lennyK

Hi all. I've got an 82 RX7 with 44k miles that was running fine. One day it starting stumbling - it sounded like a rotor wasn't firing. Fearing the worst I checked compression. It was fine. I then checked the timing. It was advanced about 60 deg! The dizzy signal rotor was indeed offset about 60 deg from the pick-up coil when the pulley indicator pin is lined up with the 1st timing mark. I pulled the dizzy and there was no wear on the gear and the pin was not broken. I aligned the dizzy the proper way (aligned the tally marks on the drive gear and housing) and reinstalled. The timing is right on when cranking but now the engine does not start at all. Any ideas on what's going on?

wthdidusay82

iTrader: (15)

Fouled out spark plugs causing the engine to have a hard time starting and causing it to flood?

lennyK

It's not flooded or fouled. I left sufficient time to allow for flooding and the plugs are fine. The main question is how from one day to the next the timing could change so radically. Any other ideas?

Rotospeed

iTrader: (8)

If its flooded it won't de flood siting like a piston engine, you will ned to deflood it.

Was the dizzy lose? when you checked the timing are you shure the timing light pickup was not picking up the trailing sig?

What rpm did you check at and was the vac advance unhooked?

lennyK

The dizzy was not loose. I checked end to end adjustment of the dizzy and that would only account for about half of the error I saw. So I took your suggestion and deflooded - plugs out, MMO down the carb, cranked for a few seconds a few times, reinstalled dry cleaned plugs. No start. A couple of corrections to my original post. When I first checked timing it was 'RETARDED' about 60 deg - the timing lite indicated the leading mark about where the pulley and the alternator belt intersect. When I removed the dizzy cap the signal rotor was off about '30 DEG' from the sensor. I used a visual inspection scope to try to see the distributor drive gear but I couldn't get a good look at it. I hope I am missing something but so far the main question remains - is it possible for the distributor to mechanically shift position?

lennyK

Update - when I return the dizzy to it's position where I found it when the problem first occurred (2 teeth off from where it should be) the engine starts but has the same issue as before - sounds like a rotor is not firing. Timing lite shows spark on all leads and Leading mark about where the pulley and alt belt intersect. Help?