Intro to 8
08-12-2019, 05:54 AM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
Intro to 8
Was blessed to pick up a very well cared for rx8 with just under 30,000 miles on it.
I have been reading the forum quite a bit and ordering parts based on recommendations and preparing for 30,000 mile maintenance. Just got all my parts in a week ago so this past weekend was the day to knock out things. Kit to pump fresh 2 cycle oil in. Coil upgrade. Spark plugs. Transmission and differential changes as well as the obvious coolant change and oil changes. After reading a bit I went with Mobile 1 10 w 30 as an oil now that oil injection from the engine is no longer happening(Live in hot humid Tallahassee fla). I also added extra rotary IDEMIITSU pre mix to the gas tank just to be fer sure fer sure after install. I am using rotary pre mix in the reservoir as well as the tank. I also changed the coolant reservoir which had a faulty coolant level indicator which based on my reading is far too common. I used red line MT-90 in the transmission and 75W90 the differential. Got the d52 coils and some 10mm wires and of course changed the plugs (lots of carbon). Just finished the work late yesterday and I have only driven the car 90 miles (Valdosta to Tallahassee) My father has a shop with a lift. Which made the job much easier. The first drive was great. None of this stuff had ever been touched before so the change was noticeable. Much smother running. No popping between aggressive shifts.. The differential seem quieter the shift of the transmission is still excellent. Could not have complained about it before the change as it was fantastic to begin with. I was very pleased with the parts, Kits with the exception of the 10mm wires. They were extremely hard to seat into the coils and all the wires were the same length leaving excess to deal with. From a running perspective no issues at all just possibly overkill and room for improvement on this item.
Now for the question. Stupid one probably but to be honest I just noticed it yesterday and have not yet searched the forums. Previous owner put 20 inch chrome wheels on it. Great looking but not really my cup of tea so Looking for some stock 18 in like new condition. So it rides a bit rough because of the 20's and the rear suspension loves to bottom out over what I would consider a moderate bump. When I had it up on the rack I noticed the inside of both tires were warn quit a bit. There may be a bit of an alignment issue contributing to this but in general it is sitting too low. I think they may have replaced the rear spring with shorter ones. I assume this would change the castor angle and make the top of the wheels lean in and cause the wear on the inside of the rears.
QUESTONS
What springs would you guys go with on the factory struts? the struts themselves seem fine.
Will making the ride higher help fix the issue with the inside wear of the tires? I suppose there could be some toe in also.
Anyone have a pre mix they would recommend over the IDEMIITSU?
10 w 30 seem ok to you guys given t he climate here in Tallahassee?
After looking ath the plugs I want to blow out the carbon as my next project.
Is it ok to user sea foam for this process?
Any other must do things I missed on my first pass that you guys would recommend?
Anyone know were I can get some great condition oem rims near Tallahassee area?
Thanks in advance...
gjk
I have been reading the forum quite a bit and ordering parts based on recommendations and preparing for 30,000 mile maintenance. Just got all my parts in a week ago so this past weekend was the day to knock out things. Kit to pump fresh 2 cycle oil in. Coil upgrade. Spark plugs. Transmission and differential changes as well as the obvious coolant change and oil changes. After reading a bit I went with Mobile 1 10 w 30 as an oil now that oil injection from the engine is no longer happening(Live in hot humid Tallahassee fla). I also added extra rotary IDEMIITSU pre mix to the gas tank just to be fer sure fer sure after install. I am using rotary pre mix in the reservoir as well as the tank. I also changed the coolant reservoir which had a faulty coolant level indicator which based on my reading is far too common. I used red line MT-90 in the transmission and 75W90 the differential. Got the d52 coils and some 10mm wires and of course changed the plugs (lots of carbon). Just finished the work late yesterday and I have only driven the car 90 miles (Valdosta to Tallahassee) My father has a shop with a lift. Which made the job much easier. The first drive was great. None of this stuff had ever been touched before so the change was noticeable. Much smother running. No popping between aggressive shifts.. The differential seem quieter the shift of the transmission is still excellent. Could not have complained about it before the change as it was fantastic to begin with. I was very pleased with the parts, Kits with the exception of the 10mm wires. They were extremely hard to seat into the coils and all the wires were the same length leaving excess to deal with. From a running perspective no issues at all just possibly overkill and room for improvement on this item.
Now for the question. Stupid one probably but to be honest I just noticed it yesterday and have not yet searched the forums. Previous owner put 20 inch chrome wheels on it. Great looking but not really my cup of tea so Looking for some stock 18 in like new condition. So it rides a bit rough because of the 20's and the rear suspension loves to bottom out over what I would consider a moderate bump. When I had it up on the rack I noticed the inside of both tires were warn quit a bit. There may be a bit of an alignment issue contributing to this but in general it is sitting too low. I think they may have replaced the rear spring with shorter ones. I assume this would change the castor angle and make the top of the wheels lean in and cause the wear on the inside of the rears.
QUESTONS
What springs would you guys go with on the factory struts? the struts themselves seem fine.
Will making the ride higher help fix the issue with the inside wear of the tires? I suppose there could be some toe in also.
Anyone have a pre mix they would recommend over the IDEMIITSU?
10 w 30 seem ok to you guys given t he climate here in Tallahassee?
After looking ath the plugs I want to blow out the carbon as my next project.
Is it ok to user sea foam for this process?
Any other must do things I missed on my first pass that you guys would recommend?
Anyone know were I can get some great condition oem rims near Tallahassee area?
Thanks in advance...
gjk
08-12-2019, 09:10 AM
#2
Welcome aboard 
Sounds like all the right moves. What year is the car?
What coil kit did you get? Sounds like pretty poor quality, the BHR set comes with correct lengths of wire.
You can use any JASO FD rated 2 stroke oil for premix and in the reservoir. Idemitsu can get expensive. A common one is Lucas 2-stroke. You can also take a trip or order from Pettit Racing also in Florida for their Protek-R oil.
Sea foam hasn't been demonstrated to do much more than straight water. There is a thread by RWWIP comparing them. You can give it a shot, it only costs a can of seafoam.
How old is the coolant? These cars are starting to age, you may want to flush it if unkmown age. Use Mazda FL22 only.
Ditto for brake fluid.
Regarding the springs: I would confirm the problem before you go replacing springs. What is the actual ride height? Center of rim to fender.
Tires don't wear due to camber nearly as much as they wear due to poor toe-in, so it may just need an alignment. Also this isn't a Civic, lower suspension doesn't produce nearly the camber gain you might expect.
If it's bottoming out, you probably need new bumpstops too. Do the shocks at the same time. If they have lost pressure, they may be contributing to the low ride height. Our cars need the spring, shock and bumpstop to work together for proper ride height. I find it difficult to believe someone replaced just the rear springs.
If you do want to change the springs, the only stock option is.. stock. A mild drop and stiffness increase from something like Eibach Pro-Kit might be fun. Just whtever you do, do not get Koni shocks. They induce additional drop.
Sounds like all the right moves. What year is the car?
What coil kit did you get? Sounds like pretty poor quality, the BHR set comes with correct lengths of wire.
You can use any JASO FD rated 2 stroke oil for premix and in the reservoir. Idemitsu can get expensive. A common one is Lucas 2-stroke. You can also take a trip or order from Pettit Racing also in Florida for their Protek-R oil.
Sea foam hasn't been demonstrated to do much more than straight water. There is a thread by RWWIP comparing them. You can give it a shot, it only costs a can of seafoam.
How old is the coolant? These cars are starting to age, you may want to flush it if unkmown age. Use Mazda FL22 only.
Ditto for brake fluid.
Regarding the springs: I would confirm the problem before you go replacing springs. What is the actual ride height? Center of rim to fender.
Tires don't wear due to camber nearly as much as they wear due to poor toe-in, so it may just need an alignment. Also this isn't a Civic, lower suspension doesn't produce nearly the camber gain you might expect.
If it's bottoming out, you probably need new bumpstops too. Do the shocks at the same time. If they have lost pressure, they may be contributing to the low ride height. Our cars need the spring, shock and bumpstop to work together for proper ride height. I find it difficult to believe someone replaced just the rear springs.
If you do want to change the springs, the only stock option is.. stock. A mild drop and stiffness increase from something like Eibach Pro-Kit might be fun. Just whtever you do, do not get Koni shocks. They induce additional drop.
08-12-2019, 09:35 AM
#3
Registered
QUESTONS
What springs would you guys go with on the factory struts? the struts themselves seem fine.
Will making the ride higher help fix the issue with the inside wear of the tires? I suppose there could be some toe in also.
Anyone have a pre mix they would recommend over the IDEMIITSU?
10 w 30 seem ok to you guys given t he climate here in Tallahassee?
After looking ath the plugs I want to blow out the carbon as my next project.
Is it ok to user sea foam for this process?
Any other must do things I missed on my first pass that you guys would recommend?
Anyone know were I can get some great condition oem rims near Tallahassee area?
Thanks in advance...
gjk
What springs would you guys go with on the factory struts? the struts themselves seem fine.
Will making the ride higher help fix the issue with the inside wear of the tires? I suppose there could be some toe in also.
Anyone have a pre mix they would recommend over the IDEMIITSU?
10 w 30 seem ok to you guys given t he climate here in Tallahassee?
After looking ath the plugs I want to blow out the carbon as my next project.
Is it ok to user sea foam for this process?
Any other must do things I missed on my first pass that you guys would recommend?
Anyone know were I can get some great condition oem rims near Tallahassee area?
Thanks in advance...
gjk
2. ride height will not solve this issue. Wheel alignment best you can do but if you corner a lot you will always get wear on the insides.
3. Idemitsu is the best premix but you can also use 2 stroke oil. Just don't use marine 2 stroke oil, try to buy the stuff they use in motorcycles.
4. Use Seafoam BEFORE you put your new spark plugs in. You can find tutorials on this site or YouTube.
5. Just keep an eye out for your cooling system. Make sure both fans are working and you can also upgrade the water pump which helps with flow. Ignition and cooling system 2 most important things.
6. Also can order rims off Ebay if you can't find locally.
7. 10W40 probably better unless you are running semi-synthetic. I run 10W-40 conventional in all my RX-8's and never have had any engine problems with any of them.
Hope that helps! Welcome to the club!
Last edited by CaymanRotary; 08-12-2019 at 10:00 AM.
08-12-2019, 09:59 PM
#4
Registered
Welcome aboard
Sounds like all the right moves. What year is the car?
What coil kit did you get? Sounds like pretty poor quality, the BHR set comes with correct lengths of wire.
You can use any JASO FD rated 2 stroke oil for premix and in the reservoir. Idemitsu can get expensive. A common one is Lucas 2-stroke. You can also take a trip or order from Pettit Racing also in Florida for their Protek-R oil.
Sea foam hasn't been demonstrated to do much more than straight water. There is a thread by RWWIP comparing them. You can give it a shot, it only costs a can of seafoam.
How old is the coolant? These cars are starting to age, you may want to flush it if unkmown age. Use Mazda FL22 only.
Ditto for brake fluid.
Regarding the springs: I would confirm the problem before you go replacing springs. What is the actual ride height? Center of rim to fender.
Tires don't wear due to camber nearly as much as they wear due to poor toe-in, so it may just need an alignment. Also this isn't a Civic, lower suspension doesn't produce nearly the camber gain you might expect.
If it's bottoming out, you probably need new bumpstops too. Do the shocks at the same time. If they have lost pressure, they may be contributing to the low ride height. Our cars need the spring, shock and bumpstop to work together for proper ride height. I find it difficult to believe someone replaced just the rear springs.
If you do want to change the springs, the only stock option is.. stock. A mild drop and stiffness increase from something like Eibach Pro-Kit might be fun. Just whtever you do, do not get Koni shocks. They induce additional drop.
Sounds like all the right moves. What year is the car?
What coil kit did you get? Sounds like pretty poor quality, the BHR set comes with correct lengths of wire.
You can use any JASO FD rated 2 stroke oil for premix and in the reservoir. Idemitsu can get expensive. A common one is Lucas 2-stroke. You can also take a trip or order from Pettit Racing also in Florida for their Protek-R oil.
Sea foam hasn't been demonstrated to do much more than straight water. There is a thread by RWWIP comparing them. You can give it a shot, it only costs a can of seafoam.
How old is the coolant? These cars are starting to age, you may want to flush it if unkmown age. Use Mazda FL22 only.
Ditto for brake fluid.
Regarding the springs: I would confirm the problem before you go replacing springs. What is the actual ride height? Center of rim to fender.
Tires don't wear due to camber nearly as much as they wear due to poor toe-in, so it may just need an alignment. Also this isn't a Civic, lower suspension doesn't produce nearly the camber gain you might expect.
If it's bottoming out, you probably need new bumpstops too. Do the shocks at the same time. If they have lost pressure, they may be contributing to the low ride height. Our cars need the spring, shock and bumpstop to work together for proper ride height. I find it difficult to believe someone replaced just the rear springs.
If you do want to change the springs, the only stock option is.. stock. A mild drop and stiffness increase from something like Eibach Pro-Kit might be fun. Just whtever you do, do not get Koni shocks. They induce additional drop.
08-13-2019, 11:04 AM
#5
Registered
Thread Starter
My 8 is a 2007 grand touring. The oil metering pump(sohn) adapter and install kit was from ebay epitroch It was great. I even went the extra mile and painted the back plate to match the mica red and clear coated it. Looks great like it was designed that way from the factory. I would recommend the kit. Also had great instructions.
The Ignition system was from ebay npboosted. No instructions and Not super happy with the wires. Hindsight is 20 20 and I should have put the coil wires on before mounting it. They went in way to hard and tried to bend back instead of seat properly. Wires all the same length 10 mm a bit fat to clip in stuff like that. They function fine.
I do think I made a mistake based on your answers though. I changed the coolent and went with an asian vechicle formula from peak that is a blue color.
Let me know if this was a big mistake??
I can flush it out and get the proper stuff in pronto.
The Ignition system was from ebay npboosted. No instructions and Not super happy with the wires. Hindsight is 20 20 and I should have put the coil wires on before mounting it. They went in way to hard and tried to bend back instead of seat properly. Wires all the same length 10 mm a bit fat to clip in stuff like that. They function fine.
I do think I made a mistake based on your answers though. I changed the coolent and went with an asian vechicle formula from peak that is a blue color.
Let me know if this was a big mistake??
I can flush it out and get the proper stuff in pronto.
08-13-2019, 12:00 PM
#6
Registered
Thread Starter
Thanks this is really good info. Hope I did not mess up too bad putting in the Asian blue coolant from peak that I put in this past weekend. I assume I need to replace with fl22 asap.
gjk
gjk
08-13-2019, 04:25 PM
#7
Registered
Thread Starter
bump in the back and blue asian vehicle antifreeze
This post may be redundant as I did not see my earlier quick replies so Not sure if it has yet to be looked at and posted or if I did something wrong.
One thing I was asking is if the blue asian formula antifreeze I put in will harm my baby8. I think at the moment it may be ok based on some other reading I did but still doubting my decision to use it. I see Contains ethylene glycol (107-21-1) Diethylene Glycol (111-46-6) Sodium Benzoate (532-32-1) Corrosion inhibitors, defoamers,dye, and Bittering Agent so it is not too tasty... Hoping to hear back from someone. My default will be to remove the fluid and find the F22 mentioned
The other parrt I didn't know until I got home is the distance between the center of the wheel and the fender. It is 13.5 inches on both sides. It like to bump in the back quite a bit. I will check on the sway bar to make sure that is not the issue as I read in another article. Also currently it has 20" chrome wheels they are very very heavy. I have some 18" stock rims on order but I was thinking a lot un-sprung weight might be a contributing force as the excessive weight of the wheel is thrust upward. Probably a stupid theory but it is the only other excuse I can thing of at the moment.
gjk
One thing I was asking is if the blue asian formula antifreeze I put in will harm my baby8. I think at the moment it may be ok based on some other reading I did but still doubting my decision to use it. I see Contains ethylene glycol (107-21-1) Diethylene Glycol (111-46-6) Sodium Benzoate (532-32-1) Corrosion inhibitors, defoamers,dye, and Bittering Agent so it is not too tasty... Hoping to hear back from someone. My default will be to remove the fluid and find the F22 mentioned
The other parrt I didn't know until I got home is the distance between the center of the wheel and the fender. It is 13.5 inches on both sides. It like to bump in the back quite a bit. I will check on the sway bar to make sure that is not the issue as I read in another article. Also currently it has 20" chrome wheels they are very very heavy. I have some 18" stock rims on order but I was thinking a lot un-sprung weight might be a contributing force as the excessive weight of the wheel is thrust upward. Probably a stupid theory but it is the only other excuse I can thing of at the moment.
gjk
08-28-2019, 05:30 AM
#8
Registered
Thread Starter
You got it absolutely right on this one. Bump stop had disintegrated. Not sure why so fast. The car did have super heavy 20 inch rims on it so the momentum against the bump stop was significantly greater than would be with the original wheels. (which I have on there now. Yeah... Got the 2009 rims as I think they are just nicer looking than the prior years.... Thanks again for sharing your knowledge.
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