m5runner

Well I finally went to look at an RX-7 today. An 86 to be exact. I saw it in the paper and the kid that owns it said the fuel pump is bad. I spoke to my mechanic and he told me to buy a can of starter fluid/ether to spray into the intake while the car is being turned over. It turns over no problem but will not even stutter. There is oil in the block so I am guessing compression isn't an issue.

He said someone came before and put a fuel pump on it to test it and it didn't fire up either. My mech wants to look at it Saturday with me but I am a bit skeptical about what it could be. I am sure there are knowledable guys here that can assist me with the problem.

DerangedHermit

1) Check compression (http://www.rotaryresurrection.com/ro...lder/comp.html)
2) Get back to us

dcrews

iTrader: (2)

It could also be flooded.. Take a timing light over with you and put it on the leading plug wires (the ones on the coil right behind the driver's side headlight) and have someone turn it over. If the timing light flashes, you're at least getting spark.

If you're getting spark, then while the person is turning it over, smell the exhaust. Smell like gas? Then it's flooded...

If it's flooded, do a search on the de-flooding procedure..

Basically, pull the EGI fuse, crank, crank, crank, replace EGI fuse, crank, see if it starts/sputters/etc, if not, repeat.

Also may wanna take a set of leading plugs with you. Because once they foul, they very very rarely run right again.


Hope I helped PM me if you have any more questions.

m5runner

I will do that. My mech and I are going up there Saturday to attempt to get it started. I will pick up some plugs friday to get prepared. I also wanted to ask you guys about the shifter. Seems that it is really loose. Is that normal? I think my brother was saying something about some springs in the tranny. If that's the case, what kind of time and money will I have to spend to correct it? Thanks again to the guys that replied

WAYNE88N/A

A couple of bushing sets will take care of the shifter, but that's not important right now.

Make a jumper wire, about 3" long, with male 1/4" spade terminals crimped at either end. When you get to the car, jumper the little yellow plug near the airbox (it may be shoved down into the area). Now turn the key to on (not start) and listen in the back of the car, near the left rear strut tower. You should hear the pump humming. If not, the pump or circuit is bad most likely.

Pull the top two plugs out also. This will accomplish two things: 1) if they're wet with gas, she's flooded. Good, you're getting fuel. If not, and the pump is working, the injectors may be clogged from sitting around all that time. 2) leave the plugs out, one at a time, and crank the engine for about 5 seconds. Listen to the pulses of air. 3 even pulses? Good. Try it with the other plug out. 3 even pulses? Good...If you get one strong and two weak pulses on any rotor, you've got an apex seal bad, most likely...

m5runner

ok. thanks for the input. as far as cranking her up, i am sure my mech will figure that out and if he doesn't i am going to tell his wife on him. i guess my main focuses are parts, where to get them and how much to pay. another thing is really how difficult are all these tasks. i would like to atleast take part in repairing it and not looking like a total girl not being able to do anything

m5runner

I pulled the plugs over the weekend and they are brand new and bone friggin dry. I didn't hear the fuel pump sing so i am wondering what it could be. someone put a fuel pump on it and it didn't fire up and there isn't a lik of fuel on the spark plug. my brother told me to remove the plugs, put a little oile in and turn it over a little. he said to do it about 4 times and after the 4th time to turn it over and attempt to start. this supposedly will make a seal. It's still in work though. I have to make it up to my job saturday morning to drop a few new data and voice lines and after that it's rx time. I'll keep the crew updated

WAYNE88N/A

Hmm, OK, let's assume the fuel pump is inop:

1) check the 15A "engine" fuse- should be in the middle row of the cabin fuse box, near where your clutch foot would be while driving, if good:
2) jumper the check plug as described above, and turn the key on. You should hear a relay clicking as the key is turned, it's below the dash, just to the right of the steering column. If it's not clicking, you have a wiring or relay problem. If it does click, and the pump is still not running, you have a wiring or pump ground problem. Assuming the pump is good, since it had been changed...

m5runner

actually the pump wasn't "changed". it was just tested with another pump. i worked on it a little again today and i heard the relay click. i am going to assume the pump is bad and purchase a new one sometime this week if time allows. i think it really is the fuel pump because the kid that had it was taking care of it from what i could see. the oil in the block is good and the plugs he had in there are brand new, even though that doesn't really mean anything.

m5runner

OK....my mech finally made it over to the townhouse. He played with it for a little while and found out the computer was fried. I opened it and saw that one of those black and blue diodes were fried. I wish I had a decent digital camera to take a pic of the burn spots. If I knew the ratings of the components I would change them out myself. Just giving you guys an update on the findings. It turns out the fuel pump was good but hey, I have another one here just in case this one dies out on me.

m5runner

Well I got a new computer from a trusted member of this forum and I plugged it up and the car fired right up but it was sputtering a bit....I am guessing the fuel went to crap from it sitting there so long. I fired it up and ofcourse there was a cloud of smoke and it was sputtering. I gave it a little juice and it held up with me but it shut off when I was going up the hill in my subdivision.

I guess the question is what do I do next since I am making clouds in the subdivision. I am gonna buy some fuel tomorrow to dump in it. Is there some kinda fuel I can buy to clean up the old one in the tank and give it the power it had? all input would be great.

therotaryrocket

how long was it sitting? Might need fuel filter, you'd be suprised that 10 minutes of running a car that hasn't been run in 6 years and even had the tank cleaned and new fuel would completely clog the filter(1985 rx7 gs 12a, been there done that)

m5runner

actually, the freak i had it before took pretty good care of it other than him cranking it up on the interstate. I am sure it isn't the fuel filter though and I know this because after I made it warm up, assuming after it gets hot it would burn off the old fuel quicker and better, i opened the hood and low and behold, I saw some sparks grounding to the block of that car and that right there would be the problem. It's took dark right now so i can't really see where its coming from and I don't have a flashlight around right now so I will have to wait until the morning to take another look at it. i remember my acura did the same thing when the spark plus boot was worn out and it was grounding out on the block. I guess after i fix that problem I can start working on the interior of the car.

m5runner

ok, i did some more work on it today. turns out the alternator was loose and it tightened it so no more sparks. engine is still sputtering like a little girl though and it does smell a bit fueled so i tried deflooding it and it continues to sputter and shuts off. I give it a little gas and ofcourse it runs and the minute i ease up off the gas it goes back to sputtering. At this point I am guessing that the time is off. Not 100% sure but that is my only guess. Maybe you guys can shed some more light

m5runner

anyone agreeing with me that it could be the timing why its sputtering at this point? plugs are new and the wires are in decent condition so that rules those 2 things out. at this point that's the only thing i can think of to get it running right

rs_1101

does the fuel pump work? this is easy!! crank if for 20 secs, then pull one of the fuel lines. if you get wet, the pump works.

m5runner

no the fuel pump works. we thought that's what the problem was initially when the car didn't start the first time but we found that the computer was bad. that was replaced on friday and it started up but won't stay on without giving it a little gas. doubt it could be flooded when it needs gas to stay alive. i thought it was flooded yesterday and i did the deflooding procedure and it still dies out. it runs a bit offbeat when close to idle but when you rev it up, it's just fine

m5runner

Mech came over saturday to check it out and he told me the catalytic converter(s) is bad. He told me to straight pipe it and get an under the table emissions. He pulled the plugs out and they were blacker than the night and this guy has been working on my BMW for years so I am sure he knows what he is doing. I will update on how things are after he runs the pipes. He is supposed to come today and fix it but when he says "today" he means 2 weeks from that day.

m5runner

Back with an update on this rx-7 of mine. After finding out that an ignitor, catalytic converter and computer were bad, the car just will not stop shaking and it won't kepp running either. it starts up just fine but it shakes and barely stays running in neutral. the minute I put it in gear, it dies. any help would be appreciated

13Beast REW

If you try to hold the engine speed at say... 2000RPM, does the needle just sit at that speed or does it bounce? If it bounces then there is likely a vacuum leak somewhere. Since your mechanic was smart enough to determine the ECU was bad then I'm almost sure he'd pick up on a vacuum leak but there's really not much that would cause a rotary to run poorly aside from timing, poorly adjust idle speed screw, a bad TPS adjustment, a bad Bypass air control valve (the cylinder connected to the dynamic chamber of the intake manifold), or a air/vacuum leak.

m5runner

It sits at the speed one you rev it up but the minute you ease up it starts to bounce again. i don't think there is a vacuum leak as all the hoses are in tact. Maybe the timing is off but who knows. he did change the air mass flow meter also and it still does the same thing. Thanks for the reply