ok..... my friend here... (he is next to me)... just got a fresh rebuilt w/ a street port (done the cheap way w/ using existing n/a housings)... anyways... motor turns over but nothing happens!!! motor has spark and fuel... swapped coils and maf... it just turns over and over.... doesnt even want to try!! took plugs out (by the way, they are brand new also) and they were soaked in fuel.... so we cleaned them and let them dry...reinstalled.... same thing... just turns over!!! please, quick help would be appriciated!!! we are working on the car right now!! so, i will sit by the comp for a while! thanx in advance

 

Put some motor oil or atf into the plugholes...treat it as a badly flooded stock engine. Used housing rebuilds are often low compression until they have a few hours of run in time. Also a few sets of good, used plugs are nice...they often foul easily. A fuel cutoff switch is necessary for most 86-88 models.

 

ok....so when i put the oil in the plug holes..... do i just let it turn over for a while w/ the plugs out???? or put the plugs back in??? and the starter is hooker up to a switch, so it will turn over even w/ the key out of the ignition (would that be a fuel cut???)

 

www.rotaryresurrection.com ---> tech.


Go there and read, there are multiple topics that apply here. How to start a rebuild, how to unflood an engine, how to install a fuel cut switch.

Enjoy.

 

thanx so much for that link....... lots of info there........ but one last question that isnt answered..... how much oil do i pour in???? a cap full?? a quart??

 

<shakes head...>

C'mon dude, can you sit there and tell me you've NEVER had to atf or unflood a rotary?

Bottom line, you can't put in too much...you can't hydrolock a rotary. I use a hand oil pump, and depending on it's volume 2-6 squirts per hole would be sufficient.

 

never had to do that...... EVER....... thank god...lol.... so 2-6 squirts would be about 6-10 capfuls! we are shadetree mechanics.... we dont have cool things like oil squirters!!lol!!

 

You NEED some method of injection...capfuls and funnels wont help you. The plugholes are on the side of the engine, and getting oil to drain into them is somewhat difficult. A hand oil pump is about 5-10 bucks at autozone...either the oil cans or the large plastic type that sit in a gallon jug that have a long flexible hose. I highly suggest you get one, as pouring capfulls or funelling oil into the engine will do nothing more than make a mess and more will get on the ground than in the engine.

 

eureka...... i have a gear oil pump!!! that should work fine!!! not shadetree mechanics afterall!!! woohoo!!! lol!! thanx so much for your help!!!!

 

If everything is connected and checked prior to start up, it should start after a couple cranks. What I do is pull out the plugs and crank a few times to pressurize the fuel and oil system . Install the plugs and it should start on first try. You should check and double check everything.

 

Also, make sure your CAS is put in correctly. When I first tried to start mine, my CAS was 180 degrees off - it didn't start. Changed it to be correct, and away I went (in the f*cking monsoon).

-=Russ=-

 

hey, as long as your getting fuel and spark and your timing is set in the ballpark range then just towstart it, I'm sure it'll fire right up after spinning over a few times.

 

You're forgetting one other method to start it. Bump starting. My 86 N/A just quit firing one day. Turned out to be flooded/low on compression. We towed it behind my buddies Geo Tracker (LOL) and I popped the clutch a couple of times, started right up. Belched some nasty **** for a few minutes and she was fine after that.

As a better walkthrough-

First off, a 5 speed is pretty necessary (you're NOT driving an auto anyway... right?)

Start the car (put the car in "run") (note: Crank it a few times to get oil around the rotors/eshaft)
Put it out of gear, or hold in the clutch (out of gear is easiest on the car)
Get the car moving (tow it with something, you have tow hooks up front)
Put the car in gear (first works well)
Pop the clutch (let the clutch out quickly)
This WILL pull the back end out a little bit (like a powerslide). Expect it.
It may take a try or two, but that should get her fired up.

That's a last ditch effort, Kevin's techniques are a lot less of a PITA, but, if all else fails, that'll almost definitely do it. If neither does, I'd start checking wiring/ignition, maybe you have something else wrong-

edit: LOL, someone just beat me to it.

 

The thing is, not only is tow starting probably illegal, but with a fresh rebuild, I dont want that thing out on the street at all until I can obvserve everything while running and be sure there are no leaks (oil, fuel, coolant, PS, tranny) and no loose belts/brackets/whatever.

 

i would agree w/ resurrection........ caution should be made on a fresh rebuild! but if all else fails, desperate times call for desperate measures!!!!!