Renesis Durability
#1
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Renesis Durability
I am putting some serious thought into getting an RX-8, but I have heard that the rotary engines aren't very durable. Is this true?
#2
dizzy snake pilot
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not true. well, not since 1973 or so when they apex seal design was changed. so id recommend getting a post 1973 rotary if you are getting one (maybe it was 74, somebody correct me).
james
james
#3
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2 RX8's...24hrs...full throttle (almost)...enjoy the read...better yet...enjoy the car!
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/two-mazda-rx-8s-drive-24-hours-full-throttle-40-records-broken-41846/
https://www.rx8club.com/rx-8-media-news-11/two-mazda-rx-8s-drive-24-hours-full-throttle-40-records-broken-41846/
#5
Not true. I've owned several RX-7's and they've all gone well over 100,000 miles with no engine problems. Highest one was 153,000. A properly cared for rotary will equal or outlast a piston engine.
#6
I have put some serious abuse on my Renesis and it still runs great. During my nitrous testing I subjected the engine to way more detonation than was previously thought possible. I have also accidentally run into the fuel cut when the nitrous was activated. NOT GOOD, but the engine has lived through it. If I could find an RPM switch that would work as I need it to, I would install it. Another time, I shifted into second gear at 80 mph(damned aluminum flywheel) and the tach flew to about 11,500 rpm. The dash lights all immediately lit up and flashed wildly and I quickly released the clutch. Obviously, the engine can take some abuse.
Charles
Charles
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Agreed, I sold my RX-7 with 122k miles on it, had to clean the injectors once! The rotary does have a characteristic that is different from piston engines, a possibility of flooding if you start it when the engine is very cold, then turn it off before it has a chance to retain some heat (less than a couple minutes). Examples of this are moving the car out of the garage on a cold Saturday morning to wash it or, valet parking attendants that move a car after its had a chance to get cold. Rumor has it that the latest software rev, which has been out for at least six months, lessens the possibility of this occurring. I haven't had my RX-8 flood, yet (15 months/14k miles) and I live in Michigan!
Its simple to deal with, but I can understand someone who hasn't been educated would be pretty upset if they can't get their brand new sports car started! Also, its covered in the owners manual, including a procedure to de-flood it.
This shouldn't be a big deal, just nice not to get surprised!
Its simple to deal with, but I can understand someone who hasn't been educated would be pretty upset if they can't get their brand new sports car started! Also, its covered in the owners manual, including a procedure to de-flood it.
This shouldn't be a big deal, just nice not to get surprised!
#8
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My 1987 RX-7 had over 170K miles when I got my RX-8. It still runs strong to redline and I never had to do any engine repairs. The normally aspirated rotary engine is as close to bulletproof as internal combustion engines get. I expect at least 200K miles from the Renesis.
#9
Piston Traitor
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Originally Posted by Charles R. Hill
I have put some serious abuse on my Renesis and it still runs great. During my nitrous testing I subjected the engine to way more detonation than was previously thought possible. I have also accidentally run into the fuel cut when the nitrous was activated. NOT GOOD, but the engine has lived through it. If I could find an RPM switch that would work as I need it to, I would install it. Another time, I shifted into second gear at 80 mph(damned aluminum flywheel) and the tach flew to about 11,500 rpm. The dash lights all immediately lit up and flashed wildly and I quickly released the clutch. Obviously, the engine can take some abuse.
Charles
Charles
#10
Not the factory clutch. Early on, I decided to go with nitrous so while I was doing the flywheel swap I also installed the ACT Extreme Duty pressure plate/clutch kit. I have mentioned in another post that if I were to do it over again, I may have stuck with the street duty version as opposed to the extreme duty. The pedal pressure takes a while to get used to and can become troubling in bumper-to-bumper traffic. Otherwise, the ACT has taken some tremendous abuse and it still works great.
Charles
Charles
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