So I got my starter in, got it to run. It runs fine, I even drove around the block.

I still can't get it to idle below 1700RPM or so. Removed the throttle opener because I was afraid it was wrenching my works. Not so! All my vacuum lines related to the emissions removal are intact. I can't feel anything from my blockoff plates so I can only assume they're good to go too.

Is it possible that my two adjustment screws are so far out of whack that they'll cause the car to die when I try to lower the idle?

The accelerator pump is being actuated and the same amount of gas I've always seen go into the venturis is going into the venturis.

I'm at a loss...does the carb need rebuilding? It was ok before...

 

Man, I hate/love these things. RX7s and Carbs both.

 

Sure that's possible. Try richening up the idle mixture. Clockwise lean...counter clockwise rich.

 

DAMNIT

I am just gonna take this thing to the shop down the street.

I can adjust all I want, and as soon as the RPMs get below 1600 it dies. Now if it's stable at 1600, I can tap the gas, and since I guess the accel pump isn't working right, the RPMs will drop to 1000 or so and then build back up to 1600 so I know it has the capabililty of running down there, it's just I'm doing something wrong about it!?

 

No. If it dies below 2g, you've got yourself a vacuum leak to track down.

Just to be sure, if you take the fuel mixture screw (the one in the middle of the base of the carb) and turn it all the way in until it gently bottoms out, then back it off 3.5 turns, that's a fine starting point. The car would idle like that. Maybe a little rough, or maybe a little high, but it'll idle assuming everything else is good.

Jon

 

I think jon's right. It sounds like a vacuum leak. You've got all the emissions tubing on there, right? Old hoses get brittle and rigid after a while, so check all the connections. Another prime candidate is the hose at the rear passenger side of the carb, the AAB hose. Sitting above the exhaust, it takes a lot of heat and tends to split open.

When the engine speed gets to what you're looking at, the mixture screw doesn't have any effect because you're into the off-idle mixtures and no fuel is being metered from the port below the throttle plate.

 

+3 for the vacuum leak, and it's 1 good one or several smaller ones.

 

Well every vacuum line in the car is new. It's all hooked up according to plan. I guess I've more searching to do.

 

Hi Guys! I'm in a pretty good mood. I went outside and looked at the car with a new perspective and found a gigantic vacuum leak. (On the bottom of the intake manifold, hidden behind some stuff. The big one.) It purrs at 900 RPM with no adjustment.

Now there is a new problem and I don't know why this would happen: before, it wouldn't idle low but it would drive fine. Now it idles low but it's waay low on power (to the point where I couldn't get it moving enough in first to keep it from stalling. This is on a slight grade.) Last time I drove it I didn't have any problems like this. I drove it around the block after I got the starter on it and all was well in the driveability department.

 

Nevermind, I think it was just pig rich, although I haven't driven it yet. I leaned the idle AFR, kept on doing it, and then it idled up 500 RPM so I started over. Little low on coolant so I cut her off, now I'll take a shower, head to the Pig and grab some distilled and some antifreeze and go to town.