my uncle has a 87 Rx-7. i am still somewhat new to the rotary club but i was wondering if all rx-7, particularly this model, had rotary engines. my uncles car won't start. it has juice and when you try to crank it it makes a putting sound around the engine. we want to get it fixed but dont have a mazda dealer within decent distances. we're looking for what might be wrong. so any thoughts would be appreciated

Yes, all RX-7 had rotary engines.

My guess is that he's got a flooded engine. Try pulling the fuel pump fuse and cranking her for a while. Then replace and see if it starts. If not, pull the plugs and clean them out really good.

Search the RX-7 forum on how to unflood a second generation RX-7.

www.rx7club.com

P.S. 87's are cool. :cool:

I had a guy come up to me last night in awe over my 8 and he said his 93 rx7 lasted 250,000 miles

Originally posted by wannarace8
we want to get it fixed but dont have a mazda dealer within decent distances.

Just say no to dealers. Find a good rotary shop, you can find one on the RX7club.com site.

Originally posted by medcina
Yes, all RX-7 had rotary engines.

My guess is that he's got a flooded engine. Try pulling the fuel pump fuse and cranking her for a while. Then replace and see if it starts. If not, pull the plugs and clean them out really good.

thanks for the input. few more questions...how do i locate the fuel pump fuse and if i clean the spark plugs how should i go about doing so? i know a little about engines but not much. thanks

1. If it is making a putting sound, then flooding is not the likely culprit. A flooded engine has a very distinct "whirring" sound almost like an electric motor. Putting sounds like you're getting compression, but she won't turn over.

2. The fuel pump fuse is a big one in the fusebox under the hood. If you still have the lid, it is in the slot labeled EGI (Electronic Gas Injection).

3. As for cleaning the plugs - I've never had to go that far, so I'm really sure about the best way to do that. I would guess maybe some carb cleaner and toothbrush? Dry completely before reinstalling. I've never had to use the 'ole ATF treatment either, so I can't really offer any advice there.

Yes, all years are rotary :)

You can use a regular compression tester to see if you're getting 3 pulses/rev. If the motor is blown, you'll usually get no compression in the back rotor.

My old 2nd gen used to flood out. It will whir like an electric motor as others have said.

Not all Mazda dealers are bad. Mine's pretty good and has worked on every rotary I've owned since 1986.

RX-7 = Rotary eXperiment Se7en ;)

hey guys,

thanks again for the tech advice/explanation and the insight into the name. i really hope the engine isn't blown. when it ran it was hella fast. i wanna turn it into a racer so wish me luck.