Personal Log Star Date 2022-312

I spent over a month searching for the lost wheel lock key with no success. Time to swap over to winter tires so…. I took a 12 point 19mm socket and a hammer. Some gentle love taps and wheel swap complete. The part which hurts is the $50 spent on new locks because I didn’t keep track of my things. Now I have a pretty orange bag to hold the key in my glove box.

On a different topic; thanks to people here I’m now about to contact Atkinson in Washington about balancing engine parts as I start to collect them. Hoping to take the next 18 months to get a rebuild. If I’m lucky my car will agree to this time frame.

 

if you just need balancing then you might consider this shop in AB

https://www.rotaryengine.com/services/balancing.html

being 13B specialists I’d be reluctant to propose them for actually building a Renesis though. They’ve done them though, but I’m recalling one particular Renesis they built with their supposed zoom-zoom exhaust porting mod that didn’t do that well on the dyno. There used to be a dyno video on youtube.
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Thanks Team - I thought about this outfit but, heard build quality lately became an issue.

They have good YouTube videos of porting that make me shy away. The CNC porting looks consistent but, goes against what you and many others recommend. Leaving the monster ports out of their program and just cleaning up (including the “carbon collection” area of the exhaust) would be good. That’s why I’m going with the local builder - he just cleans up the ports and he has a good reputation with several people I’ve talked with.

If the balancing automation machine keeps lessor trained fingers and artistic license from the mix they might still be an option. I’m still thinking about the deeper apex seals as well.

 

Those are mostly applicable to the RX7 engines, but you know that. I wouldn’t have any hesitation with them doing the part services work you mentioned, or even specifying and building the earlier engines.
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REC (or Rx7 Specialties as their service shop is named) is essentially right in my back yard. I've seen plenty of engines built there and for the most part the consensus is they do a quality job (but as with any shop they don't bat 100%). What Team is saying is right, for just some balancing and machine work, these guys will do a bang up job. I will be using them for parts procurement and plan on taking my 2 engines there for balancing and port work. The building itself I will be doing myself but only because I want the experience of doing that. They have been around for decades are one of the few true, dedicated rotary shops in western Canada.


Being in BC you may also want to consider Forcefed in Abbotsford. Force-Fed Performance Turbos & Tuning – Automotive Customization Shop

Edit: looks like their website is under construction but Force-Fed has been around for decades as well, I don't have any personal experience with them other than buying an oil pedestal adapter for my REW swap from them though.

 

RotaryMachineRx - thanks for the feedback on REC. It makes things much easier if I can use them for the machining. I’m waiting to hear from Atkins in Washington. Dealing with import duties is a pain. From what I understand ForceFed is more aligned with mega dollar/power builds. REC is local to both my sisters in Calgary which gives me another excuse to visit.

 

I’m pretty sure the Force-Fed website has been under construction for decades as well
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What winter tires are you going with?

 

I bought mine used from one of the people here local to me. Dodo23 is a good one to purchase from. Tires are great in the Vancouver area cement snow we get sporadically. Was caught in the last “storm “ with no troubles at all. They are sketchy in the rain - probably because they are old. Toyo Observe Garit KX 225/50R17 94H.

 

Personal Log Star Date 2022-356

I've been playing with VersaTune some more. Modified the tune created by ZenVirZan for series 1 to change the throttle map to linear. Day one of running this and already noticed better control at low speed. The car is much smoother in traffic. Will have to wait until this -8°c weather snow/ice crud goes away to see how WOT feels ( no desire to provide YouTube fodder of another clown spinning off in the snow ). Hopefully my hand heals fast enough to install the stainless brake lines during my vacation. Maybe on New Years weekend.

 

I’d highly recommend Blizzak snow tires, but you really need an awd beater car instead.

it was colder than that when I went out for dinner last night in Dallas, TX, 😂

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Team - agreed on the tires especially since mine are out of date - maybe next year. The beater car is a hard sell here with my twins off to post secondary in September 2024. Makes the most sense except I have the wrong wallet.

It still surprises me hearing Dallas and Houston get cold. There were 2 people I spoke with frequently in the past for work from your area (both retired now). One of them had an old house with no insulation. His heating bill was huge. I thought the gulf would keep your area warmer. Wrong again.

 

Personal Log Star Date 2023-052

At long last my hands felt good enough to catch up with my car. Tail lights were replaced a while back with clear lens units. The car came with dark tinted lights with several lights dead on the left side. Not good for keeping the trunk curved in OG condition.

I spent the Family Day long weekend installing stainless brake lines. Pretty easy especially with the vacuum bleeder. My daughter did help with bleeding in the olde school method since my first tentative test drive proved there was still air in the system. By the time we finished the bottle was almost empty so there’s a side benefit of fresh fluid in the lines. Now I want to believe the pedal feel is better, kinda like the butt dyno after new plugs.

Took the time to look over everything and noticed a split rubber on the left rear upper suspension link. It’s not loose or making noise so will replace that soon. I got another exhaust hanger done so now all the rattles are gone. Also replaced the broken battery tray removable wall section. Shock’s definitely need a refresh.


Front line tucked away from the ugly steel snow tire rim

Rear line all happy/shiny

 

Personal Log Star Date 2023-077

It was time today to do the biannual oil cooler fin straightening - cue Gary Larson image of an OCD moment. I’m looking in the forum now for what others did to install protective grating.

Also used my new Christmas gift of a dual sensor rotary compression tester. Very easy to use. Even better if you remember to put the other 2 plug leads.


Homer Simpson moment.

So the research stage must end now and actually buying parts must start. From what I’ve read here I don’t know how my engine starts so well hot or cold. I just jinxed myself severely.
Drum roll please…..
4.7 4.6 4.9 BAR rotor 1
5.0 4.8 4.9 BAR rotor 2
readings are corrected to 250 rpm.

 

I'm not sure that's correct.
When I found out mine was failing it had low 6 & high 5 numbers and started having hot start issues not long after that.
You don't live at high altitude, do you?

That seems off to me, but I'm not the greatest RX8 expert either.

 

Was wondering the same, from my reading I didn't think numbers under 5 were indicated on an engine that starts, particularly hot. Makes me wonder if I ought to be checking mine at some point.

 

A good battery, terminals, and 14 tooth starter(s2), and ignition will start those numbers hot or cold.
Fun story (maybe):

My broken s1, when i bought it, started hot or cold with low 4s in the front and a chipped, bypassing apex seal on the rear, that was in the 3s. That was with s1 starter, hot or cold. It sounded like a jet turbine starting, with a very light compression caused sound on the starter gear, and no real slowdown for each compression stroke. It took about 5seconds to start and run on its own. You felt the lumpiness of the bypassing seal until about 2500 rpm, when it got smoother, almost normal. I got to 130 mph up a mild hill with it in that condition, and was still gaining speed when I backed off, so there was still power being made, surprisingly. Eventually the rear rotor seal let go completely, and took everything in that housing with it, but I still got home on one rotor. I could still start it, BTW.

"Pro tip" (haha): I premixed very aggressively with engine in this state and the starting became much, much better hot or cold. (20:1 or better, with the OMP on stock settings)

I see the Star Date, but what was approx. km when those compression numbers were taken?

 

So you were adding 2 quarts or more at every fillup?

 

Good morning guys and thanks for your thoughts.
Odometer reads 143,345 km and I live 56 metres above sea level (you asked a surveyor BC so expect this kind of answer). I installed the sensors for the compression tester tight by hand - almost needed a wrench to undo them. Maybe this caused a low reading but, kinda doubt it cause I can normally torque by hand quite tightly. They were seated pretty hard and the readings were in the neighbourhood of what I got with Dodo23’s tester. I was just hoping for a miracle and his tester was wrong.

Since April13 2022 (typo on the year - not 2020) was premixing with Amsoil Interceptor at 4 oz. Increased this to 13oz from August 5 2022 until November 1 2022 when I reduced it back to 4 oz to finish off the Interceptor. Now premixing 200 ml with Amsoil Sabre since November 29 2022.

 

Another question for the experienced people here. Is typical compression loss for these engines due to 2mm apex seals leaning over due to lack of support or side seals? Researching this now.

 

Yes indeed. First it was Castor927, which I had on hand from my son's RM125. I got a better result as I added more oil to the tank, so I decided to just go for it. That was $$$$$ so I went to cheaper Walmart Pennzoil stuff for the duration of that engine's life, which was about 600 miles or so after I got it.

The 927 smelled lovely at startup, though!

 

The apex seals wear more than anything else, followed by the housings. Deeper seals are fantastic in my opinion. I did not do them on my current build, because I wanted to do as cheaply as possible.

Here's my teardown of that engine, you can see what I saw and think, fwiw.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...easure-267605/

 

Hold the phone - I know in the premix threads you mentioned aggressively premixing but, 2 quarts ?!?!? I missed that and 10KRPM’s mention of it earlier. 1 word - wow.

Thanks for the other link to the 186,000 engine findings Kevink0000. It helps confirm getting apex seal modifications to the rotors.

Time to “man up” and get total budget together for my wife to give me the eyebrow when she hears it. Enough dithering.

 

Ha !
That premix amount was an experiment, which worked in my view. Good for you--these cars are so worth keeping on the road...

 

Also,
The front iron from the original engine is in use in my current build. As are the stationary bearings an the e-shaft. Even after 186000 miles, they were reusable.

Half of this engine wears at much better than a piston engine rate, and half wears at 2-3x a piston engine rate. The latter is what causes the reputation, and the rebuilds.