Old Rex

Alrighty. I just finished doing the ATF treatment (Used MMO). I replaced the cheap autolite plugs I had with NGK, and used Bosch plug wires made for the RX-7. I have worked on cars for years and I am confident on their quality. I replaced the oil with some MMO and Castrol GTX as I should.

I managed to get the car to idle, although it still accelerates like sheee-ite. Maybe it's supposed to. I have a hard time believing that, though, because if all the RX-7's accelerated like mine, you all sure as hell wouldn't have a forum devoted to it!

So I'm guess in it's a vacuum leak. As some of you may remember, I broke a solinoid at the tip and JB Welded it back on. Peejay on this board said I can't do that, and he offered me one, but he hasn't responded to any of my posts. I sprayed carb cleaner on each hose and connection, and nothing. I tried starting fluid next. Nothing different. The idle didn't change.

I'm about to scrap the car here. I need some help. Any ideas? By the way, most of the vacuum hoses were replaced, as well as the cap, rotor and upper radiator hose.

Someone convince me this is a sports car!

Brandon

Denny

It's okay, Buckaroo...

We'll help yuh get it up and runnin'. You might wanna contact aussiemg, he's an Ohio forum guy, but usually hangs out with the 2nd gen crowd. You can get his personal info from this forum. Peejay's good people, and isn't steering you wrong.

I have an '85 GSL 12A that also lacks acceleration. I'm almost positive it's the carb. If I wasn't running a header and a straight thru back to a muffler I'd swear it was a plugged cat. You don't still have the cats on, do yuh? RX-7 cats are infamous for honeycomb collapse and clogging, especially one with lots of miles. You may wanna disconnect the exhaust right after the header and start 'er up. Oh Yeah, she'll be super loud, but does it rev and idle better?

At the moment other projects are taking up my garage time, but I've got several extra carbs, and sometime soon I'm gonna get focused on the problem. Mine idles fine, seems to rev fine at a standstill, so I'm also beginning to wonder about the clutch, though it engages smoothly, and grabs good????

What yuh really need is another RX-7...An '84/'85 GSL-SE. That way you get a bigger engine, fuel injection, and lots and lots more. Anyway, I take it you set the timing correctly, so I'm suspecting the cats...

Keep at it, Buckaroo...Don't give up now
Denny, from the 'ol corncrib....

Suparslinc

Timings my first guess too.
Did you have the distributor out for any reason? If the teeth don't get aligned perfectly it puts the timing out about 20 degrees per tooth or so.
My project car needed a distributor; at first it sputtered, started hard, lurched, bogged, overall ran like crap, until I finally got the timing resolved. Now its like a whole other car. If I can only get the thing to stop overheating now. . .
Also, you don't have leading and trailing wires or coils crossed do you? better check that out too.

cpt_gloval

iTrader: (1)

Just so you know, Rx-7s w/ the 12a aren't exactly speed demons.

I don't know if your car really is slow, or if you're just expecting too much.

The 0-60 time is in the 9s stock, and the 1/4 is about 17sec.

Old Rex

I'm taking that into account. It's funny, i see people on here bragging about beating Hondas, so I figured I'd get a little more out of this car. My last car was a Honda del Sol with a B16A engine that got 24 MPG when i was hard on it, and managed to run 13.9 in the 1/4. This RX-7 would be lucky to beat 19 in the 1/4 and gets 16 mpg. Yuck.

But I haven't given up on it yet. It seems to have quite a kick going into 2nd, even though it is an automatic. I'd like to believe it has a little more out of first. I guess I am really going by the fact that it did run better than this when i test drove it, and I bought it right away, so I know no one messed with it between the time I bought it and the time I test drove it.


To answer the other questions, I do still have the cat on. How am I supposed to pass Echeck (This is to the Ohio People) without the cat on???. I am all for finding more power out of stock components (I want to keep this car as stock as possible) but I don't mind removing useless parts or disabling them.

What's this I hear about disabling the air pump? The belt is going on it anyway....would it do good? Would it screw up emissions?

I guess I need a basis for comparison. I've never really ridden in anyone else's first gen RX-7, so I don't know what to expect.

jimmyv13

Pull off your exhaust and check for a clogged main cat. There are two pre-monolithics and then the main. You can get a high flow cat to replace it, just make sure that's your problem. If you have to pass emissions, leave your air pump belt on, and then you can take it off once you pass the test, if you want. But, you will have to put it back on whenever you need to pass an emissions test.

When you did the ATF trick, how long did you let it sit? If you can, do it again, but use regular ATF(not MMO), and let it sit for at least 24 hrs. That will clear any carbon build up.

I'd give you a ride in my first gen in you were anywhere near Detroit. Once you get it running right, you'll forget all about that Honduh POS.

Old Rex

LOL! That Honduh POS would hand me my *** and still get better MPG! So far, the Honda reliability's got this one beat, too!

I let the car sit more than 24 hours, and I was told that MMO was better than ATF for this treatment. And don't get me wrong, it does run better, I'm just still having issues with the acceleration and idle.

Peejay, where are you?????

jimmyv13

Where did you hear that MMO was better than ATF? I heard the opposite...I guess the ATF is the "carbon fighting agent" and the MMO just a little bit of ATF in it. That's just what I've heard from ppl talking about it in here. I was told to do the treatment again in about a month or two, I'll try using MMO next time.

If you want good gas mileage, then buy something else, we don't like these cars because we can get 40 mpg. I have a ported 12A that gets around 25mpg. That comes out to being almost 400 miles per tank. I'm perfectly happy with that. It was only about 19 until I did the ATF treatment.

I think you'll be happy with it once it runs right. Just don't give up, deal? We are all here to help.........

P.O.S. Racing

Could the Automatic Transmission be causing some of the issues?

What are some of the symptoms? Is it missing, is taking forever to rev? Have you checked compression?

I know it just a bunch of questions but seems as if a bit more information may help!

Old Rex

I'd be ecstatic if I could get 25 or even 20 MPG! Right now, I am pushing 15 - 16 MPG, even on the highway.

All the various websites and people I spoke to have said MMO was better, including the people on this board, stating that MMO was made to burn off, unlike ATF. www.mazspeed.com is one of the sites I checked.

Right now, I am getting 245 miles per tank, and it is completely stock.

cpt_gloval

iTrader: (1)

this sounds more and more like a congested main cat. or a heinous vaccum leak.

but i have no experience with the auto, so as far as i know, that could be it, too.

jimmyv13

I use MMO in the tank every 3rd or 4th fill up, and every oil change(2500 miles).....I guess I'll use it for my next "treatment".


I never thought about the auto tranny......I always think that everyone has a 5 speed.

Jeff20B

iTrader: (13)

Check the modualtor tube and the AC vacuum sensing tube. Both mine were cracked and leaking.

Northern 7

iTrader: (3)

Could be one or more of a number of things - the cheepest ones to look at are:
- fuel filter / air filter
- new cap (to go with those new wires / plugs)
- check your mixture
- timing (as already posted)
- coils (especially the trialing - I had a poor trailing coil which caused the same problems you are having - real rough and no power)
- secondaries

I agree with a few of the others who have responded - I recommend ATF - every time I do it I seem to get a little better performance. I also pickle mine in ATF over the winter while it's in storag - longer you leave it the better.

I'm sure you'll been through this list but you never know

Good luck with it -

peejay

Sorry man... my roommate didn't pay the phone bill for a few months, didn't tell me about it, and our phone got shut off early in the week. ARGH.

I'm willing to take a look at it in person, altho I couldn't do much since some lowlife stole my toolbox from the dragstrip this summer, it had 90% of my cool little homemade/rotary-specific tools in there.

13.9's from a Del Sol! Unfortunately you probably won't crack that without some expensive/emissions-failing mods, short of installing a complete Turbo II engine, computer, and emissions system, which would at least be emissions legal.

Old Rex

PJ...if you could just look at it and at least tell me if it is running like it should, that'd be perfect, plus I need to swap out the soleniod anyway. Drop me an email AvianMan@aol.com since I can't email you.

Thanks a lot, man.


Brandon

rreader

Check your ignitors! if one is bad the car may run but it will flood from time to time and run really crappy. but it will run.

Jim

Rotor13B

I'm gonna step out on a limb here and raise the ol'e flag. 13.9 1/4 mile e.t.? I can whoop *** on a B16A and can't crack 15's in my car......

Old Rex

I'll see your flag and raise you another

I suggest you continue to race that B16A you are whooping. The biggest problem with B16A's is the driver! The "Mommy and Daddy" sponsored cars tend to have bad drivers who don't know how to do anything behind the wheel.

The fact is, if you can't crack 15's, then you should have some real trouble with the B16. Motor Trend clocked the STOCK del Sol VTEC (DOHC B16A3) as running mid 15's. Mine was by no means stock.

In actuality, I don't see what's so difficult to understand. Dark Sol Motorsports frequently runs a naturally asperated del Sol with a B16 that consistantly runs high 12's. You can go to their website here... http://www.darksol.com

What is scarey is that both times I managed to break into the 13's I was beaten....by another del Sol, no less.

But don't feel too bad....my del Sol was by no means stock. It was all NA, but it pretty much had the works done to it....Tenabe Exhaust, DC header, ITR Intake, Iceman Induction, B&M FPR, JG TB, AEM Underdrive Pullies, the list goes on...

Keep the faith, man, but don't get too cocky, or one day you'll challenge what Sport Compact car calls the one of the best engines ever made - the B16A, and he'll hand you your behind.



But enough of that. I have an RX-7 now, and I want to learn about this rotory engine. I had fun with the Hondas and now it's time to move on....

Brandon

P.O.S. Racing

Old Rex, see by the website link you provided that Motor Trend reported the No Sol’s ¼ mile time at 15.800 @ 90 mph. When did “8” become a mid number?

Rotor13B

I didn't mean i couldn't get into the fifteens, i meant that i couldn't break into the 14"s....lol

and if i could figure out this damn thing and post pics i have slips to prove it....

P.O.S. Racing

Old Rex, need some more clarification on the following statement, “In actuality, I don't see what's so difficult to understand. Dark Sol Motorsports frequently runs a naturally aspirated del Sol with a B16 that consistently runs high 12's. You can go to their website here... http://www.darksol.com”

If your talking about David Stewarts No Sol, it shows in the engine performance section that it has an ITR B18C5 Short Block. So where’s the B16? Is it in the trunk?