Hey guys. I'm new to all of this...so please forgive me if I appear dumb. I just bought from a friend a 91 Turbo Red RX7. He apparently bought it from someone before and never saved the money to fix it up. Now he has told me the previous owner had it running fine, then it started to overheat then just one day stopped working. What I am wondering is what will I need to do to get this bad boy working. From what I have been told (still need to get the car towed to my house) the battery has been charged....but the engine dosen't even want to turn over. So what I need from you guys is a few hints or things to check out. If the engine is dead and no good what option should I go with? Should I buy a rebuilt/new engine or get mine rebuilt? Anyway the car says it only has 80k on it so Im guessing thats what the engine has. The car has been sitting idle since 98 and is in flawless condition besides the engine. Anyway hope to hear from you guys soon and a quick thanks before hand.

Shane

 

check if it has fresh gas in it. if not put a gallon or so in. usually gas evaporates over time.

then new spark plugs. just all the basics first. without out good spark plugs these engines are bastards. and then work from there.

make sure the fuel pump is working, easy way is to turn the key to the ac postion and see if you hear it vibrating. fuel pump is in the rear under the carpet. just put your ear up to it. probably need 2 people since it only does it for a few seconds.

sometimes putting gas or starting fluid down the tb will work, im not sure how to do this on turbos though. as long as you have spark and gas you should be okay. if you have neither seek profesional help. or us.

 

Thanks for the reply. I talked with my buddy who I bought it from and he said the few thing he tried were this:
New Spark Plugs and wires
Charged the battery
Thats about it. He didn't try the gas thing. Anyway I'll keep you guys updated and I really appreciate the help. I hope in a few months to get this rx7 running. I plan to drive my Honda Civic to work and take the rx7 for joy rides on the weekend.

BTW can someone make a suggestion to me on where to get a engine for my 91 turbo RX7 in case my engine is completly trashed?

 

if you don't wanna get a rebuild, i think www.corksport.com or www.nippon-motors.com have used jap spec turbo 2 motors. but hopefully you can get the present one running. i'm having problems with mine as well...but i think they are just electrical

 

Oh, yeah man! That things a piece of crap. You better sell it fast. I'll give you $50.00 for it.

 

Hahah I payed $1000 for the car. And I have no clue what is wrong with it. I do know this:
All Interior electrical parts work (no stereo). Paint job is in Mint condition, it has groundfx and a Spoiler (not sure if thats stock). The interior needs to be vacumed :P and one seat has a rip on it. It also has nice 5 star rims and in the back seat the original stock rims. Anyway I'm thinking of towing it to a shop here in dallas that specializes in these cars and having them tell me if I need to replace the engine or not. Anyway Macabre also got a awesome deal on his RX7...unless Dallas/Carrollton Texas folk are lucky

 

sjordan,

Ooohh - excellent find. Even with worst case senario your still WAY under bluebook value

What state do you live in. There may be an rx-7 shop around that can assist you.

Does the engine turn over? Just want to make sure it's not carbon locked (ie buildup preventing the rotor from turning) which can be resolved with a little work.

You might want to remove the spark plugs and see if they look nasty. Fuel filter may need changing as well.

Also try pushing the gas all the way to the floor when cranking. That enables a fuel cut incase it's flooding.

 

He's talking about Rotary Performance here in the Garland area (My hometown). They give a (roughly) $3,500.00 estimate for a basic rebuild, and at least a month long waiting list if your that lucky. In my opinion, the J-Spec swap would be the perfect way to become just that much more rotary literate, and cost efficient all at the same time. Oh, and vacuum those damn seats!