old oil, may be replace with a high detergent oil mix with a certain amount of penetration, but safe for any oil seals. Get the old oil out first, so oil galleries would be filled with new stuff immediately. After let it soak and crank (first get it to gently break free).

Looks like he cleaned it up so it could be sold for rebuilding by another. Otherwise, they would have not gone to the trouble to detail the exterior and interior (waste of labor). Just clean and sterilize (without the detailing, then remake interior upholstery, sand, grind, fill, repaint exterior and interior.

Basically cutting to the chase, their first priority was to clean the rodent feces and mildew/fungus. (Possibility of Hanta Virus in mice required sterilization and respirator mask, possibility of histoplasmosis (fungal disease from breathing the dust from mold and possibly in rodent feces (especially if wet) containing a particular fungus, in advanced stages resembles tuberculosis in humans requiring strong anti-fungal medication intravenously - nasty), again requires respirators and thorough cleaning.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/histoplasmosis/symptoms-causes/syc-20373495 makes for an interesting read.

Also,

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/hantavirus-pulmonary-syndrome/symptoms-causes/syc-20351838

So you are right Bob, they did skip a few details, but the video was mainly for entertainment and for advertising their business. Also, old oil is considered a hazardous waste whereas the cleaning wasn't, my first impressions were that they probably wanted to exclude any possibility of government intervention / investigation by simply not attracting attention.

I remember a few years ago when the Hanta virus was big in your area.  Never seemed to transition out here though.  We have tick borne Lime diease.  

I have cleaned up some mighty bad automobiles (and model engines) in the past and taken few precautions.  But recently I have started to use protective nose and hand gear.  Locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen.  Still more often than not I go unprotected.  You need to feel these things and for me living in a bubble is not the answer.  

If you knew my history, you would never know it.  I'm a clean freak, always have been ever since I was a child.  My house is kept spotless, my fruits and vegtables are washed before use, and I shower twice a day when I'm involved in these projects.  Even the door knobs leading from the garage are wiped off.  Adds to the time it takes to finish these activities.  My perchant for taking something that is nothing and making something of it over-rules all.  

This ones start.

The picture that Mark happened to send me on his trip to South Carolina.  "Look Dad, a GSL-SE like the one you used to have."  



Seed planted.  All it took to get the juices flowing again.  Now I have interiors, shock absorbers, red brake flex hoses, new U-joints, preformance tires, paint job, etc etc. floating in my head.

Still, it gets nasty.  Very nasty. This morning!





True motorheads will notice the vented rotors. Mazda didn't mess around even with this cheap little go-cart.

rsv1cox wrote:I remember a few years ago when the Hanta virus was big in your area.  Never seemed to transition out here though. We have tick borne Lime diease.

That was when I was working in facilities management for the U.S. Public Health Service on the Navajo Reservation in the late 1990's. Our sanitarians were capturing field mice, mostly deer mice, and shipping their heads in dry ice express to CDC in Georgia. They also did data analysis of mysterious unexplained deaths with like symptoms in other states as far as you are, and found there was a very good possibility that the disease was wide spread through the midwest and central US extending into Canada.

The virus is delicate and short lived, cannot survive outside the animals bodies for long, sunlight kills it. Seems people in intimate contact through the urine and feces of the mice were the ones succumbing to it. Those living rural in cabins sometimes unoccupied for example, were most affected.

Solution was simple. Air out the area first, don't stir up dust, then spray with 10:1 water to bleach solution, wipe and toss the paper towels into a bag. Seal and throw away. If you caught the disease, you had 50:50 chance to survive. They put your body into an induced coma with breathing apparatus. After several days you survived, they slowly brought you out of the coma. If you didn't survive, they'd disconnect the respirator and place you in a body bag.

It is interesting how you no longer hear about it any more after 20 years. However, I have played it safe when I encountered evidence of mice. Air out the area. Don't stir up dust. Make sure all is dry. Vacuum with a HEPA filter, spray, wipe down with disinfectant. Better safe than sorry.

Regarding histoplasmosis, caused by the Histoplasma Capsulatum fungus, I was tasked to develop a project to mitigate substantial pigeon habitation droppings in base buildings and hangars 17 years ago. One of the buildings, roof air conditioning equipment was removed off a 2nd story mezanine, mezanine was roofed over, but no one bothered to cover up the block wall openings in this 550 sq. ft. area. With roof overhead, became the roost for about 400 homing pigeons for over a decade, in places manure was almost 8 inches thick. Smell reminded me of my days working on a poultry farm in high school. Complaint was escalated with complaints of smell and investigation. Why it was never taken care of? I guess its one of those, "out of sight, out of mind" deals. Not many go up on the roof and the ventilated block walls hid the sight, until it precipitated into a bigger problem.

Research led me to an article on the disease, most prevalent with bat feces but could be in other animal feces if kept in a moist condition in sufficient quantities. Worker protection was necessary to mitigate possibility of health problems. We had an asbestos abater firm dress up in their bunny suits and respirators, put interior of room adjacent on positive air pressure (door opened onto the mezzanine), then bag up and haul away the manure, 2 day job.

The job was so successful (I got all sorts of comments about doing a sh***y job)     that contracting used my spec's on other buildings.

Younger, if we came down with the disease, it would be like having a bad cold or flu for several days. We get well and never know what hit us. Now that we are older, it is just good hip pocket info so that we don't get ourselves into trouble with our weaker immune systems.

rsv1cox wrote:I have cleaned up some mighty bad automobiles (and model engines) in the past and taken few precautions.  But recently I have started to use protective nose and hand gear.  Locking the barn door after the horse has been stolen.  Still more often than not I go unprotected.  You need to feel these things and for me living in a bubble is not the answer.

If you knew my history, you would never know it.  I'm a clean freak, always have been ever since I was a child.  My house is kept spotless, my fruits and vegetables are washed before use, and I shower twice a day when I'm involved in these projects.  Even the door knobs leading from the garage are wiped off.  Adds to the time it takes to finish these activities.  My penchant for taking something that is nothing and making something of it over-rules all.

Bob, sounds like more or less you were already checking most of the boxes I had mentioned. Having worked around these situations have made me more aware, and again just good hip pocket info so we don't get ourselves in a worse bind.

One more similarity George..........

Smell reminded me of my days working on a poultry farm in high school

As I have mentioned here before I worked on a poultry farm for all of my high school years. Kept me in cars, girls, and guns. 20 hour days when teenager sleep was required. Took the Navy and a great wife to put an end to it. I joined up to get some rest.

GallopingGhostler wrote:
Regarding histoplasmosis, caused by the Histoplasma Capsulatum fungus, I was tasked to develop a project to mitigate substantial pigeon habitation droppings in base buildings and hangars 17 years ago.

Hadn't heard or thought about histo for several years now.  I grew up, and still live, in an area with a high incidence of infection -- 80 to 90% by some estimates.  I have several calcified lesions in my lungs, but never knew I had it until a doctor pointed them out in a chest X-ray.  His comment, "Those are histoplasmosis scars, nothing to worry about."  And, I haven't!!

rsv1cox wrote:One more similarity George.......... Smell reminded me of my days working on a poultry farm in high school. As I have mentioned here before I worked on a poultry farm for all of my high school years.  Kept me in cars, girls, and guns.  20 hour days when teenager sleep was required.  Took the Navy and a great wife to put an end to it.  I joined up to get some rest.  

Yup, I can associate with that. I was able to buy all my clothing, even a used car. Wasn't as big on the dating scene (my father was a school teacher at my high school.) But, used the time an hour before and after school to practice my clarinet in the school's band room. When all my friends were joining the military services, I asked the Army recruiter (still remember his name, Hawaiian Staff Sergeant Agpava) about band. He took me to the 264th Army Band, Fort Shafter, Honolulu, Hawaii. I auditioned with them, passed the audition, and 3 weeks later was on my way to Basic Combat Training as a 02J Clarinet Player. Got out after 3 years, went to college on GI Bill. Graduated 1981, started working in aerospace in California 1982. Got married in 1985, still married to the same these 37 years.

andrew wrote:

GallopingGhostler wrote:Regarding histoplasmosis, caused by the Histoplasma Capsulatum fungus, I was tasked to develop a project to mitigate substantial pigeon habitation droppings in base buildings and hangars 17 years ago.

Hadn't heard or thought about histo for several years now.  I grew up, and still live, in an area with a high incidence of infection -- 80 to 90% by some estimates.  I have several calcified lesions in my lungs, but never knew I had it until a doctor pointed them out in a chest X-ray.  His comment, "Those are histoplasmosis scars, nothing to worry about."  And, I haven't!!

Andrew, seems you were fortunate. What I heard was in the advanced stages, the disease resembles tuberculosis. Requires a very strong anti-fungal medication taken intravenously, which I imagine could be painful as well.

We are less likely out here to get it unless one lives on a dairy farm or feed lot with their manure tainted ponds and wet manure piles. As you point out, it can leave lasting evidence. Good thing for all of us to be aware of and on the look out for, as it could be hard on us seniors.

But we all have scars. I have a 4 inch scar along my lower spinal column from some rather hefty back surgery six months ago. But, now I can walk without pain and limping. Over past 2 weeks, I did 16 hours at 4 hours per day bell ringing on my alto sax in front of one of the major stores for the Salvation Army recently. Before, I needed a chair for past several years to do in, could only stand for 20 minutes or less without support.

GallopingGhostler wrote:Video was done for people's entertainment,.

whole genres of this on youTube

my favorite (yes, every so often, I waste time watching others)
IS "Vice Grip Garage"
this fellow goes out, buys junk, makes it run and drives it home --- usually

he just did a '35 ford, one of my favorite trucks ever. and shows the dirty, the ugly, and making them run
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M-jWNsxOcbo

watching RSV Bob's activities here? convince me to turn OFF YouTube, get my but in the garage, and work on motors, planes, boxes, motorcycles, etc

"watching RSV Bob's activities here? convince me to turn OFF YouTube, get my but in the garage, and work on motors, planes, boxes, motorcycles, etc"

Then my mission here is complete.  

Just hit one of the calipers with the air tool.  



I might decide to do them myself after all and save a couple of hundred.

Did the ones on my MG.  A dirty messy job that I don't recommend.







This morning, ran the starter again, got oil pressure.  Removed the fuel filter and the fuel tank shield.  Not pretty.

Getting ready to detail the underside. The live rear axle is a mess.



Been there on my MG. Not pleasent but do-able.

I am amazed at your energy Bob…. That’s not easy stuff your doing!!! Plus rebuilding model Wankels!…. Well, good for you …. I’m enjoying your car work and the engines!!

My Z had an independent rear end ….You could have your foot on the brake and touch the gas and the back end would drop a couple inches…. Must have looked strange to cars behind while stopped at a light

Wild progress????  

With a sore back, electrical outages, and a really cold garage I'm not making much headway.  Bought a new battery in Walmart, removed the solenoid for the fuel cover door opener and got that working.  This morning I cleaned the rusty keeper on the wire wheel and painted it.  That's it for 10 days.





But the previous owner left a trail.

When I removed the interior trim to get to the solenoid I noticed a lot of broken glass, thought it looked funny but thought no more about it.



Then when reading the manual he included with the car I noticed this.



Somehow someone broke the side glass for the hatch.  Hard to do.  Car was titled in a womans name Betty Jen...... which for some reason I connected with Betty Rubble of "The Flintstones" fame.



Maybe husband or boyfriend was the culprit.  




 

Still at it.  Finished the rear calipers today.  Pads and rotors are in the mail.

Bob -
I am in awe and marvel at the amount of "heavy" work you're able to accomplish in such a short time and do it so well. My hat's off to you!!

rsv1cox wrote:Somehow someone broke the side glass for the hatch.  Hard to do.  Car was titled in a womans name Betty Jen...... which for some reason I connected with Betty Rubble of "The Flintstones" fame.



Maybe husband or boyfriend was the culprit. 

I think not, it was their insatiable appetite:

rsv1cox wrote:Still at it.  Finished the rear calipers today. [...]

Nice job. Interesting, calipers show the Mitsubishi Corp. logo, probably made them under contract to Mazda. You bead blasted the rust off, then used a high temperature silver paint? Just curious what type paint.

GallopingGhostler wrote:Interesting, calipers show the Mitsubishi Corp. logo, probably made them under contract to Mazda.

Actually that's the Akebono brand symbol, not Mitsubishi, which has the three diamonds, not triangles as shown.  Common brand used on many Japanese makes.