1984 rx7 12a Starting issues
 

So I recently got a 12a 1984 rx7 which is all stock with 202k miles. I recently went on a drive and when parking on a hill I put the car in 1st as well as the E-brake. When I got back in the car I forgot to push the clutch in or put it in neutral and tried starting it. It lurched forward and when i tried starting it again afterwards with it in neutral when i turned the key it would click one time and then not do anything else. I ended up having to bump start it and later when i turned off the car and tried starting it again in neutral it started just fine. I let my friend drive and he had the same issue trying to start it. What happened? what do i need to check, and what might i need to look at replacing?

1984 rx7 12a Starting issues
 

i don't know when they came mandatory, but you shouldn't be able to start the car without the clutch pressed in, since it rolled over, i would have to say your clutch interlock switch is working intermittently and giving your issue

welcome to the board. :)

check the connections at the battery terminal and starter, then you can check the starter itself. you could have damaged the starter with the initial event - especially if your e-brakes are healthy.


if i recall, clutch safety interlocks were instituted in 1986. even if the year is wrong, the S3 cars didn't come with it.

Thanks for the welcome, so update:

I took the starter off, checked it all out, it was not damaged, nor any gearing inside the engine it contacts with, I accidentally pulled one of the wire connecting the starter to a plastic connector. I replaced that, cleaned everything up, put it back on and I somehow haven't had a problem with it yet...

Now I have a question, I've noticed a lot of oil on the under-carriage, and it seemed to all come from the black rubber hoses connecting to the oil filter. Is this a common problem? I'll be replacing them along with all of my belts this weekend since the belts seem old and worn/cracked... :icon_tdow

Next comes body panel hammering and bondo since the previous owner somehow backed into a post with the driver down open and over-extended and messed up the front left fender and door a bit.. I'll post before and after pictures soon!
https://cimg4.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...5864c1b08e.jpg


New headlights, eurovision are fantastic, along with using mother's back to black on the headlight plastics.


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...3722ead778.jpg


https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...ee34849873.jpg


before.

good job with the starter. a dirty or loose connection is all it takes. there doesn't have to be something wrong with the starter itself.

i'm assuming you meant to say oil cooler, but i'm still a bit confused. being a 12A, your car should have a beehive, which should only have one metal line. so has your car been converted to the radiator-type oil cooler?

I have not yet done the conversion, but the previous owner did give me two aluminum braided lines with a radiator oil cooler, i just don't know where to put it or how to install it. any help there? I'll take pics and post later of what i was talking about with the two rubber hoses

i'm assuming you meant to say oil cooler, but i'm still a bit confused. being a 12A, your car should have a beehive, which should only have one metal line. so has your car been converted to the radiator-type oil cooler?[/QUOTE]

i will wait for the photos, but if you're still running the beehive, then the only other lines that should be carrying oil outside the engine would be the MOP lines (passenger side, leading to the carburetor).

as for the conversion, since your car is an '84 you have the provisions to bolt the front mount cooler in there already. whether it's easy to bolt it in will completely depend on what year cooler you have. either way, it's not that hard. it may require some fabrication (getting fittings and maybe trimming the radiator support bracket), but that would be about it. did you get the oil filter pedestal with the parts your received? if not, you will need one.

so here is the pics of the hosing i was talking about, and as for the replacement oil filter radiator, i only have 2 aluminum braided lines, and the radiator, so I need to get what else?
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...85ac2d4ed2.jpg


here is the hose


https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...dc416bbec8.jpg


this is a close up on the hose too

that line actually carries antifreeze. there's two of them, a supply and return to the oil cooler (beehive).

that whole area looks pretty cruddy, so it could be anything. it could be the seals (o-ring) under the oil cooler, it could be the coolant lines, it could be the dowel - as i said, anything. the trick with leaks is you need to catch them in the act. i would advise making some time to clean the entire area and then with the engine running, see if you can figure out exactly what's leaking.

when you remove the beehive to install the front-mount cooler, you're going to lose the ability to mount the oil filter. you will need an oil filter pedestal. it's a stand alone aluminum piece that bolts (and seals) exactly where the beehive is connected.

Where do i find an oil filter pedestal? I would really like to remove the beehive. I have only at this moment the two braided oil lines and oil cooler (radiator style)... Is there a tutorial anywhere on how to remove the beehive and such?


I took some time to do some body work the other day and I still need to sand the whole area, bondo and prime it... painting the whole car will come later this summer.
https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...592973bf66.jpg


before


https://cimg1.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...5cf3b6c8ad.jpg


Door will come next... May just end up doing bondo on the door since it would be easier than taking the door off...


https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx7...d6f7df0dbf.jpg


shaped and partial sanding so i can see the shape of the metal better

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...-help-1007470/

https://www.rx7club.com/1st-gen-arch...p-pics-478521/

the second thread has a photo of it.

So I have a question, is there a common issue with these old rx-7's that is a common short or issue with the alternator or something that drains the battery slowly while the car is off? I'm having the issue of the longer it sits, the harder it is to crank over...:(

common issue? not really. i guess, i'll start with the obvious, how old is the battery? next would be to confirm the alternator is actually charging.

I bought this battery last week because i thought the last one was just not holding a charge. The alternator is charging and I'm just not sure how to or where to start looking for an electrical leak

(Located in corvallis OR)

Side note, i want to change the transmission fluid, i don't know when the last time it was done, but I don't know which type of fluid i should use or how much i need..

well, the next thing to check is if something is staying on when the power is off. pull the negative cable and connect your meter or test light. rig it so that they stay connected, then start pulling fuses until it goes off.

for the transmission fluid, get something with a GL4 or GL5 rating. 75W90 is a good mixed weight. it should cover the weather you get there in Oregon. synthetic is best.

So another question, I'm having the hardest time trying to find my horn relay switch.. I got a replacement since all other parts turned to be okay, the horns, the actual part of the steering wheel, i just can't find the damned relay switch, any idea where it is? I've looked in every manual i can find and i still can't figure out where it is, even after trying to dig around down under my console.

here: https://www.rx7club.com/1st-generati...-unit-1015876/