I just bought a 1985 GS with 56,000 miles for 400 dollars as a project for my first car. The car cranks, but fails to start. I tested the fuel pump, and it pumps and does reach the carb. I also tested the spark plugs and the spark is strong. I was able to get it started with the use of starting fluid. As soon as I sprayed it in the carb. it started right up and ran smooth and strong, but it fails to idle and will not start with out starting fluid. What should be my next step and things I should test and try? Any help would be appreciated. Thanks

 

REbuild carb. How long has it been sitting?

 

The car has been sitting for 6 months. The fuel is 6 moths old, but looks good nothing appears to be bad about it. I blew out the carb with an air hose, and it looks clean and drift free.

 

The fuel is bad. After 3 months it's trash. Drain the tank and put fresh fuel in it. Also spray the carb jets with carb cleaner for good measure

 

Drain and replace the fuel and filter. Do not risk the engine and carb with a few dollars of old swill. .

 

I have a new fuel filter that came with it, I will put it on tomorrow. What is the best way to drain the fuel tank? syphon? Thanks for all the help.

 

There is a plug on the bottom of your tank. Just remove and let the gas drain into a bucket.

The earlier 7s didn't have the plug, so you would have to syphon or use the fuel pump to pump it out in that case.

 

Yea I still remember the taste of gas from the 70's oil crisis (the 2nd one). We did it cheech & chong style with a garbage can
and some garden hose.

 

Tomorrow I'm planing on draining the tank, getting some new gas and putting the new fuel filter on. I'll post again after thats done and let you know the result. Someone also mentioned cleaning the carb jets with cleaner. What should I use to do that? I have been reading on the forums about seafoam should I run that in it with the new fuel and filter? Also where can I buy it and how much does it cost? Thanks again

 

You could spray Carb Cleaner in the carb or if you want to go the seafoam route, you can get it at any auto parts store. It's not expensive at all. I'd say just put a few gallons of fresh gas in it after draining the tank and putting a new fuel filter on and just get it to fire up. Once you get it running, then you can see what else may be needed from there

 

betcha the ap circuit is plugged too. look down the barrels and push throttle. you see fuel squirting out?

 

I did exactly that and I can see the fuel squirting out.

 

I drained the old fuel and it was free from junk, put new fuel in. I replaced the fuel filter (the old one was filthy). The car still does not start on it's own with out starting fluid. Also my choke won't stay out (don't know if that has anything to do with it). I also forgot to mention the owner before me replaced the original fuel pump with one of the cheap square ones. I'm planing on buying a run down RX 7 that runs, but interior and exterior is trashed and taking the original fuel pump off of it and putting it on mine. I also am planing on running seafoam through it and going from there. Any suggestions on what else I should try would be appreciated.

 

I am having this problem too, Mine is an 1985 RX-7 GSL. I need a new choke cable and switch, can't find one anywhere. I think mine is flooded so I'm doing the unflooding procedure on my next day off from work.

 

Wedge the choke about three quarters out with a clothes peg to see if it runs on choke.
If you can see fuel going in and it starts on starting fluid it may just want a bit of choke to get it running steady.
Are the plugs newish? did you say? Fit new ones if any doubt.

 

My choke started working. I ran seafoam in the engine and it started on it's own and would idle that day, but now it won't it unless I start it with starting fluid and let it warm up then once warm it will idle and start on it's own. I'm replacing the old spark plugs with some new NGK BREQ8-14s. Any suggestions on what I should try next to fix the starting and idling issue? Also does anyone have recommendations on spark plug wires, rotor/cap and coils.

 

I think just standard auto store cap and rotors are fine. Some people like certain plug wires like NGK but auto store wires are fine to just get it running. For coils you have some options. You could do stock coils, Accel coils, MSD Blaster coils, or use a 2nd Gen leading coil in Direct Fire for the leading side and a stock or other coil for trailing. Where does it idle when it does idle? You might have to turn it in a couple times to try and idle it high to get it to idle on it's own. Then you can work it from there.

 

I will pick up a rotor/cap, wires and plugs sometime this week. Where can I purchase the coils? I'll probably just go stock unless anyone can think of a reason that I should go with another brand. Performance? Speed? When I had it idling the other day it was staying steady around 800. Thanks for the help

 

2nd Gen Direct Fire will give you better fuel mileage and overall performance and it's super easy to do. Pick one up in the for sale section

 

I looked in the for sale area and didn't see any. If you could post a link to one for me or point me somewhere else that would be great. Also could I just get them off of a junkyard one? I'm guessing they look just like the coils I have or are they different ? What is the instillation like is it just a swap? or is there some modifications needed? Thanks

 

Find the post titled "Direct Fire ignition in 20 minutes". Read the last 4 pages of that or so. It really is easy. To find a coil, go into the advanced search option at the top of the page, type in coil, and select only the 2nd Gen for sale section and search. You'll find something. They do look different than stock coils

 

Mine did the same thing till I got the Carb Rebuilt. Now it starts just fine and idles are 30 seconds. What are your starting techniques? Do you pump the gas peddle at all? I know mine takes two pumps and it fires right up.