roninsoldier83

Hello there!

My name is Brandon and I've been on this site for years, but haven't actually owned an RX-8. I've owned more cars than I care to admit (including several Mazda's), but never a rotary, so this should be an interesting experience for me! I've done quite a bit of research and am ready to take the plunge! I'm in no hurry, and should be purchasing an '8 within the next few months.

You guys have built a great site with lots of informative stickies here! I understand the inherent issues and high maintenance requirements of the Wankel rotary and am still looking forward to ownership. Any tips you guys might have for someone searching for the "right" RX-8 would be appreciated.

As of this point, due to my budget limitations, it'll likely be a series 1 car, but based on my research, I'm going to try and pickup a 2006+ if possible to avoid the issues the early cars seemed to have. The car is going to be a weekend/project car that will serve as an occasional daily driver, but will likely see track time every now and again; along with a good amount of canyon carving, as I live just minutes away from some great mountain roads! (I'm on the west side of Denver)

I won't be trying to make some high HP monster, as I value handling above acceleration and I think the RX-8 will be quick enough to still be fun and sporty. With that said, any pointers you guys might have about making an RX-8 reliable for track days would again be appreciated! From what I understand the coil/ignition system is the first thing that needs upgrading and of course proper lubrication/maintenance is a key item. Anything that will allow the rotary to stay healthy and strong will be of high importance to me.

I currently own a 2015 Subaru WRX, which is a great car! It'll be staying in my garage, hopefully for many years. It's more fuel efficient than it's rated (I average ~28mpg in 50/50% mixed city/hwy driving), its fun, quick, has high handling limits, its practical, hauls the family around with ease, comfortable and handles great in the snow, ect. Overall I love it! Although I learned a few painful lessons several years ago and I no longer modify or race/track my daily drivers... As such, I've owned a few project cars over the years. My last weekend/project car was a turbocharged 2004 Mazdaspeed Miata, which was a riot to drive! I sold it recently and am now looking to replace it with an RX-8.

Here's a couple quick photos of my current WRX and former Mazdaspeed Miata:



Well, sorry for the long intro, but I'm looking forward to being a part of the community! Thanks in advance!

-Brandon

Williard

iTrader: (18)

Brandon,

Within the links in my SIG you can find the Congrats you got an 8 thread and the New and potential owners thread. Read them both. Yes i know you haven't gotten your 8 yet, read it still.

When you go to buy your 8 i cannot stress enough how important a Rotary Specific Compression test is completed. If your unsure how to read the results, post them on the forum and someone will help. Also if you google Rx8Club:Compression sheet and go to images you will find the sheet that can help you decipher the numbers.

You should have 3 numbers per rotor and an RPM to go with each.

EX: PSI: 95, 96, 95 RPM 250


As for the ignition, i would say go with BHR's Solution
Sohn adapter for better lubrication and cooling of the side seals.

I would also say premix this helps with cooling of the apex seals. Some will agree, some will disagree. My thoughts remain the same.

Since your tracking your 8, i would also say upgrade your rad, waterpump and T-stat. That can be found at Mazmart. That will help with cooling.

But anyway, welcome. I hope you enjoy the forum and read read read.


Travis

roninsoldier83

Extremely helpful advice, thank you very much! Just curious, will a traditional compression tester not yield usable results? I suppose I can just do a bit of research on it...

Thanks again for the info, I appreciate it! And I'll be sure to continue reading as much as I can!

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Welcome.
You seem pretty informed, so I hesitate to offer advice since I'm not an expert.

I have an '04 LY GT MT.
Bought almost 3 years ago with 18.5k, now 44k.
No compression #s, but imo it runs great.
I knew nothing about the Renesis when I bought it, and it was probably 5 months before I joined the forum.
I've learned quite a bit since then, thanks to all the great helpful members here.

My cat went bad shortly after I got it. (P0420, Cat below efficiency CEL)
I found out later I had a bad coil.
So the first thing I learned was a cat delete was going to be my first modification.
I changed plugs, wires & coils, and bought a BHR midpipe.
Cleaned the ESS & MAF sensor and it ran great afterwards. About 23k then, and started premixing.

Throws the CEL still cause no cat.
Bought a Bluetooth dongle & the Torque app for Android to clear it when it occasionally pops up, read any other codes, and monitor the coolant temps.

I've since installed the BHR ignition kit, and am happy with it.

I needed a new battery, 8 years old at the time.
Just recently had the fuel pump die on me, replaced it with an OEM from Advance.

Other issues are common problems;
Broken sun visor, Climate Control is glitchy and needs to be resoldered, and occasional tail light condensation.

Even still, I love it.
I don't know if this helps you, but I figured you may want input from an '04 owner.
Good luck!

roninsoldier83

Thanks for the info! I'll have to do a bit more research on pre-mixing.

With the CEL you're throwing due to not having a cat, can you use the old Spark Plug non fouler mod to get rid of it? I've done it on a few other cars I've owned over the years and it always worked for me, with the idea being to remove the O2 sensor directly from the exhaust path to limit the exhaust flow it sees; allowing it only to sense enough exhaust/hydrocarbons to not throw a CEL. They're extremely cheap and probably worth a shot (unless of course there's something I don't know about with these cars).

Thanks again!

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

I've read they don't work, the Torque app ($5) is worth it just to watch the coolant temp because the gauge is borderline useless, and overheating kills them.
The dongles vary in price, mine was around $30.

The compression test should be done at a Mazda dealer or shop with a rotary specific tester.
2 sets of 3 numbers for each rotor face.
No test, no deal.
It's too risky.

roninsoldier83

Duly noted, thanks buddy!

roninsoldier83

So, I've done a good amount of reading on premix, the Sohn adapter and Rotary specific compression tests. I think I understand the concepts correctly:

-The sohn adapter allows you to run a [generally 2-stroke] oil that is designed to be burned through your OMP via a separate oil "tank" (looks like a lot of people just use the washer fluid bottle). 2-stroke oil is designed to be burned (w/o ash/residue), and as such should burn more efficiently, helping to keep the apex seals cooler. It also reduces your car's primary (4-stroke) engine oil consumption, which is always a plus! Very sound logic here!

-Premix should be used as a supplemental lubricant to the OMP; generally with people running around a 400:1 ratio, using a 2-stroke oil. It looks like a lot of people report a cleaner burn (or at least less exhaust soot) and the concept is to ensure the apex seals are lubricated. It seems cheap and simple. Since the OMP is already injecting 4-stroke oil into the engine to be burnt, I can't see too many issues arising from such a minuscule premix as a supplement. It seems like cheap, added insurance.

-I think I understand why a person would want a rotary specific compression tester as well. From my understanding, a rotary specific tester would measure the peak pulses of each face at a measured RPM. It seems like the RPM function would give a good idea of how strong the battery/starter is vs the compression reading (low cranking power could lead to low/mis-diagnosed compression readings). The peak function also seems like a nice feature rather than watching for tiny spikes on an old-school compression tester. I can definitely see the value in being able to see the compression on each face of the rotor; although in the absence of a rotary compression tool it seems like an old school compression tester can still give you at least some idea of what you're starting with.

I'm sure you guys know a lot more about this subject than I do; I'm just posting my own thoughts in order to make sure I have a decent, if not elementary, comprehension of the subjects at hand.

With that said, does anyone have any experience with the Twisted Rotors handheld compression tester? It seems like a nifty tool for $350:
TR-01 Rotary Engine Compression Tester

Since I'm pretty much dead set on getting an RX-8, I think it would likely be a good investment to make before I go shopping for the car. The way I see it, having a handheld compression tester could save me a ton of money, helping to ensure I don't buy a car with a dying motor. I could pay a dealer, but if I shop for a few different cars, this thing could pay for itself easily. And let's be honest, I would rather be able to test the motor myself than have to rely on some lube-tech at a dealership to do it for me. DIY>service writer/salesman/lube-tech.

With tha said, the spark plugs appear to be pretty easy to get to on these cars! Shouldn't be a problem to pull the front left wheel, pull the plugs and test compression on scene before agreeing to buy the car!

Again, thank you guys for pointing me in the right direction, as I'm learning a good amount already.

BigCajun

iTrader: (1)

Good work.
New members should take your approach.
The tester is a good idea, plus if you are sociable and willing to meet other members in your area, you could make some side money testing other 8s.
The Sohn adapter is a good mod, I've thought about it, it's a sound investment imo.
You should also check out each potential car's history.
If you do consider getting a S1 be sure it had all recalls done.
Reflash of the PCM was the main one, there was an updated starter, but I can't remember if it was an actual recall.

Steve Dallas

Welcome!

Just thought I would chime in with this.

The anti-foulers and other products designed to fool the rear O2 sensor work for some people and not for others. Some people don't need them at all. It is variable and depends on the car.

I can't confirm this, but my S2 car seems to have a specific test for the cat that is performed every 150 miles. The car ALWAYS fails the test with the following:

P0420a: Catalyst is in the attic

I have not tried any of the spoofing products, because I assume they won't work in this car. I just clear the code with my OBDII adapter and Torque whenever it arises. I put the cat back on once per year to pass emissions. One trip to work and back, and it is ready to test.

Cheers!

Chrishoky

iTrader: (9)

You can use a Cobb Accessport to "mask" the CEL caused by not having a cat. I have done this and it works flawlessly. I have passed every state inspection I have tried without any fuss. One mechanic told me the cars exhaust smelled bad (and it does!) but no one gave me trouble about it here in PA. The accessport costs about $300 and is worth it in my opinion, it can perfom countless other functions like raise the OMP rates, change the fan speeds, tuning, etc.

PS. Any noobs that are reading this thread... this is how its done. Do your homework, come informed, dont ask for handouts, and be responsive. Excellent start, OP!

roninsoldier83

Good tips, duly noted! I'll be sure to look into it.

I've actually self-tuned a few [piston powered] cars using Cobb AP software over the years; I've been playing with Cobb AP's since about 2004- mostly on Subaru's. I remember Cobb releasing a few naturally aspirated AP's a few years back (RX-8, 350Z/G35, ect), but I was under the impression Cobb stopped supporting their N/A AP efforts.

A quick search, and it looks like MazdaManiac is still alive and selling RX-8 AP's! If that's the case, its likely an investment I wouldn't have any trouble making. I suppose I'll have to learn how to tune these things, as most of the base/OTS maps I've seen over the years on other platforms have left a lot to be desired! Should be fun!

Thanks guys!

BigBadChris

iTrader: (4)

Welcome, soldier83. I purchased a 2005 about a year ago. Did the sohn adapter this spring. Love it. The oil level never drops, and you know you're burning clean oil. FWIW, I use Idemitsu rotary premix in both the gas tank and the Sohn reservoir. One less fluid to buy and keep track of. Idemitsu is a large supplier of oils to Japanese OEM, they are not so common here in the states. Other people use 2 stroke from Walmart or auto parts store. Anything you use is better than the factory setup, IMHO. The other good benefit of Sohn is you can use synthetic oil everywhere else.

Welcome aboard!

roninsoldier83

I'll have to look into the Idemitsu rotary premix. Thank you!

Steve Dallas

People also like Amsoil Saber and Lucas. Both are easier to acquire than Idemitsu. You can buy Lucas from O'Reilly Auto Parts and Amazon. It is what I use, and I buy it by the gallon from Amazon or by the quart from O'Reilly when I'm in a pinch due to bad planning. :D

roninsoldier83

Thanks for the alternate premix ideas, I'll keep them both in mind!