As many of you know, my Pulsation Dampner failed today. Luckily (for whatever reason) I was spared an engine fire and smiled on by the rotary gods

You can read about THAT here.

DO NOT LIE TO YOURSELF. AN S5 PD IS NOT FAIL-SAFE. THEY CAN AND DO RUPTURE AS S4's AND EVEN FD's DO!

Now here are my issures.

1) A new PD is $150 for my S5 N/A. That is outragously expensive for faulty craftsmanship. If I go to a junkyard, I may find a PD. BUt does anyone know HOW TO TEST ONE (S5 remember).

2) Are there any alternatives to the location of the PD. I've heard that you can use ANY other car's PD (as long as it can hold the PSI specs, 34.1psi-39.8psi and stable 18psi). You can then run the fuel lines into that PD and SEAL UP the existing PD. This should work since pressure through a sealed hydraulic system is equalized in all areas (It don't matter where the PD is, it will dampen the shock from anywhere in the line). This should enable me to mount it somewhere where it will not start fires (easily) and eliminate the high cost of a new RX-7 PD.



One last problem (Sorry for long post).

3) My Check Engine light is acting up. When I turn the key to "On," (note: the upper IM and TB and PD are taken off right now) the CE light does not light. When I turn the car to "Lock," (off) it STAYS ON for at least a minute. WTF is going on here?!? It's like the opposite of what it's supposed to be doing! I checked for codes (via grounding the single wire on the driver's strut tower), no codes. I reset the ECU.... Still does the same thing. Please tell me this is just cuz everything is disassembled...

I will most likely makeshift a PD relocation (which would be a great reliability mod ). I plan to make a write-up as quality as my IM porting one.


IF ANYONE can help/criticize/modify/comment on my 3 dilemmas here, that would be VER VERY much appreciated .

 

OK, report to NHTSA has been filed. Seems you can find FPD's to fit in the fuel line for around $35-$50. MUCH better than $150 for the Mazda. WHEW!

I WILL be doing a HQ write up with pics of how to bypass the **** *** FPD that our poor cars have been cursed with .



BTW anyone got info on the CE light problem? thanks!

 

do you really need one? i took mine out and put in a nice fitting from the local fittings supplier, for the fuel line. i havnt really noticed any problems with my motor..
total cost was like 3$

 

Well, it's function is to take away stress from the fuel injector internals and redirect it to the PD. I guess as long as your fuel injectors don't pop open from the pressure you'll be fine .

 

i believe the fuel rail produces more than 34 - 39 psi ) i thought it was closer to 70-90.. I may be wrong but im just talking without checking right now. (The really smart guys will get on here and correct me for sure) I have heard about people using banjo bolts and what not i just dont know how hard that is on injectors.....There has to be some alternative i agree with you about that dre. I thought the s5 PD was pretty safe but now that yours leaked im kinda concerned about mine i have a 90 and im sure the pd has never been changed on it. And in this Texas heat im sure its crusty and ready to crack Looks like i may be taking my UIM off and swapping one out also...............

 

I guess swapping out the PD should be put into the reliabluility mods section that or preventative maintenance......

 

I will never regret the fuel cut switch I installed for that very problem. Smell fuel? See smoke? Flip the little switch and all fuel is cut off and the engine dies....hopefully in time to prevent fire/damage. Hope everything works out for ya man!!!

 

What mileage did yours fail at?

I wish there were some way to detect this beside "the gas sell."

So........

You have a lowcost alternative PD or you have a way of prevent this from happening?

 

Or you could just turn the key off...

 

But once it starts burning, its burning everything

Hope your near a water hose or you have to **** really badly

 

I seen maybe 5 of them at the junkyards in the last month. Mileage averages 150-170k, I seen 2 that were below 120, one of them was at 90k but I think it was an electrical fire from some moron not running a fuse on a battery lead..

 

OK. A cheap PD doesn't really seem possible... those who have done it, WHERE did you find your A/F PD and how much was it?

Anyone know if the stock system can even handle running w/o a PD (say if i just plug this hole up)?

 

If someone made a PD relocation kit...they'd make some money fast

 

They did... but the ****** want's $500 for it! !

 

OK, I JB welded the PD leaking hole. That should prevent ALL leaks in the future... hehe

 

NO, i jb welded the hole, gimme some credit >:O

 

Today while I was in fixing a fried oil injector line (fire #2), I tried the mentioned option of the '91 fuel rail on my 88 FD. Found a good looking rail at Pic & Pull while I was gathering a oil line. (Needed another stud for the exhaust manifold to complete the new Bonez exhaust system too)

Tomorrow, I go back in and try to see why I was getting a flood of gas on the floor after I had it running for a while.

Of course I cannot see a thing with the upper manifold installed, so I hope I can see something obvious.

Possibly I should not have re-installed the plastic spacer under the '91 fuel rail, and after a while it pushed out the injectors, leaking from the top.

Or it is a bad PD on the '91 rail.

As a newbe to this site, I do not know what the reporting to NHTSA is supposed to do for us, but I will take a look at that.

I had my first fire at around 130K.
The second one must have been small, because the only reason I know of it now at 205k is the burned oil line and vacuum hose. One of the injector wire ends I had to replace after the first fire also had a burned area on the wrapping.

I do now carry a small fire extinguisher between the door and my seat. Glad I did not have to use it today.

I would appreciate any experience with this fuel rail C/O.

Thanks.


(Why can't they make the RX-8 with all-wheel drive. The only downside to my 7 as a snowmobile. The Subaru is fantastic in the snow.)

 

You are wrong. The fuel pump static pressure is 70-90 psi, as in give it voltage, plumbed straight into a fuel pressure gauge.

Rail pressure is 37-39 psi, which is maintained via the fuel pressure regulator via bleeding off the excess fuel, both at idle and at WOT, at low rpms and high rpms.

I don't have a PD, and I run fine.

 

I just posted a pic of the S5 PD that failed. Take a good look at the hole in the center.....

https://www.rx7club.com/forum/showth...threadid=95984

 

Yeah, after theJB wweld and what not... car runs PERFECT. ROCK steady idle and all power is there. PD is not needed .

 

I noticed that also. I had a idle prob. I replaced the rail....and now is good.

 

My '91 rail's PD had the rubber piece on the PD.
Will try the yellow connector jumper wire tomorrow when I pull the top off.

Thanks.

 

Found the source of the fuel flood.
I had mangled an injector o-ring.

The fuel pump test plug worked fine. I used my test jumper switch (a room light switch mounted in a sealed house junction box). Sure do wish that any of my manuals had said something about this test connector's use.

Thanks to whoever in this site mentioned it.

Now, re-assembly.
I am sticking with the '91 fuel rail & PD.
And I did report my two fires to the NHTSA.
I agree that an engine fire should not be a "normal" maintenance problem.

 

You might find some usefull info at my web site. I had an engine fire and took some pics.