Im considering an RX8 soon and was wondering if their is any worry of the engine blowing. I have a few friends with RX7's that had to replace their engines a few times. Im hoping this is not the case...

 

did you friends have engine mods on their rx7's

 

did they own FD's, and mod them without doing fuel mods? (or the reliability mods)?

 

Once again........

Rotaries w/ turbos = reliable w/ POTENTIAL problems

Rotaries w/ out turbos = VERY reliable

(this is assuming strict maintenance of course)

 

yea they definately were modded and driven hard...i guess that has something to do with it but the engines went out fairly quickly. I've heard about the rx7 engine problem from numerous other people also. It's got me wondering about the rx8 rotary. I havent looked into much yet but it seems safe to say that everyone is pretty happy with their rx8's...

 

so as long as i keep it N/A the rx8 rotary engine is as reliable as any engine?

 

An NA rotary, if properly cared for, will be more reliable than most piston engines.

 

Any high performance car that is modded and driven hard will not last long. The more power you push out of your engine and abuse will shorten the life of your motor. Pistion engines are no exception. In most cases people that are unfamilar with rotory engines (especially the FD) tend to modify them like pistion cars, which is also incorrect. They are completly diffrent and require more care to run properly.

 

Any motor you abuse without proper reenforcement will not last. This motor is the same way, you do as intended then it will last a very long time.

 

well I'm happy
but I dont want to keep it N/A

 

Do a search on the topic. There are several threads discussing this in depth.

Like it has been said before the rotary engine is extremely reliable N/A and when properly turbo/supercharged. The rotary is inherently more reliable due to its less moving parts. No cams, etc. to worry about. The thing that kills rotaries is heat. Turbo charging puts off tons of heat and is not properly used can be a potential for disaster.

Long story short, a properly cared for and non-abused rotary will last a very long time.

 

The thing about the last generation RX-7 is that they had fairly weak water o-rings in the engine. If someone made it to 80000 miles (even driving nice) in those cars on one engine, they were doing pretty good. The small turbos on these cars would die really fast as well. Mazda offers stainless steel sleeves that protect the o-rings but you have to rebuild the engine to install them. Aftermrket o-rings are also available made of a different material to combat this issue. The earlier generation RX-7's would seemingly go on forever and it isn't uncommon to find an n/a 1st or 2nd gen RX-7 with 200K miles + on it. The o-rings were different between every generation. Also realize that the 3rd gen RX-7 had a pathetic radiator, lots of heat in the engine bay with no where to vent to, the most cramped engine bay which helped hold heat in, a pathetic intercooler, a two very small and hot turbos. All of this leads to alot of stress on the engine in those cars. As mentioned here already modified rotaries that have been driven hard or tuned improperly may not last long either.

 

I have a 1988 RX-7 Turbo II with 188,000 miles. Used as an every day driver for 15 years and still running on the same stock engine as the day I bought it. I have lots of appearance mods that i'm in the process of taking off but no engine mods and never raced it or drove it abnormally hard. As far as the rotary turbo engine goes I can vouch that is has outlasted any other car I've owned.

 

those third gen rx7 turbos had major engine problems, seemed like the rest didnt know about the rx7s. My friend went through like 7 of those engines. i was afraid of getting an rx8 and having to do the same thing. I cant afford doing that. Thanks...

 

Bottom line is if you're gonna mod, do it right and don't cut corners to save pennies. If you go "cheap" you really can't complain when you blow it later on.

 

Rotarygod, i agree with gen3 rx7's having no space under the hood, but name a car that does...

 

my roommate's friend and brother are both looking to get an rx8...can some one compile a list of the bunch of faults and praises for the rx8? i've read that there were many problems with this production model. i've also read, but i may be wrong, that you gotta change the oil very often. can someone verify this?

 

First production models usually have bunch of small to big issues.
I would wait until another year or two passes before making purchase decision.

Ultimately, people who bought 1st production models are being test mule for the Mazda on owner's expense.

 

I suppose the first model year of the s2000 was a "test mule" too huh?

You do realize Mazda has been testing this car for three years. The engine is a 13B........roughly 20 years old......tried and true.

 

the car kicks *** and soundzero is a schmuck

 

so no problems so far? i need facts of the faults also

oh and is the horsepower ratings now 238 hp?

 

yes 238 HP.

 

he came on here to hear OWNERS reports, not your personal reccomendation.

 

Best car I ever owned!

3,000+mi, 2mos, no problems or complaints.

I've read all the whining about HP and don't understand it at all; this car's power band is so big that you don't get kicked in the but with low-end torque, but it rockets you to beyond-legal speeds in no time. Plus, it's awesome on the twisties.

This car is the most innovative, best executed design I've seen.

Looked for a long time before buying (Lexus IS300, Saab 9-3, Audi A4 - I need 4 seats) and this car blows them all away.

Either I got lucky with my car, or there are just a lot of whiners out there.

 

it doesn't burn oil, it utilizes a very small amount to lube the apex seals; injects it.

Yes the 238hp is true, but this is a vehicle that needs to be test driven to appreceiate.

From my first few weeks and reading these boards, I have not come across any inherent faults with the 8. Maybe things ppl would like to have see done differently.

If you are lookin for faults, as in, tech/mech problems with the car, I have seen none of any major value. If you are lookin for faults in the design, then that becomes a matter of personal opinion, in which, the only opinion that matters to me is mine.

Regardless of the power rating, mileage rating, ppls personal quirks about the design, I still love the car and it's a blast to drive.

Other than that, have your friends look and test drive on their own and make their own decisions. A car is a very subjective thing, we can thread this thing for weeks on end about the pros and cons but when it comes right down to it, regardless, of what the rest of us have said they will make their ultimate deceision based on what they've experienced.

Now.....go forth and test!