Mazda's RX-7 is known for its rotary engines, but it's standard when it comes to carburetors. Rebuilding a carburetor is not like rebuilding an engine where parts, such as a camshaft, are resurfaced my a machinist. Rebuilding a carburetor simply means disassembling it, cleaning it and reassembling it, using new gaskets and a few small, replaceable parts. You don't need experience with the RX-7s Nikki carburetors, but you do need to use a procedure that will ensure a good outcome.
Instructions
- 1
Remove the air cleaner, revealing the carburetor. If the area is dirty, spray some carburetor cleaner and remove grime with shop towels.
2Label every hose and linkage connect to the carburetor. Fold small strips of tape over the hoses, then mark them sequentially.
3Photograph the carburetor from an angle that documents each connection and each label. The image will act as a guide during reassembly.
4Disconnect each hose and mechanical linkage.
5Place the carburetor on a clean, uncluttered and well-lit workspace.
6Lay out your carburetor rebuild kit, sometimes called a 'gasket kit.'
7Disassemble the carburetor. Lay each piece in an exploded view on a piece of paper adjacent to the rebuild kit. Alternatively, set the pieces in sequential order or in a placement indicative of how they are to be reassembled. Clean the pieces thoroughly as you go, if needed.
8Scrape and clean any areas on the throttle body where there will tend to be gasket residue. Use gasket remover or carburetor cleaner and a gasket scraper.
9Reassemble the carburetor, substituting each old piece for its new counterpart in the rebuild kit. Reference the position of your parts as a reassembly guide.
10Replace the carburetor on the intake manifold from which it was removed, and reattach each hose and linkage.
