Hi all, I am really new to owning a rotary I guess we all had to start somewhere. I recently purchased a 1979 Rx-7 for $400, now it needs alot of work, mostly wiring and interior and I didn't notice this until I read a few posts and after I purchased the car. Im not sure what happened here and even if this is the same year engine for this car or if someone has dropped in another over the years. I guess i've picked one hell of a project but im up for it. this bothers me a little , looks like someone bought spark plugs that were too big and made them fit. Also I have no rats nest as they call it here, unless I am mistaken it looks like someone bought spark plugs that were too big and made them fit. Also I dont't think I have the rats nest as they call it on here, not a bad thing but I just want to know if this is normal for this year.
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Thanks for any help, I would like to restore the car and convert it to a manual eventually, I hate automatics but I really wanted the car. More pics can be seen at My Website

 

may just be autolites.. swap to NGK plugs. easy done.

 

I'll have to check but I know that 2 of them are NGK's and they are the same size around, It looks like they are too big still. I posted the wrong pic that is the rear rotar, here is the front rotar plugs[nl]

 

Almost looks like the PO broke a plug and had a field day trying to get it out of there. But, if those are the BR8-EQ14 NGK plug, those are the stock plugs.

 

That is an 81-85 12a. They have the ridge 3/4 around the plug holes. 79-80 12a's do not have those.

 

So what size plugs should be in there? they look like the plug puller won't even fit on them. And is there a way to tell what year the engine is?

 

Interesting question, since it still has the point type ignition. (looks like it from the pics)
I have a thread asking a similar question, except the 79 in question has a 79 engine, with 81-85 electronic ignition.
Looks like it has the right plugs for the year/ignition system, even though it's a later model engine. Thin wall plug socket?

 

The PO did tell me that it runs off points and that I should convert if I get the chance to electrical. I will take some more engine pics tommorow and post them. Also checkout my website pics if u get the chance. When I first bought the car it was running like crap, I adjusted the timing, without a gun and it is running a little better, Im pretty sure a tuneup is needed, it sat for a year and a half on bad gas and probly needs a fuel filter, I will check the plugs, Not sure how many miles are on it, Brakes are a little soft, and it sputters a little upon takeoff, if I ease the gas it runs fine and sputters a little while cruising at say 25-30 or whatever the speed. I need to check the vaccum lines as well, the tach bounces sometimes but not idle speed and it seems to idle ok, little sputter ever few seconds. Again I think for now it needs s tuneup. Also after reading many, Many posts I am still unsure what to use for Oil weight. I know this is a big war and I don't want to go synthetic as I do not know how many miles are on it. I want to go with regular oil just not sure what to get.

 

Nah, it looks to me like he just ground down the lip.

Aren't there revised NGK plugs that have the socket mating surface further back to avoid having to use a thin wall? That's what the top plug looks like to me, and the bottom looks like the older type that settled down below the lip. But maybe I'm just hallucinating.

Edit: Well, now I recall that there are definitely two different socket mating styles. I ground down a cheap socket for pulling the plugs on my '80, and I remember being disappointed that I didn't need it when I pulled them on my '82. BTW, the '80 has/had/will not have a '81-'85 12A.

 

It's common to grind that lip away to avoid having to use a thin wall plug socket when using short shank spark plugs. It's just that it's usually done in a far neater manner.

 

Like the other guys have said

The NGK BR8EQ14 will work without needing the thin wall Socket, You may need one though to get the bottom plug out.

The engine is an 81 or 82.

79 or 80 would not have the lip.

83 and up would not have the single water outlet under the oil filter, the 83 and up have a T outlet to run water to the heater core and to the Beehive oil cooler.

 

I don't see any vacuum lines running to the dizzy, which means no vac advance. This could contribute to some of your driveablity issues....

 

I just presonally use a 13/16 (I think thats that right size) wrench to get them out.

 

look real close, and you can see it *appears* to have one hooked up to the dizzy, but not sure its hooked to the proper place on the other end.

Hades12: Good call on the year model. I was rather tired, and forgot about the single/duel heater hose fitting. I shoulda caught that easily, as I have an 83 with the duel hose.

 

Here is a better pic, I do have the vac advanced hooked up, again not sure if it is correct, that is how it was when I bought it and I don't have a manual yet, I have the wiring diagrams. Also in the third pic I was wondering what that doohicky was and if it is supposed to be hooked up. If I put my fingers on both holes on the left I can feel it suck in. I tried doing the vaccum leak testing by using carb cleaner and everything checks out. When I spray it down the carb the engine will die, My last car was FI so im kinda new to the carbs, I helped my uncle adjust his floats one time but that was it. Thanks again everyone.

 

Also does anyone know what this is, I think it might be stereo related but I can't find it in the manual, it was located behind the middle dash plate, right behind the cig lighter.

 

I see I am not needed here....

Just put an '80 engine into an '85... solution for the tee issue? Eliminate the heater core! One of these days I *will* get rid of the beehive.

- Pete (the irony is, part of the reason I was going to swap engines was because I didn't feel like replacing the beehive's O-rings, just fix it by going to the air cooler. Fiction has to be believable, the truth only has to be true!)