Luckyboii69

I have someone rebuilding my engine for $2k-$2200 parts and labor and he said I need new housings. Here is a pic. He also said that he knows someone who will sell him used housings in good condition I know that I set of housingsis $1200..of course if I choose to buy a new set of housings it would come outta my pocket.. he said both of my rotors are ok..my question is..is it ok to use used housings as long as they are in good condition? will I have any problems in the future?

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Coolant seal leak it looks like the failure mode but that doesn't necessarily mean the housings are unusable. It depends. You can use used housings. The question is though, is "how long will the engine last with used housing?" and the answer is no one knows, it depends on a few things.

"good condition" is misleading. Were they actually spec'd out or is someone just eye balling them? Eye balling a housing to determine if it is good is something BDC would do, is that who is building your engine?

Luckyboii69

That I don't know..By good condition I meant that you can re-use them and of course, they will look better than mine..

bse50

2200$ parts and labor?
He's either using shitty parts or he's not charging for labor.

Run away from such a builder.

Luckyboii69

$2200 on labor + engine rebuild kit everything directly from Mazda..the bearings, etc..is separate..He said he has used used housings before..never had any problem with them

Z0oMzo0m

iTrader: (4)

your in for a 6k project

9krpmrx8

iTrader: (46)

Yeah a lot of builders say a lot of things. The fact that they are used tells us nothing.

Luckyboii69

i doubt it..else he would have said i need to replace every single thing..he has done my friend's rx7 and his supra and he didnt charge him an arm and a leg..lets see how it goes

bse50

Please don't blame the engine but the builder when the **** hits the fan.

Karack

that housings looks fine. i see no burning or or carbon trace lines indicating shrinkage...

seems your builder doesn't have much rotary experience or ever seen a simple coolant seal failure. looks to me more like you have driven the car a bit hard a few too many times when cold.

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

Used housings could be ok, but i wouldnt use it if engine life is ur main concern

coolant seal failure happens , and it doesnt seem that bad from the pic.

But honestly, 2200 bux can probably get u something a bit better, at least i can get u new housings for just couple hundred bux more than that

Karack

and a mazda reman is $2k. (oh no, here we go. mazda remans are crap!)

Luckyboii69

you could be right but you cant really tell if it isnt or it is by just looking at the picture from one angle

engine life is my main concern although im not planning to keep the car for the rest of my life..obviously i would look for something better..id say like 2 or 3 years..who knows..probably sooner

it is $2500+labor..so you are looking at least $4k..i had $5900 but i wouldnt spend it on a new engine..id rather prefer get it rebuilded and what i have left spend it on something else or just save it

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

For the record, mazda rebuild actually has a lot of brand new parts, the person who builded them was the problem

Karack

and many failures are due to poor diagnosis and repair of the original cause of failure. yes i have seen poor mazda remans but they aren't as common as this forum makes them out.

if your mazda dealer is charging $2500 then they have a steep markup, most dealers sell the series 1 6 port remans for $2006 or close to that figure. the install gasket kit is $100, plus misc fluids and filters.

basically i question why your builder is going through all of this, charging you more than a mazda reman and giving you even less than they have to offer, all while trying to replace parts that look perfectly fine to me.

not to sound too egotistical but most people who know me know that my diagnostic skills are nearly impeccable by sight or by asking the correct questions and using common sense deductions.

maybe the housing was finely cleaned of a carbon track, wear lines and dirt replaced. though i'm sure i could be fooled if someone gave it enough go. the shiny edges indicate to me that the engine was sealing fine to the housing when the engine was to temp.

running over the edge with a feeler gauge and straightedge would tell you if the housing was warped in that area, any half decent mechanic could give you an accurate diagnosis up front without any guesswork. the shrinkage spec is in the book, it can also be applied to surface warpage checked with that same procedure(after the surface has been cleaned, which so far it has not in the picture).

tension bolts can also lose tension over time, allowing the engine to break it's internal seal and cause issues just like this. it does not mean you have a problem, you were just unlucky. once the seal is exposed directly to combustion gases the seal is done.

but if you really want to toss it, i'll pay for shipping to send it my way. assuming the chrome surface isn't fubar, in which case you would be 100% correct. the housing could be total junk on the friction surfaces or anywhere else outside of the picture.

TeamRX8

iTrader: (25)

maybe the builder would rather have you change it rather than risk the poop hitting the fan for either of you, but without being there and inspecting it in person there's no way for anyone here to effectively make that judgement by a picture on the internet

you either trust the builder or you don't, they are either trustworthy or they aren't

that's pretty much the way it is

j9fd3s

you are correct, Mazda list price on the engine is $2001, and there is that $100 gasket set in the box.

Luckyboii69

you guys are all right..hopefully he will do a good job and we all will be happy..i told him that i have a friend with another rx8 and wants his engine rebuild..so if he wants to do it he better do a good job on mine..lets see how it goes..and about the mazda reman..ill give them a call 'cause i think the engine itself is $2500 and like $1k on labor

j9fd3s

you can just buy the part, and list price is $2001, there is a $100 install gasket kit in the box too. i just checked the price because i'm picking up a dead 8 today, so i might be ordering engine tomorrow

labor would be $1000, or more, its a 10+ hour job

Karack

yep, i doubt you will find many shops willing to do the engine R+R for less than a grand in labor alone. if this guy is doing everything for that price, he won't be doing it for very long, you gotta eat at the end of the day.

j9fd3s

i saw the bill to Mazda for the warranty engine i did last year, and that was 12 hours...

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

it depends on what kind of tools u have, but 10-15 hours sound about right.

Luckyboii69

is this a reasonable price for a set of used housings? they look good but as you guys already stated..can't just eyeball them

Mazda RX7 RX8 Housings 2005 6 Speed | eBay