Tell me what's missing here...
 

On the top of the bell housing in my RX-4, there is a hole where something should bolt on...you can see the flywheel through this hole. What goes here? Is this where a top-mount starter goes? If so, then why does my car have a starter on the bottom like a normal car?

You should know my RX-4 has been converted to a 12A, and I don't have a clue what is correct or not...

thanks dudes.

sounds like someone used an earlier bellhousing to get things to mate up. I think RX-4's only came with a 13B originally . . . yes the hole on top would be for a top mount starter if it has two threaded holes on the two corners. not sure how the starter works on the bottom as well unless that bell housing fit both styles of starters from the factory, but you'd think there'd be some kind of block-off plate on top or something.

HTH

Try poking a large slotted screwdriver in the hole and grip one of the gear teeth of the flywheel. Then use lever action to rotate the engine a little. That's what that hole is for. There is supposed to be a rubber cap there to cover it. Somebody along the way must have lost it.

Thanks guys.

I don't know where the engine came from...I had assumed it was a 1st gen RX-7 one...It's not a twin dizzy. But could it be from a RX-5 Cosmo? Did they have the 12A?

Anyways whoever was responsible for the swap did a pretty thorough hack-job on it. I'll be sorting through wiring issues for some time. :(

I haven't even thrown a battery in the thing to see what happens. I'd have to rig up a gas supply since the junk yard removed the tank (destroyed the trunk latch and trim piece there in the process :mad: )

Wouldn't it be funny if I did the Marvel Mystery Oil thing and it actually ran? Hasn't been licensed since '90!

If the 12a is from a first gen, that hole is normal and is suposed to be covered by an inspection plate. If the plate is not there, it is too easy to drop something down in there and lock up the motor... (I found out the hard way...)

Hope this helps!!

The first rotarys, like the 10a and some very early 12a's, had the starter mounted on top of the engine, and I believe as these engines progressed to later 12a and 13b and the trannys were changed for bottom mount starters, the only changes to the engines from 10a to 12a and 13b were the rotor housings, rotors, e-shafts and oil pan. The intermediate housings were continued to be used which still had the top mount starter position which was covered with a piece of sheet metal. Even the '83 engine in mine has this sheet metal bolted in this place. Check '86 and later engines an see if they still have the top mount point on them.

The little black plug that goes there has the letters TH on it. I haven't ever understood what it meant. "The Hole" maybe?????

[QUOTWouldn't it be funny if I did the Marvel Mystery Oil thing and it actually ran? Hasn't been licensed since '90!E][/QUOTE]
I have seen them come back many times...

TH probably means Top Hole? It's a convenient way to look at the condition of the flywheel ring gear teeth.

I thought it stood for "transmision hole".:D