ok so after some more reading... what i have been calling coils are called ignitors? if this is my problem im sure one has to be working otherwise there would be absolutely no spark and the engine wouldnt even turn over. so if i switch the coil, maybe i will get a better idle and crank to turn over, and this will get me the answer. or is there an ohms test i can use. i suck at electricity..

1) Switch the ignitors on the distributor. Unplug each one and just switch/swap the plugs. They are on the side of the distributor. See if that clears up your problem.

2) Change your fuel filter they are like 3 bucks. Doubt that's your problem but do it anyhow.

3) Swap your coils around

4) Make sure you have fuel pressure.

5) If we are here it might be time to rebuild your carb...

it sounds like its not getting spark and a lack of fuel. I dont know how both of those things could have gone wrong at the same time but thats what it sounds like. make sure when ever you adjusted the timing that the distributor did not come loose the your coils my sugestion eather get a 2 gen coil for the leading and a stock for the triling or get a MSD blaster coils they work wery well. for the fuel ask a buddy or some one to crank the car and you look down the carb if it spiting enought gas out or not it is ease just pop the top of and look down make sure that all your throtel cables are conected good and didnt come loose on you some how. Thats all that I can think off right now.

so the culprit was the ACV. i took my car to rick's rotary performance in pleasanton, ca and he installed a used but good acv from another car and now my car runs good again. although i am having some idle problems. i managed to drive home by keeping the choke on at stoplights. i think im going to adjust the idle speed tomorrow morning. its idling really low and will flood i think. but yes! my car is back on the road! thanks rick!

can you sent me rick phone # kasherow@pacbell.net

Another victim of Emissions Control devices.

yessir. and to kashe: www.ricksrotary.com his shop number is (925) 484-2324.

sorry for bringing back the dead, but where is the ACV located? i have the EXACT same problem.

It is located directly above the exhaust and directly under the carb/intake manifold. there is a tube coming out of the lower port of the air pump connecting to the ACV. hope this helps. i'll see if i can find a pic of it

check out the picture in this thread https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ht=acv+picture
see that diaphragm valve? its part of the ACV assembly hope this helps you get your car back to life Josh

ahh yes. ive been looking at that wondering if that was it. thank you very much. i appreciate your help.

i just took it off and apart, but cant reall see anything wrong.one of the diaphragms had a spring and the other didnt, if im right, id say they both are supposed to have a spring? but how would i be able to see if its working properly? the big golden diaphragm has a spring, but is rusted at the opening, and i couldnt get it to move. thank you in advance

heres some pictures.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8885/image041ejz.jpg
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/image...jpg/1/w960.png
it doesnt have an outlet that goes to the cat. its an 83 gsl. is it supposed to? and you can see where its rusted and doesn't move.

http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/8650/image042fpd.jpg
http://img5.imageshack.us/img5/image...jpg/1/w960.png
the gasket was like this when i took it off.

yes you found your acv! Theres a test to see if it is good and that is to rev it to 2500 rpm or more and see if there isnt any air coming out of the hose that goes from the acv to the air cleaner assembly.
well since you already took it out, you should get another acv that works and put it in and see if that helps your engine idle and perform normally again. since your're out of state you don't need to get the california emissions spec acv but any should do.

if you don't have any of the other emissions deals just get/make a block off plate, rotary beat sells them for 10 bucks + shipping

i dont have emissions since its more than 25 years old. in the state of GA, this is considered an antique car because of its age. but, a block off plate will definitely be my next purchase.

it only makes sense to say that with all of the problems i have being identical to the ones on this thread, it should fix it. but i do get a hesitation when accelerating. which would lead me to believe the accelerator pump would need to be replaced, but would a bad acv also cause this problem?

So that's what the thing is..

Make sure you don't just throw a block-off plate on there without removing your catalytic converters, or else they will melt down for sure. Also, you might as well pull your air pump at the same time since that's all it does. That air pump will suck up a few horsepower, and without a catalytic converter there's no need for it.

im planning on removing the cat soon, and ive already taken out the air pump. so no worries there. =]

Uh-oh, that could be the source of your problems, your cat might be melting down due to lack of an air pump. Those air pumps exist for a reason, and it's never good to remove it if you're not removing the cat too. I'd gut that cat or run a test pipe before i start troubleshooting any hesitation/idle/power problems.

(boyee, apologies for hijacking your thread)

even when i first got the car it wouldnt idle even with the airpump on it. we've been working on it and testing it with just the headers, no cat or anything following.

Gotcha, Well I'd leave the ACV on there for now, and plug all the lines on it, that should rule out any problems with the ACV. Of course, I can't say for sure, since I haven't ever taken one apart, and don't know how they work. I always either leave the working one on a stock rex, or i put a blockoff plate on there with an open exhaust and no air pump during the build of a modded one. But like I said, if you cap all the lines in and out of the acv, it should act pretty much the same as a blockoff plate, just dont take my word for it. I am assuming you have checked for proper fuel/spark/compression/mixture?

i have checked for proper fuel (rebuilt the carb and everythings working propperly now), i think spark is good (new wires and plugs. also, if it was the spark, it wouldnt stay running if i kept my foot on the throttle right?), compression is good (assuming the fact that it does stay running with my foot on the throttle. it wouldnt run at all without compression correct?) and mixture im not too sure. ive played with the mixture screw moving it 1/4 a turn at a time from all the way in, to almost all the way out. Ive also played with the idle screw and did that 1/4 a turn at a time also.

Read Sterling's writeup about general carb tuning, maybe it'll help. http://www.sterlingmetalworks.com/idle_tuning.htm

ive already read, printed, and followed that. it didnt do anything for me. theres a problem beyond simply adjusting. i just read something about the trailing ignition coil being bad will make it stall without holding the gas? but i also read they'll cost like 300 from mazda.