Kevin22046

I just got a hold of a 1979 RX-7 that has been sitting outside at my buddy's shop for about 5 years. This is my first complete restoration, so I have a lot to learn, and my first time trying to fix a rotary engine. My biggest concern is how to make sure the engine is not seized, and where to begin with the mechanical aspect of the restoration. The car supposedly ran when parked. My friend thinks the best way to test it is to jump the car and attempt to start it straight up with all of its current fluids, but I believe this will damage the engine. I have looked at other auto restoration procedures and I have seen that spraying oil into the cylinders (on non-rotaries) and turning the crankshaft by hand with a breaker bar is a good way to check.

So would trying to start the car be a bad idea or am I just being paranoid? Please let me know what the best way to do this is.

CrimsonPride

iTrader: (11)

Not an expert in this area but have had a little experience, but was all non-rotary. Also, I have never worked on a 1st gen so the following is just general advice and what I would do.

I would drain fuel tank, unhook fuel line from carb and blow through w/ compr. air, rebuild carb., and change fuel filter. Inspect all soft, i.e. non-steel fuel lines. Change coolant, change oil and filter, bleed and inspect brakes at all wheels, and check plugs, wires and ign components inside distributor. Then, I would put some marvel mystery oil inside the plug holes for both rotors, let sit overnight and very gently try to turn engine over at crankshaft pulley.

The first things listed, with the fuel system, are absolute musts with a car sitting for 5 years. The carb is going to have to be cleaned/rebuilt. The gas will have dried up in there and the gas in the tank is no good at this point.

rxtasy3

iTrader: (2)

then engine can be turned easily by hand if it's not locked up. or put a ratchet and socket on center bolt on main pulley and turn clockwise. make sure tranny is not in gear.

nicdchris

iTrader: (1)

Don't run it on the original engine fluids, transmission and diff are probably OK for now, brakes will need bled before you go anywhere (turns out, crashing into things can ruin a project)

it's good practice to take a little oil can and squirt a tiny bit of oil in the lower spark plug holes (leading) then turn it over by hand or with a breaker bar at least one full time around and the more the merrier. If it doesn't turn with a breaker bar, it's seized.

I JUMPED up and down on my 3 foot breaker bar and my seized engine wasn't having any of it.

For fuel, you're going to want to take the carb off and clean it. It's seals are probably dried out, so pick up a good carb off the forum, or buy a rebuild kit for that too.

Check for spark, check for fuel if it has an electric pump(i'm not sure if the 12a ever had a mechanical pump)

You can probably get away with just pouring a bit of fuel in the intake (less than a shotglass full) and cranking it to see if it will fire.


All you really need is spark, fuel/air , and compression.