APEX Seal covered by extenede engine warranty?
 

So I mentioned to a friend of mine that I have a RX-8 with rotary engine, the first reaction from him is that the Apex seal of RX-8 is inclined to be broken...:wallbash: seems this is a notorious problem of 8?

I know I am just being paranoid, but I have to ask this: is the Apex seal broken covered by extended engine warranty(100K/8years)? The warranty covers major engine components is what I heard, but is the seal counted as one of those?

I have a 07 RX8.

Thanks

Tell your friend he knows not what he speaks of. Where did he obtain that bit of information? Ask him.

And yes they are covered under the engine warranty. Internal part and all.

don't know where he got that idea...seems he is referring to general rotary engine, maybe this is a more common problem for rx-7?

but glad to hear that it is covered under engine warranty:rock:. certainly big relief since i will be out of b2b warranty in less than 3 months...:suspect:

DOnt over heat the motor.. keep the oil level up, and zoon clean the motor to keep it from carbon build up. Premix couple Oz per tank.

Dont grind the gears! our trasmission are weak weak weak.

DOnt over heat the motor...CHECK
keep the oil level up ... CHECK
zoon clean the motor to keep it from carbon build up .....CHECK

Now, would you care to elaborate on what you meant when saying
"Premix couple Oz per tank" and "Dont grind the gears"?:confused:

Premix is the action of putting 2-stroke oil into your gas tank, as to lubricate the apex seals better. There are thousands of threads, just do a quick search.

"Don't grind the gears" refers to not slamming the gears hard and essentially causing general damage to the transmission *If you are a manual*

Hang around this site and u will learn lots.
Premix...means to mix oil with gas...just like one does with weed eaters, small engine garden stuff.
I buy the small engine oil at wally world..its lower cost there than anywhere else. I buy the bigger bottle. There are different sizes
How much to mix, well ppl differ in that.
Note he says..couple of oz per tank. just dont over do it.
Do not grind the gears> do u mean u have never done that...by accident of course.
try changing gears without pushing the clutch all the way in...u will hear the gears grind..and of course ..maybe small damage..as metal is coming of those gears.

thanks Myardor and CyberPitz for the explanation...apparently i still have a lot to learn :-).

don't laugh in my face for this: so you mean I put the engine oil (5W20/5W30.. of Pennzoil/Shell/Castrol etc.) into my gas tank to help lubricate engine?

As to grinding gears, thanks for spelling that out for me. I do occasionally do that, maybe averaged once every two months I suppose...just careless. but would certainly be more careful with that.

not engine oil, 2-stroke oil.
http://www.idemitsu-usa.com/page_210.htm

:naughty: that was embarrassing...but embarrassing good.

thanks for pointing this out, so this is the recommended brand 2-stroke oil to be used?
can i get it at autozone or other b&m stores? or do i have to buy online?

No you do not want to put engine oil into the gas tank your asking for trouble. I will point you in a easier direction, instead of messing it up yourself when at the auto store.

Just order some http://www.idemitsu-usa.com/page_210.htm premix from them or one of their dealers.

Also use about 6oz's a full tank fill up. If your doing half tank just use 3oz. This is a lubricant as well as a fuel cleaner, best of both worlds. Order like 12 quarts and that should last you better part of a year if you dont drive 200 miles a day.

You can use almost ANY 2-stroke oil... API-TC spec. and you will be fine...

Another question that is probably not related:

Can I mix 5w20 engine oil with 5w30/10w30 etc.? Reason I am asking is that dealer would only add 5w20 when doing oil change...I am thinking of topping it off (before next oil change) with 5w30 or other heavier engine oil. Would that be a problem?

Yes, you can mix 5w/10w-30 (or -40) with 5w-20. Best to stay all dino rather than synth tho'.

I use 3.5 - 4 oz of Idemitsu per fillup.

This will open a can of worms, read the link in my signiture and decide for yourself. "best to stay dyno" is a personal preference.
Also read up on the premix also a personal preference. Issues to arise from adding to the gas tank, you have to weigh the pro's and con's of it. I personally run royal purple and let the OMP (Oil metering pump controller) do it's job. That is why you cannot add to much to the tank as it is already being metered into the engine by the OMP pump.
Do some research as what people are throwing at you have choices.
This car is not a buy it just cuz, it takes some love and knowledge to keep it going.

I use Royal purple 10w-30 but i will soon be switching over to 10w-40.

Unfortunately the MOP has proven inadequate in the pre 09 cars. That is why the 09 went to 3 oil injectors instead of 2 as in the old models. I personally think synthetic could be helpful but also know that Mazda recommends against it and I have not heard anything conclusive one way or the other. Some swear by pre-mix while others say it will lead to carbon locking of the seals. So in short, no one really knows for sure what is best. Engines have failed using all different approaches.

Those who tear down/rebuild rotaries for a living have sided with pre-mix (although recommending a bit less, therefore my notation of 3.5 oz per tankful).

As already cited, the 2009 model has a 3rd oil injector, so obviously Mazda determined add'l oil metering for enhanced seal lubrication was necessary.

I have no problem with synthetic (in fact Idemitsu pre-mix is synth), but since the question was mixing various weights of motor oil to the dealer's 5w-20 [dino] I figured best to stay all dino.

But concur, do your own research and make up your own mind.

Your friend has no idea what he is talking about, time to find a new friend ? :)

13B-REW failed (I assume thats what you/he meant) due to a lot of different factors. P-Port is one of them, Mazda underestimate the cooling requirements is another, etc. and it is non-issue right now (kinda)

Anyway, 2 Stroke premix is common (needed) for Motorcycle guys. Add couple oz every tankful your engine will thank you (I personally add 8oz per tankful)

Engine oil, you might want to use something "heavier" than the pathetic 5w20. I personally use 20w50.

had no idea of what 13B-REW is (the apex seal?), but basically you are saying that the seal-broken problem was for RX-7 (and maybe some earlier 8?)? so it is now fixed?

The holy grail of Wankle reliability from the start has been apex seal materials technology. The current Renesis is much improved in this area from prior incarnations, but it's still evolving. The oil metering injection system is evidence that the seals still need some assistance, as is the 100k powertrain warranty. However, folks here are starting to build up some significant reliable durations well beyond 100k miles.

As others have cited your friend is pontificating dated information. I heard similar lately on an episode of the Brit car show Wheeler Dealers and just shook my head. The misinformation is out there!