Team Tora Productions

Sooooo more clutch questions from me. Just had it replaced with something recommended from the shop for heavy autocross use. DF 641101 Long story short, when I slow down I now get LARGE knocks that you can feel and hear. I also have zero acceleration now compared to my old worn clutch. And the old clutch was an Exedy and apparently lasted only ~20k miles. 12k of which was from me and autocross with casual DD. I haven't redlined it yet, but just getting to 4k is noticeably harder on the car. If I had to guess, I am probably a full second or 2 slower with 0-60.


Questions are, why does the RX8 have no real racing clutch/flywheels? Everything is aluminum which breaks quickly. Are there any light weight flywheel and clutches that won't break in a couple of racing events? I know if I race, I need to be prepared for the expenses, but it seems like the RX8 just doesn't have anything good for Clutch and Flywheel needs.


Is the knocking normal for this clutch?


The stock flywheel was shaved down. Why did the clutch have such a negative impact on my car? I thought the clutch didn't affect that much and that is why we spend so much worry over the flywheel?

mazdafan1892

So...$500.00 dollars later, a new starter. I was mad that I had to shell out that much but the car does start 80-85% better. Next is oil changes, engine bay, trans and differential, new thermostat,and perhaps new tires.

Now when it comes to buying tires I am a dunce. I know now 2 out of my four tires I am driving have plugs/internal patches. Also this car is horrible in the rain and worse in the snow. I really need an all season tire. I just found out about all terrain but I dont think thats for me. Can there be a combo between the two? Is there a thread on here when it comes to choosing the best updated tires for this car? I hear good things on Michellin
Conti and Goodyear, after searching some review threads.

Next, I am also going to get an alignment done this year, check the struts, shocks, barrings and engine mounts. The car feels like something is rubbing when turning slow on turns and it does feel off balance and shaking at a stop light I believe. ??? I am still learning.

Is there a way to check the spark plugs and wires without taking them out? High powered scanning tool?

One of my favorite things to do with this car is drive on a long stretch open road, engine warm and revving it hitting 9,000rpms, But...I feel sometimes like when I press on the gas to do that the accelerator needle just goes over the 9k and I dont get the pull on the car like when I do it right. Does anyone know what I mean? Like where you really feel the car accelerate or pull? It has to be pushed at the right time with the right amount of pressure to get that pull, not sure if that is torque?

mazdafan1892

Damn it, just came back from inspecting the engine oil and transmission dipsticks. The engine oil is milky, brownish. The transmission oil looked kinda low. Sigh.

Anyone please may know what causes the milky brownish oil? I am worried. Gonna try to get an oil change Asap but I heard that blown gaskets can cause it or an engine issue. I know the Rx-8 doesnt have head gaskets right?

Signal 2

Where are you located ? The most common reason for oil to appear as you've described is simply a water-oil emulsion. Kind of a baby-poo brown slime. And that's usually caused by condensation due to large temperature swings ...i.e. in the spring and fall. It usually is seen around the filler cap and occasionally the dipstick insert. It's aggravated by short trips where the engine is not brought to full temperature, or not kept at full temperature very long.
It's not a big deal and pretty harmless.

Steve Dallas

There are guys on this board with far more experience than I have on this topic, but I do have a couple of comments.

Part of the reason there are not a lot of clutch and flywheel options is that the OEM one is so good.

I'm baffled as to how the OEM clutch lasted you only 20K miles. Are you sure it was gone? Autocross is not that hard on clutches if you do it right. Street driven cars are seeing up to 100K on their OEM clutches. Autocross might reduce that some, but not more than maybe a quarter. I have 33K hard miles on my clutch, and it still has plenty of engagement left; it feels almost like new. Nearly half of those miles were driven on the local race tracks. The OEM setup is more than good enough for 'racing'.

If you read clutch threads on this forum, you will see a pattern of people having problems with aftermarket clutches, including the Exedy Stage 1. Unless you are forced induction, you do not need anything more than the Exedy OEM clutch, as it has more than enough clamping pressure for the amount of power the Renesis makes. In fact, a lot of the FI guys are running the OEM clutch too.

Shaving the flywheel may have reduced the clamping power of the clutch. Resurfacing is a good idea on an old flywheel, but is usually not needed for such an early clutch replacement unless it was damaged by a severely worn disc. Shaving is almost never a good idea, as it changes the synergy of the clutch components.

It could be slower, because the clutch is slipping. Do you smell anything funny? I don't know why it would be clunking. That is usually the release bearing slamming around or the disc grabbing and letting go. Something isn't right in there.

Signal 2

Mazdafan...
If you're not seeing a leak from the transmission be sure the car is level and fluid hot before deciding it's low.

Steve Dallas

I haven't read your history with the car, so I don't know everything that is going on, so take this for the free advice it is.

If you do not know the history of the car's ignition, one of the smartest things you can do is replace the plugs, coils, and wires. They are wearable items on this car and need to be replaced every 20 to 30K miles. Replacing them as a set is the best policy. OEM parts are best, but aftermarket parts work too. OEM NGK plugs are the only ones you should use. Or if you don't want to worry about coils and wires, you can spring for the BHR setup and just change plugs after that initial outlay. Read this post for more information.

If there is any chance your ignition has been problematic in the past, you need to inspect your catalytic converter for problems. Ignition problems kill cats, and dead cats kill engines.

Also, before you spend a ton of money on parts, it is advisable to have the engine compression tested to find out if it is healthy enough to be worthy of the investments you are proposing to make in the car.

mazdafan1892

I am out in NY. I just double checked it. The engine oil is milky light brownish and the transmission stick is a little on the low side.

Yeah I am pretty sure its a little low.

I just went over my receipts. The last time I had the spark plugs and wires replaced by Mazda was in 2014. Which they gave me a battery which only lasted 2 years, 5 bucks for the core. Anyways, yeah will try to check on the cat asap. As for the oil, its still the same so I will have to have Mazda do a flush and replace it. Also gotta check for leaks, esp with the radiator they said it may be leaking into the engine. Jeez. Lets see what happens. I try to take care of the car. Had the solendoids replaced this year, the air filter changed, we had a new fuel pump put in but realized it wasnt that and switched it for the old one. Throttle body cleaned, MAF sensor cleaned. Funny though one of the biggest issues I have is the passenger dashboard cracking from the sun/armoral used by the carwash.

Team Tora Productions

Couple of things, the old clutch that came out was an Exedy. Not sure the model number. Parts are in the garage so I can take a look later. But it didn't last too long. The one that is now on there is very soft, heavy, negatively affected my acceleration and increased my braking distance. I can hardly feel the tranny now too. I'm not happy with it at all.


I was told there was a break in period with this new clutch and yes, it does smell after I drive it. They said it would go away after a couple weeks. Another issue I noticed is the engagement and feathering does NOT feel smooth. It is hard to tell when the clutch is on and off, but you can feel an intense vibration similar to my old failing clutch. I find that very odd. I'll probably have them redo it in a couple months if I am not happy and just rebuy/pay for OEM and install. Sucks, but I don't want a SLOWER rx8, lol.


Lastly, I figured out what the knocking was. Exhaust was banging against the sub frame after they lowered the pinions of the tranny a bit low. Problem fixed. Still hate the clutch though, XD

Steve Dallas

You mentioned the plugs and wires, but what about the coils? Having healthy coils is extremely important.

The OEM clutch is made by Exedy. IIRC, a lot of guys buy the Exedy OEM clutch kit in the aftermarket and buy Mazda release and pilot bearings and seal to complete the parts list for the installation. The OEM clutch is good enough, that many people who try something different end up going back to it after being unsatisfied.

mazdafan1892

Yep Verified. The report when looking at it a second time mentioned at the time I had a code P0301 and they replaced all plugs, wires and coils.


Also going to check things out some more but not too worried about it. I called a few dealerships and they mentioned it is most likely condensation(engine bay heat and the weather changing), which Rx-8s are known for he said, esp when I havent been driving that much. Just to and from work most of the days. Also I will check the coolant cap area in the front of the engine bay if it is the same color or green or whatever. But next week I'll go for an oil change. I hope and pray its not the engine or the radiator.

Legot

iTrader: (1)

No, that's not a thing you can do. You can use any old oil cooler or heater core though.

Team Tora Productions

I'll get this one then. Guess I'm one of those guys

mazdafan1892

This morning I checked out my car. Opened the hood, opened the coolant cap, it looked low but hard to tell cause my coolant is clear. (Last time I will buy it clear). Hard to see the "F" fill line. Anyways, I got my mini flash light and looked around for any wire cracks and leaks in the wire. So then I checked under the car and saw two very small wet spots. Then I turned the car over and let the car warm up then blasted the a/c and hot air for like 5-7 min. I checked under the car and saw a leak in the middle under the car. I cannot tell if it is water or coolant. It doesnt smell like glycol. Sweet I am told. Maybe it me but I smelled nothing could it be water? I am just glad I found the leak. Oh and could excess heat in the engine bay be cause I dont top off the oil every 1,000mi? Even though the dash temp is fine?

archwisp

iTrader: (1)

Condensation will drip when you have the a/c on. That's probably what you saw.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

No. But don't let it become habit!

mazdafan1892

One other thing I noticed, the coolant cap doesnt lock in. I can turn it with resistance but clockwise 360. Its a pressurized system so shouldnt it fit snug and tight? What are the effects of it being loose but not coming off or a loss of pressure?

wankelbolt

iTrader: (21)

You need a new coolant tank. And cap for good measure. It should not rotate 360 degrees.

mazdafan1892

Here is a dumb question perhaps, do they sell products where one can optimize the car's computer system? Also I will be searching on here for information on the computer systems of the Rx8. My mechanic said he had a former Mazda mechanic check out the "ecu" and if Mazda dealerships take a look at it to fix it would cost like $2000 bucks. Was like what?! So..is there a money saving alternative device to check/update the computer system to specification without having to go through Mazda? Thanks.

RX8Soldier

iTrader: (24)

You need to do more reading of the stickies. Especially the modifying and new owners.

Short answer: there is no miracle chip. You'll need to look at the cobb accessport, Mazda edit and adaptronics.

mazdafan1892

Weird sound driving home from work. Like I could hear fluid moving around in the engine bay while driving.???

arakawa

Is still possible to get OEM body parts for the (s-2) RX8 from Mazda?

Steve Dallas

That is probably just coolant flowing through the heater core. It is one of the joys of having an engine slung low and rearward. Completely normal and nothing to worry about.

Nisaja

Coolant wouldn't flow through the heater core while the heater is off, right? Correct me if I'm wrong lol.

Nisaja

Yes

http://onlinemazdaparts.com/parts/20...?siteid=214264