leej323

I just rounded a corner and I try getting back on the gas, but there's no response from the engine. RPM's drop and the car stalls. Afterwards, the car won't start. I've been having the ECS light go on/off intermittently for the past month or so, but I don't own a code reader or know places that will read the ECU for no charge. I noticed fuel delivery cutting out sometimes through corners with higher G's. I'd explain it almost like a stuttering. My car died last night just short of home so I had it towed back home. It's sitting outside and I'm planning on testing the ignition system for spark. Highly unlikely it's the ignition system since I just did a complete overhaul a few months ago. I'm not too sure how I would test if the fuel pump has gone bad. If you could direct me to some threads I'd appreciate it greatly.

I think my fuel pump died on me last night in my RX. What are the part #'s for the fuel pump install kits you guys are talking about? Also, where is the fuel pump located? I'm a noob still, please don't flame me!

You should probably change your ignition coil too. It looks like it's pretty old.

Well, it seems my wires weren't plugged in correctly... had the wire for the wrong cylinder plugged into the wrong distributor.

Yes, the car was running alright engine-wise. The reason I did the maintenance was because the ignition coil was spitting sparks (I believe it had never been replaced since the car was built... 190,000+ miles). Another member here suggested I swap out the rest of the ignition parts while I was changing the coil. I'll try using the old wire and see what happens. Edit: One more thing. I noticed the engine sounds more like it did before the maintenance when I took out the Bosch plugs and replaced them w/ NGK.

Hmm, well I swapped in some NGK's and the engine is still misfiring. One thing I noticed when I took out the Bosch Platinums was that one plug was black while the others still looked new. Could this be due to a bad wire?

I'll definitely look into different plugs first. Thanks for your input. Edit: Nope, I didn't remove the distributor as a whole. I only changed the cap.

Hey All, I just did a complete overhaul of my ignition system in my '86 RX. Replaced spark plugs (Bosch Platinum), ignition coil, distributor cover, and wires. I fired it up just a while ago and it feels like I have half the power I had before I changed everything. Does the ECU have to adapt to the new setup or did I just do something wrong? I double-checked all connections and everything is snug. Thanks in advance!

Awesome, Thanks!

Ah ok. Never thought it would look like that. Any idea what I can do about the spark? It seems like the rubber housings came loose. I'll try pushing them back onto the screws to see if it eliminates the spark issue.

Hey guys, Just replaced my belts yesterday with the help of some of you. I have another question. Check out the pictures below. What is this part for? It has a 5A on it and is right by the coolant reservoir. It seems like it's a major electrical connection point. The reason I ask is because I was inspecting the engine while idling and noticed there were sparks traveling between two screws there. I don't want to touch it before I know what it does. Anyone recognize this part? Thanks!

Thanks for all the help guys. Just finished replacing both belts. After I loosened the tensioner and the alternator it was pretty straightforward. Now time for some beer and cookies.

Ok, so you do have to loosen some of the bolts holding the pullies. Will try that.

Hey guys, I'm currently in my garage doing this so if you see this thread, please help if you can. I'm having a lot of trouble getting the belts over the pullies. Is there an easy way to do this? I was driving around today and my main drive belt snapped. Lost all power steering, water pump, etc. My A/C belt snapped a month or so ago. This is for a 1986 RX-Turbo. EA82 engine. Thanks in advance.

Haha, got it out. But not by any of the ways mentioned above. Maybe a combination? I tried spraying some WD-40 on it and waiting for a bit. Got back under and pulled/pushed away... no luck. I even tried tapping the wrench with a hammer to hopefully gain some slack... still nothing. I was about to give up but decided to try using my 12" socket wrench and pull while on two feet from in front of the car. I swear I was about to pull the car off the jackstands and just like that the plug came loose. Had to go out and buy a set of oil filter pliers to pull out the filter, but that's the easy part. I want a beer now. Thanks again for all the suggestions!

Yeah, took off the skid plate. About to try this again...

Hmm... I'll try that. Thanks

Anyone have some techniques for loosening a stubborn oil drain plug? The damn thing won't budge. I swear I was hanging by my wrench underneath the car. No power tools or breaker bar at my disposal... Thanks!

I'll look into the EJ22 as well. I'm not looking for that much power. I think driveability is more important. To be honest, I like the way stock RX's perform; the limit is approachable and predictable, which I find to be very important towards the enjoyment of a car. My motive behind the swap is to get a reliable performance boost with strong aftermarket support. That said, the WRX motor would probably be the best pick, but I like the linear acceleration of an NA engine. :cool: I'll see if I can find any donor cars in the area without breaking the bank.

Anyone done a swap to an NA engine for their RX? If so, what are the options? From what I know I could go w/ the 2.5RS powerplant, but I'm not sure about all the wiring. It's highly doubtful that anything would match up.

I love putting it into 4wd Low in rain... omg so fun... If only it would rain more and there were less cops around here.

This is some cool stuff. I'm a total noob when it comes to tuning, but it's good to know that you guys are still tinkering on your RX's. My RX is bone stock and runs very well for an aged car. I haven't thought about any mods yet, but I'd like to start sometime. All my friends kind of scratch their heads and wonder why I even bother driving my RX, though. :-\

Cool. Thanks for the info.

Yes, I believe it is coming from the turbo/downpipe area. Thanks.