Future project
12-13-2011, 02:16 PM
#1
Registered
Thread Starter
Future project
Hello there RX-8 lovers! 
Background:
There are endless things i want to compliment on the RX-8 and that it is the only car i really want to own... more than any ferrari, lamborghini, etc..
I have done a lot of reading and honestly believe that the rotary has many benefits over the piston, excluding what is the problem today... gassoline.
Being a current student, it isn't within my budget to buy a used RX-8, let alone new... Even if i could afford it, i wouldn't buy a new one simply because i want to work on something that would reward me with knowledge and success at the end.
Challenge:
Being able to work with 2-strokes (complete disassembly and reassembly) i believe i can handle the difficulties of the rotary, considering i already understand the basics. (I know the 2-stroke is a joke compared to a car engine, but i take this as a challenge)
Goals:
I plan to get an RX-8 that has been damaged and repair it. To be more specific, i hope to get an RX-8 that needs an engine rebuild rather than bodywork done to it.
This car would be a joy car, where i would only use it during the summers and only for special occasion. This is simply because i really want to try my hand at the rotary, and not just a car that i want to "soop up", while at the same time enjoying the great looks and performance of the RX-8.
Conclusion:
I am committed to owning this car in the future, and i want to be able to fix it on my own, having the challenge of doing an engine rebuild is something i am really interested in.
For this reason, I don't mind loosing money for an experience like this, i have already looked into parts and prices and partly understand that it would most likely cost me more to repair the car than what the car actually costs.
If anyone can guide me in terms of:
- Where to look out for inexpensive RX-8s
- What difficulties will i face compared to other car repairs
- What to avoid when looking for a car (of course consider that i want one that isn't functioning)
Final note:
I apologize for the length of the thread, and i GREATLY appreciate those who have took the time to read this thread.
I have also been reading through the stickies and useful information you have on this website.
This thread may sound a bit cheesy, and the fact that i am not very well known here may make me sound like a snobby kid with big dreams with no commitment, however i believe time and communication will build your understanding of my background, ultimately assisting me appropriately.
A little about me:
Name is Phil.
I am 18 years old living in Toronto, ON, Canada.
I currently study Computer engineering at Ryerson University.
Have been troubleshooting computers for the past 4 years (can assist if reqauired :D)
I am a Snowboard and Swim instructor.
I own 2 pocket bikes and a pocket quad which i bought for cheap and repaired.
Cheers to ALL and it is great to have a community for discussion about this under appreciated car.
P.S. Sad to see the RX-8 discontinued :'(
Background:
There are endless things i want to compliment on the RX-8 and that it is the only car i really want to own... more than any ferrari, lamborghini, etc..
I have done a lot of reading and honestly believe that the rotary has many benefits over the piston, excluding what is the problem today... gassoline.
Being a current student, it isn't within my budget to buy a used RX-8, let alone new... Even if i could afford it, i wouldn't buy a new one simply because i want to work on something that would reward me with knowledge and success at the end.
Challenge:
Being able to work with 2-strokes (complete disassembly and reassembly) i believe i can handle the difficulties of the rotary, considering i already understand the basics. (I know the 2-stroke is a joke compared to a car engine, but i take this as a challenge)
Goals:
I plan to get an RX-8 that has been damaged and repair it. To be more specific, i hope to get an RX-8 that needs an engine rebuild rather than bodywork done to it.
This car would be a joy car, where i would only use it during the summers and only for special occasion. This is simply because i really want to try my hand at the rotary, and not just a car that i want to "soop up", while at the same time enjoying the great looks and performance of the RX-8.
Conclusion:
I am committed to owning this car in the future, and i want to be able to fix it on my own, having the challenge of doing an engine rebuild is something i am really interested in.
For this reason, I don't mind loosing money for an experience like this, i have already looked into parts and prices and partly understand that it would most likely cost me more to repair the car than what the car actually costs.
If anyone can guide me in terms of:
- Where to look out for inexpensive RX-8s
- What difficulties will i face compared to other car repairs
- What to avoid when looking for a car (of course consider that i want one that isn't functioning)
Final note:
I apologize for the length of the thread, and i GREATLY appreciate those who have took the time to read this thread.
I have also been reading through the stickies and useful information you have on this website.
This thread may sound a bit cheesy, and the fact that i am not very well known here may make me sound like a snobby kid with big dreams with no commitment, however i believe time and communication will build your understanding of my background, ultimately assisting me appropriately.
A little about me:
Name is Phil.
I am 18 years old living in Toronto, ON, Canada.
I currently study Computer engineering at Ryerson University.
Have been troubleshooting computers for the past 4 years (can assist if reqauired :D)
I am a Snowboard and Swim instructor.
I own 2 pocket bikes and a pocket quad which i bought for cheap and repaired.
Cheers to ALL and it is great to have a community for discussion about this under appreciated car.
P.S. Sad to see the RX-8 discontinued :'(
12-13-2011, 02:33 PM
#2
Registered
Check craigslist(or a similar site) or on here in the buy/sell section.
If you actually want to rebuild a rotary engine I would say buy one of the DVD's they sell several places with step by step instructions(I think pineapple racing sells them? among others). Check this out, its only an hour long but shows the guy rebuilding his 13b.
It is not the 13b renesis but still it should help you.
Whenever someone comes on here asking about purchasing an rx8 people tell them to get a compression check done because the engine is what you want to mostly avoid being bad. So if that is no concern to you then just check it like a regular car, rust, dings & dents, transmission fine, etc. Without you actually taking apart its engine there is no way for you to know what is wrong with it.
If you actually want to rebuild a rotary engine I would say buy one of the DVD's they sell several places with step by step instructions(I think pineapple racing sells them? among others). Check this out, its only an hour long but shows the guy rebuilding his 13b.
Whenever someone comes on here asking about purchasing an rx8 people tell them to get a compression check done because the engine is what you want to mostly avoid being bad. So if that is no concern to you then just check it like a regular car, rust, dings & dents, transmission fine, etc. Without you actually taking apart its engine there is no way for you to know what is wrong with it.
12-13-2011, 02:54 PM
#3
Registered
Thread Starter
Check craigslist(or a similar site) or on here in the buy/sell section.
If you actually want to rebuild a rotary engine I would say buy one of the DVD's they sell several places with step by step instructions(I think pineapple racing sells them? among others). Check this out, its only an hour long but shows the guy rebuilding his 13b. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijJeU...f=list_related It is not the 13b renesis but still it should help you.
Whenever someone comes on here asking about purchasing an rx8 people tell them to get a compression check done because the engine is what you want to mostly avoid being bad. So if that is no concern to you then just check it like a regular car, rust, dings & dents, transmission fine, etc. Without you actually taking apart its engine there is no way for you to know what is wrong with it.
If you actually want to rebuild a rotary engine I would say buy one of the DVD's they sell several places with step by step instructions(I think pineapple racing sells them? among others). Check this out, its only an hour long but shows the guy rebuilding his 13b. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijJeU...f=list_related It is not the 13b renesis but still it should help you.
Whenever someone comes on here asking about purchasing an rx8 people tell them to get a compression check done because the engine is what you want to mostly avoid being bad. So if that is no concern to you then just check it like a regular car, rust, dings & dents, transmission fine, etc. Without you actually taking apart its engine there is no way for you to know what is wrong with it.
Could you give me an estimate of how much it would cost to do a rebuild? From what i know, its $1.3k for the seals, springs, etc. and another ~$130 for the gasket set?
As an off topic, are there still issues with chatter marks on the rotor housing after extended uses?
12-13-2011, 02:57 PM
#4
Registered
I could not give you any type of quote on a rebuild, never done it.
I do not know enough about rebuilding an engine to give you any more info on it. I would comment with what I (think) I know about chatter marks, but I do not want to give wrong info. There are several people on this site that should be able to give you some good info if they see fit.
I do not know enough about rebuilding an engine to give you any more info on it. I would comment with what I (think) I know about chatter marks, but I do not want to give wrong info. There are several people on this site that should be able to give you some good info if they see fit.
12-13-2011, 03:16 PM
#5
Registered
Thread Starter
I could not give you any type of quote on a rebuild, never done it.
I do not know enough about rebuilding an engine to give you any more info on it. I would comment with what I (think) I know about chatter marks, but I do not want to give wrong info. There are several people on this site that should be able to give you some good info if they see fit.
I do not know enough about rebuilding an engine to give you any more info on it. I would comment with what I (think) I know about chatter marks, but I do not want to give wrong info. There are several people on this site that should be able to give you some good info if they see fit.
The reason i ask about chatter marks is because if it is still a problem with the 13B, then it can render a high mileage engines (which i would most likely end up buying) rotor housing useless... And i don't want that
I know that this issue was greatly decreased with different materials for the rotor housing and apex seals being tested during the development by different companies, however with the wear of 100K+ miles which i don't know how they have been driven would be concerning me...
BTW, does anyone know anything about "cars from US"? http://www.carfrom.us/
It seems to have a lot of salvage RX-8s with damaged fenders and bumpers for a really cheap price... How much do fenders and bumpers normally go for?
12-13-2011, 03:54 PM
#7
Registered
BTW, does anyone know anything about "cars from US"? http://www.carfrom.us/
It seems to have a lot of salvage RX-8s with damaged fenders and bumpers for a really cheap price... How much do fenders and bumpers normally go for?
It seems to have a lot of salvage RX-8s with damaged fenders and bumpers for a really cheap price... How much do fenders and bumpers normally go for?
The only info I could find on them was someone mad because they bought an audi from them for $9500 and found a receipt in the car for $6200 which is what carfrom.us paid, not a big deal its called a profit.
12-13-2011, 04:06 PM
#8
Welcome and congrats on being just as mad as we are
I hope you don't just have "Pocket bike" 2 stroke engine experience because, race exceptions aside, they all are pretty basic. Upgrading and rebuilding them is easy.. some other 2 strokes are moody like a girl during pregnancy. That's because way less is left on the table and there's little to no room for error.
If I were to make a comparison i'd say that our engine may be compared to the latter case. Sure you can rebuild one, a trained monkey could... however attention to detail and some "expert" touches will make a world of difference.
With that said, if you have the tools and the will to risk an engine and some money i'd say go for it.
Some steps i'd follow if I were you:
Buy some reading\watching material and update yourself on the differences between the engines represented there and ours.
Find an owner with a car that has hot starting issues or won't start at all. The less he knows, the more you can push on the price.
Have fun!
The rebuild kit you found is just a very basic one. You may rebuild an engine with it but will said engine last? It's like changing piston rings without buying upbored pistons or a new cyl. head when you really should The seals wear both the housings and side plates, these may either need to be lapped\resurfaced or bought. Anything from 1200 upwards of 2000$ just there...
However that's why some engines are more expensive than others straight from the rebuilder.
If it's too much of a hassle there are great rebuilders that offer engines at a great price. You might buy one of these units and keep your engine as a learning platform. Practice with seal grinding, tolerances and the sheer rebuild process.
This will also enable you to know if your engine is really worth rebuilding. It's a shot in the dark, really.
Generally, when speaking about NA engines, Mazmart is where I'd go to. You may even get a good deal on an engine with some extra love (better water pump, oil pressure regulator etc).
I hope this helps
G
I hope you don't just have "Pocket bike" 2 stroke engine experience because, race exceptions aside, they all are pretty basic. Upgrading and rebuilding them is easy.. some other 2 strokes are moody like a girl during pregnancy. That's because way less is left on the table and there's little to no room for error.
If I were to make a comparison i'd say that our engine may be compared to the latter case. Sure you can rebuild one, a trained monkey could... however attention to detail and some "expert" touches will make a world of difference.
With that said, if you have the tools and the will to risk an engine and some money i'd say go for it.
Some steps i'd follow if I were you:
Buy some reading\watching material and update yourself on the differences between the engines represented there and ours.
Find an owner with a car that has hot starting issues or won't start at all. The less he knows, the more you can push on the price.
Have fun!
The rebuild kit you found is just a very basic one. You may rebuild an engine with it but will said engine last? It's like changing piston rings without buying upbored pistons or a new cyl. head when you really should
The seals wear both the housings and side plates, these may either need to be lapped\resurfaced or bought. Anything from 1200 upwards of 2000$ just there...However that's why some engines are more expensive than others straight from the rebuilder.
If it's too much of a hassle there are great rebuilders that offer engines at a great price. You might buy one of these units and keep your engine as a learning platform. Practice with seal grinding, tolerances and the sheer rebuild process.
This will also enable you to know if your engine is really worth rebuilding. It's a shot in the dark, really.
Generally, when speaking about NA engines, Mazmart is where I'd go to. You may even get a good deal on an engine with some extra love (better water pump, oil pressure regulator etc).
I hope this helps
G
12-13-2011, 06:51 PM
#9
Registered
Thread Starter
Looking over that site it seems way to good to be true. I know the prices on there now are pre-auction and will go higher but why even have pre-auction bids?
The only info I could find on them was someone mad because they bought an audi from them for $9500 and found a receipt in the car for $6200 which is what carfrom.us paid, not a big deal its called a profit.
The only info I could find on them was someone mad because they bought an audi from them for $9500 and found a receipt in the car for $6200 which is what carfrom.us paid, not a big deal its called a profit.
Welcome and congrats on being just as mad as we are
I hope you don't just have "Pocket bike" 2 stroke engine experience because, race exceptions aside, they all are pretty basic. Upgrading and rebuilding them is easy.. some other 2 strokes are moody like a girl during pregnancy. That's because way less is left on the table and there's little to no room for error.
If I were to make a comparison i'd say that our engine may be compared to the latter case. Sure you can rebuild one, a trained monkey could... however attention to detail and some "expert" touches will make a world of difference.
With that said, if you have the tools and the will to risk an engine and some money i'd say go for it.
Some steps i'd follow if I were you:
Buy some reading\watching material and update yourself on the differences between the engines represented there and ours.
Find an owner with a car that has hot starting issues or won't start at all. The less he knows, the more you can push on the price.
Have fun!
The rebuild kit you found is just a very basic one. You may rebuild an engine with it but will said engine last? It's like changing piston rings without buying upbored pistons or a new cyl. head when you really should The seals wear both the housings and side plates, these may either need to be lapped\resurfaced or bought. Anything from 1200 upwards of 2000$ just there...
However that's why some engines are more expensive than others straight from the rebuilder.
If it's too much of a hassle there are great rebuilders that offer engines at a great price. You might buy one of these units and keep your engine as a learning platform. Practice with seal grinding, tolerances and the sheer rebuild process.
This will also enable you to know if your engine is really worth rebuilding. It's a shot in the dark, really.
Generally, when speaking about NA engines, Mazmart is where I'd go to. You may even get a good deal on an engine with some extra love (better water pump, oil pressure regulator etc).
I hope this helps
G
I hope you don't just have "Pocket bike" 2 stroke engine experience because, race exceptions aside, they all are pretty basic. Upgrading and rebuilding them is easy.. some other 2 strokes are moody like a girl during pregnancy. That's because way less is left on the table and there's little to no room for error.
If I were to make a comparison i'd say that our engine may be compared to the latter case. Sure you can rebuild one, a trained monkey could... however attention to detail and some "expert" touches will make a world of difference.
With that said, if you have the tools and the will to risk an engine and some money i'd say go for it.
Some steps i'd follow if I were you:
Buy some reading\watching material and update yourself on the differences between the engines represented there and ours.
Find an owner with a car that has hot starting issues or won't start at all. The less he knows, the more you can push on the price.
Have fun!
The rebuild kit you found is just a very basic one. You may rebuild an engine with it but will said engine last? It's like changing piston rings without buying upbored pistons or a new cyl. head when you really should
The seals wear both the housings and side plates, these may either need to be lapped\resurfaced or bought. Anything from 1200 upwards of 2000$ just there...However that's why some engines are more expensive than others straight from the rebuilder.
If it's too much of a hassle there are great rebuilders that offer engines at a great price. You might buy one of these units and keep your engine as a learning platform. Practice with seal grinding, tolerances and the sheer rebuild process.
This will also enable you to know if your engine is really worth rebuilding. It's a shot in the dark, really.
Generally, when speaking about NA engines, Mazmart is where I'd go to. You may even get a good deal on an engine with some extra love (better water pump, oil pressure regulator etc).
I hope this helps
G
I have already read about its history and development as well as different measurements and calculations on the rotor radius relative to the housing and the stationary gear with results of different "k-factors".
And i was just giving some background about my knowledge of the two stroke, as i need somewhere to start. :P I know they are simple, and the engines that i have are honestly so simple that you can't go wrong, there is only 1 type of screw that can go into one whole... However what i would add on top is understanding all the operations of different components as well as how it applies physical laws.
Moreover, i have to progress somehow, and i found the rotary just too fascinating too leave alone... It is just so much better than the piston, its hard to convince somebody that when they don't know anything and are not willing to appreciate its elegant method of operation.
Either way, i have to save up money, i am just getting acquainted with what this community and learning everything ahead of time...
To tell you something else thats interesting, i don't even have a drivers license, so i am far from owning this car
Cheers!
Last edited by The_big_dill; 12-13-2011 at 06:58 PM.
12-13-2011, 08:26 PM
#11
Registered
Thread Starter
To tell you the truth though, University is running me $8500/ year and i just finished first semester (7 to go
).Every brake i get i will be working to save up money for this project. I have work tomorrow, so my funding starts as of tomorrow. Like i said, i am not very close to starting this project, but wanted to get acquainted with other rotary lovers to help make my project a success.
Although i appreciate your interest in my project, its really motivating
12-13-2011, 09:33 PM
#12
welcome, and good luck man :D if you want to find a good deal, go on craigslist like xexok said. ive found my 8 through it and a few other quads and dirtbikes, even a siberian husky which i still have (and love unconditionally). hope to see with an 8 sometime soon!
12-13-2011, 09:54 PM
#13
I HATE SPEEDBUMPS!
12-13-2011, 10:00 PM
#14
Registered
Thread Starter
They also reducing its already low weight by making the side housings out of aluminum. Companies have tried this in the early stages of rotaries, however they made the complete engine out of aluminum. This was a problem for a few reasons, i believe the main one being the apex seals destroying the housing far too quickly for any practical use.
Either way, RX-8 is the only car i really want... nothing else.
Last edited by The_big_dill; 12-14-2011 at 06:36 AM.
12-14-2011, 04:25 PM
#15
Registered
I think the fact that you are looking into the future to do this and show understanding of what is more important in your life currently(education) shows me that this project has a good chance of actually happening. Most people come here and start threads about how they want to drop an <insert bad-*** motor here> or turbo in and how it will be done in X months, and then we never see them again.
Good luck and I really hope you get to do this when you have the time.
Good luck and I really hope you get to do this when you have the time.
12-14-2011, 07:17 PM
#16
Registered
Thread Starter
I think the fact that you are looking into the future to do this and show understanding of what is more important in your life currently(education) shows me that this project has a good chance of actually happening. Most people come here and start threads about how they want to drop an <insert bad-*** motor here> or turbo in and how it will be done in X months, and then we never see them again.
Good luck and I really hope you get to do this when you have the time.
Good luck and I really hope you get to do this when you have the time.
Haha, that put a smile on my face... <insert bad *** motor here>
Wouldn't putting a big reciprocating engine in an RX-8 destroy the weight distribution, ultimately killing the cars handling?
12-15-2011, 12:27 AM
#17
Registered
Sites online list an LS1 as aprox 390 lb "out of the crate" so I assume that means not dressed with everything. According to wikipedia the 13b renesis weighs 247 lb including all the attachments other than the airbox, but not including fluids.
I think the major advantage is how far down and towards the driver they can tuck the 13b. That gives it a lower center of gravity compared to the LSx motors or pretty much anything like them you could swap in I think.
I think the major advantage is how far down and towards the driver they can tuck the 13b. That gives it a lower center of gravity compared to the LSx motors or pretty much anything like them you could swap in I think.
Thread
Thread Starter
Forum
Replies
Last Post
