Hey guys,

This night I was testing my acceleration from a stop. I wanted to enjoy the push into the back of my seat... but it was missing! 1st and 2nd gear feel strong but 3rd gear just falls flat on it's face. I think the 6port induction is the blame, but I'm not sure. The car will continue to accelerate, slowly up to about 100mph (EMPTY freeway)... but then it hits the invisible wall. I know the top speed of a GSL-SE is not 100mph (it's ~125? ... I woudln't know!) I read how exhaust backpressure is not the same in each gear...

Could this be the blame for my weak top gear accel? I'm at a loss for words... My friends 98 Civic EX pulls right on past me in 3rd! I can't believe it...

Someone help me out?



THANKS FOR READING AND REPLYING

 

Oh yeah my car is an 1984 Beige (fast color!) RX-7 GSL-SE with 160k (60k on rebuilt engine) and otherwise mostly tip top shape. It's got a K&N replacement panel filter... but I don't think that does much.

 

is it the 13b or 12a 6 port?

when red lining 3rd i get 100mph (135kmh for me)
but i dont this it will acclererate much more past the red line..

 

Fuel filter maybe?

~T.J.

 

my thoughts exatcly

 

Why is it that if the fuel filter has gone bad, you don't seem to feel the effects untill later gears (ie 3rd or 4th)?

 

fuel comsumption goes up with engine load
engine load goes up with speed

 

Thanks wwilliams54, good answer and simple to!

 

 

Hmmm ok. I will get a new fuel filter and switch it out later and see how that goes. I hope it's that simple! =) THANKS GUYS

 

I was about to ask what's wrong with you for asking that... But you're from Australia... You didn't get the 1st gen with the 13B...

You got it with the 12A turbo.

GSL-SE is like a Series 3 GTX with the 6 port 13B, similar to that found in the Series 4 N/A cars down there...

(I like these RX-7 books. Now I know what a GTX is. )

 

i didnt even see what model he said he had the first time i read it, so thats why i asked..

and we didnt get the turbo down here either..

 

Did you hit a big bump lately??? I have seen time after time after time, people say their performace suddenly dropped off, and it comes out to they hit some road debris, or was cat&mouseing and ran a curb only to dislodge the catalist in your cat enough to get it sideways in its housing, and block exaust!
IF it was fuel, it would backfire. simple as that.
take a rubber mallet, and get under there and tap, and see if you hear anything loose in your cats!! when it happened to me, I just took them off, bent up some 2.25, and replaced them with straight pipe! but I live in nebraska...its not frowned upon here!!!

 

I speak from first hand knowledge when I say this is not true. I had an 85 GSL that did the same thing youre talking about, it was the filter .

Backfiring is caused by excess fuel, correct? If he has a clogged filter, he obviously isnt getting enough gas to make the car run right, let alone backfire, right? Im not trying to be troublesome, I just wanna know how it is that you figure this.

~T.J.

 

Crush the fuel filter? I crawled under my car and it's wayyyyy up there. I don't see how a bump would take it out. Oh yeah it doesn't look crushed either so I guess it's not that. It also seems really new and shiney! I'll knock on my cats later. Well a FRAM fuel filter is $20 at Kragen. Sound about right?


Yeah my car is the GSL-SE and has a 6Port 13-B rated at 135hp@6k. I guess it's not much, but the car is light!

 

Make sure you get the right filter. The one for the 13B. The other one for the 12A isnt made for the high pressure of the EFI pump.

~T.J.

 

the 5th and 6th port actuator system might be clogged or have a problem.

 

I thought of that too DF, but they shouldnt work in 1st and 2nd then also, right? Maybe its just not as noticable in those two gears...

~T.J.

 

They are think they are SUPPOSE to work in 1st and 2nd also... I just checked mine with 2 zip ties on Friday after work. Found out my front actuator rod is moving a bit more than my back actuator. Guess I gotta clean mine up soon...I knew my car wasn't THAT slow, it's gotta have more potential...I better change that fuel filter too as suggested above.