new2rx804

Need some advice. I have a 2004 Rx8 and it started to lose engine coolant. So, I checked the hoses and while doing so, I noticed that one of the hoses was attached to a nipple that was suppose to attached to the radiator. I took it to a mechanic to install a new radiator. He has completed the job, now he states that once he got the car cranked it started to shoot fluid out of the overflow box and said that I had a blown head gasket. He recommended someone near by. I called them and they said they wouldn't work on it. So, I started to research further and found that in fact this car does not have head gasket. Everything that I have found leads to the APEX seals. Is this what the problem is? Is this an easy fix or should I take it to a mechanic, if so, the dealership? Could there be anything else wrong that I am overlooking? Any advice would be great. Thank you in advance.

ken-x8

Apex seals in a rotary are the equivalent of piston rings in a piston engine. They wouldn't have anything to do with this. But there are other seals that separate oil passages from water passages. If those failed, you're looking at a tear-down, if the engine can be saved.

It could also be something as simple as the guy who replaced the radiator not purging air from the cooling system.

You really need to go to a Mazda dealer that has a rotary mechanic, or find a rotary specialist.

Where are you located? Members in your neighborhood should be able to recommend a decent dealer or (more rarely) an independent rotary shop.

Ken

logalinipoo

Our water jacket seals are the equivalent of a head gasket.

It could be other things. A radiator pressure test will tell you if your water seals are still good. A lot of auto place should be able to do that.

RIWWP

iTrader: (2)

There are many possible points of failure in our engines. Apex seals are one, but apex seal failure is actually very uncommon, and it usually accompanied with lots of unpleasant noises before the engine shuts off for good.

See this post in the new owner's thread for a list of reasons and what you can do about them: https://www.rx8club.com/new-member-f...4/#post4533740

You can see in that list that coolant seal failure is a common failure point, which is what you are experiencing.