My 88 vert had a low oil pressure problem for several years, but ran fine. The local dealer here in Fresno and several other shops could never diagnose the problem. Finally, at 190K the engine started making really ugly clattering noises.
I bought a rebuild from Mazda Recycling in Rancho Cordova and am having a local shop install it. It's in the car, it starts and goes to 3000 RPM, and then as it warms up and the idle drops down, it just dies at 1200 RPM. Then it won't start back up, acting likes it's flooded. Any suggestions????

 

Take it back to the shop. Something is not hooked up right. Check all vac hoses. There is a vac hose diagram under the hood. See if they matchup. Will the car rev or can you keep it idling with you foot?

 

The engine will rev with the foot feed. I'll have the tech check the vacuum lines and hoses. The car is still in the shop.

 

How does it die, as in, does it just shut off, or sputter and run rough before it dies? Also, did you replace it with the the same engine config. - 88NA? Short block or long? Any change to injectors, etc.

I'm thinking a vacuum leak, which is a common thing to overlook or come up. Sounds vaguely like an EGR valve stuck open, or something mixed up in the emmissions system.

To find a vacuum leak, you can feed some propane around the intake and vacuum hoses and see if idle goes up.

 

The engine is an 88NA. I'm having all the accessories from my old engine installed on the rebuilt short block. The car ran fine and smooth, even without the 3800RPM hesitation until the aforementioned clattering. The engine just dies at 1200 RPM, no sputtering, hiccuping, or backfiring. Just stops. I'll have the tech recheck the vacuum lines and the EGR. Thanks

 

This is a used engine just thrown in the car, or was it rebuilt before it was put in the car? If it was rebuilt using the old housings it wont generate much compression until its broken it, and usually wont idle below 1200-1500 until broken in(and thus better engine compression).

 

The engine was rebuilt, not a used engine. We've run a compression test and it showing approx 120 psi on both rotors. I understand that compression will build as it breaks in, but I would think that with this compression it would continue to run and idle normally.