Street's Build/Engine Replacement Thread
 

I found my 2004 6 speed rx8 at the end of February of 2014 on Craigslist. I myself didn't know much about the rotary engine just the same as most people who don't own these kind of cars. But as soon as I saw it on Craigslist I had to have so I went and got it. Unlucky for me I didn't do my research on these cars before I bought mine and ended up getting one near the end of its engine life. I bought it with 93k on the engine and drove it from the end of February to the end of June before the engine locked up. It like most 04s had bad compression so it was just a matter of time. I did get the enjoyment of driving it from here where I live in South Carolina down to Daytona Florida for vacation and then for 3 short months. So here it has been sitting for almost 8 months and I love it so much that I'm just going to put a new engine in it.

Here are some pics of when I first bought it:

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A small mountain in our area

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These pics here are after the engine locked up and it sat for 7+ months

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Op can you elaborate on what you mean by "locked up".

very few things can LOCK this engine.

Either pieces of your seals are wedged stopping rotation or you've fused the Eshaft bearings.

Carbon lock is also possible

Have you tried manually turning the engine?

Travis



Posted From RX8Club.com Android App

I am not completely sure what locked it up but I was coming home from a work on a normal day when all of a sudden the car just dies, coming down the road and it just stalls out. So I'm coasting down the road and try to roll start it and nothing, just locks up the rear tires. I figure an apex seal had deteriorated enough to dislodge and turn away from a rotor but I'm not positive. I did strip the motor down and try turning the main pulley with a breaker bar but couldn't budge it. I can jack the rear end up and put it in neutral and the wheels turn so. I'm leaning towards it being an apex seal but I don't know if I will ever know for sure because I have to turn this engine in for a core charge return.

Good deal just doing an engine replacement. I haven't heard of one locking up. Minus one person driving through some deep water.

A Lot of the time when seals go the car is still driveable. A replacement is pretty straightforward. I'd plan on swapping motor mounts and clutch/components while you're in there.

Go to Mazda and replace your under hood fuel line with a new one. There has been a few people loose cars due to fire after an engine swap

Pull the starter and check for clutch damage. I've seen a clutch plate disintegrate and completely wedged a flywheel to the point where the engine wouldn't turn at all. Not saying it's your problem, but it's worth a shot.

It is odd that the engine just locked up and died.

Is there any difference at all of what year reman engine you buy? Between 04 to 08 6 port MT of course but can I buy say an 07 engine and drop it right in with my accessories and it be plug and play? Or is there any use in that? Did anything change internally in the engine after 04 up to 08? Just trying to better my chances on getting an engine that will last as long as possible and I'm not sure if maybe they modified something in a newer engine that will be a direct replacement for my year.

Nothing internally is different form 04-08, it is a lucky dip which year engine you receive from a dealer, a decent rebuilder will replace any defective components with new parts or have them machined to factory specs, as in machining the irons and having them nitrided. IMO

Here's my knuckle busting progress for today
There's an exedy clutch in there so I guess one of the previous owners had it installed so I'm not sure if I really need to replace it or not. I'm going to take it off and have a look at the wear though.

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Don't think I have an option on replacing these or not lol

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Anybody out there new to these cars and ever have go through this same issue, I highly encourage you to look at RotaryResurrection's awesome incredibly helpful thread here: https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...w-pics-178937/

It definitely helped me out and saved me a few headaches.

Clutch looks stock. Exedy is stock. That is your passenger motor mount. It is a common high milage failure that causes some engine shake at idle.

Thats why i recommended changing them.


Edit: i prefer to pull off the uim and alternator before pulling the engine and put them back on after the engine is in the car.

So I made a boo boo...I seem to have broke the omp sensor. Anyone know a decent price on this? I didnt break the plug but I did break the end of the sensor off in the plug? This isnt a $300 part is it?

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no it's a 500-1500 dollar part. and causes limp mode.

The sensor is not sold by itself. I've been looking for over 2 years. You might get lucky and buy a used OMP from someone. hopefully before RR gets to them.

It's not the best for I was able to superglue mine togteher and get over 3000 miles out of it so far.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-maj...2/#post4633194

I this thread here: https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tec...sensor-233349/

They seem to think this will work but they never really say...
Throttle Position Sensor TPS Suzuki Chevy 91175256 New | eBay

Looks like the same thing, but for whatever reason its a tps sensor on that car and not a omp sensor

For 11 bucks it's worth a try. It looked like he says it doesn't work due to screw holes not lining up or being deep enough.

Did that to one of mine. I'll check to see if I have pictures from the fix. Might be able to just superglue the parts back together and have it work, but I used wire glue to make the connections. The metal fingers just ride on top of conductive plastic and the housing keeps it all in contact. Also it is an off the shelf TPS sensor as stated in the other thread, I just never got around to finding the exact match.

From the look of mine after taking a good look at it I believe it may be fixable with some glue/jb weld. Seems the three prongs inside dont really connect to anything, but they are rather tilted at an angle and just rest on the plastic housing with some type of circuit paths made on it like harlan said... Do you know what type of wire glue you used harlan? Maybe when they go bad they're not really bad but maybe one of the prongs made its way away from the housing...just a thought.

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I talked to the dealer today and got some prices.
Engine: +/- $3,300 +($1,000 core charge)
Gasket set: $150
Motor Mount: $179 each (couldnt find at any local parts store so I guess thats my only option other then maybe mazmart)
Clutch Kit: $350-$450
OMP: (if I cant fix my sensor) @dealership new $1,300. @ebay $200-$300 used but cant be sure of what I'm getting


I can probably get the gasket set cheaper somewhere and the clutch price was from a local parts store. I hope I can just glue my sensor back together and be on my way, I hate to have to spend that much money on something that wasn't broke to start with :( I guess I won't know for sure if my sensor will work until I get the new engine installed and try to start it for the first time, then if my sensors not working it should be showing "limp mode" symptoms right?

I think I got it off e-bay. It's Anders Products Wire Glue. It's just graphite in some sort of binder. It will probably work fine if you just jb weld it all together, but you have to hold the pieces together against the spring tension as it cures. Be carefuly not to foul the traces with JB weld, or short them with wire glue. Come to think of it, the only reason I used wire glue was because I messed mine up before I understood what it was made of... So....

Do not under any circumstance try to solider them. They are conductive plastic and not metal. I was able to salvage mine after botching it badly by drilling holes through each trace, running wire through the holes. I then used the wire glue to connect the wire to the conductive plastic, and soldiered the other end of the wires to the prongs on the plug. JB welded it all in place and it's never failed. Only two of the three prongs feed the ECU, the other one is useless, but I can't remember which is which.

How my dinning room is looking right now,

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I'm ordering the new engine and some parts sometime early this coming week. I got to find that huge 54mm socket to remove the flywheel and get a 300+lb torque wrench

Harbor freight or northern tool for the socket. I just used a 8lb sledge and a breaker bar.

So far I have found the socket at sears for $25 and there is a 300lb torque wrench at harbor freight but idk if it is good enough quality for 300lbs...I have a 150lb torque wrench from harbor freight that's pretty sturdy. Think I should put some lock tight on it after I get ready to reinstall it? Also is anyone putting any type of sealant or anything on the vacuum tubes to help keep the lines snug to everything there attached to? They seem sealed pretty tight when I was pulling them off the engine but I was thinking maybe they wouldn't seal quiet as well now on the new motor since there 95k miles old and are sort of stiff...

Found the socket, 2 1/8 seems to wiggle a little on the bolt but I think itll work. I got to fine a three quarters drive breaker bar or torque wrench though....

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Bought the engine, gasket set and drivers side motor mount. Was right at $4000.
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Engine should be ready for pickup on Thursday.

You need the right size 6 point socket. If you strip it, you will regret it. Did they not charge you a core charge?

That socket seems like it'll work but I'm going to look around harder today for the 6 point. Dealer isn't charging me a core charge as long as I bring my old engine with me when I pick up the new one so I got until Thursday to get this flywheel nut off or find someone who can. You think that they could remove it at the dealership but I don't know what they will charge.

do NOT use that, get a 6 point socket! you do NOT want to strip that nut. instead just get this


this thing is a beast, should last forever for anyone. heat the nut up with any propane torch for couple of minutes, then bang it with a strong impact, it should come right out.

For the engine, it comes with Gasket set, at Least mine came with a set. it was inside the crate it came with.

but ... instead of getting a gasket set, you should order an oring set, BECAUSE Mazda's reman engine have some really bad reputation of "you are doing it wrong", the most common issue is too much silicone, big the bigger issue is they flip all springs upside down. your engine will run but it will not last.

I did find the right socket and breaker bar that cost me about $100. But after going to pickup the new engine I just wasted my money and time finding and buying the socket because the new engine came with a new flywheel, main bottom pulley, and water pump.

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Picked up the new engine a few days ago.

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I've already got the engine back together with everything on it so I will probably drop it in today.