Rotarctica

So I went out into the garage to start my car, to let it warm up before I was to head on over to my friend's house. Key in, turn, the motor was cranking over like normal (NO funny sounds, nothing abnormal) and then it just stopped. Click, no more spinning over. The lights, of course, dimmed as the starter was getting power but not being able to turn the motor. I tried the key again, and it just has that quite loud 'Click!' and nothing.

It was running great last night, no different than it ever has. I do a bit of high-RPM driving to keep the carbon out, and I change my oil on time every 2k. It's well cared for. I just put new plugs in, and replaced the PD with a Banjo Bolt. When I turned it off last night, it was a smooth die, not any pop or anything of the sort.

A friend thinks that it's Vapor Locked... Upon searching, I doubt that's the case. The car does not run hot, doesn't burn coolant and doesn't excessively consume oil.

In other words:

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

could be a sticky apex seal, could be a worn out rotor and the apex seal rolled out of the groove or it could be a faulty starter. can you turn the engine over with the front eccentric shaft bolt?

Rotarctica

...?


Starter and solenoid are new, btw.

V8slayer

try a bump start

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

or try putting the car in 1st gear and roll the car backwards to see if the engine rotates again, if it does then try the starter one more time and if it rotates then locks then you have an internal engine issue.

Rotarctica

Putting it in first and rolling it backwards achieved nothing. Neither did reverse or 5th gear (5th going forward) so... yeah. Game over.

Secondmessiah

this is gonna cause controversy.... atf trick?

Rotarctica

At this point, I'm willing to try anything to get it running. Without a car, I'm screwed beyond reason. There's no public transportation here. There's nothing else I could drive, not even, dare I say, my mother's car. She's in college full time, my dad works full time, my sister goes to college full time, my brother part time, but he works. So no car means no job decidedly ending in zero funds, which, if you haven't already gathered, means no engine fund. I don't want to sell it, but I don't have the money for a new engine, either.

peachykeenwight

How new? Who installed them?

I can't see why it would mysteriously lock without being overheated or giving you some sort of nasty sound...

I have serious problems with my ignition (I haven't been able to pin-point the problem yet) that cause similar symptoms:

- "Clicking" when turning the key to the "on" position. Remedy? Pump the clutch pedal on and off (make sure you're out of gear, of course) until it cranks.

Try the above.. put the car in neutral, turn the key into the start position (and hold it there until it starts, just like normal) and pump the clutch. You should hear similar "clicks" until, hopefully, the car starts. If this method works, you're most likely looking at an ignition problem.. could be that new starter and solenoid, possibly?

I don't think you should lose hope.. I highly doubt your engine just crapped out without some instigation.

EDIT:

Karack was suggesting cranking the engine by hand. I think the E-shaft bolt is a 19mm (correct me if I'm wrong), so you could give that a try before-hand just to make sure that the engine hasn't indeed locked up. (E-shaft bolt = bolt on the main pulley [lowest pulley in the pulley system])

Rotarctica

I replaced the starter, and did so around three months ago. Since replacing it, the car has been started all of 18 times. It works. It's getting power, but it can't turn a locked engine.

My car is a mid-'86 model. It does not have a clutch-mounted starter interrupt switch on it.

I can't access what you're wanting me to turn with a socket, as I have a stock clutch fan.

From what I've been told, an Apex seal could have worked it's way out while starting and gotten jammed. I've got some Automatic Transmission Fluid (Yippie, another $2.24 gone, some of my last...) and I'm going to try injecting some into the Trailing and Leading plug holes, then leave it over night. I doubt it will work.

Also, it's hard not to lose hope in something that is known to degrade with time, and my car has 182k on it. While it is in good condition, I guess some aspects of it are not. That was made obvious to me today when I tried to start it, and it locked just before actually firing. I can hope for the best, but hope and faith or whatever you want to call it has always failed me. This time will probably be no different.

More suggestions are welcome, if there are any.

peachykeenwight

Well, yeah. Had no idea what year it was or the mileage, I suppose now you can get some more accurate suggestions.

Rotarctica

Doesn't really matter. I'm done. Start making offers on it.

V8slayer

whats your location /?

Rotarctica

So as a last ditch effort, I got my brother to push my car out of the garage as fast as he could down the driveway with me in it. 1st gear, going backwards, and I popped the clutch. Of course my head hit the headrest (I thought it'd be like a soft fluffy pillow. I was wrong). I didn't think force-freeing the motor had worked. So I pushed it back into the garage and rocked it in reverse gear. Got in and tried the key. When my motor locked, I could see the fan only twitching. After this forceful attempt on freeing the motor, the fan was moving about half an inch each attempt to start. On the fourth or so try, the motor did that "My battery is too dead" moan thing. I put the charger cables on the battery and waited a few minutes then tried the key again. SUCESS! The motor is spinning over on the starter's power. But because my battery is so completely toast, it isn't going very fast. So I'm charging the battery up.

I did use some ATF the night the motor locked, but it never seemed to work. Should I remove the plugs (I used old nasty plugs for this) and spin all that junk out?

It is possible this was a carbon lock problem. I'd give you the evidence to support that theory, but that's a few paragraphs worth. If it was a broken seal that jammed, then I just broke it and possibly another. The motor may never run again. But one can hope.

micah

Man.. should have used 2cycle.... Use ATF only when you know it will start. <light fuse and run>

Rotarctica

I was told to use ATF in all four spark plug holes, few ounces each. I have one of those squeeze bulbs for this.

RRTEC

iTrader: (13)

Any word?

micah

http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/atftrick.htm

Carzy Driver

pull the spark plugs, remove the fuel system fuse, and disconnect the CAS. get a good charge on the battery and try starting again, though it will not run, with everything removed. have a fire extinguisher handy just in case the motor flooded itself from prior cranking. let us know what happens


Dave

Rotarctica

Spun the crap out of my motor. It could just be because my starter is spinning so slow compared to normal, but it sounds ever so slightly off. I wouldn't be surprised if I lost a seal.

Carzy Driver

ok good, atleast the motor still spins. if you want, get a can of brake cleaner and crawl under to clean the terminals on the starter and solenoid. if not, just throw the plugs back in, put in the fuse in, and reconnect the CAS and try starting again.


Dave

Rotarctica

I got it started. Of course, lots of smoke. The engine is making a knocking noise....
I tried to drive it around my neighborhood. It's like stepping in dog **** after you've just been stabbed. There's no power. I'm pretty sure I'm running on one rotor. Either that or my nice, new NGK plugs are so fouled that it's scary.

Rotarctica

One Rotor.

spot_skater

Sorry to hear it.

What are your plans for it, now?