Starts on one rotor (sometimes) wont idle....

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TOOL
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Re: Starts on one rotor (sometimes) wont idle....

Post by TOOL »

Running on one rotor sounds like a blocked fuel jet. They're in the bottom of the float bowls.

Wet plugs in one chamber suggests no spark or you have not set the float levels correctly and it's flooding.
Back in the UK for the summer, maybe longer......
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Casey
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Re: Starts on one rotor (sometimes) wont idle....

Post by Casey »

Many thanks TOOL. Spark is definitely there and the plugs are wet when pulled, so I was suspecting a possible flooding of the rear chamber. Will dig out my manual and see how to check float levels....
KIMI 1 : 1st Gen, "hybrid" 1983 silver S2 running gear in a 1985 S3 shell, SORN'd, long term resto project
KIMI 2 : 1st Gen, 1983 silver S2 - now sold to Ian Mothersole on here.
KIMI 3 : 1st Gen, 1983 red S3
Plus a 2004 Full Bridgeported RX-8
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Re: Starts on one rotor (sometimes) wont idle....

Post by Casey »

Interesting, car was left for a week then I returned, put in some fresh plugs and she fired up first time on the first crank (after about 7 seconds). She ran on both rotors; got her warm then did some mix/idle tuning. Reasonably OK, but she's not happy idling under 1000rpm. She can be set to 800rpm, but after about 20 seconds she starts to get rough and the throttle has to be used to get her stable, then the same thing happens - repeatable. Leaving her to idle at 1000rpm is stable though.

Started her up again several times on the same day - all seemed fine and no sign at all of the single rotor issue. I don't think it was the plug change that solved this, more coincidence; maybe some dirt in the carb had cleared when left standing?

Managed to drive her for the first time, just a few hundred yards (private road ;) , all under 4000rpm, but she felt great :D :D :D

Engine felt lively, steering as expected, brakes a little hard to operate (need to check the servo maybe), but she drove well and stopped in a straight line. Woo-Hoo :mrgreen:

Sorry, not much help to the original poster on here in solving this issue - although one tip I was given by Tim at RX-Motors was to check the brake servo vac pipe as a leak in that pipe can lead to the rear rotor not firing......
KIMI 1 : 1st Gen, "hybrid" 1983 silver S2 running gear in a 1985 S3 shell, SORN'd, long term resto project
KIMI 2 : 1st Gen, 1983 silver S2 - now sold to Ian Mothersole on here.
KIMI 3 : 1st Gen, 1983 red S3
Plus a 2004 Full Bridgeported RX-8
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Re: Starts on one rotor (sometimes) wont idle....

Post by DKWW2000 »

Good news, I bet your like a cat with 2 Tails :lol:
I have had similar problems over the years (mainly Ro 80s/RE 5) & always found that once the plugs had fouled, the only answer was New Plugs & then soak others in thinners for a couple of days, they fire OK outside the engine but under any load the oil resistance reduces the spark & they just get worse.
The idle problem will probably get better once she has a long blow out & a good thrashing (just like a -----) :o
RX7 FB S3 - RX7 FC TII Vert
Rotaries Previously Owned:-
2 x NSU Ro 80s - 2 x S2 RX7s - Suzuki RE 5 - DKW(Hercules) W2000 - Norton (Krauser) Commander
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