Whisper

My 04 RX8 is about to be a member of the new engine block crew at 101000 kms. I just have a few questions for when I get my car back.

How can I make sure my dealership did a good job in replacing the engine block?

Should my driving habbits change a bit to break in the engine??

What can I do to take care of the new block? My RX8 was used when I got it and I have no idea how the previous owners took care of it. It wasn't winter driven until this year when I drove it, that's all I know. Should I look into premixing or something? Is there an oil I should prefer over another?? Right now I use 5w 20 which I get at petro canada where I usually fill up on 94 octane.

If anyone can shine some light on these topics for me, it would be much appretiated thanks

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

The Remanufactured engines that are being used for engine failures right now seem to be holding up quite well overall so I wouldn't worry too much about whether they did a good job or not. If things in Canada are similar ot here in the US, your engine was probably shipped out and exchanged for a Reman engine produced at a location that spends almost all it's time rebuilding engines. (we used to have a forum member on here who worked there)

- break in the engine properly. go to www.racingbeat.com and look up their recommendations for engine break in

- Pre-Mix: I was not a huge believer in this at first but having been on this forum for 6 years now, I can tell you that if you don't premix or turn up the OMP rate (via a reflash device such as an AP) that your engine most likely will not last as long as it would if you did pre-mix. I use Idemitsu pre-mix and put in 4 oz per full tank of 91 octane. (I WISH we could get 94 octane here)

- Oil: ask around in your local subforums what oils people are using. I use 5w-30 but my temperatures are probably very different then the ones you have up North.

Whisper

Thank you! I should look into premixing more... never done it before. But where can I get a reflash done? How much would that cost?

nycgps

iTrader: (1)

20w50 ftw?

Jedi54

iTrader: (7)

you have a few different options if you are seriously considering a reflash.
- Racingbeat.com offers a service where you ship them your PCM, they "crack" it with their software and program in new parameters. It's been a while since I've looked at the RB flash so I'm not sure exactly what (if anything) is done to the OMP settings.

- Cobb AccessPORT: by far the most popular engine management system on this board. (and with RX-8 owners as a whole) Check out cobb tuning to see what it's capable of. For me, the fact that I could increase the OMP settings and have the cooling fans kick on sooner with the help of a tuner was worth the price of admission alone. If you like the cobb AP, here is the best place to get one http://www.mazdamaniac.com/cobb/accessport.htm The tuning price is worth every penny.

- Hymee Pro Tuner: This is another engine management tool that is being used by people here. I had the Beta and it works quite well once you learn how to use the software. http://performancedesign.com.au/scan...pro_tuner.html

EricMeyer

Be kind to your motor on break in. Lower rpm use initially and not putting the engine under huge load is generally recommended for ALL engines. Same for getting heat into the engine before you drive it.

Oil choice is not going to make or break your engine. Same for premix. IMHO there is no data that suggests a particular weight of oil or premixing will make your engine last years and years longer.

One thing that is very smart to do with new engines is to have your oil changed EARLIER the first few oil changes. Some people may disagree but a simple local jiffy lube shop oil change more frequently is way better than a mega dealer synthetic $20 oil filter oil change at 10,000 miles. Clean oil is a good thing. New motors will wear a little bit of metal and getting that out of the system early is a good thing.

So....be kind and don't rev this new motor for 500 miles or so. Let it warm up a lot the first few weeks before you drive it. Have your oil changed about 1,000 miles in. Then another 1,000 in. Do a cheapy oil change as all your trying to do is remove the contaminants from the oil and filter (which you always get with a new motor).

Then beat the crap out of it and have a blast!!

Stay under 9,000 rpm always. There is NO reason to operate your engine about 9K. None. Period.

Have fun.