Hey guys, I just rebuilt my carb and I want to get your opinion of what I should do next to get my 1981 rx7 running.

Few things to preface:

1. I'm new to the car scene but I do have an electrical background so explain like I'm 5 lol
2. I want to get the carb professionally tested, if anyone knows anyone in Utah, before I put it in the car to really check it before I blow my car up
3. I do have all of the manuals on Foxed.ca and I found a PDF of the Haynes manual

Okay, so the car has been sitting for a long time but I'm unsure how long for sure. The last time it was registered was in 2006 but the best guess of milage is 80k. It's missing the battery so I'm going to replace that soon. I've taken off the radiator and partially flushed it out with just hot water and not chemicals so far but any advice on how to clean that out would be helpful.

From there I've attempted to take off the water pump but ran into some crappy bolts that are stripping on the part that holds the fan on (fan clutch I think?) then I'm going to clean out the water pump. I got the sensor housing off and the cover valve was crusted on (got it off with some leverage). I'm going to buy an ultrasonic cleaner to get them back to mint if I can.

From the guy I bought it from, he said that the water seals need to be replaced so I'm going to take out the engine anyway and clean the hell out of it and do a quick gasket/O-ring swap while I'm at it and try to avoid a full rebuild if I can. I also want to try and take out the fuel tank and give it a good vinegar soak (I've heard that works).

I want to do all that before I try to turn the engine over so I don't just start moving garage and sludge through every system.

What else should I do for the car before I try to turn it over and even after I get it turned over to make sure it runs smoothly? Thanks!

 

There's a been a good amount of binging on the RAD Potential, but I haven't watched all of it obv. If there are any youtube resources out there to know about would be awesome. Or just singluar videos in general

 

RAD Potential is a good resource and probably one of the best as far as the everyday person doing a rebuild. There are a few rebuild how to videos that are good and the general knowledge is great. Just do a search on YouTube for rotary rebuild and watch all you can.

I'd do a flush on the cooling system with water and let it run. Take out the drivers side middle iron drain plug. It's a very small bold that is at the bottom of that iron above the oil pan. Also remove the plugs and soak the chambers with oil. I'd even thing about removing the exhaust manifold but that is getting a little deeper. This way you can check the rotor apex seals and get any water out.

Word of warning about 12A engines that have been sitting and not ran, especially ones that might have a bad water seal. Don't expect all the parts to be good rebuild candidates. This is especially true for rotor housings or irons that have been sitting with water in the engine. Don't want to be a downer, just trying to set expectations. If a housing is bad, they are not cheap. The last set I sold was for $800. Irons are a little easier to find. But they don't make 12A rotor housing.

 

Yeah I did expect that when going into it. Obviously I'm hoping that won't be the case but we'll see what happens. I just landed a new job that I start in May so it'll take some saving but it's definitely possible to get it replaced.

Is there any chance of resurfacing an iron or housing or no, specifically on the housing I'm assuming not from the chrome.

 

The housing really depend on how much chrome is gone. It can't be replaced. If/When you get to that point post some picks of the engine apart and we can help. Hopefully it runs as is and you don't need to take it apart. If it has a bad water seal you'll know. Do not try any type of Stop-Leak.

 

If I do try and run it as is before taking it apart, what else should I clean out or replace?

 

The gas tanks usually have crud in them. At the very least, clear the lines and tank of old gas. There is a good chance the fuel pump isn't any good.

 

Not sure I understand your comment here. I may not be understanding correctly, but to me the previous owner was saying the engine needed to be torn down (to replace the water or soft seals) While apart it only makes sense to replace any hard seals or other mechanical parts that are non serviceable.

I always have my old radiators boiled out and pressure checked at a radiator shop. They can fix any pin holes in the tubes. Some will also clean out fuel tanks too.