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Ya these cars are not really profit makers. It’s more like a spiritual connection (with those who keep the rotory in the car). Every Rx8 is meant for that one person that can be patient and dedicated to treating the car properly. It’s just a shame that some have to go through a few owners to find their real home.... or it’s just a car who knows.
Yeah, but it is sometimes fun to love what everyone else despises. Like people who used to buy Saabs. Definitely a "different drummer" phenomenon.
I used to have an e28 BMW and some huge percentage of those guys used to own an rx-7 also at some point. In fact, I think it was the single most referenced previously owned car in a poll they did on the mye28 site.
Everyone was shocked to find that out at the time. Probably would be the same on some Saab site now. I can just imagine, " I used to own a rotary, but it was too unreliable, so I got this Saab Turbo instead."
Maybe there are some ex-Citroen DS guys here, wouldn't be surprising.
man how hard is this. fill tank at 1/4 or less
open idmitsu
look at the window
dump appx 8oz in tank
stop beating a dead horse
??????????
profit
Seems reasonable.
I never pre-mixed my FD, and the OMP system worked as intended. When my engine (40k mile Mazda Reman) experienced a boost-related illness and evacuated an apex seal, I found the housings and irons in good condition, with little to no chatter marks.
I like the idea of pre-mix, but it would be in addition to a known functional OMP system. If re calibrating the ECM, bumping up the OMP map is a good idea. If not combating emission demands, I'm sure Mazda would have fed lots more oil than they did.
I'm sure it's placebo in most instances, but IMO the real mistake isn't the feeling itself; it's taking the feeling as a sign that the engine is actually better off in the long run.
Has any one photographed a teardown of a pre-mix only (disabled/removed OMP) engine? I'd say if the housings are clear of chatter and chowder marks, that pre-mix is viable in its effect of lubricating the combustion seals. Seams that is the most common wear visible when an oil injection system isn't injecting enough or fails outright.
We will find eventually. I’m pre mixing from day one of this engine. Both housings and the center iron were replaced. As well as Atkins full rebuild kit c I believe.
Has any one photographed a teardown of a pre-mix only (disabled/removed OMP) engine? I'd say if the housings are clear of chatter and chowder marks, that pre-mix is viable in its effect of lubricating the combustion seals. Seams that is the most common wear visible when an oil injection system isn't injecting enough or fails outright.
Yeah, quite a few people have.
This is mine which was premixed and ran the SOHN.
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You can see on the rotor where the clean 2 stroke was being injected though.
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As a comparison, this is my buddies rotor, premixed since new with idemitsu, no SOHN, also a Mazda reman that died at around 30k, just like mine did only his was a loss of compression and mine was due to failed coolant seal.
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This is hardly scientific so take it with a grain of salt. We live near each other and both engines were meticulously maintained.
That carbon "+" around the plug, and cracking is interesting. Is this a 13B-MSP specific phenomenon? I've seen few teardowns with it on here, but my 13B-REW, and the other 13B/13B-REW's I've seen never showed this, or the cracking issues around the plugs.
I'd be curious to know the straightness and balance of both e-shafts, that may have been a contributor to his bearing wear. Hard to say though, as you noted, anecdotal without more samples.
I alway ran M1 non-synthetic in my FD, bearings looked like yours on teardown (at ~30k). Aside from the gouge the apex seal left on it's exit, the housings were good, with no burning or cracking.
Yeah the cracking around the spark plug is normal, we have seen that a lot.
I think balancing is a huge part of the bearing wear and other issues. And with Mazda remans, it varies on what is reused and what is new, and according to Paul @Mazmart, the latest ones are getting basically new everything.
I am a big fan of M1 0W-40. I have yet to have a bad test result with it.
My original MSP engine was pulled out at 105k miles still with good compression. I broke the core down during my REW swap because I wanted to store the good parts. Everything looked fine except for a **** ton of carbon on the rotors. Never premixed or anything special, and I put the cheapest 5-20 oil I could findm, changed it at like 10k mile intervals, and only changed the filter every other service. The day I drove it off the lot with 20 miles on it, I was banging gears off the rev limiter. I never had a problem with the engine during all 105k miles... I think it all comes down to luck.
My original MSP engine was pulled out at 105k miles still with good compression. I broke the core down during my REW swap because I wanted to store the good parts. Everything looked fine except for a **** ton of carbon on the rotors. Never premixed or anything special, and I put the cheapest 5-20 oil I could findm, changed it at like 10k mile intervals, and only changed the filter every other service. The day I drove it off the lot with 20 miles on it, I was banging gears off the rev limiter. I never had a problem with the engine during all 105k miles... I think it all comes down to luck.
There is definitely a luck factor. But I think that applies to all rotaries,
My first factory engine only lasted 22k, and was maintained in an OCD like fashion just like the rest. The second last 74,000 and was beat on daily during a 35 miles commute, and the third and last from Mazda only last 27k or so when coolant was detected in the oil during an oil sample test. My current engine was built in 2011 and has been boosted since day one and is still going strong with almost 40k on it.
Yeah the cracking around the spark plug is normal, we have seen that a lot.
IIRC this was frequently (always) seen on FDs and there was speculation it was due to local overheating; coolant was continuously boiling a bit right there under load. The stock AST 'Air Separation Tank' which was used as a band-aid to cover the symptom.
Evans 'waterless' coolant was promoted as a cure as the boiling point is much higher. There were some convincing pics of engines torn down after using Evans with little or zero cracks, skipping etc @ the spark plug; and no AST needed