Valkyrie

I was pulling out of my parking spot today when I realized I was leaving a very big trail of something behind me, so I freaked out (thinking it was oil), parked it, and then realized it was a massive fuel leak (actually, not that massive... at least compared to an unplugged delivery hose).

Well ain't that just great... seems like the hose leading to the inlet for the secondary injectors has sprung a leak somewhere (apparently under the outer plastic hose cover, which is basically a useless peice of crap anway) and sprays a fine mist of fuel whenever the car is running (it doesn't seem to be the pulsation dampener).

And on top of that, there seems to be a broken circuit to my TPS, since the TPS codes are being flashed (although the TPS seems fine and it's connected).

The connector doesn't seem to click when I connect it like it used to, but there's no way it could be disconnected that easily (it's on there tight)... but god I hope it's not the wiring harness (don't see why just the TPS wires would be effected and now the whole harness).

And with the car undriveable, I'm gonna have a hard time finding a replacement hose... (either that or I'm gonna have to do twice the work and take off the intake manifold twice so I can patch it, and then again so I can replace the hose).

I'm getting really tired of having to take my intake manifolds off over and over again...

jkimbro

iTrader: (3)

Just go to autozone/o'reileys and get you some fuel injection hose....trim to size. You're talking about the 3 inch hose between your primary/secondary rail?

Valkyrie

I don't think so... I think it's the one that receives fuel straight from the pump (it hooks up to the metal lines under the extension manifold, which I'm gonna have to take off, again, to get to it).

It'll hopefully take only a few hours (besides actually getting to the parts store, which would be an hour by bike, unless I can find someone who will take me), since I've taken the manifold off so many times I can do it by heart (but I'm technically not allowed to work on my car in the parking lot)...

Valkyrie

I take that back, it's the return hose.

(as far as I can tell)

adrock3217

Rather than keep taking off the manifold..why not fix everything, and fix things that aren't broken yet, now..in one swoop?

Replace all gaskets, all fuel lines w/ fuel injection clamps, silicone/viton vacuum hoses, mod the TB, clean everything up real nice, get injectors serviced w/ all new o-rings, replace coolant line under the manifold or block it off, etc...


Get it all out of the way, and play with your reliability. It'll be fun!!

Valkyrie

Because that would require time and money, two things I don't have.

The only things that need to be fixed as far as I can see are the TPS circuits, a fuel line (hopefully not a 200-dollar FPD), and a leaky OMP.

For the most part, the clamps are plenty reliable, my vacuum lines aren't hard and crappy (yet), the coolant lines aren't leaking (yet..but they aren't dry-rotted yet either), nor are the injector o-rings, RTV works much better than gaskets (doesn't glue the manifolds together or leave a layer of gasket that's harder than steel, seals just as well).


Whether or not I'll even be able to go to Zoom Zoom Live isn't so obvious yet.

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

I don't mean to sound like an ***, but if $50 worth of gaskets is too much money, then perhaps the RX-7 is not the best car for you at the moment?

Pull your manifold and replace all the fuel injection hose with new stuff, using proper fuel injection clamps. At the same time, replace the vacuum hose with silicone. Do the same for the coolant hoses. Use a manifold gasket but coat each side in a light coat of sealant so it doesn't stick the next time.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

even $50 is a high estimate, the hose to do all the fuel lines in the bay would roughly cost $25, the gasket is a $5 part, clamps are about $8.

time is money man, $38 isn't much when you compare it to having to pull off the manifold and replace the hoses, it isn't something i would want to do twice when i was just in there.

Valkyrie

The cost of gaskets really isn't the issue. I just can't see having to wait a few days for them to come in the mail every time I need to take the manifold off, when RTV works suitably well by itself.

Now, if I was was gonna crack the engine open, I'd just buy the full gasket set (and whatever else needs to be replaced, of course) and call it a day...

I will consider getting all new hoses, at least for under the manifold, I suppose... But I could have sworn I heard silicone hoses, while more resistant to fluids or heat (I think), will tend not to last as long as OEM-style rubber ones.

Plus they cost more :p (although it might be a worthwhile investment for the hoses that tend to be covered in oil half the time, for whatever reason)

Except, do they actually have those pre-shaped coolant hoses for the BAC/TB/etc? I don't really want to use generic straight hoses more than I have to. The only thing wrong with mine is that you can see where the clamps have been because they're old... the standard clamps don't leak if they aren't worn out, and the hoses are good.

(I guess I'll at least do the fuel lines though)

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

I'm sorry, but I've heard this so many times and I still love the logic. You're saying, if you can't afford to spend $50 on your car, you should buy a new one? I need to go to THAT car lot. I don't care if it's a Kia, if I can buy it for less than $50 and it will go down the road under its own power, I'll take two of them! Last time I checked though, $50 wasn't even enough to put a Power Wheels on layaway.

Do what you can though. If you can swing the extra money, buy new vacuum lines and fuel hose and make everything under the manifold rock solid - you'll be grateful next time something messes up to know what it's not.

But the free stuff you CAN do. Check the pulsation damper screw while you're down there. Make sure it's tight, and it might be a good idea to break it free and reinstall it with loc-tite if you have some.

You can test your TPS wiring harness stuff by borrowing an ohm-meter if you don't already have one sticking one lead into the back of the plug wire the TPS connects to, then find the wire and ohm it out by the computer. You shouldn't get anything bizarre, something in the 0 to 5 ohm range, and if you get 5 I'd be surprised. Wiggle those wires too and see if you get the number to go up. If they do, make sure your leads are secure and do it again. If they do, run a new wire. :P

Valkyrie

Just because you replaced something doesn't mean it's nessicarily eliminated as a possible problem

I already looked up about using a DMM on the ECU... I'll do it whenever I have time (I'll probably have to jumper the pins in the connector to make sure it's really telling me whether I have continuity in the harness or not, to make sure it's not actually the connection between the two connectors).

Also, there is a slight chance that the fuel spray caused the short, although I'd say that is unlikely at best (the fuel spray was right near that part of the harness though). It may be that I just didn't notice it was throwing two more codes until today (I was trying to use the initial set jumper to make the fuel pump run, but I forgot that they're two different connectors).

Also, it's an S5, so the FPD is welded on, not bolted on.

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

Maybe it doesn't eliminate it as a problem, but it moves it further down the list. I understand what you're saying though. I've been troubleshooting my RX7 and I just finished rebuilding with all new hoses and vacuum lines, and I still pulled the manifold looking for a vacuum leak to be the reason the car wouldn't idle.

You don't have to jumper it together - when my wiring to the TPS was suspect, I had one lead stretched into the engine bay and stuck fast in the back of the TPS connector, then stuck the other one into the TPS signal wire into the ECU under the passenger carpet. You should have enough lead length to get to both, they're not real far apart.

But then, I had it easy because I'm still finishing a rebuild, so my carpet is pulled back and everything, all I had to do was reconsult my wiring diagram to figure out where the grn/rd wire from the TPS was on the ECU plug.

Valkyrie

Yes, but that's kind of hard to do when you only have probe-style test leads

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

Then you'll probably want to borrow an ohm-meter/multimeter like I said the first time. :P Using the regular needle looking leads that come with one, you should be able to stick one into the spade from the back of the connector firmly enough that it will hold while you make the other connection. If you've got a choice, get one with a continuity ringer, so that it'll beep when you get it right. :P

Valkyrie

Ok, I thought it meant you were supposed to check two different pins on the ECU, now I see it means check between the pin on the harness end, and the ECU.

frkydkyrednek

i have an 86 rx7 and the other day i drove it to the store and back home but a few hours later i went out to start it and go to work it wouldn't start it just kept cranking. so i playeed with it for a few and got it to fire up but it hit 3000 rpm and backfired and died and it does the same thing eveery time i try and start it

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

I'd make sure you're getting spark to all 4 plugs first of all. And if you're using a timing light, you may as well check your timing while you're there.

frkydkyrednek

so u don't think its a bad motor. because it was smoking but only when it was at a high rpm when i would let off the throttle but would stop smoking when i got back on the throttle

SirCygnus

iTrader: (1)

luckilly, everything broke on me as i was yanking the uim off. trust me, its allot eaiser to replace everything under the uim, then it is to keep replaceing different parts everytime something break. the sad thing is, that it will break when least expected. if you fix everything properly, then you know where the failurelikely is. trust me., everythign is soo brittle underthere the moment you toch a hose under the uim, its destroyed.

Valkyrie

Yeah, for the record, never touch the OMP lines, if you can help it... and always have some teflon lines and crimps in case you need to make new ones (almost garunteed).

You can have enough materials to make 4 new lines for the cost of one new OEM line... and from what I can tell, they work fine.

Richter12x2

iTrader: (1)

I know mine seem to be working fine.

Frkydkyrednek - probably not a bad motor, more likely a spark issue. Backfiring is usually because you're getting unburnt fuel into the exhaust, which generally means bad timing, way-rich mix, or bad spark delivery. Rotary engines don't have a cam, so a timing problem is unlikely, and internal timing problems are impossible. The only way to adjust timing is through the computer, using the (crap, I can't think of what it's called for the life of me) circular thing toward the front driver's side with the nut on it that can be twisted back and forth. If the nut on yours is tight, then it's not that.

If you've got a vacuum leak in the right place, that could probably cause it too.

Valkyrie

I seemed to have forgetten that there was a parts store (Car Quest) within 15 minutes by bicycle (I was tired of waiting for a ride so I just decided to go)... normally I go to AutoZone which is much further down the same road, since I always forgot about the Car Quest until it's too late to pull in, and because AutoZone is cheaper....

I asked for some fuel injection hose, so the lady cut me some, but I looked on the hose and it said "Fuel Hose - Not for use in Fuel Injection Systems" so I thought WTF, and asked for some EFI hose... Guess how much it was....

7 motherfarking dollars a foot.

The FI clamps (I asked for clamps and she gave me normal hose clamps... then I explained what FI clamps were and she got me some) were about what I expected, a dollar a peice (I expected it to be between 75 cents and a dollar), but 7 dollars a foot for hose is rediculous. Even the Goodyear stuff couldn't cost more than 3 bucks a foot... and on top of that, I only had enough money in my account to buy three feet and four clamps (actually, I take that back, my mom must have put some more in there lately).

The normal fuel hose was only a dollar a foot... and it felt and looked the same... Oh well.

This is exactly why I try to avoid shopping at NAPA and Car Quest versus AutoZone and Advance Auto.

Valkyrie

I took off the UIM and it WAS the short 3-inch hose that went to the primary rail... A big old gash in it, right at were the hose bends.

Almost makes me wish I didn't buy 21 dollars worth of hose...

I'm tired and it's dark so I'm gonna fix it tommorow...

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Yeah, and? It's not like you are buying 200 feet of the stuff. 5-6 feet is generally enough with some left over.

If you think that's expensive then you have never had to shop for high quality hose. For example, the heater hoses I used on my car were $34 a foot. Look at my latest thread and then do the math on the cost.

Sounds like your auto parts store is pretty crappy. They don't listen to a customer, give someone regular fuel hose instead of EFI hose (dangerous!), don't know what a fuel injection clamp is, etc.

Anyway, $1 per clamp is a bit insane. I buy them in a bag of 10 fo for about $6.

That's about the standard price on fuel injection hose. Maybe a dollar or so high.

My god, how do you afford gas, food, insurance, etc. etc. if a few dollars in clamps is too much money?! Seriously, maybe think about trading the RX-7 for a nice used Honda...

It's totally different. The rubber is softer, there is much less internal braiding and the layers are thinner.

Valkyrie

You're crazy as hell

I wouldn't give up my car for anything. Not even to avoid poverty.

Also, I just finished fixing it (well, actually I need to start it up and check for leaks, but I'm gonna wait a few hours to make sure any fuel is evaoprated, and so the RTV has time to dry).

3 feet was just the right length, since it was enough to do all the hoses under the UIM, with enough left over in case I needed to do another one.

I already payed for 6 months of insurance in advance... I'm gonna have to pay again in a month or two. Hopefully by then I'll have another part-time job.

The only reason I was worried about buying a few feet of hose and some clamps is because I thought I only had 30 dollars in my account... I didn't, I had 90. I was more annoyed that it cost 7 (actually 7.25 or so, mind you) a foot instead of the 3-4 that I expected.

And to be honest, the only reason I made this thread is because I like to bitch...a lot.

You also can't compare a turbo 6-port bridgeport project car to a nearly stock GTU, now can you?

Also, the reason I have so little money is because I spend most of it on groceries or gas, so that takes care of the food and gas... the tiny bit of money refers to what I can actually afford to spend on my car.

This is also the first thing to go wrong on it in like 4 months (that required a repair at least)...well, besides all the oil leaks...and having to fix the 6PI...and a whole lot of other things I probably can't remember.