Originally posted by m477
As Toadman said, synthetics are fine in a rotary. But what I'm really curious about is which one Mazda will recommend...

Originally posted by P00Man
BLAHAHAHAHHAHAHA
anyways, does it really matter? is there synthetics available that are better for a rotary than a given "dino" oil? And im assuming that means natural gass. Ofcourse i would assume so, because synthetics and are designed to do the job of lubrication better than a natural oil but then again i am completely ignorant lol.

Originally posted by Toadman
...Remember the rotary has oil injection from a metering pump to lube the apex seals and housings, similar to a 2-stroke engine. The car is designed to burn oil so check it often...

Originally posted by BryanH
I wonder how long it will be before someone comes out with a special "rotary engine formula" motor oil designed specifically for the needs of the Wankel.

Originally posted by JGard18
Either way, I personally think synth is a waste of money. Buy Dino, change it and the filter every 3,000, and you'll be fine.

Originally posted by JGard18
nah, I'll still stick by my statement. I don't believe it's worth the money.

That's not an ignorant statement, it's a statement of opinion.

Try not to be a dick next time.

Originally posted by Spining Ncnratr
Guess whats the main ingrediant in syn. oil. I was totally shocked
its the worst thing for internal parts. but its SAND thats right that totally abrasive stuff. Don't ask me how the chemist does it but that totally goes against common sense.

Originally posted by Quick_lude
How much do you think will the Renesis burn? If a lot then using synthetic oil would be cost prohibitive.. Would the Renesis benefit from synthetic oil properties like a very low pour point and high resistance to breakdown and shearing?:

This has got to be one of the most frequently asked questions ever!

Here is our answer:
The Rotary engine has an oil injection system that injects small amounts of oil into either the intake tract, carb, or rotor housing (depending on year/model). This is needed to lubricate the various internal seals and surfaces.

The injected oil MUST BURN, and must burn clean. The root answer to the question is that not ALL synthetic oils burn, and not ALLof them burn clean.
The ones that do not burn accumulate until they foul the spark plugs.
The ones that do not burn clean can leave residues of various substances (like ash? plastic? non-organic sand?) that accumulate until the spark plugs foul, or a seal sticks -- could be apex seal, side seal, corner seal, or oil control ring. The normal consequence of a stuck seal is an engine tear down.

In the many years we have been involved in rotary engines, we have NEVER had a problem with GOOD petroleum based oils. They work fine! They are less expensive than synthetics. (We use Castrol 20-50 GTX). They burn clean, etc. etc.

The problem with answering the original question is that it is NOT a simple yes or no. We DO simplify it to a "NO", but that is because we do NOT know whether the specific brand of synthetic the customer has in mind will work. AND, if it does not work, how long will it be before the damage shows up, and how bad will the damage be? Maybe it will take 10,000 miles, maybe 50,000 miles?? Maybe the engine will fail due to something unrelated to the oil, and there won't be enough left to determine why the failure happened.

WE are not willing to take that gamble, are you ?

Then, take a minute to think of WHY you want to use a synthetic. If a rotary engine (properly maintained, oil changes at 3K intervals, etc.) can still be running fine at over 200,000 miles, the engine does not need any more cooling, the gas milage will not be any better, etc. etc. WHY do you want to spend more $$ and gamble on engine and/or spark plug damage? (If you are into the fossil fuel thing, pollution, depleting our resources, etc. then you should not be driving ANY car!)

We are not chemists, and we do not have the time, $$'s, nor inclination to do 100K mile tests of various synthetics in rotary engines.

We DO use synthetics in the transmissions and rear ends - it works fine.

Anyway - that is the MAZDATRIX version of the synthetic question.

Racing Beat has been recommending the use of synthetic oils in rotary applications for several years. Our research has found that synthetic oils provide superior friction reducing between sliding surfaces, reduced foaming, and lower oil temperatures. We have tested several different synthetic oils and have found that while most offered improved wear and lower oil temperatures, none offered any horsepower gains... except for Royal Purple!

Our in-house testing has yielded up to a 2% performance increase after changing from mineral-based oil to Royal Purple Synthetic Motor Oil. How could this be? Jim Mederer, co-founder and chief engineer at Racing Beat, was truly puzzled. With over 35 years of professional racing experience under his belt, he has seen and tried just about every “new” lubricant that hits the market. All offered better wear and lower oil temperatures but none offered any horsepower improvement. After spending time consulting with the engineers at Royal Purple to better understand the reason for the horsepower gain, it was explained that the secret was the proprietary ingredient “Synerlec”. This Synerlec ingredient provides an ultra-slick film on internal engine components to significantly reduce power-robbing friction. Less friction equals more power!

Other professional engine builders have confirmed that Royal Purple Synthetic Racing Oil delivers measurable horsepower gains. Independent dyno tests show increases up to 5% (on smaller displacement engines) with nothing more than an oil change.

Give Royal Purple a try with your next oil change!