I tried to pull start my 90 vert today. No luck, so I put back in the garage and go back to work. I was draining the fuel tank, thought it may be bad gas, and I noticed a large pool of oil under the exhaust pipe, it was cut off ahead of the cat. Oil was literally dripping from the pipe. Does this mean my seals are bad. I am stuck with having to more or less do my own work, I dont trust the dealer and I havent found a rotary mechanic as of yet. I did talk to one yesterday on the phone, he works from his house. So I dont know what to do. I dont want to swap the engine out of my 88, because it smokes on start up and I know the coolant seals are going bad. Where should I start? Is there something that I havent checked? And, If I have atkins do the rebuild for me, can I buy a new engine from them and send them my core?

 

either the oil injectors leak oil into the engine, or the oil control rings are gone. Oil leakage has nothing to do with bad apex/side seals.

 

Well, I can fix the injectors, but if the oil control rings are gone, I will have to pull and rebuild?

 

And if I have a problem with either or those, would that cause it not to start?

 

If you buy a rebuild from Atkins they will add the core charge on your price and then refund you when you send back your bad one. I would buy some new plugs and crank on it some more. I can't remember if you had done anything to it or not, but make sure all the stupid stuff is plugged in like the AFM. If you haven't noticed any excessive oil comsumption lately, maybe its just oily fuel dripping from your exhaust from being flooded. I don't know, good luck.

 

yeah, how thick was the fluid coming out? It might even be fuel colored black with oil or carbon.

And yes, if your oil control rings are shot then you need a rebuild.

Anyway, I agree with isamu, try everything you can before pulling the engine. If you get it running then you can really tell if the oil control rings are gone, as it is now you can't tell for sure.

Try pulling the egi fuse and cranking with the pedal floored for 30 seconds or so. Put the fuse back in and try starting without touching the throttle. Repeat if necessary. If that doesn't work you can put oil into the spark holes and then crank it.

 

I would go the plugs route I was trying to start my fist gen for like two weeks and nothing. Just to find out my plugs were shot. I installed new ones and it fired right up. My brothers TII had bad injectors and the only way it would start was to put in new plugs and drag it at like 40mph in 3rd till it started. Try the cheapest rout first. If your really set on the seals then pull the exhaust manifold and start with the fist rotor and stick your finger inthe hole. Have someone spin the motor slowly you will feel the seals as they pass just count 1,2,3. If you come across a bad one it will feel very jagged and sharp. A good one will feel smooth and if you can see it with a light and mirror it will look shinny like chrome. Good luck.