...that doesn't run for no apparent reason. I've installed the jets that rx7doctor suggested, cleaned the carb, got msd blaster 2 coils, an optima red top battery, a carter p4070 fuel pump, a holley 1-4 psi FPR w/ holley 1-15psi guage all on a freshly rebuilt motor and the thing still won't start. It still acts the same. It's like when it's trying to start something is creating pressure in the opposite way making it stop every now and then, but then it goes right back to turning. I have no idea what is wrong with it, but if it's not running soon I'll be going back to piston cars and never come back to rotaries. This is just stupid. No car should be like this. New parts = doesn't run. Old crappy parts = does run. It's soo awesome that everybody who knows anything about rotaries is nowhere near me. WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Dude, don't give up yet!

From your description I would guess a timing issue...but maybe you've already covered that. Hell, take it to a shop just for diagnosis if you need to, but don't give up on it. It sounds like you have a shitload of time invested already.

 

The only shop around here that hasn't possibly screwed me is a dealership. There are two rotary guys who knwo their stuff around me and they both might have f*cked something up. When a whole business is one guy they tend to be untrustworthy.

 

I lived in claremore, OK my whole life until about 3 years ago. Don't give up yet, but it is true...the mechs there will screw you bad. Even the dealership tried to screw me. But yea, it almost sounds like a timing issue.

 

I had the same problem when I rebuilt my SE. It would spin over and just when you thought that it was going to start, the engine kicked backwards. With mine it did turn out to be the timing. It turned out that I had installed the front pulley wrong (it can go on four different ways). I am pretty sure that you may have the same issue. Try to determine where TDC is. I did it by taking a light and a mirror and shining the light into the spark plug hols on the front rotor. Turn the engine until the rotor face is parallel and closest to the spark plug holes. This should be close to TDC. Now take a look at your front pulley. If it was installed correctly, the leading timing mark should be near the timing pin. If it's not (rotated 90 degrees either way), remove the four small bolts on the front pulley and turn it to where the leading mark lines up with the timing pin.

You will probably want to check you dizzy alignment too. When you know the front pulley is right, turn the engine to line up the leading mark with the timing pin. Remove the dizzy and align the mark on the gear with the mark on the shaft and reinstall (try to keep the dizzy rotor from rotate while installing). Set the dizzy so the set bolt is near the middle of the slot.

This combination should at least get the timing close. Let us know what you find out and we can take it from there.

Kent

 

I feel you pain. I wish I could help. What about your battery cables? Sounds weird but what eles do you have? Might be a bad connection or a corroded conection.

 

I had the exact same problem w/ my old seven after i rebuid it and try to start it..............I checked everything and It was flodded or sumething CArbon buildup? Try Cranking it w the Throttle all the way open and If it kinda runs (but like ****)! Just keep reving it untill idles normal.....Rev teh **** out of it( not for too long)and then drive it arround or let it run a while

 

Your timing is off, Nuff said.

 

Defiinatly timing IMO. Is there a military base near you? I could fly out there and check it out

~T.J.

EDIT: Holy crap! Thats my new idea, lol. If theres a military base near people with problems, the government can pay for my flights over to help fellow rotor heads!

 

Sounds pretty unanimous to me...

Start from scratch and make no assumptions about anything.

1. Place engine at Top Dead Center. (I don't know the procedure off hand, but I'm sure a search will yield good results).

2. Correct the position of the front pulley. As someone said, it sounds like it can be installed in four different positions, so let's assume that it is currently wrong.

3. Correct position of distributor.

If it still doesn't work after that, then we'll need to look elsewhere. However, I'm pretty sure that this is the track to pursue for starters, and there's nothing too intensive here so I'm sure you won't have any problems getting this far no matter what your mechanical skill level is...

Check it out and get back to us when you can...

 

Last night, while trying to dial in a friends 7, I discovered that the dizzy was off at least one tooth. I started by moving it back one tooth, and it created the exact symptoms you're describing. So I moved it forward three teeth, and it runs beautifully! I would start by bouncing the dizzy back an forth a couple of teeth.
Good luck!
Brian


Also, I gaurantee that if you sell it as is, one of two things will happen. Either it'll be sold to someone that knows how to fix it, and it'll be a very simple issue, and they're gonna have a badass 7 with a rebuilt motor that they got for a song, and you're gonna kick yourself. Or option b, you sell it to someone that doesn't know how to fix it, and they spend six months screwing with it, before they finally send it to the scrapper, destroying a badass 7 with a rebuilt motor, that has an easily fixed issue.

 

Yup, deffinately sounds like your timing is 90* off. The easiest way to check this is to switch your two leading spark plug wires around. Hell, they might even be backwards to start with! There should be markings on the distributor cap indicating what each spark plug wire should go to. Also, the rear most coil of the two should be the leading coil and the wire from that coil should go to the post marked L on the distributor cap. L1 means leading spark plug on the front rotor, L2 means leading spark plug on the rear rotor. Same goes for trailing.

 

Yeah. That's my next form of action. I have the rest of tonight, tomorrow afternoon, and Tuesday to try the timing. I bet my pulley is on wrong. The only way the engine would run before I ever did any performance upgrades to it was when the dizzy was 180 degrees out of time... at least it seemed that way since the pulley was in the wrong place. Easy enough to just pull the dizzy out, turn the rotor and put it back in. But seriously. If it doesn't work in a month or two I will be getting rid of it and getting something more reliable. I've all ready messed with the timing before. That was the very first thing I checked, but since I now know the pulley can be wrong I'll need to jsut do trial and error. If it's not running by the Spring BBQ I will trailer it out to the meet and see if anybody wants to help me with it. One of the local rotary "pros" should be there.

 

I have seen the exact same problems on many rebuilt motors, and its always the same problems, the timing is off. If yo decide to give it away, give it to me, I can fix it in under 15 minutes or less, and drive it away from your house

kenn

 

If it is the timing I will fix it. Timing ain't no thang. If it isn't I'll give a couple more months before I get fed up enough to sell it.

 

Holy f*cking **** it runs!!!!!!!!!!! This has to be the happiest moment of my life. I set the dizzy 90 degrees from where I previously had it and, for lack of a better word, zoom zoom. I took her out 3 times. First time I turned her off to see if I could start her again right away... bad idea. She didn't start, but I kept trying for about 5 minutes and finally she started. I then decided not to turn her off anywhere but home. I changed a few thigns and took her out again. After the second time I adjusted the fuel pressure, timing, and idle. I think i have something good right now. I'm leary about driving her around yet. I don't want to get somewhere and then have trouble. I think I'll drive her to work Wed. Surprise my coworkers who think my car is ****. It's a damn gas guzzler now though. I only went out for about 15 minutes and spent almost an eighth of a tank. Maybe just a sixteenth. There is another problem now though. My washer pump doesn't seem to be working. I have a thick layer of dust on my windshield and my washers wouldn't spray so I couldn't wipe it away. Oh well. Cheap price to pay for this much fun. I think I'll dyno her before the BBQ. I have a month. You know what's sad? I bet it was the timing all along. I mean from teh very beginning. Of course the carb was a little clogged and had a little different jetting, but I bet teh timing was the worst part of it. I don't know if I'll be able to sleep tonight. I just want to drive her forever. I actualy felt like crying after she started. ............... ::big breath:: ....... I am happy. Thank you to everybody who helped me with this. This car is, or was, my life. When she "died" so did I. You helped bring her back to life. God this feels good. I shoudl shut up now. Thank you all.

 

Glad that you got it going. I know when I had my pulley on wrong, it was driving me crazy as to why it wouldn't start. Just take it easy on the engine while it goes though the break-in process. The more that it runs, the easier it will be to start and the smoother it will run. I know it can be frustrating sometimes with these problems, but once you get them worked out and you have the car on the road again, it is all worth it.

 

Am very happy for you man!

Never give up....these cars are worth it!

Now go and show it off!

 

Yup, as mentioned, be semi easy on it while it breaks in (theres lots of good break in info out there). Also as said, the more it runs the better the seals will seal, and the easier it will start. Its gonna have semi low compression for a little while which makes it hard to start since the seals arent worn in. Once that clears up it should be a dream. I know I can only dream of the day I have a rebuilt rotary in one of my cars!

~T.J.

EDIT: Glad to hear its running! I forgot to say that, lol. Oh, and BTW, toldja so

 

Congratulations on the rebirth of your car

I still think you should have given to me though

best way to break it in is to drive it and vary the load a lot, nothing extreme (yet) but don't try and break it in idling, it won't seal well in the long run that way. better to drive it in an area where you can get it into 3rd or 4th, and then just run up and down the RPM range for a while without going over 4~5 K, with an occasional stop and go. use a quality mineral oil, and filter and flush and change all fluids once it is broke in.

have fun with her.

kenn

 

I drive 20-25 minutes to work every day. The route includes about 5 miles of city streets and about 30 miles of highway. Half of the highway is a construction zone right now so the speed limit is 45 and 55. I think that's a good course to break her in on. I'll keep tuning until Monday or Wed. before I start driving her. How many miles should I put on her for break in? I forgot how much the guy who rebuilt my motor said.

 

Glad to see it runs again. I can only imagine what it's like to have that kind of issues with a car like this. I know it killed me to wait the 5 weeks for the paperwork to be processed, before I could drive mine. Hardly ever leave home without it, now.
As for the break-in time, just give it at least 300-400 miles to seat everything in before running it anywhere close to hard. Thats only about a week of driving to and from work, so it should go quick.

 

 

Fly into Atlanta and help me. I will pick you up and take you to Tellico.