Cross your collective fingers (RX7 content)

In reply to Curmudgeon:

Exactly how I would do it, I have saved a few engines this way.

I am not sure ATF is what should be used.

I know there is some debate about using ATF and messing up the seals (the coolant seals specifically). I believe standard motor oil will work just as well for what you are doing.

I have also saved many an engine in this manner. However, I did have one recently that I could not save in this manner. It would run just fine if I put oil in teh combustion chambers. The next I would go to start it..... Nothing.

After re-reading this thread, you have not stated that you verified the timing is right. Is the timing right? Line up the yellow mark on the crank pulley with the little pointer on the front cover. (should be a yellow mark and a Red mark on teh pulley). Move the distributor until the rotor points at the # 1 leading spark plug wire.

Just remember, Leading Lower - Trailing Top. The # 1 rotor is the rotor towards the front of the car.

Hope this helps!

Rob R.

Wonkothesane wrote: Well, you will need fuel to get it to light off, no matter how much dragging you do. I'd get your carb issues straightened out, first, THEN try to pull it (if necessary). I'd recommend trying starter fluid instead of carb cleaner, as well... But I have "saved" a few severely flooded engines by pulling, so I wouldn't be opposed to that, either..

I feel like I have a bit of a Chicken or Egg scenario. I know I need to get the carb sorted out before it will run but I feel I need to get it to fire off before I mess with the carb.

wvumtnbkr wrote: After re-reading this thread, you have not stated that you verified the timing is right. Is the timing right? Line up the yellow mark on the crank pulley with the little pointer on the front cover. (should be a yellow mark and a Red mark on teh pulley). Move the distributor until the rotor points at the # 1 leading spark plug wire. Just remember, Leading Lower - Trailing Top. The # 1 rotor is the rotor towards the front of the car. Hope this helps! Rob R.

I havent verified the timing yet. I should go take a look at that tonight. The seller told me it had been about a year since it was last started and it certainly feels like a car that has just been sitting too long. Ive brought several cars back to life over the years but this whole process of dragging it behind another vehicle for awhile is a new one on me. Usually after I put them together, fog the cylinders and rotate it by hand a few times they fire right up either on their own (injected) or with something sprayed in them (carbed).

Of course the whole thing is about to go on hold for awhile as I get ready to spend four days at the Lake Superior Rally. Then I travel to Memphis for work. Then I can drag the Rx7 behind a tractor to see it the Triangle Deities can be appeased.

Just to be sure it is clear: you have to put someone in the 7 to keep it from smashing into the tow vehicle.

Trust me-it's like a miracle when you drag a pissy 7 behind another vehicle and it bursts to life. I never bothered trying to fix anything before towing it. I never even bothered changing the gas. Drag it, start it, drive it.

MrJoshua wrote: Just to be sure it is clear: you have to put someone in the 7 to keep it from smashing into the tow vehicle. Trust me-it's like a miracle when you drag a pissy 7 behind another vehicle and it bursts to life. I never bothered trying to fix anything before towing it. I never even bothered changing the gas. Drag it, start it, drive it.

Oh yeah, I plan on having the wife actually drive the tractor while I sit in the car making engine noises until it pops. I would have done it last night except there was a "Magic Mike is out on DVD party" with my wife and her friends in my living room so I was hiding. I would have let Roger rid in the car but his legs are too short to reach the pedals.

logdog wrote: Of course the whole thing is about to go on hold for awhile as I get ready to spend four days at the Lake Superior Rally. Then I travel to Memphis for work. Then I can drag the Rx7 behind a tractor to see it the Triangle Deities can be appeased.

Just drag the car up to LSPR, then down to TN. That should be enough.

logdog wrote: I would have done it last night except there was a "Magic Mike is out on DVD party" with my wife and her friends in my living room so I was hiding.

When you're a teenager, having a big a group of women all liquored up in your house sounds like a dream come true. Then you grow up and get married and you realize it's a little closer to a nightmare.

dculberson wrote:

logdog wrote: I would have done it last night except there was a "Magic Mike is out on DVD party" with my wife and her friends in my living room so I was hiding.

When you're a teenager, having a big a group of women all liquored up in your house sounds like a dream come true. Then you grow up and get married and you realize it's a little closer to a nightmare.

Greater truth has never been known!

logdog wrote:

dculberson wrote:

logdog wrote: I would have done it last night except there was a "Magic Mike is out on DVD party" with my wife and her friends in my living room so I was hiding.

When you're a teenager, having a big a group of women all liquored up in your house sounds like a dream come true. Then you grow up and get married and you realize it's a little closer to a nightmare.

Greater truth has never been known!

Words to live by.

First off I have to give big thanks to Curmudgeon for the advice on page 1. This evening I was able to sweet talk the wife into sitting in the car (she is way smaller and I haven't put a logdog sized seat in it yet) while I towed it around the block. Around the block for me is about 4 miles. I told her to keep it in what ever gear would turn the motor at about 5k and away we went. By the time we got back to the house it would run on gas dumped down the carb. I kept putting a little in at a time to keep it running while it burned off the ATF. It will sort of run off just the fuel pump but with the carb leaking gas out of the seams I didnt want to leave the pump on. So I feel alot better about spending more time and money on it now that I have heard it run.

On another note only one header tube was glowing red. We had to keep the revs up to keep it running so the glow doesnt surprise me, just the fact it was only one. Normal?

I'm inclined to say not normal. The engine probably isn't running right on the rotor that is glowing.

You should just give me the engine already and stop wasting your time. then drop in a 5.0 and giddyup. I'm telling you, the triangle gods to not like you.

DrBoost wrote: You should just give me the engine already and stop wasting your time. then drop in a 5.0 and giddyup. I'm telling you, the triangle gods to not like you.

I was going to swap motors but all my friends were busy that weekend putting windows in their houses.

Glad to hear it's trying to come back to life! Typically on a tumbling Dorito motor, the exhaust that's glowing is lean. I had a brake booster vacuum hose split once on a 12A and it made the rear tube glow because the vacuum leak was closest to that rotor. It'll also make it run like ass. The front tube on the 13B in the Jensenator did the same thing when the fuel injector seals were leaking vacuum.

address the fuel pump and carb cleaning/going through and then you should be golden!

logdog wrote:

DrBoost wrote: You should just give me the engine already and stop wasting your time. then drop in a 5.0 and giddyup. I'm telling you, the triangle gods to not like you.

I was going to swap motors but all my friends were busy that weekend putting windows in their houses.

CRAP! Now I better really put a window in my house so you don't come over and bust me for making up such a great lie.

Evil spinning triangles scare me.

Can you enlighten me on what this ATF thing is and what it is supposed to do?

Rotaries have been known to 'carbon lock'. The worst cases are where the motor can't be turned. The apex and side seals will stick and cause a big loss of compression. ATF does two things: it loosens the carbon and helps with a temporary compression seal. WD40 will loosen carbon as well, but it's too thin to help the side seals do their thing.

fidelity101 wrote: address the fuel pump and carb cleaning/going through and then you should be golden!

The plan this weekend is to run through the carb. Its been awhile since I rebuilt a carb on something bigger than a 10 horse Kohler.

Almost forgot... Cool glowing header pic!

I had to clean out the carb on my Kohler k241 a month ago, good luck with the rotary!

I pulled the carb off last night and set it up on a nice clean work space. Got up this morning and wen out to work on it. Opened the carb kit and discovered it was wrong. All the gaskets are obviously for a 2 barrel. Appeared to even be a Rochester kit. Took the kit back to AutoZone (their kit was reccomended on various RX7 sites) and they told me there was only one left in the system. I ordered it and will see if its right.

Does anybody know if when a parts store says there is only one left in the system, do they mean local or national? It seemed odd the last RX7 kit in the world would be in Flint.

Just give up man! The three-headed spinning god wants NO part of you. Let's put some torques under the hood.