Hey guys. Name's Kyle. I just recently traded my 93 ford ranger for an 88 rx7 convertible 13b non-turbo that has some minor cosmetic issues but seems to run great. Needed a battery to get it started cause it's been sitting for about a year or so and after we fixed the leaky injector o-rings spraying fuel everywhere and replaced the battery it idled and drove great all throughout the rpm band.

I'm looking to get info on what I need to look out for or mod/replace stock oem equip to get the most out of the car as far as reliability is concerned for now as it will be a daily driver. I've discovered "pre-mixing" on your forum already and the whole EOP deal and I'd like to get that better explained as well. Oh, and btw...car has 120k on it. I'd also like to know where I could find a new conv top, series5 tail lights, a shift ****, seats, carpet/floor mats, cat, and how much they run for or just be directed to some good rx7 sites. Thanks.

Issues with the car are some minor tears in the conv top where the drains are(so carpet isn't great), oxygen sensor might still be good but was disconnected for some reason. Front driver-side fendor was damaged due to the door starting to sag on the hinges so eventually wouldn't open properly. Cat has a hole in it and pops at high rpm due to excess fuel I'm guessing from the oxygen sensor being disconnected. Besides that I think that the car is in great shape and I got a hell of a deal on the trade. Dude traded cause he bought the car to do an LS1 swap but doesn't have the money or time anymore as he's in college now. Of course I plan on taking care of all tune-up items asap so those won't be an issue if they were including some other things because I'm a perfectionist and if I think that something is even a little off i will fix it, otherwise it will bug the $hit out of me, lol.

Thanks for reading and your help.

 

Released thread so 2ndgen guru's can take a gander and offer their solid opinions. I'm a 1stgen guy still playing with carburetors...

Mario III

 

http://www.aaroncake.net/rx-7/unstore.htm

Premixing on a stock engine isn't going to be worth the time or trouble, especially with 120K on the clock. The anecdotal advantages of premix would be negated by suddenly premixing on an engine with already 120K.

Many of the parts you are looking for can be found at Black Dragon/Victoria British.

The hole is causing the pops, not the O2 sensor. Replace the sensor for sure, but it doesn't really have that great an effect.

The car should receive a full tuneup, injector cleaning, and all the sensors should be checked.

 

and change out all your fluids, and it wouldnt hurt to flush your cooling system

 

If you are going to follow aaron's advice and not remove the mop to premix, I would strongly advise that you check the oil lines running from the pump to be sure that they are in alright condition.

 

I will do all that has been mentioned so far. If you think of anything else let me know. Appreciate the help guys. Good to feel welcome.

Was also wondering guys what emissions equip can I remove without harming my chances of passing inspections? I live in PA and they even inspect your gas caps pressure here, lol.

Oh, and also...did the 88 verts come with an LSD? Thanks. Sorry for being so newbish, lol. Can't rely or wikipedia for everything...

 

Had to go find that from Icemark. Honestly I didn't even know that.

Here's the link:

https://www.rx7club.com/2nd-generation-specific-1986-1992-17/did-88-convertible-come-lsd-269165/

 

Thanks for the info. Mines a 5spd vert btw. Guess that would have helped. So I have no LSD but I have a 3.9 rear gear. Would that be the rear I want or the 4.1?

 

None.

The emissions system in these cars is a little unique, and it is best not to mess with it without reason. Many cars have been screwed up by botched emissions removal.

 

what are you planning on using it for?

 

That's the first thing I would fix (O2 sensor). I would then verify that the ECU is seeing the sensor properly by 1) checking for trouble codes, and 2) verifying the ECU is going into closed loop operation at cruise rpm.

If the O2 sensor is disconnected, or the ECU is not seeing it (bad wire, etc) the car will run rich all the time, overheat the cat, and potentially build up carbon deposits. These cars are sometimes known to be susceptible to 'carbon lock', which a good rotary mechanic can sometimes clear, and sometimes not.

The disconnected O2 sensor may be why the cat has a hole in it. If it has been that way for a while, it may have melted the hole in the cat.

Also, if the cat has been overheated (run too rich) for a while, it may be melted internally, which can result in an exhaust restriction--lack of power, poor gas mileage, etc. You can test the cat by giving it a good whack with a mallet, or your fist; if it rattles, its bad. Then again, since yours has a hole in it, you can skip the test step and go straight to 'replace'.

A good (closed loop) O2 sensor system will also tend to keep the plugs cleaner.

 

I second that recommendation. IMHO, there is little to be gained by emissions removal anyway; contrary to the common belief, there is no significant power gain available thru emissions removal--because all of the (supposedly) power-robbing emissions systems shut off under heavy acceleration anyway. Much better just to be perfectionistic about making sure that all of the systems are operating to spec, and then apply smog legal mods if you like. I have a K&N (CA smog legal) intake system on my car, for example.