I have an 86 RX7 I'm working on for someone. Car has 16K miles and has basically sat for about 20 years. I thought the engine was locked up, but since the trotle body was loosened mice got in and stored seeds in one of the rotors.. Anyways, everything has been taken apart cleaned and put back together. Changed the tank, pump, fuel fitler, rebuilt fuel injectors, changed all fluids. Just swapped out the fuel regulator with one off a running car. I'm getting spark, plugs and wires are in the correct spots. I really think it's not getting fuel. It will start for about a second and sound good, but then dies. I have the air cleaner hose off because the electric air duct under the air filter seemed seized up. But everything is still plugged in. I guess the next step is to check if the injectors are getting power? I haven't ever done this, if you agree, do you know how? Is there anything else that could be shutting the car down instantly? I had all four plugs out to see if I had spark, and the mist that was coming out of the engine while turning it over didn't smell like gas. I have had MMO sitting in the engine, so I'm thinking it's mostly that. But I should be smelling some gas too, right? Thanks for any ideas.
bob

 

welcome to the board.

double check the fuel lines and make sure they are not reversed.

 

Try jumpering the fuel check connector. And did you accidentally mix the supply and return hoses upon reinstalling the engine?

 

Thanks for the help. I don't think the lines are crossed. I thought of that today and tried reversing them and that didn't help, and actually it was worse. I did have the tank out and the engine out, and I replaced some of the. hoses while everything was out. the fuel is going through the line with the filter to the engine, so that should be correct.

 

I will be working on it again tomorrow and will give you an update.

 

Is the fuel check connector the connector to jump the fuel pump? I just took the gas tank and fuel pump out of a running car. And now in the new car I do have pressure in the line going up to the engine.. also had pressure when I took the fuel regulator off.

 

sounds like a decent sized vac leak, have you double checked all the hoses

 

The check connector is part of the Emission harness and located between the passenger fender well and the engine. Likely it's hidden under the harness and is in a Black rubber boot. Connector is Yellow and has but two wires. One should be Brown and the other Black.

 

I really don't think it is a vacuum leak that is making it stall out. I do however have a leak that I can hear in the brake booster. Maybe I'll plug that hoses off just to be sure it's not part of the problem. When I turn the car over and it run for the 1/2 second, I hear the bootser sucking in air for a while, so it's not a huge leak.

 

Thanks Satch, I believe I know which one your taking about. I'll have to look up the fuel pressure on these cars, must be low compared to newer cars. Hope to figure this out tomorrow, would like to get it running for the guy by the weekend.

 

It does have fuel returning to the tank. I jumped the fuel pump wire, with the fuel pump running the car still stall out the same. I also disconnected the fuel line from the regulator and fuel did come out of it. I guess if it didn't, the pulse dampener might be bad?

 

this is the problem from what I can see:
" It will start for about a second and sound good, but then dies. I have the air cleaner hose off because the electric air duct under the air filter seemed seized up"
..
are you referring to the Air Flow meter?..If that flapper is stuck then your car is not going to get fuel correctly.

 

Thanks!! I was just going through the manual and thought tomorrow I would check that out and also get the air filter box all together in case that was screwing it up. There was something in the manual on checking the air flow meter. That's where I will start. I do have the AFM plugged in, I just have the top cover off thinking the AFM would restrict air if it was stuck. Thanks again!
bob

 

Bob..if you got the AFM off the air box,and look into it.that flapper should be like a "little trap",that the door opens and closes.
I have found one seized up on me before..
IF you take the little phillips screws off the thing you can get hit that flapper with some Sandpaper and lube to get it moving again.
The aluminum corrodes the parts around the flapper and makes it stick or seize.
BUT check to see it is Moving FIRST..If it IS then it is NOT your Problem.
Ps: not responsible for any "guesses" uttered!!!

 

OH!..another thing..make sure the AFM is connected to the harness and the AFM is on the air hose and the air hose is hooked up to the throttle body.
The Afm needs to meter air to the Tb and then the TPS and AFM can work together to tell the ECU what fuel the engine needs.

 

Thanks for your help! I am going now to try this stuff. I don't know if the AFM normally moves if you have it out of the car, but this one seemed solid. Mice were in this thing and with their mess, looked like it was corroded up. I washed it out as good as I could then put some marvel mystery oil in where the door was trying to lube it up. I didn't know if it was on an electrical gear and being soild maybe was normal. When will it move? I guess I'll turn the key on an see if it does anything. Thanks again!
bob

 

It should push very easily,seeing that air flow will move it.
If it does not move with a "finger weight' on it then you need to attend to it.

 

You hit the nail on the head!! It was seized up from mice pee. I took it apart and cleaned it like you said, got it working freely, but it didn't start right away. The owner of the car is also on this site and he told me to prop open the door a bit, and that did it. Now it starts right up and runs fine. I was thinking it was an electric gear that opened the door, so I figured it was normal to not be able to push it. Thanks a million. I have been working on this car for someone, now I'm starting to like it. Better get all of my other car projects done before getting any more though!