how is the best way to deflood a 12a? how can u tell if its flooded?what is the worst kind of flooded engine?

 

pull the spark plugs and crank the engine over. disconnect the coil wires from the dizzy cap too. i could tell mine was flooded because fuel was pouring into the carb with the engine off (stuck float valves)

 

If your engine just got flooded and there is no reason that is causing the engine to re-flood once you get the engine unflooded then I like the tow method. I have tried all three, disconnecting plugs, atf fluid and last but not least towing. The last and final time my car flooded I tried the plug method, then the atf fluid. I was so fed up with hours spent trying to get the thing unflooded and having no result so I just decided to hook it up to my suburban. Once it was hooked up I started towing the 7 with the clutch in. I had another person take the burb up to 15 and make sure that they kept the velocity constant. When my speedo reached 15 I let out the clutch and within about 20' the car was totally unflooded and running great. After that I let the car idle and took it out for a short jaunt until the engine was warmed up. Easiest method by far and is a lot less wear on your starter not to mention your frustration.

Just make sure you change the plugs first and that the problem is not a re-occuring problem like stuck floats.

I have a 13b but it should have the same effect on a 12a.

Good luck!

~Z

 

Skip the ATF and just use oil.

 

Has no one else simply unplugged the fuel pump fuse? It has worked every time for me. Just unplug fuse, crank, when engine starts - let die, then simply reinstall fuse and restart. Sometimes I am quick enough to get the fuse back in while its running so the pump kicks in and keeps it running. I have tried using mmo to help build compression a bit when the engine was seriosuly flooded one time. Seemed to help out and I knew it wouldnt hurt anything. I am also extremely leary on using ATF inside my engine. It was not designed at all for any application involving internal engine components.

Edit: Also, if your carb unloads itself into the engine after turning the key off - Dont turn the key off and it wont happen. This at least lets you drive the car around. Obviously, turn the key off when you plan on leaving it off for extended periods.

 

Yeah, ATF will never touch the insides of any of my engines. I sometimes wish the ATF myth would die, but then I wouldn't be able to impugn its character as much.

A little oil dribbled down the carb works beautifully for a slow spinning starter or a flooded condition. It's also great for starting a fresh rebuild for the first time if you forgot to prime the rotor housings beforehand.

 

If your car has good spark, and even marginally proper fuel delivery, then pulling the plugs is the best way to go.

- Remove all four spark plugs. Dry them off (compressed air, or burning excess gas with a lighter work well, then I wipe them with shop towels. If they've been in there for a while and have lots of carbon, I wire-brush them clean).

- Disconnect both ignition coil wires from the distributor cap. You do this because you don't want sparks inside the spark plug wire's boots when gas is coming out down there.

- Crank the car over for 10 seconds.

- Put it all back together and fire it up.

Some people say to disconnect the fuel pump and crank it until it's dry. I've NEVER had the need for this on mine, or either of Eric's cars. As long as you're getting good spark, there can still be some gas in the combustion chamber, it'll be okay. You just can't have enough to get the plugs totally wet and stop them from sparking.

It takes longer than most people think to empty the carb bowls. Most of the time when they're disconnecting their fuel pump, they aren't cranking long enough to empty those anyway. The only time disconnecting the fuel pump helps is when you have a problem with fuel pressure or your floats, allowing gas to overflow into the intake. If your fuel pressure and carb are fine, then there's no need. Besides, cranking the car for that long isn't good for the starter!

And as Jeff said, a LITTLE bit of 10w30 goes a long way. A teaspoon or capful will help if need be.

If you're running into this kind of situation often, you should consider changing your battery cables and checking/replacing ignition components. As Eric and I found out, visible spark doesn't mean strong spark. More often than not, I can do things that flood many first gens and still be okay to start it.

Jon

 

how does putting oil in the carb help? i know it does, by why?

 

I do not know whyyou guys are weary about using the ATF, the guys at www.rx7.com,Rotary Performance in Garland, TX who has built and rebuilt more rotay engines than I care to count reccomend the use and even have it posted on their site.

 

put this in the "Faqs page" i will need it in the future lol

 

but what makes ATF or Oil work?

 

Starting fluid helps me in this situation, but the next step would be taking the fuel pump fuse off like the previous poster stated.

 

I also use starting fluid to deflood engines too. I just use a little for the sake of the engine.

 

Why oil works to help start a flooded engine.

Raws gas washes the combustion chamber, apex seals and side seals clean of any lubrication that was present. Gas is thin and has almost no vicosity, this allows some of the combution gases to by pass the seals. Adding motor oil helps seal the tiny areas where the combustion gases seep past the seals. This helps build enough compression for the engine to start.

A flooded engine will not start for 2 reasons, The plugs are usually fouled from raw gas and cannot fire properly, the seals have lost some of thier sealing capacity to build combustion because the internals are coated with raw gas and not oil.

As a side note, leaving a flooded engine parked for a long time can lead to the seals sticking severely, also known as carbon locking. The gas has washed all of the lubrication out of the housings and evaporates. This allows the carbon buildup to harden much quicker than if the normal amount of metering oil was present in the housings.

Whether it is a fresh rebuild, a flooded engine or a high mileage, worn engine, adding oil does the same thing in all of them. It increases compression by helping the seals seal better.