Anyone in the St. Charles/O' Fallon, Missouri area interested in helping me figure out why my FD won't start? It ran when it was put on the transport truck but now it won't start. I can give any details that might be helpful.

Thanks - Neil

 

To start you need fuel, spark, and compression.

Do you have all of the above? ^^^

 

First two yes...the last one is unknown. Anybody in the area have a rotary compression tester?

I get a put put.. and an ocassional backfire but that is it...

 

Ok, so Im assuming you've checked the fuses soo..has the car sat? How do you know your getting spark and fuel? How did you test that?

 

More reason to do your LS1 swap I guess.

 

Bah..eff dat!

 

Since this was a runner I was hoping to try out the rotary and see if I even needed to bother with the LS1. If I can't figure out why it won't start the decision will be easier....

 

Fuel = the whole garage stinks of gas after a few minutes of cranking
Spark = plug wire to block sparks...

Is it possible I am getting too much fuel? After it has sat for a while it will sputter a little but after a cranking a few times I get nothing...

 

Sounds flooded to me.

If I needed to go to STL for anything, I would offer to to come by and lend a hand. But w/o seeing it, I can't diagnose it too well. Anyway to get the car to Columbia? I have a shop, lift, etc...where we can check it out and get you back on the road (hopefully). We can also run a compression test on it to see where you're at.

Do you have a link to the car you bought so I can read the mods, description, etc...?

 

If I had a trailer I would take you up on the offer to bring it over. I followed all of the flooding procedures with no luck. Today I cranked it without plugs (EGI fuse and Fuel Pump Relay removed) for a while and installed a new set. No joy but it did backfire and leave a pile of soot on my garage floor .

The sale was completed in email and phone so no ad to look at but the only mods I can see are downpipe, exhaust ,pettit air intake and fluydine radiator. Everything else looks bone stock.

 

For an FD you dont need to unplug any fuses. Just crank for 5-10 sec. normally, then again with your foot on the gas for 5-10 sec. Keep doing this until it starts. It sounds like a possible flooded motor. If it is, and has sat a little..your spark plugs could be fouled by now..which the combo of the 2 wouldn't make for a starting car. Replace the spark plugs (check the wires while your down there) and try deflooding the car. Let us know the results.

 

Tried that as well with new plugs for about 30 min. No joy. It seems to get worse the longer I try to deflood it..

 

You may have washed out the housings by now. That sounds like a lot of de-flooding.

Next step, run a compression test.

If you can get it here, I can look at it, but I understand that is not always the simplest option to get a non-running car moved from point a to b w/o a truck/trailer at your disposal.

Not something I normally advicate people doing, but since you may have your housings washed out, you may try the ATF trick. It is more of a band-aid fix..but it may get it running, get the housings lubricated, unstick a seal, etc...and you could be fine. It's sort of a last resort option, and I don't recommend people to do it often...but in your scenario, it may not hurt to try it at least.

Do a search for ATF trick and you can find out numerous how to's regarding the process. I have tried it with MMO and I think it sucks....normal ATF always seem to work better in my opinion.

 

I tried the ATF trick as well before I changed the plugs.

Anybody closer than Scott have access to a Rotary compression tester?

 

You are most likely just continuing to flood it. Pull the Circuit Relay (green one), crank the engine to remove any excess fuel, then add the oil or ATF to the compression chamber, put plugs in and try to start. If it doesn’t start after a couple of 10 sec cranks, place the relay back in and try again. Note: it is not going to run with the relay removed, this step is just get it started for a few seconds if there is any residual fuel and to prevent additional flooding.


My car started with very low compression, less than 60 psi on both rotors as tested by Mazda. It also fired over (initially started) with the Circuit Relay removed.

 

Interested in coming over to help? I'll buy lunch..

 

I'm extermely busy today. pm me maybe we can arrange something. From what I have read, it appears it will start, you may just want to pull the plugs out and let it dry out for a day or so.

It should be noted; with that relay connected and you don't start it within a few cranks, you are just beginning to flood it again.

 

I am available any time this weekend. I have been pulling all 4 plugs but it is a pain. Do you think I can get away with just pulling 2?

- Neil

 

I assume you are asking "Do you think I can get away with just pulling 2?", to air out the rotor housings. It should.

 

Yep, that was the question. Do you think I should pull them out, wait 8 hours then bump the motor to try and expose the next chamber?

 

I would pull 4...you can do just two, but your other two will be gas soaked still. I would air it out with all 4 out, are you sure when you did the ATF trick you did it properly?

Run a compression test, you don't need a rotary tester to test your seals, you can use a regular piston tester, if you need help with that, just let me know, I can walk you through it. You will need two people though preferably...one to crank the car, one to watch the gauge.

-Scott

 

Scott,

I did the ATF procedure by removing the leading plugs and injecting ATF info the holes then bumping the motor adding more ATF....Did it about 6 times. Put the plugs back in and let it sit for 24 hours. Then tried to start it.

I will borrow a standard compression tester. What is the procedure?

 

piston tester compression test:

1) remove circuit relay
2) remove leading plug
3) insert piston tester in plug hole
4) either remove or hold the relase valve of the compression tester and have an assistant crank the engine
5) you should observe 3 nearly even bounces for each rotor
the compression specs are different for 94s and 95s vs. 93s
the specs are in the service manual, from recollection below 90 psi may be low

on step 5; I have read, you may want to reord this with a video camera to see the bounces

 

Also be sure to flat foot the gas when cranking the car over during the compression test. You won't get very accurate readings for psi since your motor is full of atf and is cold....but you can at least check for the 3 solid hits front and back.

 

I'll give it a shot..