I am putting some serious thought into getting an RX-8, but I have heard that the rotary engines aren't very durable. Is this true?

 

not true. well, not since 1973 or so when they apex seal design was changed. so id recommend getting a post 1973 rotary if you are getting one (maybe it was 74, somebody correct me).

james

 

2 RX8's...24hrs...full throttle (almost)...enjoy the read...better yet...enjoy the car!

https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/two-mazda-rx-8s-drive-24-hours-full-throttle-40-records-broken-41846/

 

Thanks for the advice. Also, if I get one I will definitely enjoy the car.

 

Not true. I've owned several RX-7's and they've all gone well over 100,000 miles with no engine problems. Highest one was 153,000. A properly cared for rotary will equal or outlast a piston engine.

 

I have put some serious abuse on my Renesis and it still runs great. During my nitrous testing I subjected the engine to way more detonation than was previously thought possible. I have also accidentally run into the fuel cut when the nitrous was activated. NOT GOOD, but the engine has lived through it. If I could find an RPM switch that would work as I need it to, I would install it. Another time, I shifted into second gear at 80 mph(damned aluminum flywheel) and the tach flew to about 11,500 rpm. The dash lights all immediately lit up and flashed wildly and I quickly released the clutch. Obviously, the engine can take some abuse.

Charles

 

Agreed, I sold my RX-7 with 122k miles on it, had to clean the injectors once! The rotary does have a characteristic that is different from piston engines, a possibility of flooding if you start it when the engine is very cold, then turn it off before it has a chance to retain some heat (less than a couple minutes). Examples of this are moving the car out of the garage on a cold Saturday morning to wash it or, valet parking attendants that move a car after its had a chance to get cold. Rumor has it that the latest software rev, which has been out for at least six months, lessens the possibility of this occurring. I haven't had my RX-8 flood, yet (15 months/14k miles) and I live in Michigan!

Its simple to deal with, but I can understand someone who hasn't been educated would be pretty upset if they can't get their brand new sports car started! Also, its covered in the owners manual, including a procedure to de-flood it.

This shouldn't be a big deal, just nice not to get surprised!

 

My 1987 RX-7 had over 170K miles when I got my RX-8. It still runs strong to redline and I never had to do any engine repairs. The normally aspirated rotary engine is as close to bulletproof as internal combustion engines get. I expect at least 200K miles from the Renesis.

 

Wow! That is something. That proves the durability of your engine... That isn't a factory clutch is it?

 

Not the factory clutch. Early on, I decided to go with nitrous so while I was doing the flywheel swap I also installed the ACT Extreme Duty pressure plate/clutch kit. I have mentioned in another post that if I were to do it over again, I may have stuck with the street duty version as opposed to the extreme duty. The pedal pressure takes a while to get used to and can become troubling in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Otherwise, the ACT has taken some tremendous abuse and it still works great.

Charles

 

hey guys out there,

i am very curious to know how long rx8 rotary engine wud last let say base on normal usage.

 

how the hell would we know
they're new !
Heck mine is only 3 months old

 

Do a search, this has been discussed multiple times and fact is it's too early to tell for sure.

 

I just merged another "[Renesis] Engine Durability Thread" into this one.

 

thanks guys for the info.
RX8 is my first car and I might keep it for sometime