Life of the rotary...
#1
Registered User
Thread Starter
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Pflugerville, Texas
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Life of the rotary...
One of my customers came in to my store today and was talking bad about the rotary engine. He was stating that is was a bad engine and that they did'nt last very long. I was just curious as to how many miles you can expect to get out of a rotary engine. I have always thought it was a long lasting engine. What are your thoughts on this.....???
#2
well, assuming you had a rotary engine with no flaws, and a similar piston engine with no flaws, and both were maintained properly, the rotary is going to last as long, if not longer simply because it has far fewer moving parts and is much simpler mechanically.
the rotary engine has a bad reputation due to the turbo rx7s that didn't get enough cooling, and people pushing it too close to the edge.
also, once your engine is worn out, you can just have it rebuilt, port and polished, and it will run better, and with more horse power than before!
the rotary engine has a bad reputation due to the turbo rx7s that didn't get enough cooling, and people pushing it too close to the edge.
also, once your engine is worn out, you can just have it rebuilt, port and polished, and it will run better, and with more horse power than before!
#3
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: Calgary, Alberta
Posts: 26
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
If you take good care of the engine, rotary can last a very long time, I use to have a 2 gen RX-7 with 260,000km on the rotary engine before is broke down.
#4
Sold on Rotaries!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Michigan
Posts: 542
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Curious to know what constitutes "taking good care of the engine"? I hear this all the time but don't really understand what it means specifically. Also wonder if there has been a survey out there somewhere on the board to see who has the highest miles, and what problems they have had to date?
#6
Registered
Join Date: May 2003
Location: Redmond, WA
Posts: 605
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rotaries have less things to go wrong with them than piston engines, your valvetrain isn't going to start clicking, your timing belt or chain isn't going to break messing up your engine, your connecting rods aren't going to break, however the rotary has its own problems which usually result in having to rebuild the whole motor Short answer, a taken care of naturally aspirated rotor in average driving should go well past 200,000 miles without a rebuild.
#7
Insanely Yellow
Originally Posted by MI_FamilyMan
Curious to know what constitutes "taking good care of the engine"? I hear this all the time but don't really understand what it means specifically. Also wonder if there has been a survey out there somewhere on the board to see who has the highest miles, and what problems they have had to date?
Simply put: a solid maintenance routine - oil changes every 3000 to 5000 miles depending on driving habits, cooling system flushes and fills every so often (per mfr recommendations, but no more often than a piston engine), and attention to the induction and ignition systems to be sure the engine is running cleanly and optimally (since "tune ups" are a misnomer with today's engines - plug changes, air filter changes per mfr's recco's and if needed, fuel injector maintanence, and being sure all the parts are working right, oxygen sensors, etc.
Bottom line is that other than the designed-in oil consumption rate of a quart every 3000 miles or thereabouts (and honestly, other than a Honda or Toyota, try to find a piston engine that doesn't do that ...) that keeps the engine internally lubricated, requiring the owner to watch the oil level every other fuel stop, there is NO special maintenance routine required by a rotary engine that you wouldn't have to also perform on a piston engine to maximize life.
And the engine thrives on rev's ... no reason to worry about taking it to the redline! As opposed to a piston engine with all that "starting and stopping" motion in it.
#8
Originally Posted by MI_FamilyMan
Curious to know what constitutes "taking good care of the engine"? I hear this all the time but don't really understand what it means specifically. Also wonder if there has been a survey out there somewhere on the board to see who has the highest miles, and what problems they have had to date?
the engine rebuild times on the renesis should be a lot longer than previous rotaries.
#9
Sold on Rotaries!
Join Date: Sep 2004
Location: Michigan
Posts: 542
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by StewC625
I'm thinking this person isn't much of a "car guy" if he doesn't know basic "taking care of the engine" technique.
Simply put: a solid maintenance routine - oil changes every 3000 to 5000 miles depending on driving habits, cooling system flushes and fills every so often (per mfr recommendations, but no more often than a piston engine), and attention to the induction and ignition systems to be sure the engine is running cleanly and optimally (since "tune ups" are a misnomer with today's engines - plug changes, air filter changes per mfr's recco's and if needed, fuel injector maintanence, and being sure all the parts are working right, oxygen sensors, etc.
Bottom line is that other than the designed-in oil consumption rate of a quart every 3000 miles or thereabouts (and honestly, other than a Honda or Toyota, try to find a piston engine that doesn't do that ...) that keeps the engine internally lubricated, requiring the owner to watch the oil level every other fuel stop, there is NO special maintenance routine required by a rotary engine that you wouldn't have to also perform on a piston engine to maximize life.
And the engine thrives on rev's ... no reason to worry about taking it to the redline! As opposed to a piston engine with all that "starting and stopping" motion in it.
Simply put: a solid maintenance routine - oil changes every 3000 to 5000 miles depending on driving habits, cooling system flushes and fills every so often (per mfr recommendations, but no more often than a piston engine), and attention to the induction and ignition systems to be sure the engine is running cleanly and optimally (since "tune ups" are a misnomer with today's engines - plug changes, air filter changes per mfr's recco's and if needed, fuel injector maintanence, and being sure all the parts are working right, oxygen sensors, etc.
Bottom line is that other than the designed-in oil consumption rate of a quart every 3000 miles or thereabouts (and honestly, other than a Honda or Toyota, try to find a piston engine that doesn't do that ...) that keeps the engine internally lubricated, requiring the owner to watch the oil level every other fuel stop, there is NO special maintenance routine required by a rotary engine that you wouldn't have to also perform on a piston engine to maximize life.
And the engine thrives on rev's ... no reason to worry about taking it to the redline! As opposed to a piston engine with all that "starting and stopping" motion in it.
I guess that was what I was getting at. This supposed "taking care of the engine" is all basic, generic stuff that you would do with any car. So it just tends to be misleading. I would have just said it's the same as any other car, regardless of the engine style.
#10
well... taking care of a rotary is a bit more important on the rotary since it burns oil by design. you might be able to get away not changing the oil / checking the oil on a normal piston car for a long period of time, but if you try that on a rotary, you're going to find yourself in need of a new engine.
#11
Get in ma belly!!
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
Posts: 955
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by MI_FamilyMan
Curious to know what constitutes "taking good care of the engine"? I hear this all the time but don't really understand what it means specifically. Also wonder if there has been a survey out there somewhere on the board to see who has the highest miles, and what problems they have had to date?
- Irish
#12
140,000 miles on my 1981 RX-7 before I got rid of it. The engine was still running fine but the rest of the car was falling apart. I never did anything special, just added oil when it needed some, usually about a quart between 3000 mile changes.
The old engines were easy and cheap to rebuild. I don't know how the Renesis will turn out but the basic engine seems similar.
Rotaries aren't anything new. Mazda has been making them since the mid 70s with great success.
Whoever told you that obviously doesn't really know much about cars and probably is just repeating something another ill informed individual told him. You might just ask what he bases that statement on. I am sure that it is nothing concrete.
The old engines were easy and cheap to rebuild. I don't know how the Renesis will turn out but the basic engine seems similar.
Rotaries aren't anything new. Mazda has been making them since the mid 70s with great success.
Whoever told you that obviously doesn't really know much about cars and probably is just repeating something another ill informed individual told him. You might just ask what he bases that statement on. I am sure that it is nothing concrete.
#13
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Bolton (Northwest England)
Posts: 156
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Originally Posted by MI_FamilyMan
Curious to know what constitutes "taking good care of the engine"? I hear this all the time but don't really understand what it means specifically. Also wonder if there has been a survey out there somewhere on the board to see who has the highest miles, and what problems they have had to date?
No sniff of trouble on 11000 miles here, including a lot of hard use. I went through 3 x VG30DETT engines in less miles than that.
#14
Originally Posted by zevans
No sniff of trouble on 11000 miles here, including a lot of hard use. I went through 3 x VG30DETT engines in less miles than that.
Huh??? How'd you manage that?
#17
Registered User
Join Date: Dec 2003
Location: Maryland
Posts: 40
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The reason some people feel this way is from lack of knowledge and partly because of the poor reliability of the 3rd gen rx7. When a complex forced induction system was added to the 13b it changed the complexity of the engine and wound up causing more openings for problems. Most of the people I've talked to who could actually give a reason for why they thought rotaries were shortlived cited something with 3rd gens. But most of the people just hate or don't understand and make blanket statements like "rotaries suck" without knowing anything.
#19
Registered User
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Middletown CT
Posts: 304
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
I put over 100,000 miles on each of two first gen RX-7's with fewer than zero problems. I say "fewer than" because I think they actually performed better as they got older. (Of course at my age it's now vital to believe that's possible! :p )
I'd have put alot more miles on them but the second one was stolen. The first taught me why you NEVER let off the throttle in mid-curve, especially with tight guardrails on both sides. OUCH! I totalled her with one dumb move. Sniff...
I'd have put alot more miles on them but the second one was stolen. The first taught me why you NEVER let off the throttle in mid-curve, especially with tight guardrails on both sides. OUCH! I totalled her with one dumb move. Sniff...
#20
black RX-8 6 speed
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Tampa, FL
Posts: 183
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
any engine or entire car for that matter will last if you maintain it according to the manufacture's requirements. my mom had a 1984 pontiac grand am with 250,000 miles on it and it ran fine. no rebuild. the previous owner was obsessed with maintaining it, logging everything that was done to it. everything. now granted none of us will put that much effort in maintaining a car. in my opinion, if you keep the wankle oiled it will easily go into the six figure mileage without any problems. a piston engine requires more to keep it up to par. especially if it uses a timing belt instead of a chain. even then the chain will stretch and gain slack, either will need to be replaced at the scheduled time. the wankle on the otherhand has a lot less maintainance replaceable parts. i think the wankle is easier to keep up there for will last longer just for that fact.
#21
a rigid maintenance schedule is a great idea, but even that's not absolutely necessary for a long-lasting engine. it's a matter of using your head. stay in touch with what's going on with your car and make the same kind of effort you'd use to take care of anything dependent on you and i'm sure you'll enjoy many years and miles with it.
#23
Originally Posted by JasonHamilton
well, assuming you had a rotary engine with no flaws, and a similar piston engine with no flaws, and both were maintained properly, the rotary is going to last as long, if not longer simply because it has far fewer moving parts and is much simpler mechanically.
the rotary engine has a bad reputation due to the turbo rx7s that didn't get enough cooling, and people pushing it too close to the edge.
also, once your engine is worn out, you can just have it rebuilt, port and polished, and it will run better, and with more horse power than before!
the rotary engine has a bad reputation due to the turbo rx7s that didn't get enough cooling, and people pushing it too close to the edge.
also, once your engine is worn out, you can just have it rebuilt, port and polished, and it will run better, and with more horse power than before!