This is my first rebuild and I'm wondering if a rough idle is normal for a fresh rebuild?

I've heard that you gain compression as you run it longer. So have you guys experienced rough idles that get better after a while? I've only ran it for a couple of minutes so far.

ed

 

^

 

Yes, that is normal. If you can't get it to idle under at or under 1000 rpm on stock or mild street ports, there could be a vacuum leak, but I had mine idling at 600ish with only a few minutes on it, and it didn't exactly have good or even compression. Any reason why you only ran it a couple minutes? Usually it is a good idea to go 15 or more on a fresh rebuild so it won't be so hard to start the next time.

 

It idles around 600 to 800 but it's just really rough.

Really rough like it's going to die, but it doesn't die so I guess thats normal. It'll get better on its own right?

I wanted to run it for a while but I smelled gas. I found that the FPR was leaking out of the vac nipple.
I didn't want to catch fire so I haven't started it again.

 

Once I fix the FPR and start my motor again any tips?

Whats the procedure for first running a rebuild?

-How long do I let it idle before I shut it off?
-How do I idle before varying the rpm's (stay below 4000 I know)?
How long should I run the second time?
Waiting time in between?

Any and all details will help anything you can think off let me have it I've never rebuilt a rotary before.

Thanks

 

just undre 4k and no boost and you should be fine. just keep a watchful eye on everything, change oil at i think 200, 500, 1000. I let it cool down a bit b4 shutting it off. A fuel cut switch might be helpful while breaking it in as it'll flood quite easily.

 

thanks
Should I let it idle before varying rpms?
Run times?

 

I had mine idling for a few hours at 1400 before it would start on its own abd idle at 700. Mind you this was with no emissions or idle control what so ever.

 

Should I let it idle for a couple hours also?
How long until I can vary the rpms (keeping it under 4k)

 

Dude, you're making WAY too much out of this. You can get in it and drive it anywhere however you like, you just want to be fairly easy on it. YOu can let it idle all day long, you can go drive it around town all day long, and if you're like me you can go on a big road trip...around here the interstates and such have hills, so load varies a bit here and there, and all is well. I deal with breakin in rebuilds on a weekly basis...breaking in one on my convertible again right now...

Bottom line, oil change at 500 and 2000, set idle a little high around 1000-1200 to help with driveability/stability, let it idle when you're not driving it if you can, and drive it as much as possible. Stay out of boost, shift at or around 4000, but if you wind up going up to, say, 4500, it won't matter one bit. You want to do this for about 1000 miles, then slowly start feeding it more revs and boost. By 1500 I start getting into my rebuilds quite a bit,and by 2000 you can pretty much do with it as you please.

 

Thanks for the advice. That clears up pretty much everything. It's not too much different then breaking in a piston engine.
I was making a big deal because I read so many conflicting posts about this.
Some said change oil after 15 min., let idle, blah blah etc.

I was a mechanic at Japan Motors for a couple years and I did many overhauls, motor swaps etc. so I know how to break in a motor.
I just wasn't sure if rotaries were a lot different. You don't get many chances to do work on rotaries in the real world

Thanks, Ed