New, just got a 08 cx7

[MG08CX7]

Hey ladies and gents I just purchased an 08 cx7 awd touring with 73000k and a timing issue for a steal of a deal and I'm here to just say hello and introduce my self . The truck is at the shop and I may be getting it back sometime this week. Glad to see that there is a community out there for these trucks

[r3d]

Welcome, didnt know cx7 was a truck!

[MG08CX7]

Well it sure isn't a car lol

[MS3Shadow]

A truck is a F-150.

You have a SUV...

Sent from my Nexus 6P

[robbspeed]

You need body on frame before I call it a truck. Your driving a jacked up hatchback. Same as all crossovers. Just with an awesome engine.

[torquemaniac]

Can I call mine a truck if I have a Dodge Ram Cummins turbo in there...LOL

[robbspeed]

Originally Posted by torquemaniac Can I call mine a truck if I have a Dodge Ram Cummins turbo in there...LOL

Lol. Negative

That is awesome tho

[MG08CX7]

On any note .. The shop said it would need a whole new engine .. I don't thing they are too knowledgeable about the vvt timing issue so it's off for a second opinion

[robbspeed]

Originally Posted by MG08CX7 On any note .. The shop said it would need a whole new engine .. I don't thing they are too knowledgeable about the vvt timing issue so it's off for a second opinion

New motor lol. Huh? Dealership might be best for that issue. As long as they dont touch anything else.

[alan1592]

Just do it yourself, VVT took me two days.

[bzwyatt]

Welcome and good luck with the new car.

Mine has 101k miles, got a new AC compressor, new turbo, new valve cover, new timing chain, all under TSB before 60k warranty. I have a cool dealer and I get along with them and I've never had a problem getting service, and my car has never let me down. Hopefully stays that way.

Good luck.

[robbspeed]

Originally Posted by bzwyatt Welcome and good luck with the new car. Mine has 101k miles, got a new AC compressor, new turbo, new valve cover, new timing chain, all under TSB before 60k warranty. I have a cool dealer and I get along with them and I've never had a problem getting service, and my car has never let me down. Hopefully stays that way. Good luck.

Damn man. People like you are few and far between.

[MG08CX7]

Not looking too good. Seems like not only was it a timing issue but the #2 cylinder was either loose or wore down the Bering enough that it seems to be loose "crossing fingers" there is no damage to the crankshaft journal

[Tomas]

What the fuck is a loose cylinder?
Not really possible on these engines.
Does have the engine have low compression on cyl 2?
is there some kind of pinging noise that would indicated a bad con rod bearing?

[MG08CX7]

Originally Posted by Tomas What the fuck is a loose cylinder? Not really possible on these engines. Does have the engine have low compression on cyl 2? is there some kind of pinging noise that would indicated a bad con rod bearing?

Apparently you were able to shake the connecting rod while still attached the the crank journal. Like I said I hope there is only damage to the Bering and not to the journal itself. As far as noise I was not able to tell if the cylinder was making any noise over the noise of the timing chain

[Ozynigma]

Welcome and I glad you got it cheap.

Now get on down to SpeedPerformance and buy yourself a built motor, then all you need is a bigger turbo and a...... etc etc etc.

[MG08CX7]

Well, there was no Bering for cylinder #2 and this was the one for cylinder #3
image.jpeg

[robbspeed]

Originally Posted by MG08CX7 Well, there was no Bering for cylinder #2 and this was the one for cylinder #3 Attachment 216618

Good lord. What do you mean there was no #2 bearing?

[MG08CX7]

Originally Posted by robbspeed Good lord. What do you mean there was no #2 bearing?

It was sitting in the bottom of the oil pan in shards

[robbspeed]

Originally Posted by MG08CX7 It was sitting in the bottom of the oil pan in shards

[MG08CX7]

Well since a new crankshaft is in order.. Does anyone know where one is obtainable without spending the $1000 wanted from Mazda ? I tried eBay and I hunted one down but I'm just weighing my options

[Ozynigma]

Originally Posted by MG08CX7 Well since a new crankshaft is in order.. Does anyone know where one is obtainable without spending the $1000 wanted from Mazda ? I tried eBay and I hunted one down but I'm just weighing my options

I just checked my usual aftermarket dealers and they are the same price, around $1100US. There is only OEM for this motor afaik.

You shouldn't pay more than $4-500 for a used one.

[Tomas]

I have a used crankshaft I could sell you. PM me if interested.
You should also get aftermarket rods while you are at it. For pistons I would use OEM mazdaspeed gen2. Don't use aftermarket.
Still don't understand what you mean by a loose cylinder. Do you mean a loose piston as in a piston scoured the cylinder liner? You need to check the liners to see if they can be honed. If not, then you will need a new block and then you might as well get a new short block from mazda.

[robbspeed]

Originally Posted by Tomas I have a used crankshaft I could sell you. PM me if interested. You should also get aftermarket rods while you are at it. For pistons I would use OEM mazdaspeed gen2. Don't use aftermarket. Still don't understand what you mean by a loose cylinder. Do you mean a loose piston as in a piston scoured the cylinder liner? You need to check the liners to see if they can be honed. If not, then you will need a new block and then you might as well get a new short block from mazda.

What is it about the oem gen 2 pistons that you like?

[MG08CX7]

The connecting rod for cyl 2 was loose on the crankshaft because the Bering was sitting in shards in the oil pan

[Ozynigma]

Sorry for the thread hijack but that pretty much means using Gen2 Pistons and Carrillo rods. All the other rods I could find had non stock wrist pins and no taper.

I agree with new aftermarket rods (and Pistons) if you can afford it while your motor is apart. The rods are the weakest internal engine component (usually weaker than bearings).

Also unless you know the timing chain and VVT actuator have been replaced recently it's best to renew all the worn timing components when you reassemble. Also make sure that you use a new crank bolt and new friction washers.

Also one way or another clean the inlet valves while the head is off.

[clivingston]

How did the VVT replacement go? Where did you get your parts?

[MG08CX7]

Didn't replace the vvt yet, pulling the motor out this weekend to work on the lower end (crankshaft, connecting rod bearings, etc.) and after that while the motor is out we will assess the vvt damage and repair that

[MG08CX7]

Well it seems that the oil pump seized up .. Seems as if the owner before me didn't like changing oil .. We took the pump apart cleaned it up and it's free flowing again .. Just ordered the vvt new tensioners and chains, They should be arriving next week.

[Aja1732]

Wow, I'm sorry to hear that. As someone who just picked up a CX-7 used, that's one of my biggest fears. The people who had it before did not take care of it. I know already that brake pads and/or rotors are coming up in the spring and a CV or ball joint replacement on the front. But so far the engine has been smooth and all TSB were already done. Good luck getting everything taken care of. It's a fun vehicle that marks all the check boxes for me.

[Easter Bunny]

Originally Posted by MG08CX7 Well it seems that the oil pump seized up .. Seems as if the owner before me didn't like changing oil .. We took the pump apart cleaned it up and it's free flowing again .. Just ordered the vvt new tensioners and chains, They should be arriving next week.

I would just get a new oil pump. Not worth the risk.

[InkedInspector]

Originally Posted by Aja1732 Wow, I'm sorry to hear that. As someone who just picked up a CX-7 used, that's one of my biggest fears. The people who had it before did not take care of it. I know already that brake pads and/or rotors are coming up in the spring and a CV or ball joint replacement on the front. But so far the engine has been smooth and all TSB were already done. Good luck getting everything taken care of. It's a fun vehicle that marks all the check boxes for me.

Love the avatar. Rick and Morty ftw

Both of you should have done your homework on these CX-7s before buying them. Same engine as a speed, but most were bought by soccer moms trying to avoid mini vans. They have a nasty reputation for reliability that is largely the fault of their owners. OP here clearly didn't do many checks prior to purchase given that his motor was toast. Have you done a compression and leak down test on yours, or you just bought it as is? Best of luck to both of you.

[Aja1732]

Originally Posted by InkedInspector Love the avatar. Rick and Morty ftw Both of you should have done your homework on these CX-7s before buying them. Same engine as a speed, but most were bought by soccer moms trying to avoid mini vans. They have a nasty reputation for reliability that is largely the fault of their owners. OP here clearly didn't do many checks prior to purchase given that his motor was toast. Have you done a compression and leak down test on yours, or you just bought it as is? Best of luck to both of you.

I took mine to a Mazda dealership to check timing, oil leak test(worked at a Subaru Dealership for a while, so I'm familiar. Haha) I'm pretty handy with most things and if I've never done I will give it a shot before taking it to a dealer. Just was on a timeline to get a new car before insurance took the rental away. I read a little about them before I bought mine, mainly the issues, but I can fix most stuff if need be. I refuse to take it to a shop after my Jeeps caliper bolts were stripped and they put the bolt in there with silicon holding it in ....

Edit: and yes R n M is an awesome show. "Hey, I'm Mr Meseeks! Look at me!"

[MG08CX7]

Originally Posted by InkedInspector Love the avatar. Rick and Morty ftw Both of you should have done your homework on these CX-7s before buying them. Same engine as a speed, but most were bought by soccer moms trying to avoid mini vans. They have a nasty reputation for reliability that is largely the fault of their owners. OP here clearly didn't do many checks prior to purchase given that his motor was toast. Have you done a compression and leak down test on yours, or you just bought it as is? Best of luck to both of you.

Well I actually got it way below book value with the knowledge of an engine "noise" and it had decently low milage so after all is said and done with me doing majority of the labor. The end cost with 2 new front tires is still going to be lower then book value of the vehicle

[Aja1732]

Originally Posted by MG08CX7 Well I actually got it way below book value with the knowledge of an engine "noise" and it had decently low milage so after all is said and done with me doing majority of the labor. The end cost with 2 new front tires is still going to be lower then book value of the vehicle

And you know what you did vs taking it to a third party and having them do it and not knowing exactly what they have done or will do.

[InkedInspector]

I actually have been looking into buying a blown motor Cx7 as a DD just because of how cheap they are, and I know the reliability claims are bogus so it's good if you can take advantage of people that think they are lemons.