rkcbvw

Was having some carb issues on running 1984 Rx7 GSL so pulled the carb and sent to have rebuilt. 5 months later I get the carb back in ready to test and the engine wont turn over. I hear the starter solenoid click and struggle like its trying but nothing. Put a breaker bar on front pulley to see if I can spin the motor over and I cannot turn in either direction. Literally no play in either direction almost like the motor is completely bricked. I pulled plugs to see if coolant in engine and nothing poured out. Coolant is still full in radiator as well and keep in mind this was a running motor a few months ago. It has a manual trans is there some sort of safety switch to ensure clutch is pressed to start? Note i have clutch pressed and car in neutral when trying to start just curios if some safety switch is failing and by chance locks flywheel from turning? Also tried to roll car in gear and does not budge. Any help much appreciated.

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iTrader: (5)

You sure you didn't drop something down the intake when the carb was removed?

rkcbvw

That was a concern of mine as well but seems like it would rotate forward or back a little if that was the case..??

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iTrader: (5)

Not if when you first attempted to turn it over it lodged someting between the rotor and housing. I dunno, just a thought. Do you own an endoscope?

Ckforker

Even if it was stuck in some gear, when you try to turn it, the car would have a tendency to move either direction. You might take off the exhaust and intake to see if you can see anything in there. You get a lot more visibility vs. the spark plug holes.

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

If you do take off the intake, replace the intake gasket and water o-rings. Do all the easy stuff first before removing the intake. I'd remove the starter, exhaust, intake in that order.

rkcbvw

Much thanks I will start there.

LongDuck

The key takeaway: don't force it. Even putting a breaker bar on the front pulley is a bad idea.

Carbon may not seem like it would cause problems, but just a little carbon hardened into the apex seals and a breaker bar on the front pulley can snap your apex seals or ruin your housings. Also, if the engine was allowed to get any moisture inside, you may have rusted your various side, corner, and apex seals in their tracks and won't be able to rotate the eccentric shaft. I almost never recommend this, but a little ATF down the intake, squirted through your Trailing plug holes, and into the exhaust ports and left to sit and soak might loosen things up enough to get it to turn. Only turn it in the direction of operation. You want to push any crap out the exhaust ports, not let it dig back and forth into the housings.

There are no neutral safety switches or the like on these cars. How was the transmission before the carb came off? Working properly?

rkcbvw

Yes the trans was working fine. Thanks for verifying there is no safety switch.
With breaker bar on the motor did not budge at all. Seems like if rusted I would be able to slowly move it to free up. Unknowingly that its bad I did put a bit of force on it and felt like someone poured concrete in the plug holes. no budge either direction.

gibbym89

Is the shifter in gear or neutral?

rkcbvw

Car is in neutral. I took the starter off this weekend and motor is still locked up tight. I am thinking I may have dropped something down intake when removing the carb. With that in mind would you still start with exhaust to see whats blocking the motor from turning or go through intake? Thanks again

Ckforker

The intake is the logical place to start, unless you were able to spin the engine at all before it locked up.

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iTrader: (5)

Pull the intake, it's simple enough. If you dont see anything I would look into buying a cheap endoscope from Amazon.

Were you missing any hardware upon reinstallation of the carb? Tools?

rkcbvw

Not that I know. I seemed to have all the hardware to put carb back but tools is likely possible. It took every 12mm wrench/socket plier and jack hammer I own to get to all the bolts to pull the carb so there is a good chance something dropped down in there or even the 6 months it was out to get the carb rebuilt I might have knocked something in there. I did not think to cover the intake that whole time.

KansasCityREPU

iTrader: (9)

A set of off-set wrenches, ratcheting wrenches, stubby wrenches along with some wobble socket extensions are a must.

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iTrader: (5)

I know its too late now, but paper towels man; make it a habit to stuff them in your intake any time its exposed.