1st Generation Specific (1979-1985) 1979-1985 Discussion including performance modifications and technical support sections

79 won't start, tried everything. help!

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Old 12-30-02, 03:24 AM
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79 won't start, tried everything. help!

willpower101@yahoo.com

If you get me on yahoo msgr, i might be a little slow to type cause i'm usually on my cell phone.

Ok, i just bought 79 rx-7 from some lady who doesn't want it anymore.

it has been sitting for 7 years...

tried to start it, wouldn't start but did turn over. has new battery in it.

put some atf in the first two carbs. starts right up and smokes like hell, after about 5 minutes of this it is still smoking.

I took my foot off of the accellorator and it tried to idle extremely rough and then dies after about 30 seconds.

i put 3 gallons of fresh gas in on top of one gallon of seven year old gas.

i can';t find the idle adjuster screw, need some help on that.

car dies again, now it won't start until i let it sit for a bout 10 minutes each time.

i noticed something very strange, the second barrells are constantly filling up to the brim with gasoline after i have tried to start the car. if i let it sit they drain, and if i floor the pedal they drain too. what in this world is this about?!!!?

ok, i left for about two hours and came back and tried to start the car and it did on the first try, i let the pedal go and the car died. the choke doesn't stay out, it pulls itself back in.

couldn't get the car to start so i pulled the plugs and replaced them and i also tried to start the car without plugs for a little bit to blow gas out of the engine.

put it back together, tried to start and it did again, but still smokeing horribly and will not stay running.

also has an aftermarket pressure gauge that is staying around 80 psi.

got the car out of the mud and into the carport. i let it die again. this time it will not start no matter what i do. i have gone back and repeated everything i have already done and the car will not start no matter how long i let it sit or how much atf goes in it, or even with pulling the plugs and clearing the engine. so here is where i need help. i need to get this car running!!!!

one more question. This car says GTU on the side and makes a deep sucking noise when i press the gas. what in the world does gtu mean?

thankyou, jonathan
Old 12-30-02, 03:31 AM
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where are you located ?
Old 12-30-02, 08:55 AM
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GTU? You've gotta 2nd gen... But 2nd gens don't come with carbs!?!?
Never heard of a '79 with GTU on the side....

Anyways. Drain all shitty old fuel, put in new. Pull plugs, Squirt some MMO into the housings. Start 'er up and let run and smoke, it's Okay.....

Denny
Old 12-30-02, 09:49 AM
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Re: 79 won't start, tried everything. help!

Originally posted by willpower101
one more question. This car says GTU on the side and makes a deep sucking noise when i press the gas. what in the world does gtu mean?

thankyou, jonathan
It makes a deep sucking noise and then dies? That can mean that the air/fuel ratio is whacked out. It may be starving for fuel. But before you adjust anything...do what Denny said - get some fresh gas in there and put some MMO in the engine.
Old 12-30-02, 10:09 AM
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Get a long piece of fuel line and connect it in place of the supply line to the carb. Turn the car "on" and let the pump empty the tank. Put ONLY fresh gas in with some carb cleaner.

"""i noticed something very strange, the second barrells are constantly filling up to the brim with gasoline after i have tried to start the car."""

Can we assume"""aftermarket pressure gauge that is staying around 80 psi.""" is oil pressure? You obviously have a carb problem. Don't worry about the idle or smoke or anything else untill you fix that. All the other problem are probably related to it. You may have a stuck regulator (in fuel return line) or clogged line and the fuel pump is pressurizing the carb and forcing gas thru the jets. It may also be that the floats are just stuck open. The carb cleaner MAY unstick them.

Is the "GTU" sticker on the window? If so it is only some PR from Mazda and has nothing to do with the model of your car.
Old 12-30-02, 10:25 AM
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Originally posted by racermike
Get a long piece of fuel line and connect it in place of the supply line to the carb. Turn the car "on" and let the pump empty the tank.
Hmmm, not sure this will work. I believe[ that the fuel pump will only operate when the engine is running. My gas tank has a drain plug in the bottom of it, not sure if the 79's had that or not.
Old 12-30-02, 10:35 AM
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You COULD be right about some models???? I have drained several tanks that way though, and they were later models then '79. Deffinantly not sure about the SE.
In many cases you can turn the car "on" and listen for the pump to see if it is working. It also usually makes more noise at the very begining and when it runs out of gas. They all should have drains, but I think that is a harder way to go.
I guess we should also advise to replace the filter immeadiatly as well! So drain the old gas, replace filter, install new gas with cleaner.
Old 12-30-02, 10:52 AM
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79-80 has no drain plug. if the gas has been sitting in there that long, drop the tank and drain it. looking at the inside will also give you a decent clue as to how your fuel lines will look. also tell us what the pressure gauge is for. your pump should be giving at 3.5-4.5 psi at the carb. also, check your fuel filter and the screens in the carbs. they are located at the ends of the main line runners where they enter the carb.

all in all, lets make sure the fuel system is properly operational before trying to adjust idle and mixture. those are very easy to do anyway.
Old 12-30-02, 01:40 PM
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I'm im crossville, tennessee.

The idea with the fuel pump pushing out all the gas was great, i just put the car in the on position and it all came out. i didn't cheack for a drain plug because i won't have a jack handy until i get off work.

what is a stuck regulator in the fuel return line? If the floats are stuck, is that a big deal to get them unstuck, if not, how do i go about this?

Also, it says GTU on the side of the car and it is part of some graphics that run along the bottom of the car. it's not a decal, it's part of the paint. it also has SCAA stickers all over it and has really wide tires. in the engine, the intake manifold (?) i guess, looks brand new and has a big red plate on the side of it.

Even if my car is not GTU, what does that mean in case i were to buy a second gen GTU? Is Turbo better?
Old 12-30-02, 02:42 PM
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gtu is the na sport second gen. didn't have all the extra crap on it and more performance oriented gear. the gtus was an even rarer version yet. however, someone had that put on the side of your car as none came from factory like that. really obvious now that you said it has scca stickers on it. the turbo will be quicker and far easier to make faster. however the gtus has a large following due to it being quick and the rarest rx7 to see the states.

like i said, the 79-80's don't have drain plugs. there is no regulator stock as the stock pump coouldn't flow enough (at the proper voltage) to flood the carb. so you need to make sure that someone did put a regulator on it with the aftermarket pump and then you need to make sure its set to the proper psi.

as for unsticking the floats, you can use the peejay tried and true rubber mallet thump on the top of the carb (just don't hit it hard enough to crack it). otherwise you will need to rebuild. if it has never been rebuilt and sitting that long i would suggest a rebuild. i went through this with my 79. basically redid the entire fuel system. rebuilding the carb isn't very hard. if you search under my name you will find all kinds of info from rebuilding the carb (sterling's territory), replacing fuel line, dropping the tank, and attempted cleaning of a rusted gummed tank. at least you are getting fuel to the carb. mine was so stopped up you couldn't get air to the carb. good luck and feel free to ask me any questions.

Last edited by jeremy; 12-30-02 at 02:45 PM.
Old 12-30-02, 03:12 PM
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confused,,,,,
Do we know it has an aftermarket pump?
How about intake and carb.?
Are we sure it is even a '79??
With the SCCA stickers, who knows what is stock anymore!
I just checked a '79 I have and there are 2 lines from the carb. (supply and return) but the metal lines have been cut off and the hoses are gone. You say the '79 did NOT have the inline regulator like the later ones??
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