My new 05 GT
 

I decided it was time to rescue another RX-8. I was on the hunt for a Nordic Green GT when I came across this Titanium Grey Metallic 05 GT with the two tone leather interior and nav. The previous owner claimed it had 24k miles on a Mazda reman and that it would run for 15 minutes and then stall ant not want to restart. I made the two hour trek to get the car last and I brought the car home. I need to unload it from the trailer this morning and run a compression test, check the plugs and filters and such and of course take some more pics to post. Then plan is a restoration and make it a driver to just enjoy. I'm really looking forward to this project! Here are a few pics from the trip last night:

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Looking forward to seeing what you do with this one! :)

Cool. Have fun!

Got the car offloaded on Sunday morning and got to work right away playing with the car. I out a good battery in the car and took it out for a drive. It drive well for the quarter mile I drove it. When I pulled in the driveway the engine stalled and wouldn't restart. It tried with all its might but just could't get it...so I pushed it...and my driveway is long and winding...but I made it. Started testing things in the car and found that the cd player was bad. No big deal, I have another in stock. Checked the brakes and tires and the fluids.

Then I pulled the plugs and they were nasty. I had a good spare set luckily, but while they were out, I decided to run a cold compression test with a piston compression tested. The front rotor jumped to 120psi and the rear to 90psi. Not terrible numbers. Better than the numbers in my 04, which gives me zero running or hot start issues. So I feel the engine is decently healthy.

I decided to check for DTC's and found none. The headlight level adjust light is on so I'l; have to sort that out.

Tonight, I decided to replace the crank sensor. I've seen faulty crank sensors cause no start issues when warm so I decided to toss my spare crank sensor in...and I thought it would be a quick job..more on that in a minute.

Here are a few pics of the car in my garage:

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The crank position sensor was of course seized in the front cover...which led me to destroying it...and of course, I had to pull some things apart to drive it out:

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With some persistence, it did come out:

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I did confirm that it is in fact a Mazda reman engine:

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I also decided to replace the coils with a known good set that I had. I also decided to start cleaning some stuff up while I was in there. Going to do some sanding and painting to get rid of some of the rust. Also found some oil on the air filter, so that's next to replace as well.

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Getting the car back together after replacing the crank position sensor. Getting rid of the rusty hardware and replacing the nuts and bolts that are pretty rusty with all new hardware. Greased the threads slightly to make future removal easy. I have to get a new air filter. I'll grab it tonight. I also cleaned the throttle body and the mass airflow sensor. I'm going to go through the grounds tonight and clean each one just to be on the safe side. Here are a couple more pics of where the car sits currently:

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I did get the new air filter which was a plus. I've been replacing the rusty hardware but haven't had a chance to work on it lately. I'm of today and I plan to spend the majority of the day getting the car up and running again. I pulled the air pump and the injector driver pack. Replacing both of those due to corrosion. I'm also replacing the air box as well due to heavy corrosion.

I found mouse urine in the mass airflow sensor. I've since cleaned it and have a spare on stand by. I'm also going to change the oil today and hopefully wash the car once I back it out of the garage. I will be updating and adding more pics today!

I can only imagine how satisfied you'll feel when you get it all fixed, up and running. Very inspiring.
:beer05:

Snapped a pic of the car last night before I went in. I hope to clean it today and post more pics:

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Yeeesss! Save the Tigrey! Tigrey for life!

Here's a video of the engine running and knocking so everyone knows what I'm up against:

Finally got the car out of the garage today and went up the road and snapped some pics of the car to share:

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Nice that it has a spare tire. First one I've owned with a spare:

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I'm not a huge fan of Chapparal leather, but it's a nice looking car otherwise.

I called the dealer yesterday reference the engine and its warranty, seeing as its a reman engine. The dealer had stated that the engine in this vehicle has been replaced three times. Once in 2005 when it was new, once in 2007, and once in 2013, which is now the current engine. The dealer said I was out of luck as far as an engine warranty goes. I got on the horn with Mazda U.S.A. and spoke with a customer service rep there and asked for assistance with the engine and asked if Mazda would cover a replacement engine seeing as this engine is only three years old. I was told that the car needed to be diagnosed by the dealer and their findings would determine whether Mazda would assist me or not. I made an appointment for November 8th and will know more about the engine replacement after the dealer condemns the engine..which they certainly will. I'm really praying that they cover a full engine replacement.

I don't see how they will cover it, the car is 11 years old. The warranty goes based on vehicle age, not engine age. Nothing ventured, nothing gained I guess! Good luck!

Its funny how it seems to be a love/hate interior. Personally it's my favorite and was thrilled that the car I found to buy happened to have it, lol.

That's not entirely true. Mazda stated that the reman engine has a warranty of 12 months or 12k miles. They will go above and beyond in some cases and I'm going to risk the $100 on their diagnosis. I already know the engine is bad. It'll be up to Mazda to determine if they will extend their warranty to cover the engine.

I've always like it a lot. hen I was looking at the 8's when they were new, I wanted a Velocity Red GT with the red/black interior color combo. I also liked the chaparral/black color as well and honestly the interior kinda sold me on this 8. Everyone that sees it really likes it.

I trailered the 8 to the dealer last night after I installed the original converter equipped mid section. I didn't want the dealer to say the engine failed because of the mid pipe that was installed. Really hoping Mazda will cover the engine replacement. They are going to start it and immediately condemn the engine so I should have an answer pretty quickly.

They did honor my $4200 replacement of my 2010 GT's air bag sensor under the drivers seat under the safety warranty earlier this year. No troubles from delaer - even provided a rental car for 1.5 weeks while the part was assembled and shipped from Mazda Japan.

Fingers crossed for ya! :)

Thank you guys! Fingers are crossed on my side as well. No news from the dealer yesterday. But that's ok. I know the engine is wasted anyways. I'm just going through the motions to get Mazda to warranty the engine.

I like the 2-tone leather, too. The 8 has relatively small windows and I find an all-black interior rather bleak in this car.

I stopped at the dealer yesterday after work yesterday to check on the 8. I talked to the service manager and he was still unsure if Mazda would warranty the engine, though he seemed hopeful as Mazda had the dealer put a price list together of everything needed to do the job. They said they should have an answer by tomorrow or Friday at the latest. Even the guys at the dealer were hopeful that Mazda would warranty the engine. The service manage said that he feared that they would need some special tools for the job and I told him that none were needed other than a pilot bearing remover and that if Mazda warrantied the engine, I would bring my Mazda special service tool up for them to use. While I was there I also obtained a printout of the car's warranty and recall history. Seems this poor car has seen some rough times:

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You should get them to do MSP16 and the airbag inflator recall, if I read that right they haven't been done.
Good luck!

They are taking care of the airbag inflator while it's there.

That seems promising, but maybe that's all part of the process regardless.

When I spoke with Mazda about the engine in my 04 they wanted nothing to do with it. They offered no assistance and did not even suggest that I take it to the dealer for a diagnosis. So, with everything that has happened thus far, I'm remaining optimistic that Mazda will warranty the engine and cover all expenses.

With that said, I did not hear from the dealer today. Hoping that I get the call tomorrow saying that the engine will be replaced under warranty. I suppose if not I'll rebuild the spare engine that I have and install it in the car. This car is just too good to let rot away or be parted out. I'd save them all if I could!

The car is still at the dealer and I still have no word on if they are going to warranty the current engine. I figure I'll give them another week and call or stop up if I don't hear from them.

Got an email from Mazda and it seems they will cover the new engine and all associated parts. All I am responsible for is the labor to do so. I think I'll have them do it and see if the dealer will work with me on the labor amount. Here's the email:

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Excellent!

The way I'm looking at it is that I'm getting a reman engine... installed... new gaskets, and them having the headaches of breaking any bolts or cracking any of the heat soaked wiring, fighting with some rust that's under there, and free indoor storage until the car is complete, which who knows how long that will be. It could be months. I get all of this for less than $2000. Mazda says 18.6 hours for the engine swap and at $99 per hour of labor, we are still less than $2000 with tax out the door and I drive the car home and hopefully have many trouble free miles. I would however just take the car and the engine and the parts home and do it myself so that I know its done properly, but I know that won't happen.The dealer did say however that they needed to borrow a couple of the Mazda specialty tools that I have as theirs are non existent. I said of course and offered to lend a hand with the engine swap. If they do allow my assistance, maybe they will work with me on the labor. Its a long shot but who knows. I have a good working relationship with that dealer and have had one since 2008. Crazier things have happened. I'll keep you guys posted!

I doubt they will, due to insurance and such. Tho, who knows? Glad to hear you're getting some coverage out of it tho!

I talked to the dealer today and they were surprised that I wanted the engine to be replaced and did not think I was going to pay for the labor out of pocket. I asked for a total and asked if they'd work with me on the labor and they said they'd call me back in a few minutes. It's been three hours and I still haven't heard from them lol.

Mazda has approved the engine and its been the dealer that's dragging their feet. I stopped in and talked with their service manager two weeks ago and told him to go ahead and replace the engine. However, I told them that I wanted the lower intake manifold from the engine when they remove it from the vehicle so that I can hot tank it and clean all of the carbon from the manifold and the sleeves. I explained that I felt that the sleeves would stick and cause DTC's if not cleaned properly and potentially run lean, causing engine failure. The manager said that he would not allow me to remove parts from the premises as doing so would void the engine warranty. I said, ok how about i bring some stuff here and clean it in your parking lot. he again said no. I told the guy, look, I'm paying you 20 hours of labor to pull the engine, swap over some parts and reinstall the engine. Your tech said he could do it in 8 hours. I know you're making money here and your tech will be ahead on the job, how about he just takes the time to ensure its cleaned properly? The service manager advised that "the best I can do is shoot it with some bake clean and wipe it off with a rag".

So needless to say I said ok and left. Have not heard fro them and I'm getting really upset with this dealer. Mazda USA has really done their part on this, its just the dealer that's dragging their feet and being unreasonable. I think I'm going to pull the intake manifold off of an engine I have in the garage and hot tank it and bring it up to them and tell them either to use that one or make the one they pull off look like that one.

That has always been my experience.. I have never had the actual headquarters not be willing to work with me, it's always the dealers (Mitsubishi, Subaru, etc... various automakers) that are the problem.

Hope it works out for you and starts looking up. Definitely taking them enough time :-\

Aww man

As it turns out, while I was at work yesterday, a buddy I work with said "hey Dave, there's an RX-8 in the parking lot and the guy is having a hard time starting it". I walked out to lend a hand and low and behold it was the service manager and a tech from the Mazda dealer. They were picking up a Camry that we had performed some recall work on and once we got the 8 started, the service manager wanted to talk with me about my 8. He said that I needed a new clutch and I asked him if I could stop down and inspect it before making a purchase as the clutch seemed ok before I brought the car to the dealer.

Stopped in and they removed the pressure plate and the disc was very worn. I conceded and of course ordered a new clutch after I got home. While I was there I spoke with the manager and he agreed to allow me to bring in clean parts to go on the new engine. I boxed a bunch of parts last night and I'm taking them into work today and I'm going to hot tank them and make sure they're perfect and drop them off at the dealer tonight after work.

So, while I was there I was able to see the new engine. I snapped some pics to share with everyone as many of us, including myself have never seen the way Mazda ships their engines and what they come with and what they look like before they go in the car. I was shocked to see that the engine came with a brand new flywheel and a new water pump. Here are some of the pics I took:

The new engine:

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My 8 awaiting its new reman engine:

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Spent some time at work yesterday in between cars hot tanking parts. Got the intake and exhaust manifold done, the thermostat housing done, and I'm working on the OMP as it cannot be hot tanked as well as various other bits. I want all clean parts on this engine to help ensure a long life. I talked to the tech installing the engine and he was grateful that he didn't have to spend the time cleaning the parts and welcomed me to bring them to the dealer.

I'll see about posting some pics of the clean parts before I take them to the dealer today.

Hoping to have the car back by mid next week. The only hangup is waiting on the new clutch to arrive. Once I have it I can run it to the dealer and then they can finish the car. I have all of the manifolds cleaned and ready. They're going to the dealer today so the engine can be prepped for install. I'll keep everyone posted as always. Will take pics of the manifold before I drop them off.

Congrats, I'd drop $2k in a second if I could get a new engine in my poor old 2004 that's giving out on me.

Honestly that's the way I looked at it as well. 2 grand and they do the work. Otherwise I'd spend 2 grand and maybe then some on rebuilding the engine myself and pulling it out and reinstalling it. Its tough to come of of the money because there are so many other things I need or want, but its a worthy investment I feel. Hoping to have the car back some time this week. I'm not pressed for it so I told the tech working on the car to take his time and just let me know when its finished. No rush. I'd rather wait the extra time and have it done right rather than just slapped together quickly.

The car was supposed to be done last week but was not. I haven't heard a word from the dealer, but I won't bug them. Hoping the car is done some time this week so I can pay and pick it up and put it in the garage and get done what I need to so that its ready for spring.

I'd like to go over the brakes, replace all of the a/c o-rings in the engine bay, fix the fog light on the left side, replace the cd player, test and repair the heated portion of the seats, take it into work and dismount the tires from the rims that have leaks, clean the rims and reinstall the tires, and balance them. And I'd also like to do a good alignment on the car and replace the transmission and rear differential fluid. Just get done all of the things needed to make the car 100%.

Then I'd like to take it to my uncle's body shop and have the rust on the rear quarter panels and the rockers fixed. He suggested we find a southern parts car that was hit in the front and cut the quarters and rockers off of it to keep the car all metal and stay away from any fillers. I tend to agree with his perspective on the matter. Having the rust fixed properly and the car painted will make it really a nice car once again.

Mazda called yesterday and said that the car is ready to go. I spoke with the dealer and could not get a total out of their service manager. I'm going there today with some money and I'm bringing my car home. I'll be posting pics today when I get the car home!

Picked the car up from the dealer today and had an enjoyable ride home. The engine ran great and the car drove well other than what seemed like a broken belt, bent wheel or a flat spot in the right rear tire. I'll take care of that next week when I take the car into work. I have extra tires to install if need be. I've been saving them for quite some time.

Here are the pics when I first arrived home and began looking over the car. I did notice that the dealer forgot to install my engine cover. I'll head there tomorrow and pick it up:

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Also took some pics of the car in its spot in the garage next to my BB 04:

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Tried to get some pics of the new engine in the car but its pretty difficult to really see in pictures:

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I decided to check the cabin filters as I never checked them back in October when I bought the car. Glad I did... What prompted me to check them was the odd odor coming from the vents with the blower motor switched on.. New ones will be on order Friday when I get paid. The bill for the labor to install the engine wiped me out:

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It's really nice to see someone who is willing to put the effort into saving these cars instead of canibalizing them. Personally I would love nothing more than to have a place and money to just buy and resurrect these cars. I believe that the 8 still has a lot to offer in the way of enjoyment and style.
:worship:

I can't see parting out a nice RX-8 just because the engine is bad. This car is a fully loaded GT with nav and it has led a hard life. I felt for this car and thought of how nice it could be once again. I decided to contact Mazda reference the faulty engine and they agreed to cover parts if I covered the labor. It was a good deal as it was about the same cost as rebuilding it myself and it came with a warranty.

The RX-8 is a wonderful car and this car still has a lot to offer. I couldn't see parting it out. It just didn't seem right to cannibalize such a nice car. Long ago, I made the decision to restore cars rather than part them out..unless they're wrecked badly or rusted badly. I've been doing RX-7 restorations for quite some time and figured I best start saving these 8's since everyone just wants to part them out.

Excellent! Looks good! That chaparral looks to be in great condition (better than mine!).