MX-3.com

Have you ever noticed that something will work perfectly until you decide that in a couple months you're going to go ahead and upgrade. There's nothing wrong with it, you just figure now is as good a time as any to spend some money and since it has worked so well for you all this time there's no rush. You can take your time and do it right. Then, just when you have established a comfortable timeline which will allow you to do all the things you want to do without feeling rushed or pressed, the whole thing goes in the toilet 7 weeks ahead of schedule.

I decided a few months ago that I was going to sell one pride and joy to feed another. My RC51 is on the market so that I can finally after years of hoping and dreaming I can restore my MX-3 to the glory I know she deserves. I have this very well thought out plan and have started ordering parts...none of which have actually arrived yet. I decided on a relaxed timeline because my MX-3 has run flawlessly since the day I first drove her. I figured I had plenty of time. Then a week and a half or so ago, a hesitation started to show itself during acceleration. No problem. I had been running on the stock disty and too lazy to reinstall my HEI part since the module fried in the fall. So I swap it back in and it ran well for a few days. But then it came back and got worse. Now I don't know what the hell is going but I figure...meh...it'll run well enough to get me through till the scheduled swap day. The engine disagreed with me.

In retrospect it's not all that bad, but I can tell you that at 6:45 this morning when white smoke began billowing from my engine compartment about 3 minutes from work it didn't look good. I noticed on the drive in that the temp needle was a little higher than normal...then it was quite high...then without a sound massive amounts of white smoke started to pour out behind me as I drove. Within a few seconds the heater was blowing cold air. I was fairly certain I had just blown a head gasket.

So now I'm scrambling...I can't be without a car. My wife needs hers so that's not gonna work. I'm going to have to get that engine swap going in a hurry I figure. I'm calling in favors and pulling my hair out all morning and I think to myself..."You should go down and figure out what happened to your car."

Turns out one of the plastic fittings on the heater core snapped and coolant was pouring onto my rear exhaust manifold. I think the thermostat stuck closed and the fitting couldn't hold the added pressure. Not the end of the world...but the point of my little diatribe is...


WHO PUTS A PLASTIC FITTING IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OF AN ENGINE!?!?!?!? IF I EVER MEET THE ENGINEER WHO THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA I'M GOING TO POKE HIM IN THE EYE!!!

Thanks for listening.

I HATE THOSE STUPID PLASTIC FITTINGS!

They're also a giant PITA to replace...seeing that no matter where I went I couldn't find a dang replacement! No one knew what I was talking about even when I SHOWED them.

So is the car OK? Obviously it ran a little hot, which is not good for an aluminum block/head.

If given the chance they could give EGR a run for it's money.

Well the engine should be fine. It never got critical hot...just way too hot. I just picked up a thermostat and a hose clamp. I managed to shoehorn the hose over the fat part of the fitting that is crimped to the copper of the heater core, but it's never going to hold. I just hope to GOD that the reason it was getting hot was just the thermostat and that my girl will behave herself for another few weeks.

On the upside, one way or another, I will be with ZE in a couple of weeks.

What I did was take the rest of the stupid plastic off, then grind down the metal lip on the stem (you will know what I mean when you take the plastic off) and shoved a hose on there and put 3 hose clamps on it. Seems to have held so far!

You can do this w/ the engine in, but you need to take the intake manifold off!

The beginning of your story reminded me of when I decided I'd sell my Katana for a ZX10. While showing the bike, a guy stole it. I think he was a cop, because of the way the cops refused to help me AT ALL. It's a long angry story.
I hope it all goes well for you from here on.

that really sucks man. I had one of those kind of mornings not to long ago, except someone decided to smash into the back of my car...

If you need a hand with your swap let me know. I'm always up for that.
i enjoyed mine other than the having no car for a while part... lol

WHO PUTS A PLASTIC FITTING IN THE COOLING SYSTEM OF AN ENGINE!?!?!?!? IF I EVER MEET THE ENGINEER WHO THOUGHT THAT WAS A GOOD IDEA I'M GOING TO POKE HIM IN THE EYE!!!

Not only mazda, but gm Chrysler and ford too. Sell em like hotcakes daily!

I think it's a pressure relief fitting of some sorts, so if for some reason coolant pressure built up inside the heater core they would pop first?

I agree, sound like it.

Actually, in the manual it is referred to as a "Quick Release" fitting. I'm not sure how it's supposed to come apart though. I'm just going to remove them and sweat a 5/8" barbed fitting on there.