Re: Precat Meltdown
08-10-2003, 03:00 PM
#1
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Melbourne, FL
Posts: 93
I was checking out the Precat meltdown thread and have kinda a stupid question, but what caused you to think the exhaust was clogged?
My car has recently started stalling left and ******* right.
As you know I got the carb rebuilt and it was fine for a few weeks. It lacked a lot of power so we changed the timing, tightened the gas pedal link, and changed the mixture. All a go.
Now it's not lacking as much power, but I usually have to start my car and leave it running for at LEAST 20 mintues before I can back up or go forward because it'll stall. (Saddly, It's an automatic so, no, it's not my fault.)
The only other car I've ever had was a 99 protege so I've never dealt with older cars. People tell me that because my car needs to be started with a choke it will need to be warmed up like that. Are they for real? Twenty f'ing mintues of warm up?!
Can someone tell me how to use the choke properly, because I have no clue apparently. I'm using the suggestions the owners manual shows, but everybody I talk to has a different theory on how to use a simple ******* choke.
I start it up with the choke, wait, push in the choke, take the ebrake off and put it in gear. Then I wait with my foot on the brake for probably 5 seconds cause I'm trying to calm myself so I dont break something when it stalls. I take my foot of the brake and slowly move it over to the gas, ever-so-*******-gently I'll push on the gas to back up and as soon as it gets less than a 1/2 an inch down it stalls. It usually doesnt stall the second time, but when I put it in first to drive off it'll stall again.
So could it be choking itself off if the cat(s) were melted? I've never heard of a cat melting until I started reading up on RX7's.... odd.
My car has recently started stalling left and ******* right.
As you know I got the carb rebuilt and it was fine for a few weeks. It lacked a lot of power so we changed the timing, tightened the gas pedal link, and changed the mixture. All a go.Now it's not lacking as much power, but I usually have to start my car and leave it running for at LEAST 20 mintues before I can back up or go forward because it'll stall. (Saddly, It's an automatic so, no, it's not my fault.)
The only other car I've ever had was a 99 protege so I've never dealt with older cars. People tell me that because my car needs to be started with a choke it will need to be warmed up like that. Are they for real? Twenty f'ing mintues of warm up?!
Can someone tell me how to use the choke properly, because I have no clue apparently. I'm using the suggestions the owners manual shows, but everybody I talk to has a different theory on how to use a simple ******* choke.
I start it up with the choke, wait, push in the choke, take the ebrake off and put it in gear. Then I wait with my foot on the brake for probably 5 seconds cause I'm trying to calm myself so I dont break something when it stalls. I take my foot of the brake and slowly move it over to the gas, ever-so-*******-gently I'll push on the gas to back up and as soon as it gets less than a 1/2 an inch down it stalls. It usually doesnt stall the second time, but when I put it in first to drive off it'll stall again.
So could it be choking itself off if the cat(s) were melted? I've never heard of a cat melting until I started reading up on RX7's.... odd.
08-11-2003, 03:14 PM
#3
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: California
Posts: 22,465
what rpm does it idle at? you are supposed to pull the choke out when its cold and it pops in by itself. you shouldnt *need* the chole for 20minutes though. i bet if you set the idle speed and mixture the prolem will go away
mike
mike
08-11-2003, 05:55 PM
#4
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: panama city, florida
Posts: 249
What year is the car?
Is it a 12a or 13b?
Does it have an EGR?
How bad off was the carb and was it professionally rebuilt?
Do you have all of your rats nest hooked up (emissions)?
What made you rebuild the carb?
And last but not least, Do you have a manual for the car?
Is it a 12a or 13b?
Does it have an EGR?
How bad off was the carb and was it professionally rebuilt?
Do you have all of your rats nest hooked up (emissions)?
What made you rebuild the carb?
And last but not least, Do you have a manual for the car?
08-11-2003, 09:17 PM
#5
Member
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: Melbourne, FL
Posts: 93
What year is the car?
It's an 84 GSL
Is it a 12a or 13b?
12a
Does it have an EGR?
A what?
How bad off was the carb and was it professionally rebuilt?
It would stall if you didnt have your foot on the gas the whole time. You'd have to rev it when starting it up because it just wouldn't stay running.
Do you have all of your rats nest hooked up (emissions)?
As far as I know, yes it has all the rats nest hooked up. I'm going to be removing that soon in case there's any vaccuum leaks.
What made you rebuild the carb?
See above.
Do you have a manual for the car?
I have every ******* manual on the planet for this car (the Service/shop manual and the haynes, plus a bunch of other print outs on the car)
what rpm does it idle at?
When i first start it up with the choke all the way out it'll rev to about 1200, after the choke is pushe in it'll go down to 750. After i've taken it around the block and I put it in park it revs up to 1200 and stays there.
you are supposed to pull the choke out when its cold and it pops in by itself
The choke has never popped back in
i bet if you set the idle speed and mixture the prolem will go away
I've reset the idle speed and the mixture. The mixture was VERY lean before I reset it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm still looking for ideas, but for right now the damn thing is sitting in the driveway spilling all of its oil because the damn torqe wrench I used on the oil pan wasn't working right and snapped the damn bolts on. As if it leaking oil from the o-rings wasn't enough. **** cheap torqe wrenches and those damn o-rings. I should have just did it by hand like my gut told me.
Lately i've been feeling like this: when I get in the car. it gets easier right? 
It's an 84 GSL
Is it a 12a or 13b?
12a
Does it have an EGR?
A what?
How bad off was the carb and was it professionally rebuilt?
It would stall if you didnt have your foot on the gas the whole time. You'd have to rev it when starting it up because it just wouldn't stay running.
Do you have all of your rats nest hooked up (emissions)?
As far as I know, yes it has all the rats nest hooked up. I'm going to be removing that soon in case there's any vaccuum leaks.
What made you rebuild the carb?
See above.
Do you have a manual for the car?
I have every ******* manual on the planet for this car
what rpm does it idle at?
When i first start it up with the choke all the way out it'll rev to about 1200, after the choke is pushe in it'll go down to 750. After i've taken it around the block and I put it in park it revs up to 1200 and stays there.
you are supposed to pull the choke out when its cold and it pops in by itself
The choke has never popped back in
i bet if you set the idle speed and mixture the prolem will go away
I've reset the idle speed and the mixture. The mixture was VERY lean before I reset it.
--------------------------------------------------------------------
I'm still looking for ideas, but for right now the damn thing is sitting in the driveway spilling all of its oil because the damn torqe wrench I used on the oil pan wasn't working right and snapped the damn bolts on.
Lately i've been feeling like this:
08-11-2003, 09:37 PM
#6
Senior Member
Join Date: May 2002
Location: California
Posts: 22,465
they only have egr (exhaust gas recirculation) in 80 and 86-88.
hmm i notice on mine (83 mt) that it doesnt exactly have a lot of torque at idle, you almost cant let the clutch out without having to give it gas.
the place to start is the factory sevice manual, they tell you what the idle should be set to for an automatic.
i have my idle mix set a tad rich, it seems happiest that way
it will get easier, these cars have to build a relationship before they let you have reliability
mike
hmm i notice on mine (83 mt) that it doesnt exactly have a lot of torque at idle, you almost cant let the clutch out without having to give it gas.
the place to start is the factory sevice manual, they tell you what the idle should be set to for an automatic.
i have my idle mix set a tad rich, it seems happiest that way
it will get easier, these cars have to build a relationship before they let you have reliability
mike
08-11-2003, 11:03 PM
#8
Senior Member
Join Date: Aug 2003
Location: panama city, florida
Posts: 249
1 Do you think your leaking oil bad enough to be loosing pressure?
2 Does the car act up in neutral or just when you put it in gear?
3 Have you already replaced the fuel filter and checked the pump?
4 Do you have a friend with a spare nikki that hasnt been rebuilt?
5 Do you have a friend who knows transmissions really well, not just how to replace one but the ins and outs?
You can remove the rats nest and then see how it runs, it may be a vacuum problem. Im assuming the hoses are all 20 yrs old, and the rx7 engine compartment gets pretty hot especially in the south where the out side air isnt as cool.
If it still runs rough then you have eliminated a great deal of suspect.
And you can always put it back on.
If you dont want to remove it, look in the back of the haynes 79-85 manual in the revisions section and find your rats nest. Then you might want to take up some kind of calming habit. go through the hoses on at a time and remove them (one at a time) and bend them and replace any that look even rough. and every hose that you remove, look in the book and "triple" check and make absolutly sure that both ends are hooked up in the right place. this isnt very expensive, just time consuming.
2 Does the car act up in neutral or just when you put it in gear?
3 Have you already replaced the fuel filter and checked the pump?
4 Do you have a friend with a spare nikki that hasnt been rebuilt?
5 Do you have a friend who knows transmissions really well, not just how to replace one but the ins and outs?
You can remove the rats nest and then see how it runs, it may be a vacuum problem. Im assuming the hoses are all 20 yrs old, and the rx7 engine compartment gets pretty hot especially in the south where the out side air isnt as cool.
If it still runs rough then you have eliminated a great deal of suspect.
And you can always put it back on.
If you dont want to remove it, look in the back of the haynes 79-85 manual in the revisions section and find your rats nest. Then you might want to take up some kind of calming habit. go through the hoses on at a time and remove them (one at a time) and bend them and replace any that look even rough. and every hose that you remove, look in the book and "triple" check and make absolutly sure that both ends are hooked up in the right place. this isnt very expensive, just time consuming.