Mazda rx8?

[320touring]

wcpgw?

 

how bad can they be? does th le hot start bollocks get worse or is it just a fix3d kindnof issue?

 

i know they like a drink of oil, and schlep the petrol..

 

any thoughts appreciated

[Station]

The options are buying one very cheap with a knackered engine or a couple of grand with a decent engine.

I'd go for it with one needing a rebuild - if you only need to replace the seals, there's loads of support with specialists, and rotary engine is hugely easy to work on than a piston engine.

[320touring]

The options are buying one very cheap with a knackered engine or a couple of grand with a decent engine.

I'd go for it with one needing a rebuild - if you only need to replace the seals, there's loads of support with specialists, and rotary engine is hugely easy to work on than a piston engine.

nice one- is it an engine out job to do the apex seals?

[Bren]

Amtech engine restorer is good for knackered rx engines. Apparently.

[cort1977]

Not driven one so only going on other's opinions but i understand that the way the rotary delivers it's power can take a bit of getting used to, you have to rev it to get much out of it.   Fine if you like that but there's not much torque low down as they say...

[320touring]

Not driven one so only going on other's opinions but i understand that the way the rotary delivers it's power can take a bit of getting used to, you have to rev it to get much out of it. Fine if you like that but there's not much torque low down as they say...

be a nice counterpoint to an m20/m30/1.9tdi then:)

[catsinthewelder]

There's a knackered one on my next door neighbours drive. He got round some of the issues by adding two stroke to the petrol but the hot start issues have driven him to distraction so now it's a breaker.

[320touring]

There's a knackered one on my next door neighbours drive. He got round some of the issues by adding two stroke to the petrol but the hot start issues have driven him to distraction so now it's a breaker.

looks like the initial cheat is an uprated starter..

[Sealtainn]

One of the reasons for the premature engine wear on these is people sticking semi-synthetic/fully synthetic oil in them which the rotary engine doesn't like. They should be fed mineral oil. As for their oil consumption, the general opinion is around 1 litre per 1,500-2,000 miles so it's a case of just keeping a check on the levels as you would do with any other car.

I did find something in that said doing lots of short trips where the engine doesn't get upto full operating temperature before being turned off is also rather bad for them and causes premature wear.

[320touring]

505 quid for a year of Road fund licence!

[garbaldy]

What a coincidence as I just got offered one for £250 and was wondering if its worth a punt, does make it expensive with having to tax it though,

[stripped fred]

You see a lot of these left standing on driveways having been off the road due to a big bill I suspect. A shame as they are nice looking and also practical.

[Pillock]

A mate has just expensively sorted the hot start issues on his and immediately flogged it on at a loss. Sounds like prime Autoshite fodder.

[John F]

Won't a conventional engine fit in to replace the complicated food blender?

[jonny69]

LOLWTFBBQOILCONSUMPTION!

 

They can't be that bad can they? Is it not just a matter of actually checking the oil, something we have got out of the habit of doing, and topping it up, like the old days?

[Asimo]

Rotary engines do USE oil from the word go, it is not a massive amount however. When they start to suffer starting problems it is because the seals are leaking. It is rebuild time.

Although the engines appear simple there is a lot of special engineering in there and I would regard rebuild as a specialist job. The RX8 has aluminium rotor housings which are apparently often fatally damaged by seal failiure. Earlier Wankel engines had iron housings.

 

Nice to drive though if you like oversteer, but you do have to let the engines rev and rev.

 

Other 20mpg cars are available.

[dollywobbler]

Won't a conventional engine fit in to replace the complicated food blender?

 

I doubt it'd be easy, as the Wankel units are titchy. I bet a Trabant two-stroke would fit though. There's your answer.

[beko1987]

One of our directors had one that had the hilarious* problem of the immobiliser shitting itself and setting the alarm off. Only the siren didnt sound, it would sit there all day merrily 'alarming itself' until the battery died. Sometimes the siren would sound, sometimes it wouldnt.

 

I jumped it once (other people jumped it at other times) and she had to go out for an hour's drive to charge the battery and get the oil hot so it wouldnt do what's mentioned above.

 

She hasn't had it for a few years now, drives an 11 plate Honda CRV which from what I know has been reliable (I've not been asked for help and I sit right opposite her door so normally get asked first)

 

Someone else at work expressed an interest in one a few years ago (was it when Wuvvum got his, someoen got a £500 one anyway), and the resulting thread on here put her right off and she played it safe* and bought a 60 plate 1.8 astra coupe which hasn't been too bad for her.

 

It's a shame, as I think they look lovely.

[Taff]

Won't a conventional engine fit in to replace the complicated food blender?

 

 

I doubt it'd be easy, as the Wankel units are titchy. I bet a Trabant two-stroke would fit though. There's your answer.

 

998 A-series for the win.

[cort16]

See P38 Range Rover, Mercedes ML.

 

I remember reading a road test when they came out and them leaving from London and topping the oil up at fuel stop not far up the M74. Mazda seem to go through this thing with the rotary cars where they wait until everyone's nearly forgot about the problems of the previous car then release a new one claiming all the reliability/fuel consumption/oil consumption issues have been fixed. 

You can work around the hot start issue with a higher powered starter but you're just prolonging the time until a re-build.

One of the guys I work with had one from new and it was often in Mazda with some weird fault or rattle. The local dealer has no idea how to fix it so they relied on a centralised knowledge base of what I can imagine to be overworked experts so it took ages to fix anything.

 

I bet they're good when all is working though.

 

Engine conversion wise there are a few LS3 v8 conversions in the states and I've seen ones over here with 200sx turbo motors in them that look quite neat. The natural thing to do would be to fit an mx5 motor but I don't think they've got enough get up and go for the size of the car so I'm saying 1.6 pinto.

[TagoraSX]

One of the reasons for the premature engine wear on these is people sticking semi-synthetic/fully synthetic oil in them which the rotary engine doesn't like. They should be fed mineral oil. As for their oil consumption, the general opinion is around 1 litre per 1,500-2,000 miles so it's a case of just keeping a check on the levels as you would do with any other car.

I did find something in that said doing lots of short trips where the engine doesn't get upto full operating temperature before being turned off is also rather bad for them and causes premature wear.

 

I asked the "what oil" question in relation to my Ro80 and got several answers, all of them different.....

 

The oil needs to have a low ash content so it will burn clean and some cleaning properties. A very reputable engine builder in Holland recommends fully synthetic 15w 40.

[garbaldy]

I doubt it'd be easy, as the Wankel units are titchy. I bet a Trabant two-stroke would fit though. There's your answer.

A rover veight fits in an rx7 and was an easy swap will see if I can find pics

[andy18s]

Nissan 200sx will go in with some work,and our friends over the pond have squeezed an Chevy LS v8 in as well.....

[nacho man]

Yeah but having the wankel is part of the fun.

 

My best mate used to have a fd3 rx7 twin turbo, and its was gorgeous and sounded amazing.

 

There mega bucks now but getting a rx8 that's running ok, starts from hot, then why not run it for 3 months and flog it on.

[beko1987]

problem is, they've been dead and cheap for so long, that if an alternative were possible, wouldnt it be done with several how to guides on forums by now?

[wuvvum]

I liked mine.  It was a 192 so not the fastest thing about, and it did like a drink, but it was pleasant to drive, had a nice interior, a decent boot and a reasonable turning circle for a sports car.  The hot start issue was only a problem for about 10 minutes after switching it off, after that it'd fire up fine.  I just used to leave it running when filling up with pez - if I was going to the supermarket or whatever, by the time I came out again it'd start back up OK.

[Richard]

Do you lot know nothing about cars? The correct replacement for a rotary engine is a Ford V4.

[HH-R]

Will a Gardner 4LW fit?

[garethj]

A semi-serious idea of engine replacement could be an electric motor.  Dunno if batteries could fit where the petrol tank was but even if someone could do a kit of parts conversion it would still be ruinously expensive on a car that will never be worth more than £2000 even if perfect.

 

Hang on, here's a better idea because futuristic looking cars like the RX8 deserve more than a mere petrol engine

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyhvmjN1uCk

[dollywobbler]

I have seen an RX8 EV, so it can be done. The torque delivery would certainly suit the looks!