So I found this on the FAQ for Freedom Motors who makes rotary engines for ATVs, snommobiles, seadoos, and soon cars. What do you all think?

"Question: The early Mazda automobiles came with Wankel-style rotary engines, but I heard they burned oil and had poor gas mileage. I also heard there were a lot of problems with the apex seals. How have you improved on these performance issues?

Answer: The early Mazda engine's oil problems were principally from leakage across the side-seals, allowing oil from the oil-cooled rotor to migrate into the combustion chamber. Once redesigned, this side-seal has been very effective and has not had any significant failures that we are aware of. Also the use of end housings made of cast iron and the center (trochoid) housing of aluminum caused different rates of expansion if the car overheated. Once the engine overheated, the two mating surfaces rarely realign correctly and can be a major cause of oil or water leakage. Since our engine housings are all aluminum, the expansion rate (or the difference between material expansion rates) is not a problem. On apex seals, other than being rather fragile, we are not aware of a major problem with the Mazda's apex seals."

 

In for knowledgeable people's responses.

 

why would you think this article is relevant to the rx-8? The car is obviously not an "early mazda automobile", as the question asked.

 

Well for one, I'm curious if the "you need to premix to preserve the apex seals which aren't lubed enough by the Renesis' OMP" argument applies, or if it's just info carried over from the "old Mazda rotary engine" designs.

And secondly, because the Renesis has the iron end housings and the center aluminum housing.

 

yeah, you're screwed if you overheat, but you're in trouble overheating just about any engine.