This will be the first of many problem posts. Just got an 85 GSL. It is very hard to start when cold but idles fine after about five minutes of stalling and getting on and off the gas. I looked at the plug wires from the distributer, and the trailing and leading wires seem to be reversed. L1 on the dist is on T1 on the motor casting and L2 on T2. The motor runs but stumbles badly on deceleration. I have not switched the wires yet. I had a 79 RX-7 and an 84 GSL-SE in the past, but that was about 4 years ago. I am a little rusty at the rotary. I was thinking that the hard start may be from a lack of fuel, clogged fuel filter. I will confirm tomorrow. But, would the car even run with the trailing and leading reversed? Also, the car sat in an impound yard for 3 months, bad gas could be a part of some of the problem. There is also oil leaking from under the oil cooler, is this a big deal to fix? Any advice would be great.

 

Do a search on the oil leak from the cooler. There was a post on that like 2 days ago. I think there is a thread in the archive about that too.

I would change the fuel filter, drain the gas, change the oil, change the spark plugs and swap the distributor wires, (first and foremost). Then I would do a compression test. Bad compression=bad rotor seals. A Haynes manual is also a must.

 

My main concern right now is if L1 on the dist should be on the left L on the motor, T1 to left T, T2 to right T and L2 to bottom right L on motor. It makes sense that it should be this way, but the fact that the car runs makes me reluctant to start switching wires. Oh yea, its a 12A.

 

The car will still run with the wires switched (I did this for 6 months on my first Rex and didnt even know it)
It still runs surpriseingly well with the wires switched.
Do you use the choke when you start the car??

 

Sounds right but just to clarify:

T1 = Trailing Rotor 1 (Top, front rotor)
L1 = Leading Rotor 1 (Lower, front rotor)
T2 = Trailing Rotor 2 (Top, rear rotor)
L2 = Leading Rotor 2 (Lower, rear rotor)

 

Mine are definately reversed, I will switch them today. I have used the choke, but the car is so hard to start when it is cold I have to play with the choke in and out and feather the gas to get it to idle. After it is warmed up, it idles fine, and will start again like a dream, but sputters badly when driven. My rotted exhaust does'nt help with the noise issue either.

 

swap the wires and I am sure it will fix a bunch of your problems.

 

"T" is top, "L" is lower. "1" is front, "2" is rear .

~T.J.

PS - "T" is really trailing, and "L" is really leading, but its just easy to remember the other way .