hey i just picked up an 88 t2 and had a vacuum leak. So i pulled the intake and removed the rats nest. I began reading more and have heard of people catching there cars on fire with bad fuel pulsation dampeners. Should i invest in a new one or how can it be tested?
andy

 

I carry around a tiny fire extinguisher just in case, I never put much thought into it so im not sure if its fixable or not but I know for sure a extinguisher can save your car and most of its harness if it did ever decide to blow.

 

Read here:
http://www.mazdatrix.com/c-pulsation.htm

My recommendations:
- If you plan on keeping the engine mostly stock, then replace the pulsation damper with a new stock damper and new seal, and that should be good for at least 100,000 miles.
- If you can't replace it right now, then keep a fire extinguisher in the car as recommended in the post above. Most of the time the fire starts after you leave the car, but at least the extinguisher will help if you happen to be in or near the car.
- I do not recommend the ghetto "banjo bolt" modification that you will hear about on this forum, but it will work as a temporary fix to keep fuel from leaking.
- If you plan on modifying the engine to produce over 300hp, then you may want to convert to a parallel fuel setup with an Aeromotive or SX fuel pressure regulator which has a built-in damper function. Be sure to get one rated for EFI (at least 40psi), and -6 AN fittings are good for 500hp.
http://www.fc3spro.com/TECH/MODS/FUEL/fsystem.htm

Note:
- The direction of the fuel rails is opposite on the TII vs. the NA and J-Spec engines. Just keep in mind that regardless of the engine, the fuel pressure regulator is the LAST component that the fuel flows through, and you will be OK.
- Check the fuel hoses while you are in there. The feed hose for the damper on my 88 convertible had major cracks and was downright scary.
- If you are not planning to drive the car for a week or two, now is also a good time to send your fuel injectors out for cleaning, flow testing, and replacement of o-rings, grommets, and pintle caps. These two vendors have supported RX-7 owners for many years:
http://www.witchhunter.com/
http://injector-rehab.com/index.htm

 

Great info from evil aviator! Do everything he said. Although I would disuade* anyone from wasting $ on a new stock pulsation dampener.

If upgrading the fuel system or installing an FPR that has that functionality that's fine, but the absence of a pd is the least of your concerns when it comes to stock injectors. Like evil said, get them cleaned and tested. I just got mine back from injector- rehab, great work!

While some may call the banjo bolt "ghetto" it is highly effective and I bet you'll be looking for a long time trying to find a "my car caught fire because of a banjo bolt" thread. My PD was leaking a shot glass/min before I put in a banjo bolt, that was 3 years ago no problems since, and that's the case w/ everyone (that I've ever heard of).

Its your car, so do as u wish, but I'm sure u will soon learn (if u haven't already, there are plenty of things to spend $ on in an FC, no point in wasting any.

Btw, I just moved to jax, what area are u in?

 

The pulsation damper is important regardless of what injectors you're using. When injectors open and close, the fuel pressure fluctuates. Pressure fluctuations cause different amounts of fuel to be injected. That's where the PD comes in. It's job is to keep fuel pressure stable, which means the injectors will continue injecting the proper amount of fuel. That's why a banjo bolt is a "ghetto mod".

 

Some call the banjo bolt "ghetto" because they have a background in fluid dynamics.

 

thank you all very much.

 

Touche'

I don't doubt that a PD is theoretically essential. I was just pointing out that practically speaking, the negative effects of having one go bad are far more severe and easily observed than the benefits of having one functional.