I have often wondered this. My FC was notorious for flooding, and my FD has done it a few times, most often it is when the car is like moved from the drive to the garage. I can only surmise that there is something in the ECU's "cold start" map that makes them flood. This has often been the topic in the 3rd gen section, but I was wondering if 1st gens were bad about flooding, especially you carburated model owners.
Any info would be appreciated, thanks in advance.

 

My -SE tended to do it more than the 12A cars. My carbed FB's only flooded when they had carb problems.

 

The GSL-SE's can, but usually just a foot to the floor and they're off.
Now my "old" 12A would only flood if I left it in a gulch during a rain....

Denny, from the 'ol corncrib....

 

As far as I know the 12a was the most unlikely to flood engine. Even if it did it was a quick start.

 

Easily is a rather subjective word. I have never really heard of 13Bs FI getting flooded but someone else will have to answer since I don't own one.

12As have a propensity towards flooding IF they are not driven following some basic guidelines. The most important of which is not to shut it down before it has had a chance to fully warm up. Many times, a flooded 12A can be traced back to a short drive. I have never really understood why and no one has provided a satisfactory explanation but it has proven to be an accurate statement.

In four years of 12A ownership, I have only flooded once and it was my fault for violating the above rule.

 

My SE floods, but not too bad. As a matter of fact, for some reason I havent decided to check yet, it runs, oh man a week off work and im starting to forget terms. Well, it uses a whole lot more gas than it should. Rich, there, mines runs a rich, a little too rich if you asked me. But lately it has flooded, for reasons unknown. but ill let that be a separate thread.
Im pretty sure if everything its working good, flooding shouldnt be a problem.

 

LDBerg has stated the most important rule--never start the carb'd 12A to move it then just stop the engine after a couple of minute's running time. Even on 20 degree days, my car will start up-no problem. If it dies cuz I didn't set the choke right, it will crank right up again if I hit it immediately. The couple of times that I started it to move it have always been big mistakes. I don't anymore.

 

My 12A flooded ONCE. That was in the deep cold. I dunno what happened, but the carb kept filling with gas. Let it sit for two days and it started up right.

Never had the short drive flooding problem.

Here's how I moved the car without having it flood.

1.) Start car normally, choke pulled.

2.) Drive to wherever.

3.) Since car has not warmed up, choke has not gone back in. Push it back in.

4.) If car does not die because of no choke, turn it off. If it did die, then just remove the key.

5.) Car should start right up next time.

 

I'll have to give that a shot this weekend concerning the choke trick...it'd better work, pele!

 

That seems reasonable. I have done that in the past just out of habit (had a 71 510 which that was standard procedure on shutdown). Perhaps that has contributed to my lack of flooding as well. Did not think about it until you mentioned it, just force of habit I guess.

 

Well, Flooding is what? Too much gas in the combustion chamber right?

You're running rich with the choke, so pushing the choke makes you lean. In the cold, you need rich because the air is denser. Hence you are very lean when you push the choke in and now you have much less fuel by volume in the mix. Less chance to flood.

The car will usually still idle a bit when you push the choke back in. Let it idle for a few seconds before killing it, just to burn some of the gas off. If it dies, it got too lean, which is what you want.

Maybe someone should explain flooding to me before I continue talking out of my ***.

 

You have me convinced that you are, in fact, a typical evil genius. Even your improvisional guessing sounds legit...

 

Your floats probably iced over and got stuck.

 

Define deep cold? I was able to start mine in a cold soak -30F Minnesota morning. It cranked slowing but didn't flood, it did have a damn good battery.

I never had any of my Rx-7's flood, either my 1st gen 12a or my 88 SE.
I thought I flooded it once when the timing was set wrong after just putting in the engine in after a rebuild. It did fowl the plugs though. So you really might want to replace thoses if you have flooding trouble, because once they fowl they never work as good again. Also it didn't start once when I had a seriously gunked up carb because it had sit too long apartly. Fix was simple, clean the carb and jets, venturi passages, etc.

 

I have TRIED LIKE HELL to flood my 12A 1st gen (so I could demonstrate the unflooding procedure to someone else) and was not able to flood it.

 

Were we all as good (lucky?) as Mr.Cake.---> Apparently, pele's tip is good only for his rex. This last Sunday is the ONLY time I've ever had to pull the plugs and clear the engine. Darn you, pele!!

 

Muahahahaha! :p

Sorry... :o

 

Don't close the choke if the car floods. Open the throttle and choke all the way. You need as much air as possible to get the fuel out.

 

Yeah. That's what my dad was telling me to do. Don't pull the choke and floor it when I crank it.

It died out on me in mid shift. I tried roll starting it, but on my last bit of momentum, I coasted it onto the shoulder. A cop gave me a ride home (Few blocks.), where I posted onto the forum. (Hey, it's been almost one year since this happened.) I got a bottle of ATF per rx7.com's unflooding instructions and poured it into the carb. No go. Cranked till the battery died.

Came back a few hours later and jumped. No go. Came back at night with my dad and replaced the plugs. No go.

Came back the next morning with my dad, in a last ditch effort before getting a tow. Fired right up and smoked out the neighborhood. Luckily it wasn't my neighborhood.

 

Gotta love the smokey RX7 feeling huh!!

 

The last two times I did a "just moving the car and shut it down now it won't start a coupla hours later"mistake, it took pulling the air cleaner, wiffey turning the engine over whilst I sprayed Gumout's Carb Cleaner down the open throat. That did the trick. Last night, it wouldn't even respond to that. Sheesh!

 

Bitch Bitch Bitch... :p

Fill 'er up with ATF.

 

you guys and that ATF, next you'll say it'll cure cancer....the car responded to the spark plug routine swimmingly. The silver lining in this cloud was getting the opportunity to clean the plugs thoroughly. I think I'm going to make this a bi-monthly ritual. It's all good, pele...:p supercharged gerotor pele...

 

Couple ounces a day keeps the carbon away... But MMO tastes better.