francisco_martins

Hello! I just bought my first mazda rx7 fc N/A and it needs some repairs the exhaust is rusty and has some leaks but what is worrying me is the engine, im having a few problems, the idle is a bit crazy when i start it supposedly it should rev until 3000rpm or so and then come down to the normal 800/900rpm...but mine sometimes stays in the 1100rpm and when i start i usually have to rev it up a few times so it wont die, it cant keep the idle. And recently it floods more often, and then the only way to start it is pushing it down the road :S
Yesterday i was with a rx7 turbo II owner, and ex-owner of a N/A fc he told me that my car wasn't pulling properly it had lack of power, and probably had a poor compression...
I was reading in the internet and the symptoms match with a rebuild, i even found out that the previous owner had spark plugs 3 electrodes my worries is that the engine may need to be rebuild and i have no one to do it, i would appreciate some help at least to know what im dealing with

misterstyx69

iTrader: (142)

First thing is to ask yourself if you want to stick money in this car,as it has been neglected for a long time(from what I gather).
You first need to verify that the engine is healthy and that means a compression check(SEARCH)
if that checks out then start with a Full tune up:plugs,wires,gas filters,oil and filter.Vaccum Hoses should be checked for cracks.
when was the last time the injectors were serviced or cleaned or if the gas tank was cleaned(if it sat there will be crud in the fuel system)

This is a Start.
The Forum has the answers and the best advice is to search and READ,READ,READ..
The forum is a like a library so if you know what you are looking for it will be there.Anything that has been done or thought iof is here,You just have to be patient and research it.
I am sure you will get various answers on questions but the Key is to not depend on posting to find the "easy way out".

I found the Sections to be a gold mine and by relaxing and reading what the "in's and out's" were, I found myself not depending on the internet mechanic.I could find the info and do it myself.

Anyways,Rant..,sorry
Welcome and enjoy.
STYX (MOD)

francisco_martins

Fist of all thanks for the reply! I will do a full check on all that things, oils filters wires...My idea was to stick with this car and rebuild it, make it my own project and with time tune it up a little bit, the only drawback is that im not an mechanic and an engine rebuild may sound a lit bit too much for me.
Yeah the car was left in a garage for a few years and didn't have a proper treatment, i forgot to say it is burning a lot of oil and gasoline, and the other day i took it to a "conventional" mechanic and he sad the electric current sometimes was to low so the car was prone to die.
The thing that he had 3 electrodes spark plugs for a couple of years couldn't it damage the motor? The other day i took one out and instead of being clean it was a bit dark.
I already know about the compression test but i don't know anyone in Portugal with that specific machine, is their any other way to check it?
If i wanna get material to the car, new or used, is their any place you can recommend? The only one know is ebay.uk and im hoping it wont go trough customs :$

HardPlant

Hi Francisco!

Welcome to the RX-7 club and your first FC! I'm based in the UK, so if you like, maybe I can help get you stuff from the UK RX-7 sellers. I'll second Styx' post advising searching the forums. Almost every question I've ever had has been asked before, and there's loads of advise out there. A few minutes looking for something in particular can have you learning loads about other related things that you might need later on. Especially if you're going to be doing a lot of work on the car yourself and learning everything as you go!

I used to use NGK BR8ET plugs in my old N/A with no problems. They're triple electrode jobs, and they used to be fine for me. You'll scrape the apex seals with plugs that are too long, no matter how many electrodes they have, so maybe you could let us know what the number is thats written on the plugs. Check both leading (bottom, typically with black connectors on the leads) and trailing (top and blue) because they might be different.

The compression test can be done with a standard, dial type gauge for piston engines. You crank the engine over with it in place, WOT (wide open throttle) with the EGI fuse removed from the fuse box under the bonnet, and look for the needle to bounce up to the same level each time. The results won't be as accurate as the proper tester, but you'll get a very good idea on whats happening.

francisco_martins

Thanks man, i will check the references and give a feedback i only have the car back next week. One part i was looking for particularly was a full exhaust, preferably an used in good condition i'm with a low budget for now.

HardPlant

You have PM regarding the exhaust.