OEM All Weather Floor Mats
 

Picked up OEM AW Mats when i went to the dealer to pick up FL-22 coolant. I just want my car back, break it in and enjoy it already damn it!!!! :crying::crying::crying::crying::crying:

Attachment 218107

I do like the little rotors in the mats!

The wait is legitimately killing me. Don't know the status more than" still working". Should be here by end of this week... i hope :/ So far, i am prepared for its return and stocked up on some oil :) Plan on changing it out 5 times within about 3k miles mainly because of how much bearing material was found at the bottom of the oil pan and in the old oil filter. Yup there was a ridiculous amount lol

Attachment 218034

FINALLY got my car back. 6-8 weeks turned into 15 weeks.....As my motto; cheap, quality, fast, you can only have two. I chose cheap and quality so this was not fast. Motor runs and idles perfectly, Doesn't fire up like a broken in motor with great compression... well because i only have 46 miles on this motor. Idles stably, No misfires, smooth ride. Only thing i noticed is, jerky access/decel when getting on and off the throttle instantly. Seems like the powertrain may need to break in the motor mounts and the engine re-learn its mapping? Maybe someone can shed some light. Rebuilder still does emphasize to stick with 5w20 with frequent oil changes etc. I was thinking for the first few k's use 10w40 GTX and then switch to a 5w40 or 0w40 not sure yet. Still need to hook up my gauges.... he was going to charge extra because he only charged for the gauge sensor install. No biggie, don't mind putting it together, although I'm still waiting on him to order in the nut/bolt for the sandwich plate adaptor.

Still need to fix my p/s, the codes that its throwing is b1342 and b2278. Measured the torque sensor 3 times, and all 3 times, the terminals measured out at about 13.8 ohms within the 12-15 ohm spec. Now i need to test the EPS module/replace it. Last thing i want to deal with is changing the rack :/. Guys wish my rex luck! I do need to get a 24mm and 23mm socket to change my transmission and differential fluid. Scared to change the diff fluid in fear the seal may start to leak like others have had issues with but i don't know, still probably going to change it. Pictures of the car will come, still cosmetically rough, the ugly plasti-dip is still partially peeled. I plan on keeping it on though this winter to protect the paint as much as i can. I will pay attention to detail later when the major issues are sorted out. Will Flush the 50/50 coolant thats in there for the FL-22 soon as well! Pictures of the previous Mazda reman will come in the next week or so. Reman at 16,800 and died at 102,040. There is still one useable housing with minimal shrinkage.

Edit: After the new harness, the b2278 code is not on, JUST the b1342 :/

:lol:

Zip it! I also had to shrink my budget due to personal and school reasons so that would have been really tough. Maybe in the future i can afford a rebuild/engine service from him because he puts in ALOT of time and efforts and it clearly shows in his work lol

Update
 

So over the past two days, up here in the north east Boston area, they've been over hyping this "tropical storm". I was prepared to let the car sit but Monday it was just windy until mid afternoon so i routed the gauge sensor wires. All i can say is, wow my back hurts and I'm only 21!! Routed the oil pressure and temp via the factory harness in the firewall, and the water temp via the taped oval hole next to the windshield washer as the wire would not reach the lotek gauge pod area. Got the wires there and wired them up, kind of a hassle because there were ALOT of wires, but i managed. The AEM gauges required a +12v constant, +12v Switched, Illumination, & Ground. For the 12v constant, went to AAP and did the fuse tap into the room fuse. 12v switched was the cigar lighter like everyone and the illumination i used the ashtray light. Now just waiting on my builder to install the sandwich plate and I will have all three of the gauges in!


Builder forgot to hook up the knock sensor... smh:icon_no2:
Attachment 217952

Running catless :boink:
Attachment 217953

Little wire braiding :icon_tup:
Attachment 217954

Merged all three wires together for all three gauges
Attachment 217955

How the car sits, Not sure why i took this pic because nothing changed on the exterior... yet
Attachment 217956

FINALLY have the interior complete except the gauges of course!
Attachment 217957

Rebuild 500 mile Update
 

So far,the engine is running strong, 500 miles and I'm loving it! Interior is all together except the oil pressure and temp gauges. Waiting for the builder to get the bolt for the sandwich plate... what else is new? Anyways, car starts up hot and cold no issues, does take about 2 seconds on a hot start sometimes, i think its because the plugs must be fouled. The engine break in is really bothering me, I'm staying under 4k rpm and 1/2 throttle for the first 1k. Then over the next 1k bring it up in the rev range. Main reason I'm doing a break in is for the bearings to wear in nicely. Otherwise the break in would be done..... Done because new OEM rotor housings and OEM Seals.
Parts Used for the rebuild:

• 2 New Rotory Housings
• 1 New E-Shaft
• 1 New Oil Pan
• OEM Apex Seals
• OEM Apex Seal Springs
• 1 New Oil Pickup
• 4 New OEM Bearings
• 2 Used Rotors

500 Mile hot start (Ran into lowes for 5 min.)

I just realized you put North East Boston area, I am from Southern NH and was up there visiting this past weekend. Flew into Logan (what a nightmare, LOL).

Glad the car is running good. Get that plastidip pulled off and get some more exterior pics! haha

Woohoo a fellow new englander! So my first priority/priorities are tranny and diff fluid Change. Replace EPS module, never had PS but the cobb pulled the code b1342 which is the eps module. So i pulled the module last night and there was something shaking around, ill post a pic later!
Main reason i havent peeled off the platidip, i want to leave it on through the winter salt and snow and show off tr VR next year. Also my driver side fender has a paint blemish, needs to re painted :(

Well this is what came out. I don't think its serious but i do think there is reason to fault the EPS. I will try and get some time to check continuity but i did get a replacement in the mail from a working system!

Attachment 217919

Rotary Engine Reman Tear Down
 

These will be the internals that came out of my Mazda Reman. The Reman went in sometime 2006 at 16.8k & pulled at 102k so about 85k miles and about 4 other owners.... so this poor thing was abused before me!

E-Shaft: This rear rotor bearing, came out of the rotor and i think it friction welded itself to the shaft.

Attachment 217901



Attachment 217902


E-Shaft
Note: Bearing is stuck on the e-shaft pretty darn well!
Attachment 217903


Attachment 217904


Attachment 217905


Attachment 217906


ROTOR HOUSING (This one was where the rotor bearing pulled out and stuck itself on the shaft. Other housing is actually good condition)

Attachment 217907

Holy Chipping away!! Looks Re-useable! :yelrotflm
Attachment 217908

Yup.. Pretty bad!
Attachment 217909

Also, Cracks on the plug hole, this is done!!
Attachment 217910

Chatter Chatter Chatter Chatter!
Attachment 217911



ROTORS:
Attachment 217912

Attachment 217913

Attachment 217914

Attachment 217915

Attachment 217916

Attachment 217917

Attachment 217918

The Hunt for the EPS Problem
 

These Codes were pulled from the AP.
B2278: Torque Sensor (Solved by new harness!)
B1342: EPS Module. Rattling inside the module Seems it may have been impacted or something... Have a replacement on the way.

Attachment 217900

Fluids Day
 

Can you guess what was done?!

10W40 GTX Change/MT90 Transmission/75W90 GL5+ Differential
Attachment 217891

Transmission Fluid was WELL overdue, About 8mm of metallic junk on the magnet...
Attachment 217892

Attachment 217893

Differential Plug was heavy coated as well, not as much but still terribly overdue!
Attachment 217894


Overall Review:
Redline MT90 (Transmission) 75w90 (Differential): 10/10
These fluids, made a NIGHT AND DAY difference. Before there was so much transmission noise and well over a lot of powertrain noise. I knew it wasn't normal so this is why i rushed to do this asap, and boy, well overdue... The tranny fluid was like water, not slippery at all and just awful :shocking: Overall, this will probably get another fluid change at about 15-20k or even sooner just to really make sure i get what ever wasn't caught by the magnet because it was full the next time around!

My trans/diff plugs looked the same, as did the oil, but I didnt notice much of a difference after the change.. but I do feel better now that it's done, haha.

Really? Mine was noticeably quieter. Before it sounded like straight cut gears lol :mdrmed: I just hope no major wear/damage happened but i never missed a shift or grinded while going into a gear. Weird thing i, i used a pump and transferred over the 2qts of MT90 and it still wasn't dripping out!! :sweat drop I was worried because i made sure i was on level ground. Left the car in neutral and it didnt roll a bit or anything. Strange because i see everyone saying the capacity is like 1.8qt and i know that much fluid was not left on the pump... (Clear tubes etc. )

Next on my "Restoration" of this poor baby is the EPS and plugs after 1k of the break in. I've been Pre-mixing heavy and so far its doing great :D

For the trans? Mine didn't drip out either (it did with the diff), same scenario, I just made sure to fill it to the recommended amount as I didn't want to risk overfilling.. I figured there could be a slight disruption in the car being level either from the jacks or the ground that wasn't really noticeable to the eye.. but enough that it was affecting that.

This was my diff plug if I remember correctly, they both looked the same, lol.

I truly wondered if the trans/diff oil had ever been changed (2004 with 84kish miles when I did it).

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...4300e6eaa3.jpg

Yup, nasty, i know its not a HUGE deal but still... I'll probably do a drain at 15k. This new fluid compliments the AFE SS SO well, love it.

Next up... EPS. EPS module in, and will report with the results. REALLY hope it resolves it! will update tonight.

YES!! Finally, so i replaced the EPS Module, and viola! Boy this car just became 1000x more enjoyable! I can't wait to have somewhere or even time to drive her! Its so great to have power steering!

Attachment 217841

The fine details
 

Just cleaned up the old "rx8" sills and re installed them! Boy this does add a certain touch to the car that i really like!

Before:
Attachment 217838

After: (Yes, just used double sided tape for install)
Attachment 217839

Nice job. I need some new sills. My driver's side is missing and my pass side is there although its curling up on the far sides ever so slightly. Looks good!

Little Update!
 

Yup it's a nice a subtle touch and i adds a lot for me :D

800 Mile Update:
This car only has 800 miles, so things still need to settle in. But I've been averaging 19.5 MPG each fill up!! Premixing heavily with motel 800v. I have yet to see the 710 fill up the MOP lines maybe because it hasn't really been driven under load much since fill up!

So far, 1,300 Miles on new motor! Just changed the oil with some more GTX 10W-40 and a purolator filter. Will be changing plugs and FINALLY using the compression tester at 2k miles!!

Average MPG (Since ownership): 15.36
Average MPG (New Motor): 17.4
Attachment 217765

Maybe im special.... maybe i have a faulty device... maybe i should have listened to 9krpm and gotten a new builder... Just a few hiccups that have me worried. Today was changing out the plugs at 1.8k miles on the new motor. While i was at it, i figured that i should put the compression tester to use! Followed the directions, threaded the transducer in the Trailing port and cranked. I believe i have a bad transducer OR controlling unit. After cranking for 4 seconds (Yes i was waiting to crank 5-7 seconds) the controller was throwing errors etc. as shown here....

Attachment 217609

Attachment 217610

What are those?!?! Do i have a defective unit?? Will contact twisted rotors!

so after finessing it for a few moments, i cranked again for about 3 seconds... and BAM results... VERY disappointing results but results non the less. These numbers to me seem VERY low and yes.... failing... Could anyone provide insight? Did my engine builder screw me? or did he just do a terrible job?

Front
Attachment 217611

Normalized
Attachment 217612

Rear
Attachment 217613

Normalized
Attachment 217614



Side note:
In the upper RPM's when brought to redline, misfired on new plugs... not sure what that is about. Also, some power loss was felt at about 7200RPM then a very rough feeling like a spun bearing and loud humming... Could i have spun a bearing? Drove the car home... still butter smooth until about 7k RPM don't want to keep bringing it up there in case something bad will happen :/
I did reach out to my builder to see whats up with these shitty #'s because with new apex seals and housings i'd expect great numbers but maybe he reused the side seals or something? I don't know... 9krpm i should have listened to you and found a new builder..... I just hope it lasts like 40k miles when i'm out of school and can afford another builder to dissect this thing. Also, SSV DOES rattle... when it was out, i checked it and it was clean but i didn't take it out... could that be causing something?

Conclusion:

Nice work!

Slow motion of rotor through spark plug hole. Hoping to see if i could see the apex seals, if they are new, or not.

Yup so... mystery solved.... hate saying this but i was wrong. This builder is one to avoid for sure. DO NOT goto SMGracing in warwick ri for you 8 needs. He reused side seals and corner seals from the motor. Before the process, i asked if he used precut side seals or handcut, he said he hand cuts them. Thats not what he said this time around.... all said and done. FORGET this guy and his terrible business model. I'm not bothering with him or his services ANY longer, when the car does have serious hot start problems, i will get it rebuilt.... Maybe next time i can afford a PR build! hahaha. Oh and pictures of the finished gauges will be up soon!!

Sucks man, I'm not glad I was right, the rotary world is full of scum bag vendors for some reason. Make sure you post up in any local rotary FB groups, etc. Sorry for the bad experience.

Don't feel too discouraged. 2k miles after my rebuild (by a top rotary rebuild) my engine was failing according to Mazda's standards. It was at 90psi or 5.9s-6.3s per rotor face. 5k miles after the rebuild it is now at 7.1-7.3s per rotor face and over 100psi (it improved greatly as time allowed it to wear the new parts in together). IT IS NORMAL to see "lower than optimal" compression on a rebuild that utilizes used housings. Please don't give the builder a bad name yet. It takes time for the rebuild to set. Unless you are having real world performance issues, I would NOT worry about this at all. Also many builders will reuse some parts that are in good enough shape to reuse, this is also not abnormal (unless you paid for/specified otherwise).

Seriously, drive the car a few thousand miles and do the comp test again, I bet you the compression increases as the build sets. Here is a quote from my thread with my findings on my rebuild (I had used "B" housings). I tested just out of curiosity.

Also to add even tho rebuild numbers will be lower than a brand new engine, it should NOT be compared to an aged/worn engine with the same numbers..

I just reread some of your build details. I see you actually have new housings.. Even still, I would give it longer to break in for optimum compression readings. A rebuild will never be the same as a brand new engine, but you do have a lot of significant brand new parts. I do hope you see improved numbers in more time. Like i said, mine took a good few thousand miles before I saw optimum compression (and for all I know its continued to improve since then, lol). Just give it some more time.

As for the misfire is it possible it's your fuel delivery? Hows the pump /filter?

Also when you did the comp test, did you go WOT (pedal to the floor). I've see people forget to do that alot. This will affect your readings.

It's sad how true that is, but this was just another learning experience, i would have loved to take my time and do it myself, but just wasn't possible this time around. I will definitely post in the local form warning 8 owners to steer clear of this guy! For now.... i will just enjoy the drive

Not sure how much longer it will need but i will just drive it an enjoy it for now.. it's been stressing me out because this was a large financial investment for me, but in the end of the day.... money is money, and i'd rather just enjoy it while i can and just be happy!

A properly rebuilt engine should start and have good compression from the get go. It is common for home built engines using varying degrees of used parts to get better with time but they rarely last very long in my experience and even though i have a friend with a good reputation of rebuilding Renesis engines and the fact that I have rebuilt several piston engines myself successfully, I still chose a professional builder due to the unique nature of the Renesis. And no qualified builder reuses seals.


and Jazer, 7.1-7.3 is a borderline failing engine so I'm not sure why you think those numbers are good.

Two respected engine builders both said the same thing in regards to my post. You can not compare an older worn engine with X compression, to a fresh rebuild of similar numbers (specifically talking rebuilds with used housings). One has worn down to that point (worn seals and worn housings). One has fresh seals that can make up for the wear that's already taken place in the housing before the seal starts to diminish itself. You have MUCH more time on that rebuild than you do with that worn engine.

You also can't compare a rebuild to a brand new engine. Its going to last awhile, but typically not quite as long as brand new (or a rebuild that has brand new housings even) As for the OP having used brand new housings, which I had initially missed with my first post there.. thats' a bit more concerning.

You may think my numbers are close to failing, but my car will hot start after beating on it, after heat soaking idling, etc within 1 second. Consistently. It performs perfectly. Real world behavior is the important thing. You can disagree with me if you'd like to, Im basing my information on what those 2 different engine builders specifically told me when I inquired for advice before buying this car. One being Kevin at Rotary Resurrection (who is the one who built my engine) and I trust that it was done right, and my car certainly behaves as such.

Im merely stating that there is more than JUST compression numbers... and wanted to show the OP that a build can take time to seat the new parts together and it will likely rise further.

I'm sorry but you are just misinformed. I have seen an engine with a cracked apex seal hot start with no problem because it had a new S2 starter in it. It had almost no compression on the front housing.

It's not about what I think because it's mechanics and compression numbers are compression numbers, regardless of who says what and yours are borderline failing, simple as that.

My engine has 40k on it and was still in the low 8's as of not too long ago and no new major hard parts were used when it was built.

Wishful thinking won't help the OP, and sadly people still don't learn, when you take risks to save a few dollars, it usually bites you in the ass, especially in the Renesis world.

I'm not going to argue about it. Just giving the OP some info that is less talked about, but is common knowledge among builders in regards to rebuilds that have used housings.. as I thought his were reused initially.

There is no argument, that is really my point. Go dyno an RX-8 with a low compression engine and you will see just how healthy the engine is.

Yeah, that is also true, building these is much more of a skill than just following steps like a normal piston engine. I've rebuilt a few myself but it wasn't much involved when i really look back at it. Ultimately, i should have just waited a little longer and saved for a PR build :yelrotflm

Just wanted to post up what I paid for this summer to get the car back on the road. Only engine work was done, and keep in mind, the engine was removed and reinstalled by builder, along with all the other parts, such as coolant tank, hoses, mounts, midpipe, gauge sensors, water pump, ac & serp belts.

Attachment 217536

That's crazy. Live and learn man.

^^ Well said, no need to dwell on it etc.
ANYWAYS! I know a few posts earlier i mentioned the tester that i received was faulty etc. Please do not take this as an attack or poor review of Twisted Rotors product, it's the exact opposite. His Customer service has been exceptional. The test of a small company such as this, is not how little their products fail... to me, it's how they handle the situation and go about to fix it, because in reality, every product will see a failure. TRT Is not only fixing this but will also upgrade to the latest firmware model which has an automatic barometric correction! This is the great customer service the rotary community needs!

Little Update. 104.5k
 

So far so good, enjoying the car every time i drive her! Little issues im trying to address is a random misfire that occurs only at partial load from 4-5k RPM. Will be looking at the tables I have adjusted in my tune, i suspect either my ignition dwell or an inconsistent OMP table. Also, at times, a loud whirring noise, like a spun bearing? (best i can describe it) occurs and the clutch pedal vibrates significantly, maybe the TOB wasn't installed properly? I am looking for OEM wheels badly!! I do not want to balance these ugly wheels, and will need to replace these lugs too, money i don't want to waste if i will be replacing these wheels as soon as i can! Also, just extended the overflo w hose just to be safe than sorry!

Something I thought was a little funny, the OEM large filter from my GTI could fit two RX8 filters lol!

RX8 OE Replacement filter/RX8 Larger Mobil Filter/ GTI 1.8T Filter:yelrotflm
Attachment 217441

Looks like it's time for a filter relocation so you can run the same filter.

I've been thinking about an oil filter relocation, not only to run a larger filter but so it doesnt make a huge mess, although with the oil sandwich plate adapter, after the car sits for five minutes there isn't much of a mess. But also for ease of access!!

This is what we made.


https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...d20cf660f1.jpg

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...e9a09f6de6.jpg


https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...b78a96b16d.jpg

https://cimg9.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.rx8...32434a04c0.jpg

This is it in my own car but I have my oil pressure regulator setup for the turbo on it.

https://c1.staticflickr.com/8/7613/1...9258ab92_c.jpg

Damn, removing the SAI system really clears up some space huh? Looks like a real clean product. Does the opposing end thread up to the oil pedestal directly? I've read majority of your build thread, huge fan of the car, nice and clean. The way it should be done with these 8's.

Thanks and Yeah it threads on to the stock oil filter pedestal. None of us have air pumps so that was the best place to put it.

Bought a Set of OEM 18" Wheels
 

Just bought some OEM wheels. $85/each wheels with unknown condition tires. +$100 shipping for a total of $440, little more than i wanted to pay, wanted to be at 350 shipped but I need to balancing existing wheels bad, but don't wanna buy new lug nuts either if im getting rid of wheels. Lugs are cheap AAP lugs and rusted, so i figure some will get destroyed. Figured I will restore these wheels rash and everything and then swap my existing tires and TPMS if they're still functional.

Attachment 217426

Attachment 217427

Attachment 217428

Attachment 217429

Attachment 217430

Attachment 217431

Attachment 217432

Attachment 217433

One wheel is really rough but i figure for time being, JB Weld the major rash for temporary filler and then I have plasti-dip with aluminum metalizer to make it look similar to OEM color.

Most use regular body filler to smooth out rash and such. JB weld could work for limited/deep scratch areas... but I can't imagine it being very friendly to work with for large surface area. Your best bet is to sand down what you can than use filler. For the most part the filler will hold up in the same way that the painted surface holds up. Remember your car's body is metal where filler is used anyways. Also note that getting tires mounted after can be a bit sketchy for painted wheels.