Back on the road - thanks guys!
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Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2004
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From: Atlanta
Back on the road - thanks guys!
Thanks for all the great info and advice here on the forum. It took a while, but the RX cranks and purrs like a kitten. Now for that pesky Atlanta emissions test...
My recently acquired '86 GXL (with an '88 n/a engine) died a sudden death while warming up for an emissions check after replacing the ACV. It would crank every once in a while doing the unflooding procedures, but finally got so bad even tow starting didn't work. I was getting good spark and the plugs were coming out wet - what to do?.
I went down the list(s) of troubleshooting tips and archives etc etc. Replaced the fuel filter, swapped the AFM, replaced all vac hoses and fuel lines, put in new injectors, cleaned the grounds, checked a bunch of voltages and resistances, made up a handy TPS / code check light, borrowed a different ECU to test with, and generally drove my wife crazy for the last few weeks.
It turns out that the AFM was stuck open (or closed?) but the fuel pump was also failing so just replacing the bad AFM didn't quite do the trick. It was pumping but not putting out enough pressure apparently. Fuel was still dribbling out of the injectors and flooding the chambers. After swapping out the fuel pump it took a tow start to finally clear out all the fuel and ATF/MMO that I had been dumping in there (no mosquitos around here for a while).
Things I learned - Read the FFSM and the archives! Haynes is a good supplement (its got pictures). You can learn a lot about rotary engines in a short time by taking stuff apart. You CAN pull codes on an S4 (AFM didn't throw a code, but the intake temp sensor did when AFM was unplugged). The TPS can be set with the test light when the car is cold and it will at least be in the ballpark. Always buy more hose length than you think you need - 10 feet is not too much vac line. Regular fuel line IS NOT rated for fuel injection systems, but it is a lot cheaper (until the line blows and the car burns up). MMO seems to work just as well as ATF for unflooding and smells better when you spill it all over yourself. High and low impedence n/a injectors have the same damn number on them and even the injector shops can screw it up (best injector info out there is in these archives). Double check what year engine you have - a lot of engine swaps happen. Most importantly - someone out there has had a similar problem and there is no shortage of wisdom in the collective - Assimilate! Resistance is futile!
Thanks also to our local RX guru, Brin!
Rick
Recent Graduate of the Rotary Noob Crash Course
My recently acquired '86 GXL (with an '88 n/a engine) died a sudden death while warming up for an emissions check after replacing the ACV. It would crank every once in a while doing the unflooding procedures, but finally got so bad even tow starting didn't work. I was getting good spark and the plugs were coming out wet - what to do?.
I went down the list(s) of troubleshooting tips and archives etc etc. Replaced the fuel filter, swapped the AFM, replaced all vac hoses and fuel lines, put in new injectors, cleaned the grounds, checked a bunch of voltages and resistances, made up a handy TPS / code check light, borrowed a different ECU to test with, and generally drove my wife crazy for the last few weeks.
It turns out that the AFM was stuck open (or closed?) but the fuel pump was also failing so just replacing the bad AFM didn't quite do the trick. It was pumping but not putting out enough pressure apparently. Fuel was still dribbling out of the injectors and flooding the chambers. After swapping out the fuel pump it took a tow start to finally clear out all the fuel and ATF/MMO that I had been dumping in there (no mosquitos around here for a while).
Things I learned - Read the FFSM and the archives! Haynes is a good supplement (its got pictures). You can learn a lot about rotary engines in a short time by taking stuff apart. You CAN pull codes on an S4 (AFM didn't throw a code, but the intake temp sensor did when AFM was unplugged). The TPS can be set with the test light when the car is cold and it will at least be in the ballpark. Always buy more hose length than you think you need - 10 feet is not too much vac line. Regular fuel line IS NOT rated for fuel injection systems, but it is a lot cheaper (until the line blows and the car burns up). MMO seems to work just as well as ATF for unflooding and smells better when you spill it all over yourself. High and low impedence n/a injectors have the same damn number on them and even the injector shops can screw it up (best injector info out there is in these archives). Double check what year engine you have - a lot of engine swaps happen. Most importantly - someone out there has had a similar problem and there is no shortage of wisdom in the collective - Assimilate! Resistance is futile!
Thanks also to our local RX guru, Brin!
Rick
Recent Graduate of the Rotary Noob Crash Course
Finally I have LSD
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 528
Likes: 0
From: Los Angeles
High and low impedence n/a injectors has the same part #? Are you serious? I been getting injecters from the yard based on the part #. So there be resisten difference between the injector right?
Originally Posted by twistedriver
High and low impedence n/a injectors has the same part #? Are you serious? I been getting injecters from the yard based on the part #. So there be resisten difference between the injector right?
Thread Starter
Junior Member
Joined: Nov 2004
Posts: 12
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From: Atlanta
MMO = Marvel Mystery Oil - good stuff for a lot of apps. Used to use it on the damper pistion in the Zenith carb on my MG.
The tiny little number on the side of the injectors for both types of 86-88 n/a injectors is something like 195500 (don't have the exact number handy right now). 86-87 used the low and the 88+ uses the high impedence. You would think that the number would help identify the type, but Nooo. Look for the centered or offset keyway notch on the plug and whether or not the wiring harness goes to the resistor pack or not. The color chart didn't help much (old injectors + dirt + colorblind). Oviously an Ohmmeter will tell the difference in a hurry, but if you have a cheapass multimeter (like me) you may not be able to tell the difference for really low resistances. Since I had an 86 body with an 88 engine I had to verify whether the wiring harness the 86 or 88. It was 88 (as I had assumed) and the resistor pack had been removed during the swap.
The car has a large silencer + rear cat exhaust and has a nice purr to it, but it looks like I'm going to have to go stock to get through emissions
Anyone ever use Victoria British (www.victoriabritish.com) for RX-7 parts? They seem to have some decent prices for stock parts and a few lower end performance parts. I have used them alot in the past for MGB parts and they were pretty competative. No on-line catalog unfortunately.
The tiny little number on the side of the injectors for both types of 86-88 n/a injectors is something like 195500 (don't have the exact number handy right now). 86-87 used the low and the 88+ uses the high impedence. You would think that the number would help identify the type, but Nooo. Look for the centered or offset keyway notch on the plug and whether or not the wiring harness goes to the resistor pack or not. The color chart didn't help much (old injectors + dirt + colorblind). Oviously an Ohmmeter will tell the difference in a hurry, but if you have a cheapass multimeter (like me) you may not be able to tell the difference for really low resistances. Since I had an 86 body with an 88 engine I had to verify whether the wiring harness the 86 or 88. It was 88 (as I had assumed) and the resistor pack had been removed during the swap.
The car has a large silencer + rear cat exhaust and has a nice purr to it, but it looks like I'm going to have to go stock to get through emissions
Anyone ever use Victoria British (www.victoriabritish.com) for RX-7 parts? They seem to have some decent prices for stock parts and a few lower end performance parts. I have used them alot in the past for MGB parts and they were pretty competative. No on-line catalog unfortunately.
Seduced by the DARK SIDE
Joined: Apr 2001
Posts: 7,323
Likes: 2
From: Orange Park FL (near Jax)
Cool - another RX-7 + MG owner.. I'm currently resurrecting a '64 Midget.
It's a challenge switching between soft metric bolts & hard whitworth bolts.
If you're installing a high flow cat for inspections, don't toss the silencer.
Either rig it so it can be used between inspections or sell it to one of us.
It's a challenge switching between soft metric bolts & hard whitworth bolts.
If you're installing a high flow cat for inspections, don't toss the silencer.
Either rig it so it can be used between inspections or sell it to one of us.
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