My search for a beater RX-7 has become desperate at this point, and I am now looking at a '79. I need to get something so I can put my 2nd gen away for the winter, which is fast approaching. The '79 has a problem though. It seems that there is no fuel reaching the engine. It will fire for a second if ether is sprayed in the carb, but will then die. The car has been in storage so it could be bad gas. I have seen the car run, so the engine is not blown. It just quit on the owner in traffic one day.

So, for you 1st gen guys, anything else you can think of? Electrical problems? Are bad fuel pumps common? Where is the fuel pump on a 1st gen? What voltage should it show (I assume 12)? Anything else that could help? I am planning to drive to Toronto tomorrow night to find out what's going on, so I want to be prepared.

 

If you suspect bad fuel, drain the tank. I believe there is a 14mm bolt on the bottom of the tank, but not sure if the '79 has it. Put some fresh fuel in it then.
If still doesn't start, remove the bigger of the two fuel lines going into the carb. It should pump fuel with the ignition in the on position. if not probably a bad fuel pump?
After that, it must be carb related. have someone pump the gas while you look down the barrels of the carb. You should be able to see fuel squirting out of the jets.
Try spraying the carb down with some carb cleaner again.

Oh, and I don't recommend a '79 because they are very hard to get certain parts for, from what I hear. But then I don't believe there is any such thing as a "bad" RX-7!