Hi Guys,

Can someone tell me what vacuum line or lines could get kinked or replaced with a line too short causing a vacuum in my oil pan that would break the pan seal and cause a leak?

I had replaced the pan seal, started leaking again, brought it to Montgomery Mazda, and found the pan to warped. They replaced they pan and seal 2 months ago and the car has only been driven about 400 miles since then. The leak started back up at the same place – the area of the pan seal by the passenger side motor mount. The dealer is saying that someone replaced vacuum lines and they are too short, causing a vacuum inside the oil pan which is breaking the seal….any input?

Thanks,
-Mark

 

If you believe that I have some nice swampland in Florida to sell you

That has to be the lamest crap I've heard in a long time

I would look at the MOP area as well...maybe they didn't fix the correct leak the first time....

The odds of ending up with another leak in the same place is poor.....

 

unless the previous owner had connected one vacuum line to the engine breather hose.

 

Oh dear lord. Now I've heard it all.

 

lol....

me thinks the dealer didn't do the seal very well.

 

Just think about the since of what you said.

 

What dannobre said about the MOP...
Or they didn't bother cleaning the old sealant off the housings when they replaced the pan.
Or maybe there's a split where the housings and end plates join.
Some high res pictures of the area would be useful.

 

I intentionally run vacuum in my oil pan.
If anything, that would mitigate a leak, rather than cause it.

 

What the ...

 

It does sound like BS to me…Not being all as familiar with rotary engines as I am with pistons, I spoke with an RX8 tech from another dealer down in Wilmington where I used to live and he said the same - BS….here’s what boggles me, though – the part that he wants me to pay for is $6…so I don’t think he’s trying to make money here, just trying to cover-up for the shitty reseal on the new pan…

 

Wait wait wait...okay, yes, too much vacuum can damage the seal and cause leaks once the engine is shut off (though not when the engine is running), but that's not the big problem here. The big problem is the dealer said the excess vacuum is because THE VAC LINES ARE TOO SHORT. Has anyone else noticed the complete bullshittiness of this statement?

 

Having pulled my oil pan I can tell you that no amount of vacuum these engines produce could break that seal.

My oil pan is basically vented to atmosphere out in front of the throttle body... So where is this giant vacuum coming from?

The leak, if it is coming from the pan seal, is either from shitty workmanship or from a defective mating surface.

 

I'm going to pick the car up on saturday, and I'll post some photos of the area that the leak has been emanating from...I'm hoping this time the leak is fixed...otherwise, I'm raising hell...

-Mark