Maxtanner1

Yeah it definitely has a massive vacuum leak somewhere cause i had to remove the rat's nest to make it compatible with the rx3 electrical and emissions stuff so that was with vice grips holding the choke open haha. I hate vacuum leaks so very much so in a month or so after I pay taxes and take care of some other things I'll register and insure the car and take it down to a local shop that says they've got a rotary guy. It only has a pre-silencer on it so it sounds like a lawnmower.

blandry23

you could buy plugs to plug up all of the metal tubes. the only ones you really need are the tubes for the leading and trailing distributor vacuum lines. theres also a hole underneath the OMP hookups on the carbs where the sub zero start assist would be attached. if that isn't plugged then you will def have a massive leak

Maxtanner1

I followed a guide for rat's nest removal off rx7 club i think which had me plug a couple and run some vacuum lines with a couple t-fittings and we kept a little valve (purge valve i think) it told us to, then we blocked off the air pump hole with sheet metal, a gasket, and some jb weld and put a plugged hose on the omp thing but didn't clamp it down. Is it safe just to plug everything except the distributor lines without the 'purge' valve? Might you have a picture of such a set up?

blandry23

I've never seen anyone use any type of purge valve but look in the FAQ's in the 1st gen specific section, I think one of the threads on the rats nest delete has a link to pics and directions so I would see what it says. It even has the part number for the belt which can be used to delete the air pump pulley. I think the lack of a purge valve is fine. The vacuum is only designed to pull at a diaphragm or something of the sort so it shouldn't be anything crazy strong to where it would need it. I have heard that plugging lines with a hose connected to another line into the carb is bad though, so don't do that.

Maxtanner1

Hmm everything I have on there seems to be set up right according to that rx7carl tutorial, perhaps I'll just take it to a local shop here in Ellensburg, WA, they say they have a rotary guy. No I seem to have another problem and forgive me for not starting another thread but if I run it for more than 2-3 mins it starts smoking like crazy and it seems to be coming from a few places: underneath the carb, evaporating of the thermal reactor, and from the coolant lines going in and out of the car. It doesn't smell like burning fuel to me, but there's quite alot of it: more time running: more smoke. Does antifreeze evaporate? Do you think somethings leaking out of the carb?

thatpoorguy

yes and coolant evaporating smells sweet like a syrup. how's your temp guage reading when it starts doing this? Is the coolant level dropping? I'm not sure if coolant runs through the stock intake on the first gens but the fd runs coolant through the throttle body to help with cold starts so the fb may have something similar.

Maxtanner1

The temperature reads about a quarter of the way up, haven't checked coolant level. It's not leaking obscenely like onto the ground. I believe the fb has the sub zero start assist thing that drips coolant into the carb

blandry23

if there is a plate that cover the thermal reactor then that could be one source. there is insulation on that plate which will eventually burn off with age causing thick white smoke. happened to me once. but like thatpoorguy said, if it smells sweet, then its antifreeze. if not then its more than likely something else.

blandry23

82 shouldn't have a thermal reactor though so its prob off the exhaust mani. and if you have that cloth type pipe that goes down to the exhaust mani, then thats how the smoke would come from the heat blocking plate into the carb snorkel.

Maxtanner1

yeah it's a real thick white smoke coming off the top of the exhaust manifold, but i could have sworn it was called a thermal reactor. It only has cloth type pipe going from the radiator to the heater core then back to the engine block