Rough Idle and power loss
 

Hiya all. I'm still new to the RX7, but I have a 1980 SA with the 12a & nikkei carb. Well, it was parked most all of this past winter, after it started warming up, I changed out the oil, and drove it for about 2 weeks. It just suddenly, over oh about 15 miles of a drive got to where it wouldn't idle at low rpm's, and started to get a power loss at anything over 5k rpms. From what I've read it seems to be a possible vacuum leak which I'll start tracking down later, but would it possibly be a mixture/idle air screw setting being out? the car is all stock, 12a w/automatic transmission. most of the guides and directions I've seen refer to the later nikkei carbs for settings, but this one has the idle air screw for setting the idle(pain in the butt) and what should be the base setting for the main mixture screw for a base starting point? I hope it's something simple, I just thought it was wierd how it just came on somewhat suddenly. fluids were all good like they should be, etc. I can get it to start and run, smooths out at over 2k rpm, but has a severe 'putter' to it at idle. any ideas? thanks in advance.

question: when you stored it,did you add any additives to the fuel?..like a stabilizer?
Carbed cars love to gum up the fuel system and run like crap.

no I hadn't, but it didn't have but a gallon or two in it, and I would start it up every couple weeks, just didn't drive it. was in a garage. was gifted to me last year by my step father, and he had stored it for 4 years prior to that. it's ran fine up till now, just the loss came on suddenly. just wanted to make sure that there wasn't something else that it could possibly be that would cause it.

Check your plugs and spark to all plugs

My friend here makes a good suggestion..as a Start.

You really should address the fact that the car was inactive for a long period of time and that Gas can gum up lines,etc.A Full fuel system cleaning should be looked at,and I am sure that your Fuel filter would be a nice BBQ starter and burn for 3 days with all the crap it has in it.

Honestly you just can't take a car out that has been stored for 4 years and drive it "with Gusto".
If I was asleep for 4 years and had to RUN a marathon I would bitch at you too!!

A nice fresh set of plugs and wires would be beneficial to the car also.Even if they look OK the satisfaction of having the maintenance done is peace of mind that you know the parts have been addressed.(keep the old ones as spares)

I did change the plugs, wires, cap/rotor, and coils with spares I had from a parts car I purchased last summer, no change. got it running today and checked for vacuum leaks, no leaks detected. Fuel filter was new last summer with about 800 driven miles on it. it just seemed odd that I drove it about 200 miles this spring and it was fine, then just suddenly it started doing this.

Crap in the carb IMO. Something has dislodged in there whilst driving and blocked up something...