here is my story. My 85 SE sat for 22 years under a cover. It ran when parked and it ran well. I can not get it started. I changed all fluids, re-did the gas tank.
I get gas and spark. the car has 68,000 miles. I had a compression check done it had no reading at all. That is odd...it shoud register something right?
I am told I should have it re built. I got est from Rotary motorsports in Kannapolis ( brian) ...$4300.00 wow!! I really would like someone to help me do the best they can to try and get it running, I dont want to believe the engine is shot. I did the MMO treatment, let it sit, turned the pulley ..no start. Battery is only 6 months old. I am thinking I need more juice to get it going. Would a jump start work? Push it down a small hit and pop the clutch? New starter? If someone can come to winston and and see what I can do short of a rebuild. I really need some help to try and get it going somehow. Please let me know how you might be able to help me.....This car is a beautiful , low mileage SE. It is an awesome car.
Thanks!!! Chris

 

Has the engine ever tried to run since you started working on it? If it ran when parked it should have some sort of compression. Unless a Rotary compression tester was used the compression reading would be inaccurate. There is a good chance that it is flooded, the GSLSE's are very easy to flood, and a flooded rotary will not unflood itself. First unplug the fuel pump, the fuel pump connecter is under the drivers side storage bin, you can access it by taking the bin out. Then pull the plugs and squirt some oil or ATF into the leading plugs. Then rotate the engine multiple times to "Deflood" the engine, now clean the plugs, they are probably fouled. Now the engine should be unflooded, spray some starting fluid into the intake and turn it over again, hopefully it should start.

Now that you know that it can run, see if your injectors are leaking, after almost 40 years your injectors are probably going to leak, if they are and you plug the fuel pump back in, your engine will just flood again. If they are you will have to rebuild or replace them. This is the most likely problem, good luck.

 

unfortunately, the guy who did a compression test said he used a rx7 tester. He check all the compression and it did not even register. He even said that was odd.
Yes , it flood every time I try and start it. I pull the plugs and dry them off and try again. Nothing.

OK , I will do what you said. My question is, do I spray starter fluid in the intake and try and start it "without" the fuel pump connected?

next question...how do I know the injectors are leaking? Is it a visual thing or do I take them out?

Thanks for info...please respond... I appreciate you help!!

 

Where in NC are you located?

 

I am familiar with rotary compression testers, they can be quite finicky. I am not convinced that you have no compression on a 68,000 mile engine that ran when parked. Yes, try to get it to run off of starting fluid with the fuel pump disconnected, as said you will most likely just flood the engine if you have it connected. It is best to assume that the injectors are leaking or not working correctly. My dad went through the same process on his GSLSE that sat for 18 years, he tried cleaning his injectors to no success and ended up buying new ones. It is however possible to have injectors rebuilt. You might also want to search the form on deflooding procedures to add on to what I already told you. Good luck keep us updated.

 

First attempt the de-flooding procedure to get any fuel out of the engine.

Next, The typical hack is to add a little bit oil (like a teaspoon or maybe up to 1 ounce) through the spark plug holes to aid in sealing the apex seals to the housing to attempt to build up some compression. Turn the engine over by hand a bit with the spark plugs removed. Then try starting again.

Various threads on the topic of building compression including this one:
https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...engine-458667/

Don't use ATF.

 

i am in Winston salem nc...Can anyone help me?? I will pay you for your time. Trying to find a good rotary guy is impossible so far.

 

i did the recommended de-flood...it did not work....I am going to keep trying...I sure could use help...!
I also put MMO in spark plug holes...The pulley spins... Everything I see is the car was very well taken care of..interior is mint, exteriior is a 9 out of ten.. The engine compartment has not been molested in anyway. This all may be beyond my ability.
I gotta get this to run.....a rebuild is not in my budget..ugggg

 

Huh, I was hoping that would work. Has the distributer been removed or tampered with? Does the engine seem to spin pretty quick? If the starter is weak it might not spin fast enough to start. I hope you can get this figured out, at this point I am just taking shots in the dark.

 

I will re check the distributor. The starter spins the pully pretty fast. I found an old friend who is going to help me. He said we can try and pull the car from behind his tow truck attached to a hitch and put it on gear. I kind of wanted to try something Like that so, that will be my next attempt to unlock this engine somehow. Thanks for your input. I'm still trying and I will update.

 

Based on your description, it's possible that the engine has seized or has other serious damage that is preventing it from starting.

Here are some suggestions that you could try before resorting to a full engine rebuild:

1. Check the battery voltage: Even though your battery is only six months old, it's worth checking the voltage to make sure it's fully charged. A low voltage can cause problems with starting the engine. If the voltage is low, try charging the battery or jump-starting the car with another vehicle.
   
2. Check the compression tester: Make sure that the compression tester you used is working properly. You could try using a different tester to confirm that there's no compression.
   
3. Check the compression tester connection: Make sure that the compression tester is properly connected to the spark plug holes, and that there are no leaks or obstructions in the tester or the engine.
   
4. Check the starter motor: If the engine cranks slowly or doesn't crank at all, it's possible that the starter motor is faulty. You could try testing the starter motor or replacing it with a new one.
   
5. Try a different fuel source: It's possible that the fuel you're using is old or contaminated, which could prevent the engine from starting. You could try using fresh fuel or adding a fuel additive to clean the fuel system.
   

 

if it actually has no compression then until that’s straightened out nothing else really matters

so it should be the primary focus to resolve first ahead of anything else. If it doesn’t start with sufficient compression then turn to working through other possibilities.

there’s nothing finicky about the latest testers. If you need one then send me a PM.
.

 

I have a couple friends coming over today with a rotary compression tester....you are right...I have to get an answer to that first with out a doubt. I just cannot believe this engine is shot! We will find out soon.

Thank yiu!!!

 

[QUOTE=Hodgfrog;12552658]Based on your description, it's possible that the engine has seized or has other serious damage that is preventing it from starting.

Here are some suggestions that you could try before resorting to a full engine rebuild:

1. Check the battery voltage: Even though your battery is only six months old, it's worth checking the voltage to make sure it's fully charged. A low voltage can cause problems with starting the engine. If the voltage is low, try charging the battery or jump-starting the car with another vehicle.
   
2. Check the compression tester: Make sure that the compression tester you used is working properly. You could try using a different tester to confirm that there's no compression.
   
3. Check the compression tester connection: Make sure that the compression tester is properly connected to the spark plug holes, and that there are no leaks or obstructions in the tester or the engine.
   
4. Check the starter motor: If the engine cranks slowly or doesn't crank at all, it's possible that the starter motor is faulty. You could try testing the starter motor or replacing it with a new one.
   
5. Try a different fuel source: It's possible that the fuel you're using is old or contaminated, which could prevent the engine from starting. You could try using fresh fuel or adding a fuel additive to clean the fuel system.
   

***thanks for the info !!! Very helpful!!!!!