Gary in VA

A friend of mine has an 85 RX-7 and is having carb problems. She has been smelling gas a lot lately while driving. She had it checked out and was told it was running too rich and can't be adjusted any leaner. They told her she needed a new carb. Started looking for one online and the best I've found so far is around the $350 range for a rebuilt. Does that sound right that the carb needs to be replaced or do you think rebuilding her carb would work? Do they actually get to the condition that they can't be rebuilt any more?

Sterling

ABSOLUTELY LUDICROUS!
This is another fine example of either a professional whose head's completely up his ***, or is trying to take advantage of someone, and it MAKES ME MAD!

A rebuild kit can cost between 20 & 30 bucks, and rebuilding the Nikki carb is not that difficult. They never get to a point of "non-rebuildability"!

Carl and I rebuild them for $150 + $20 S&H. We clean them inside and out, as well.

On my signature is a link that provides some tips for a first-timer.

Sterling

-also, my guess is that the fuel is coming from a torn or shriveled accelerator pump diaphragm. It serves as the "squirting" diaphragm, but also as the gasket for the housing. It's common, and fixable. This is a guess without seeing it.

rototiller1

even 150.00 is to much, the kit is 30.00, the overnite dip is 20.00, and a mechanic makes 40.00 tops for one hour it takes to do it. = 90.00

Rx7carl

First off, the kit is closer to $40. Dissasembly, dip, cleaning, rinsing, blowing out ALL the passages and holes, inspection, re assembly, bench adjustment takes a wee bit more than an hour. Only a butcher would slap together a pile of junk in an hour junior. And Ive done DOZENS of these carbs, care to relate your experience?

Oh and Gary, welcome to the board. That mechanic is full of it. Unless theres a major defect (like the body is cracked) its rebuildable.

rototiller1

Yeah, I just did mine, and my mechanical experience far outways yours, your number of posts does not make you an expert at all, But I'm not here to flame you Carl!
You charge what ever you like. There are plenty of those who can't do for themselves, so your business should thrive.

Sterling

I'm sorry- Did you say you knew of a mechanic that only gets 40 bucks an hour?
Goodness. If he can do a Nikki carb anything near what we do in just one hour, and he only charges $40 an hour,...Well hell!- We could hire him @ $50/HR, and make 20 bucks an hour each for doing nothing, and lower our rebuild price to $130.00!

That would be great.
You thinkin that too, Carl?


Hmmm. So much experience. Wanna work for us for $50 bucks an hour? I mean hell, seems like you could really help us out, what with all your experience n' all.

Hey Gary! rototiller here is gonna build yer carb for ya. Real cheap, too!

rototiller1

Yeah! Gary send me your carb, You don't need to pay Brain Surgery prices

Sterling

This should be interesting.

Rx7carl

Whoa whoa whoa, hold on partner. Lets not get into a flame war. First off, you dont know what my experience is (although you are correct, my number of posts dont mean squat). We charge what we feel is a fair price for what we do. We also bead blast the carb, and basically zero time it so its trouble free for years to come. We do quality craftsmanship you wont get from most places. We do this as a service to the community. We really aint makin much when you figure the hours spent, but we dont like seeing people getting ripped for 300-500 for a rebuild by their local mechanic. Our service isint for those who have the skills to do it themselves. And we freely post and give help and advice for anyone who asks (look at Sterlings long post on how to do his Nikki mods), who is doing their own work and needs a little guidance. I know theres at least 10 members here who pm me regularly about some trouble theyre having, or asking for advice, which I gladly give. I'm not here to make a sale or sales. Frankly I got better things to do (like build my new racecar, develop an EP setup and concentrate on my road racing). But I like helping people. And theres a sense of community here, and I genuinely like alot of the people here and would love to meet more of them in person and hang out with them all. I've sent FREE parts to some guys who really needed it, hell I even paid the shipping! (DOnt even think of flooding me with PM's for free parts guys ). So please, you dont know me, you dont know what we do with these carbs and the amount of time we spend on them.

As to my experience.
Been building and modifying cars since age 12 (I'm 37 now) Last 12 have been rotary only. Been an Aircraft mechanic for 20 years working on heavy jet aircraft (thats my day job). I do precision work everyday of my life. I'm no butcher trust me. I take great pride in doing quality work.

PS- this was not a flame, or attack, but since you called my experience into qusetion I felt I had to defend myself.

Rx7carl

Oh and Gary, they can be found used on ebay all the time. As to the true condition, buyer beware. Heres one up for auction right now! Usually I see them go for around $40-50 though.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/ws/eB...tem=2435811987

thesatanicmechanic

I'd like to add, that as a professional non-hack mechanic, I PAY the customer $50 for the privledge of removing & rebuilding their RX7 4bbl.

Get bent whiners.

Finding a mechanic who will even consider a carb rebuild on a FB HAS to be an exception these days. Muchless being told that their price is "too high".

Go get that sweet reman from Autozone. Try to find a 12mm 1/4" drive extra shallow swivel socket in the Craftsman isle at Sears to make access to the "hell nut" bearable.

Consider the time you pull your cousin's, friends, nephew's, roomates carb off his '83. It was easy right? Yah. By the time you were holding the carb in your hands I had it torn down, soaking in the $75 cleaner bucket. While you were trying to figure out where the washers that fell out of the accelerator pump went, I was adjusting the idle speed.

Don't like what the pros charge? Do it your god-damned self then. Don't ******* tell us that we charge too much. I make $25 off our shop's $62.17 labor hour & I barely consider myself compensated. I can't stand it when a ******* hobbyist tries to make feel guilty about the the rate i'm charging for my 15 years of experience.

/rant off

So back to the origingal topic. Yah it sounds like a leaky accelerator pump. Find yourself a better mechanic, or as an alternative, you have an interesting weekend project.

j.p.

FB II

i would just like to add that carl is the MAN! i'm one of those 10 or so people that was regularly pm'ing him about my nikki and because of his help, i can pretty much now rebuild a nikki carb in no time. except for when there mightbe something missing and stuff.....LOL!!! but anyways, i've talked to a guy that has gotten one of his carbs and cant believe how good it looks, how well it works, and how much better his car runs now that it ever has! i am sending one of mine his way because i know it will get the best of work done to it. it's nice to have more people that have extensive knowledge, but not if your going to be an ***. k thx u plz.

rototiller1

Well, Carl

We have the same experience level, well I have a little more, are paths have been the same, but I'm 45 now and retired in 1995 navy aircraft mechanic (E-7). I've built race cars, rebuilt redial engines, turbine engines, propellers, and gearboxs. Now I work for a major airlines
which includes sheetmetal, composites, avonics, air conditioning/pressurzation , engines and props.

So can we be bud's now, Carl

FB II

Sterling

Yeah, but we can't. I don't quite measure up to your standard of expertise. I guess I just don't have enough years to brag about and try to belittle others with to be a "bud" of yours.
Too bad, too, cause you seem so...well, cool and fun.

45, huh? By your obnoxious response, I thought you were much younger. Jeepers.
Really 45? Damn. You seem so...well- young.

Especially when your profile indicates that you're 34!

So, uhmm, were you gonna lie about your age before, or after you found out that Carl basically kicks your *** in the "experience" department?



Registered: 03-14-03
Status: Rotorite
Total Posts: 69 (0.33 posts per day)
Last Post: 10-10-03 01:17 AM
Carb rebuild question
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Birthday December 31, 1969
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Lemme tell ya something, Tim;
Don't ever try to make someone on this board look stupid.
Not ever.

CosmicButtHairs

do you guys offer rebuilds for weber 45 dcoe's too for the same price?

pratch

oooh, this was fun to watch.

Carl, been working on school stuff and I'm lab now posting from a school machine. Monday is go unless I hear otherwise from you though. I'll bring the ****** I promised, and when I get home tomorrow I'll be able to see if AZ fucked up the kit again or not.

rototiller1

Born Apr 9, 1958, joined the Navy in 1975. I was not making anyone look stupid, You did that yourself

Sterling

..."Birthday December 31, 1969 "

Then just what's up with your profile?

rototiller1

I dont know , when I check the profile it says april 9 1958

Rx7carl

FBII, thanks for the kind words.
Rototiller, just tone down the attitude please and try to get along a bit better with the guys ok? And show some respect to my friend Sterling. He is wise in the ways of the Nikki, and first gens, and is very helpful and honest and a respected member of this community.

Sterling, take the high road and quit poking him with the sharp stick : would ya? Your well liked and respected here and no single flaming post is gonna undo that. (Mario, when you gonna get a jackinthebox smiley?)

Cosmicbutthairs- Errrrrr, no we dont do webers sorry.

pratch- Monday, regular time. I'll have the garage cleaned up by then......maybe. LOL

Rototiller- "December 31, 1969" is what your profile says when I clicked on it. :shrug: Who do you work for anyway?

And to all. Remember how easy it is to be misunderstood on a forum like this. Ive had enough of unintentional flame wars. So end this thread hi-jacking now, and stop this in its tracks.
Thanks

ray green

iTrader: (14)

So, with Carl and Sterling's help and encouragement, I replaced my leaking accelerator pump last weekend. It took me a long time to find those four nuts that hold the carb down, a longer time to figure out how to back them off and a second intact RX7 to see how it all went back together. Then I did the other carb - it went much faster. Anyway, no more gas smell, the car runs much better and I feel like I've learned something. Thanks to the Carls and Sterlings of the world for being so generous with their time and resources. Also I just love reading these rants!

Ray

Sterling

O.K.

Now let's talk about cars again.

Rototiller, there is an old thread about wanting to try a Carter. Did you? It was over 600 CFM?

Sterling

Congradts, Ray. You've just inducted yourself into the Nikki Rant Room.