WranglerFan

So ironically after sending out message to a few builders yesterday and pricing rebuilds while also scouring the web for salvage donor cars I was on a store run and decided to hook up my new OBDII transmitter and log the data since my car was dying and had been experiencing a lot of blowby at 7krpm.
I pulled onto the interstate, shifted into second, hit WOT for a couple seconds and then pressed in the clutch to coast because I live in a speed trap and I hit the 50 mph limit plus I didn't want to damage my engine too much.... Fail. I did damage it, ALOT.

I don't know if it was dead at 7.5k or when I let off the throttle I induced preignition from a carbon deposit or something, all I know is I could hear the seal flying around reeking havoc in my engine over the sound of the radio. I tried to turn the radio down quick but spun the **** so quick it actually got louder and by the time I turned it down the engine was at 0rpm. Catastrophic failure.

I tried to feather the throttle (while I was fumbling with the radio) and it gave a small effort to stay alive at 3000 the quickly sputtered to 0, at first I hoped maybe the engine was just choking on blowby oil (even though in the back of my mind I knew it was dead)

Anyways, theres my story, maybe if I can find out where the export file went I can show you the data log I recorded during this event. I labeled it snuff film =p (trying to make light of the situation, still kicking myself though) I used palmer Dash Command, it says the file was exported but idk where it exported to...

Also strangely the data log says I was around 6.5k rpm maximum for the run, Maybe its a latency issue with the bluetooth dongle, I swore it died closer to 8k than 6.

Maybe I can find a way to turn this in on insurance lol
I haven't had the car long, I may be within 90 days but the dealership I bought from in PA said "as is" which I'm pretty sure by state law means he still has to honor a 30 day implied warranty, either way I think I just screwed myself.

It was an 06 GT MT with 100k miles btw. I still owe over $3000 on the car so I'll likely end up continuing to pay and fixing it one day. Looking for engine donors now.

Theres a friend of a friend nearby that has one from Florida he bought as a parts car, he said he thinks its flooded but I'd bet good money its completely failed, he said it turns over but won't fire and has over 100k on ODO. he wanted 1500 for the whole car which is missing a front clip and a couple small body parts. (I forget what year, and I need to message him back with my fingers crossed that its not an AT, haven't spoke to him in two months because I didn't NEED the engine yet)

Think $400 is a fair offer for a dead engine (just the engine) that sat in his driveway for 2 years doing nothing? Im thinking I can pull his engine apart in hope of getting a good rotor/housing/iron for my own rebuild. if I get him to sell it for 400 than 1 good component (if its corresponding with one I need) is worth it.

I've just about got him talked into tearing the engine apart anyways out of his own curiosity, his plan for it when he bought the car was to salvage the body parts for his other 8 (front end collision) and he already got his moneys worth out of the car from that, then he toyed with the idea of scrapping the engine and doing a conversion therefore turning his parts car into a project car and eventually having to buy new body parts for the ones he stripped but he said the conversion was too much work and he was too lazy to scrap the car. So I think I can get him to give some parts super cheap since he doesn't actually plan on doing anything with the car but letting take up space for years to come.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Buying a used Renesis is a crap shoot. Because it cranks doesn't mean ****, you could find out it is a huge paper weight and then you would have wasted $400.00.

You already screwed up by buying a used RX-8 with 100k on it without a compression test, don't compound that by wasting more money that could go towards a solid rebuild. I suggest sending your engine to a competent builder.

WranglerFan

I said I don't expect the engine to work... I think I can talk him into helping him crack it open even if I don't want it though, he wants to see the inside for himself so I'd like to get him to do that and then if it's got a good housing or rotor etc, I'll offer to buy those individual pieces and talk him into scrapping the rest or continuing to let it sit in his driveway. Then when I send my engine to rotary res I'll have usable parts and not have to count on him to find used parts for me.

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

RR is always selling already built engines, just buy one of those and save yourself the hassle. If RR wants your usable engine parts and any other usable parts from your friends engine then you can sell them to him or here later.

WranglerFan

Already checked, RR doesn't have any shelf engines right now and doesn't seem to want to build one. I don't like the thought of sending mine in without knowing how many parts I'm going to need to replace and he said he won't allow me to open the engine and check it out before I send it so I have to pay shipping to him just to possibly find out that it's not rebuildable.

ouimetnick

I checked RR's eBay store. He has some rebuilt RX-8 engines for sale!

rotary_resurrection | eBay