Paul Kluenker

Clutch not engaging - I can push the clutch all the way to the floor & sometimes it engages & sometimes not. So if it is in gear, the car keeps moving. If out of gear, you've got to watch your chance to "grind it" into gear. Not good. Any thoughts before I carefully take it to the shop early Monday morning? There is a small oil leak, so I keep cardboard under the engine. But it looks like there are more drip marks than normal. Could there be a leak somewhere. Or is there some type of "linkage adjustment necessary? I apologize, I do not know too much about "under the hood".
Thank you.

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

sounds like a clutch hydraulic problem.
YOu could try to adjust the clutch at the pedal or look for signs of leakage at the master cylinder and clutch slave.
Does the clutch feel soft at times?..if so then it Is definitely hydraulic related and you should just bite the bullet and replace BOTH 30 year old parts with new(replacing just ONE will make the other fail shortly after anyways)

That oil "could be" hydraulic fluid but Hey..I'm not psychic.Your Mechanic should know if he sees it.

Cookboy

iTrader: (10)

+1 on Mr. Styx assessment.

Paul Kluenker

Problem solved, thank you to those who responded. The were signs of leakage & the master cylinder needed replacement. So it's fun "going through the gears" again.
However, different issue ... there is hesitation or sputtering as I step on the gas. One suggestion was to try a tank of "no ethanol" fuel, so I'm trying that. Any thoughts? Or might the carburator need attention. I heard they are difficult to work on, especially for mechanics who do not typically work on rotary engines.

lduley

iTrader: (1)

Vehicle carbs are difficult for ANY modern day mechanic to work on since there hasn't been a carbed vehicle since the late 80s.

If anything, do it yourself, or find a old mechanic from the 70s or earlier

Cookboy

iTrader: (10)

Your fuel system starts in the tank. Many of these cars have clogged in tank fuel pickups. The stock strainer has long since disintegrated.

That said, a couple of dollars for a fuel filter may offer you some immediate relief for your symptoms. If that does relieve the symptom, be sure that dropping and cleaning the tank is in your near future.

It's a simpler job than you think. It should also include a new pickup sock and replacement of all associated fuel lines. The actual dollar cost is low, and it should take 4-6 hours labor at most. I did it and I am not mechanically inclined.

If you do the above and all is well, hallelujah. If not, a carb rebuild may be in order. The kit from rockauto.com is about 30 bucks. The job itself is, once again, 4-6 hours or less, depending on your prowess and thoroughness. It's not particularly difficult and requires no special skill.

I recommend a google search of 'wayback machine sterling metalworks'. Though his site is gone, it lives there forever, I hope. Read and internalize what Sterling spent a lot of time researching and writing. Much of what is there can also be found here, some in the 1st gen archive, some scattered about elsewhere. I suggest reading the entire archive, from oldest to newest threads. It contains the answers to many questions, some of which you haven't yet needed to ask.

Read, learn, wrench, drive, enjoy. The 12a Rx7 is the simplest and most reliable car ever built, but every 30 years is so it does require some maintenance.