ibeljin

iTrader: (1)

The stars have aligned and I finally purchased my first rx7! It's a 1990 GXL with 90,000 km on the clock and wasn't started since 2000. and both the transmission and diff were serviced 5,000 km ago.

The good:
-Manual Transmission
-GXL with LSD
-Very little body rust
-most electric features in working order
-no play in wheels
-price payed

The bad:
-Engine in questionable condition
-some wires chewed in engine bay
-Stuck/siezed clutch
-paint is faded
-Fuel gauge sits at halfway without a battery in the car

I plan on taking all the correct precautions before attempting to start the engine. First order of business is getting it to turn over so I compression test this thing. Here are some pictures of the car when it arrived on my driveway




Big things to come in the following weeks

ibeljin

iTrader: (1)

Pulled some stuff from the engine bay so I could get to the main pulley of the engine to check if the engine could turn over. And it did! Pulled the plugs to do a poor man's compression check and it seems to be in alright shape. Spark plugs were put in about 5,000 km ago so they look to be in pretty good shape.
Next step would be to fix the wiring that has been chewed on




I can't wait to try to start this thing once everything is good to go. Anybody know of a good way to siphon fuel out of the tank? Are there any products you guys would recommend for getting the gunk our?

blink13

Best way to siphon the gas out would be to go to the hatch and lift up the carpeting. under there is where the fuel pump is located. just pop a few screws off and you should be able to lift up the pump up enough to fit a siphon hose into the gas tank. looks like a good little project GL.

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Fixed.

blink13

Haha yes it would. I completely spaced that out.

NCross

iTrader: (18)

Honestly if it's sat for 13 years with 1/2 a tank of gas there won't be much "siphoning" going on. It's probably a solid mass of varnish by now. You'll most likely need to get a "new" tank unless you want to spend an equal amount of money on cleaning materials (kerosene) and lots of time and effort scrubbing, scraping, and pressure washing. I'm sure the pump is beyond repair.

As for the lines, don't waste your time cleaning them. Buy new EFI grade lines and be done with it. Buy a new filter. Plan on sending the injectors off to be ultrasonically cleaned too. I wouldn't even try to start it until the fuel and electrical systems are repaired fully. Change the engine oil and coolant before starting.

I would go ahead and buy new plugs. Most rough start, rough idle conditions are contributed to the spark plugs. You'll have more peace of mind in knowing the everything is in top new shape rather than trouble shooting.

archaphil

iTrader: (1)

100% agreed. And the best part is that the above mentioned is not even all that expensive for the do it your-self-er

ibeljin

iTrader: (1)

I can still hear alot of sloshing when I rock the car so I will drain whatever liquid substance remains in there, and inspect the condition of the fuel tank before beginning to search for a new one. Never hurts to look

philiptompkins

iTrader: (4)

I'd just drain it and pour 5 gal of freash gas with lots of premix in there and go for it.
The engine may have a stuck seal, plan on pull starting it. get a friend to pull it with a rope around the block, the engine will probably start before it gets to 3k rpm.

ibeljin

iTrader: (1)

No need to pull start, turn the engine over by hand. I didn't want to risk damaging anything if the engine was seized. I might take a look at the slave cylinder for the clutch this evening an order a new one if its shot, that way I can compression test the engine properly before giving it fuel and spark. When I have the time to check out the fuel tank I will post my findings. God knows whats in there

JROD1987

If u have the time, pull the engine harness and check continuity to the wires that are cut. You will need the wiring diagram.
Your clutch components may need a complete overhaul such as a slave cylynder a clutch master cylinder.
If u have any ? let me know.
Fuel gauge may be shot, or the float my be stuck. Pull the fuel pump assembly and check it out.

ibeljin

iTrader: (1)

Yea I think the whole clutch system is messed. There is plenty of fluid in the master cylinder but when I move the pedal back and forth none of it moves. I just wanted to see if the levels change with the cylinder cap open, and they didn't. I didn't have time to remove the entire system and take a closer look but I will be doing so in the days to come. I will probably end up ordering a new set parts but I want to learn and understand how the system works, and why it failed before doing so
Do you guys recommend replacing the rubber line running from the master to the slave with something of better quality? Some sort of braided line perhaps?

beefhole

iTrader: (29)

S5 fuel gauge will stay at whatever the last gas level was when the car was switched off. S4's are the ones that don't read until the key is in and turned (at least) 1 click.

ibeljin

iTrader: (1)

Yea I think I read that someplace after making my first post. If the gauge is correct, I have around 30-35L of gas to siphon out

clokker

iTrader: (2)

Replace the master, slave and hose at one time and just be done with it.
It's a dead simple hydraulic system, there's not much to understand.
It failed because the seals went, they should be considered as consumables, so there's no "failure" to find, just normal wear.

JROD1987

They domake a braided line kit.

ibeljin

iTrader: (1)

so I removed both master and slave cylinders for the clutch, and started working on draining all the fuel out of the car. I noticed small flecks of rust in the fuel so i tried to bang on the fuel tank as much as possible to get some of it out along with the fuel. I'll probably get around to taking a closer look at the interior condition of the fuel tank in the days to come. Parts should come in by the end of next week

NCross

iTrader: (18)

Of course braided lines are recommended, and are a better option, but cost is key. It's up to you. I have had braided clutch and brake lines on 3 of my cars and can honestly say I can't tell a substantial difference in every day driving. The pedals engage maybe 1/8" quicker. I think if you have the money for it go all out and get stainless lines, bu it isn't necessary.

S4 Vert

Congratulations on your FC purchase. The interior is pretty clean, can't wait to see more pictures of your progress.

ibeljin

iTrader: (1)

I have a question which i will probably end up answering myself haha
The starter system has a switch which doesnt allow the car to start unless the clutch is depressed. This switch then activates the solenoid in the starter and begins cranking the engine. If i remove all the clutch hydraulics and pop the car in neutral, shouldn't the engine crank? If the clutch pedal is on the floor the switch is not engaged as it would be if the hydraulics were working. It's not a very complex system, im just trying to figure out whether im missing something or i have an electric problem on my hands

S4 Vert

It would be easier to connect a remote starter trigger (used to set your timing and for compression tests) to your starter to crank your starter. Removing all of your clutch fluid will not aid in starting your car, what you would have is a clutch system with fluid, or pressure instead. There are threads here already pertaining to your question with answers you are looking for. Try a little research and you will find plenty of threads, this site is great in that way.

Lucas FC

iTrader: (1)

[QUOTE=ibeljin;11440285]
-Fuel gauge sits at halfway without a battery in the car

HAHA yep mine too. Havent gotten around to figuring out why yet

NCross

iTrader: (18)

[QUOTE=Lucas FC;11453397]It doesn't even have to be in the car to still function. It will retain your fuel level even when removed from the dashboard.

NCross

iTrader: (18)

Not too complex really. Just jumper the plug that goes to the switch and it will start.

NCross

iTrader: (18)

Also... Do a switch check. Ground the green check plug near the battery/ignition coil. Turn the key to illuminate the warning lights and press the clutch pedal in and out. The CEL (check engine light) should illuminate. Same goes for the Reverse/5th switch and a few other switches.