TIIFC3S

I just finished up tearing my S4 TII down to the keg, removing rats nest, fixing vac leaks, twin scroll issues, new water pump and housing, new OMP lines, gaskets, etc. It's all back together and I've checked all the harness plugs and I think I'm ok there. When I first turned it over, it just cranked and cranked with a little putt here and there. By the time I verified that I had spark, it was flooded. I let it sit for a bit and did some research on the forum and realized that I think I messed up the timing when putting the pulleys back on. I tried to line up the marks and after sitting overnight I tried again. It fired for a second, shot out a few strong puffs of smoke, and just starting cranking again.

So I looked on the forum some more and found:
http://www.teamfc3s.org/info/articles/demystifying.html

I followed the yellow box on the bottom trying to find TDC. My marks were different than the pulley marks so I think I did mess the timing up when putting the pulleys on. But when I took out the plugs they smelled strong of gas and were wet. I dried them off and followed the procedure and put it back together. When I started cranking I could tell it wanted to start and it kept 'almost catching' while cranking. But no go. Again it smelled like gas and a bit of thin gas smelling smoke was around.

Prior to this engine work I've never had flooding problems with my car. Is it just super flooded? Or am I still having timing issues? Or did I forget something else all together?

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

why would the timing be off? did you remove the CAS? if you did not move or remove the CAS then the timing should not have changed.

TIIFC3S

I didn't remove the CAS. This was the first time I did this much work on my engine, so I am unsure about the timing thing. It just seems like the timing is off by how it's trying to start. At different starting positions of the rotation, it has varying success on trying to start. It'll not sputter at all, then I'll rotate it once and it'll sputter a lot as it cranks.

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

timing should not be affected at all. have you checked to make sure the mass airflow meter was plugged in? its been overlooked by many.

Rx-7Doctor

iTrader: (13)

Rule of thumb I tell E-1.

If the issue was not there before the repairs or added parts then what you just did was not done correctly. You need to go back and recheck all of your work.

TIIFC3S

So I just went through all my engine related fuses and they're all ok. Dried the plugs again and gave her a go. Still won't start but it's getting closer. When it catches for a few turns a thin cloud of gas smelling smoke comes out of the engine bay. I'm about to take the UIM off again to see what's going on down there. What exactly does that smoke mean? And where is it coming from?

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

the smoke could be compressed unburnt fuel vapors. did you check all under hood electrical connections? you did say you have spark so thats a good start. did you confirm that the spark was nice and blue, not yellow? have you checked fuel pressure?

Vdub2002

you can get a spark tester at autozone, its adjustable. fuel means no spark or your getting too much fuel... is it possible to screw up with the injectors?

rs_smoked_you

Sounds to me like it's super flooded.. We get rx8s like that all the time at work. It will try and try and eventually we can get it to clear out and start

rs_smoked_you

Or you could have the injectors plugged in backwards

TIIFC3S

I don't really have any gauges or way of checking the fuel pressure. So I haven't done that yet. The only things I did in regards to the fuel system is remove the rats next and replaced those lines with new fuel lines, changed the location of FPR vac line (it should have more vac now in the new location), new rings/grommets/pintel caps on the injectors, and replaced the fuel filter. I can't see how any of those things would cause it not to start. I followed this diagram exactly.

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/double-rats-nest-removal-twin-scroll-addition-913213/

I was the one cranking during the spark test, but my buddy who's rebuilt a few of his own cars said the spark seemed fine. I double/triple checked every electrical connection when putting that together, so I can't think of anything there I missed. The only other thing I added was a catch can. Which I attached to middle iron nipple with vac going from the filler neck spot to a UIM vac nipple. While I'm cranking the car the oil pressure is right under 20. Since my car has always started after 1 crank, I have no idea what it usually reads cause I've never had a reason to look. The thread I followed for the catch can install is here:

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/crankcase-vent-906841/

satch

iTrader: (1)

Deflood the car and then disconnect the fuel pump connector or the Circuit Opening relay to disengage the pump and then spray starter fluid into the air intake cowl for a few seconds and try to start the car. Do this two or three times and the car should start briefly and thereafter reconnect the fuel pump wiring and try to start the car normally. If it doesn't start w/the help of the starter fluid then you likely have some other intervening problem.

TIIFC3S

rs smoked you, how would you plug injectors in backwords? The harness kind of makes it clear where they plug in right? The two primary plugs can't reach to the secondaries and the secondaries are shaped so the wires kind of cross as they go to the injectors...

mazdaverx713b

iTrader: (91)

this is the reason i leave my 7's either stock or leave the rats nest in place. are you thinking a large vacuum leak? this is kinda what i'm thinking. might not hurt to pull the uim and recheck all connections and vacuum lines.

TIIFC3S

At this point that's all I can really do. I don't want to just crank til the thing really dies. It's probably late to point this out, but my car has 146k miles on the original engine, so I'm sure compression is a little low. So I'll be checking that as well. But I just can't see that being the issue no matter how tired the engine is being it has started on 1-2 cranks for the past 2 years without a hitch. No issues right up to when I took it apart.

I also know a local guy that's worked on RX7's for over 20 years. He's a restorer and mechanic more than a performance specialist. He seems to really know his stuff. I might give him a call to see if he can help if it gets to that point. Thanks for the help so far everyone.

TIIFC3S

So I bought some new plugs, deflooded it, took satch's advice and she fired up. As expected, she ran poorly for a little while. And I have to say, I've never seen so much smoke from one car in my life. But after I had it up to temp and went on a long highway drive, it went away.

The only issue now is a really high idle, around 2,000 to 2,200 rpm. So I think the next step is to readjust the TPS and maybe loosen up the throttle cable a bit. We may have tightened it a little too much. But thanks for all the help everyone.