1987 TII, ~90k miles, Rtek 1.7 w/ 720cc secondaries, stock boost but ported wastegate w/ moderate exhaust work. It had been running fine except for the weird 6500RPM cut I get under load and it never has turned over at the right speed consistently. I installed a 255lph fp last night because I was planning on eventually turning the boost up just a few psi and it was a PITA to start, I had to roll start it and it smoked just at startup (pretty sure it was just all the extra fuel from previous start attempts), but it ran great afterward. I suspected I might have a hard time starting it again though so I took it out to a small hill on a long straight stretch of road.

I turned the ignition off while rolling at ~40mph and cranked it to try and start it, using my fuel cut switch as well, but it wouldn't start so I put it in 5th and tried roll starting it that way. It sounded like it was about to start but sputtered and died, I was able to try the same thing in 3rd and 2nd, and then other attempts by pushing. No start for me. GRRR. Brand new plugs and wires, fuel pump was a Tre Performance item, new starter/alt/batt as of a few months ago... Also redid the engine grounds a few weeks ago. That didn't help the starting speed problem... Every once in a while it would turn over fast and whenever it would do that it would fire right up without the use of the fuel cut switch. Last night when it wouldn't start I got it to turn over fast one attempt and it still didn't take. I checked most if not all my fuses, they looked good.

I'm so pissed about all this. I had it towed (at 1am) to a shop because I was like "I'm sick of screwing with it and the starting speed issue only makes things that much harder for me", but come today when they look at it their mechanics are like "whoa! we won't touch a rotary with a ten foot pole!". So they're taking it back to my apartment in about 30 minutes where I'll probably curse and turn red for a while and then put it on a charger and wait, go watch the rest of Tin Man, then go see what kind of compression numbers I get. Btw before (a couple months ago) compression was about 85psi all around. I've been meaning to do a water treatment. Hopefully I can get it started so I can do that as well as beat the **** out of it for being a bad girl.

So anyway, if it wasn't obvious already, please give me tips on what I should look for besides a rebuild. I'm working on one now, I just hope I don't get rushed by a premature frackulation of my motor.

 

The only thing i can reccomend to you is to try and do the deep unflooding procedure and see if it will start that way, addplenty of oil, you'll probably need it, if you already havent lost a seal.

Also, turning up boost at 85psi = bad.

If you have another car to drive i'd reccomend taking the engine out after this to keep from tempting yourself, can save yourself some money that way too. Go ahead and tear down the engine and clean it up.

 

whatever your thinking, id advise to stop trying to get it moveing, ive had a problem similar to this before, and it ended in me pulling the motor, rotor #2's internal gearing being stripped, and a complete **** of the rear stationary gear.

i still have not figured out the cause completely, the slow moveing starter was one of the symptoms though.

whe probley have completely different problems, but im wondering if what happened to me was a result of makeing the wrong decision by trying to get it to turn over as much as i did.

bit the bullet and pull the motor out

 

I'll probably give that a shot.

That's why I'm working on a rebuild.

This is the toughest thing. Our only other car is my wife's dd and I go to work at 6 and she works at 8. We even work about a half mile from each other. I'm regretting selling the 323 for only $375. Would have been really frickin' nice about now.

 

I discovered after a couple days of tinkering that my fuel cut switch had come loose. I have no idea why I didn't solder the stupid thing in the first place, but that's a lesson I won't soon forget. The car is running solid now, and starting easier as well due to replacing the ignition switch.