Okay i have this problem with my 83 and she won't start. The car cranks but just doesn't want to crank over. The only thing that i had a problem with is that the carb would leak from the top on the, the fuel bowl closet to the firewall. At that time the car wouldn't start, just crank. Now i have taken off the old gasket from the top of the carb and replaced it and it doesn't leak, but she still doesn't want to crank over.. Everything is hooked back up.. I've checked the ignitors thinking maybe it might be a spark problem because the carb is getting gas when i pump it to try and start it.. I've also checked the dizzy cap... Can anyone please help i don't want to give up on my 7 now...

 

Make sure you are getting fuel into the intake. Try pouring a little fuel directly into the primary barrels (small ones). If it starts and then dies, you are not getting fuel into the combustion chamber. On the other hand, it may be badly flooded. Remove the plugs and see if they are soaked in fuel. If so, dry them, and squirt a little ATF, MMO, or regular oil (take your pick) into the leading spark plug holes. If you can rotate the engine by hand to make sure you get some on all three rotor faces. Re-install the plugs and try to start it. When it starts it will smoke like crazy but should quite after a couple of min. This does not do good things for your cats. or you plugs but is often the only way to get a badly flooded motor started. If it is flooded, after you get it started, make sure you change you oil as soon as possible as it will most likely be contaminated with fuel. Also go ahead and get some new plugs because they will now be fouled up pretty good. If neither of these things work, check your compression. You have to have fuel, spark, and compression to run. You said you had checked for spark so that one is eliminated. Your most likely problem is your fuel either lack of or too much. Hopefully it is not a compression problem which most likely means your engine is toast and needs to be rebuilt or replaced.

Hope this helps and good luck.

 

I've checked the plugs all 4 and there soaked with gas and i've then cleaned them off and put them back in and the car fired up, but then died. I've tried starting her up again and nothing she would just crank but no start. Which plug is the leading one?? Another question how would i turn the engine by hand?? How would i check for compression??? thanks for the quick response!!

 

Leading = Lower plug
Trailing = Top plug

1 = front (of car) rotor
2 = rear rotor

If it fired up, then died again, that would suggest an overly rich or lean mixture. Check around for vacuum leaks and cracked hoses, and then do a search for carb/starting problems. There is a tonne of info here.

Or you can do what I did, and yank the carbed 12A for an FI 13b. Starts beautifly now.

 

sounds like it keeps flooding. Try taking the plugs off and crank the engine over just a tad it should squirt the gas out. Put plugs back in and fire it up. Had the same thing happen to my engine. Also try tuning your carb, that was done to mine as well.

 

Good news and bad news. Good news: it started. At least you know that you compression is good (hopefully on both rotors). Bad news: it sounds like it is flooded again. Probably means your carb. needs to be rebuilt. Its not too difficult and the rebuild kits are easy to get (Autozone, etc) It is a bit tedious and you HAVE to be neat and ORGANIZED. The Haynes manual does a reasonably good job of taking you through the dissassembly process. However, if you have any doubts about it. Take it to a pro. There is nothing really very different about the RX-7 carb. from piston engine carbs. so any shop that rebuilds piston engine carbs and do yours. You can try adjusting the air/fuel mix as someone else suggested but my money is on a carb. rebuild in your near future. IF you want it done really right, send it to Sterling. I have heard nothing but excellent comments on his handy work and his price for a stock rebuild seems pretty reasonable to me.

 

Oh yea, I forgot to put this in the last post. I can generally grab a fan belt and get the engine to rotate. Compression checking is a little tricky on a roatary. You can use a standard compression gauge BUT you have to remove the pressure release valve. Then when you hook it up to the leading spark plug holes. Crank the car with the starter and watch the needle bounce. You have to watch VERY closely. Three equall bounces of at least 90 psi on each rotor and you are in good shape. If you get two highs and a low bounce bad. Two lows and a high bad. Three lower than 90 bad. Check each rotor. If you are getting three equal bounces lower than around 90 psi it is time for a rebuild. Uneven bounces is usually a blown or stuck apex seal. Stuck is fixable with ATF treatment. Blown usually destroys your rotor housing. BAD very BAD.

 

no no no .. this is a classic case of flooding ... happened to me TOOO many times ...
Easiest way to unflood ? well .. this is what I did ... take this info like you want , me not responsible if it don't work :P lol

ok ok .. 1stthings 1st ... take spark plugs out ... if they are soaked or dirty , take a torshe and flame em' ! until they are dry .. ( takes bout 30 seconds .. ) now only flame the end, not the whole thing ... don't be scared to scre them up, the combustion in your engine is WAY hotter then that. Ok next step, unplugg your gas pump ... Why do you do this ? well .. you already have enough gas IN the engine, why bring more in ? lol once that's done, turn the engines over ( w/o spark pluggs or wires ) ... you'lle see and hear it bursting out the side ... this is normal ... turn it over 3-4 seconds, then stop then re-do until there's no ore gas comming out . After this is done, put the pluggs back in and start it up W/O THE PUMP PLUGGED ! .... it *should* start ... if it doesn't right away , pump it *A BIT * ... once you feal it starting DONT LET IT DIE OUT ... cuz then it will re-flood and you'lle have to start over ... happend to me I unflooded it like 6 times in a row .. PITA ! .. Ne ways ... once it gets going, let it run till it dies out on its own ( and it will, cuz there's no pump ) ...

After , re-hook ther pump , and voila ! a brand new rex loll .. you gotta change the oil after this cuz you probably have gas in it .... Questions ?? ask me .. I'm the pro in un-flooding now ! :P lol

 

The_dude has a great method...though if it keeps flooding I really think a carb rebuild/tune is in order. why the hell you would do the ATF trick to unflood is beyond me...
Since when does adding MORE oil/fuel help unflood? The ATF trick should ONLY be done as a last ditch effort to free up a motor that is carbon locked from sitting or has terrible compression.

 

Nah, a little oil helps bump the compression back up to make it easier to start. Flooded engines (piston engines included) have low compression cause the gas wipes off the oil from the sealing surfaces. The oil restores it.

 

Thanks guys for all the info im going to try it out over the weekend and i hope that it works out. One more thing im thinking about rebuilding because it sounds to me like its time for one, but does anyone know what the price range may be for one?? I checked on the internet and there going to charge me $195 is that a good price, but the only problem is shipping is going to suck and packaging as well.. well thanks for all the info!!!