Think your plugs are clean? Think Again!
 

Hey guys I'll start with a little background info.
I bought the car at 43k and did plugs/wires/coils shortly after. Car ran amazing, chirping tires into 3rd gear with 4 people(ass hat sat on the rear center console) in the car, 18mpg city, 22-24mpg highway, 15-16mpg driving like I stole it.

I'm at 63k now. I've been getting 13-15mpg, but blamed it on increased idling time(letting my car warm up in the morning), colder temps(more dense air requires more fuel), and the "winter-blend" fuel.
It's averaging 50 or so degrees now and I've had enough of the poopy gas mileage.
My co-worker has had 7+ RX-7s, some of which he has completely brought back to life using this method:
Remove plugs
Squirt ATF(automatic transmission fluid) into each rotor housing.
Spin to next rotor face
Squirt more ATF
Repeat procedure per rotor face, per rotor, then repeat the steps but reverse the direction of spinning the main "crank" pulley.
Let soak for several hours, or even overnight depending on suspected carbon amount.
Rotate the engine probably every hour or two.
You don't want the engine to inject fuel, I removed the fuel pump fuse. Do this however you want.
Crank the engine several times using the starter and a GOOD battery/updated starter - you want most of the ATF to get out so you prevent the possibility of a hydrolock condition.
Install your old plugs.
Start it up and prepare for TONS of smoke(More then seafoam, more then GM top engine cleaner. This WILL get the cops/fire dept. called if you have jerk neighbors!!!)
I let the car idle up to 1/2 operating temperature.
Drive the car...a nice good beat run to remove all carbon and ATF left behind.
Keep the RPMS up!!, if you stall out - its not fun getting it restarted..:cussing:

After your "test drive" Install new plugs and enjoy your new found power.



Why ATF? ATF is an excellent lubricant, detergent, and burns easily...very easily. More research will yield that a lot of rotary owners put ATF in their rotor housings during long periods of storage to keep things nice a lubricated,clean, and break down any carbon deposits that are lingering around. And it's dirt cheap...with the same effects of seafoam, GM top engine clean, Mazda engine cleaner, BK44. Downside...probably not the best for the catalytic converter, TONS of smoke.



So why did I do this?
Random rotor 2 misfire (plugs on the left!!)
Bad MPG
2nd to 3rd gear WOT "bog" in power
Loss of power during humid days
And what my plugs looked like when I pulled them out....yep 20k only...wow! Pictures don't do justice.
Attachment 245683

I cleaned my old plugs by soaking them in PB blaster for a couple hours, then gently removed all carbon with a dental pick.
After I installed them i shook it a little...look at the carbon deposits that fell off in the tiny bit of fluid that "jumped" into the center ring of the cap!
Attachment 245684

Bring on the flaming. Since that seems to be the "in" thing these days.

Not going to flame you, but this as most things about this car have been covered before.

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tech-garage-22/another-how-fix-compressions-any-rotary-engine-atf-170689/

https://www.rx8club.com/series-i-tech-garage-22/atf-revives-rotary-engine-189281/

Agreed, I know.

Just felt like sharing cause my plugs look like butt. Everyone at work was surprised how carbon'd up they were from 20k miles. And that my plugs cost $100 from Napa with our discount. :(
I should've waited and ordered them from rockauto for $71 shipped!!

I'm wondering if you can suck ATF in through the vacuum ports on the lower IM?

You probably could. But I wouldn't want that stuff lingering in the intake for long.
I used a quart of ATF and it burned out after 30 min of driving/ free revving. This was driving like you stole it style though.

The idea here is to soak the ATF into the apex seals,side seals,etc. and get everything loose.
The longer you soak the better. Just turn it a couple times like I mentioned.


I used this to shoot the fluid in. Too FYI. Can be found at harbor freight for cheap! ~$5
http://www.diytools.co.uk/diy/Images...544_192517.jpg

Found it!
http://www.harborfreight.com/battery-filler-96571.html

ATF is just a very stable anti-oxidant rich hydraulic oil, and has very little detergent of any kind, (compared to average motor oil) doesn't clean or remove carbon (when compared to Seafoam, Techron or similar) and is less flammable than similar weight oils.

Not saying your technique doesn't work, just pointing out that most of ATFs' cleaning/decarbonizing properties are just a myth, based on the ongoing internet propagation of someboy's Grandpappy's claims, and based on zero technical testing.

Drop those carboned plugs in ATF 'overnight' and see if any falls off - if it doesn't, how could you expect it to be removed from any other engine parts?

If you use (any) other products specifically targetted towards your goals, you would likely experience better results.

Agreed. Never did in depth research to disprove it doesn't work. Point is I guess is: it's cheaper then most methods.

I have seafoam and GM top engine cleaner. Just chose this route first. Next time my plugs are poopy I'll try the GM stuff and take before and after pictures.

Stealth. Would you recommend new plugs anyway AFTER seafoam,GM, Mazda, BK44 cleaner?

You shouldn't need new plugs because of running a cleaner, but some people change them at 15k regardless of running a cleaner. What you should do is change the oil after a heavy cleaning. In the same way fuel gets in your oil, the cleaner is getting in there even moreso.

*raise my hand*

Why bother, I just replace them every 20k. You can get the plugs just about anywhere for $80.00. The Idea of large chunks of carbon bouncing around in the housing never appealed to me so proper driving habits, quality gas (hard to control), and a SOHN adapter injecting premix instead of dirty engine oil are required IMO to keep things clean and then seafoam etc. are not needed. I did a Mazda zoom cleaner last month just because it was sitting here and I got hardly any smoke so it seems pretty pointless to me.

or less ... :):rolleyes:

..A LOT LESS! :)

I just purchased my set of 4 NGKs for $44 + shipping

to the OP, nothing wrong with doing some wrenching on the engine. Anything to keep the car running smoothly. I do agree with stealth, there's lots of things 7 guys do just because "that's what so and so does, and his car is fine".

I'm a big believer in seafoam only because i've read up on what it does and researched what it "should" do.

Don't get me wrong, there's nothing bad about trying something outside the box. I just think you're concluding "lots of smoke" = burnt carbon when in all actuality it was probably all the ATF burning off.

Are those the 8s NGK laser iridiums?
Link please!
Cheapest I found was $70 or so.
IMO I guess plugs every year to two years isn't out of the question. I ride a lot in the summer, so the RX8 gets the back-burner anyway.

I just ordered another set for future use. After that I'm thinking of trying the FD plugs and seeing how she runs. It'd be interesting to do dyno runs between the two plugs too.
I'm going to be dyno-ing my rx8 on the 14th so I'm keeping my fingers crossed for at LEAST 170RWHP...I hope.


Granted a lot of smoke was the ATF, my co-worker was there and he commented that it was the most smoke he's ever seen. I filled our 24 bay shop that has a 35 foot ceiling completely with smoke - immediately pulling outside.:D:

Stealth. I looked up ATF on wikipedia. In auto trans class, we worked a lot with ATF. After a 4-6 hour class, any grease trapped in your skin/finger nails would be removed from the ATF without scrubbing.:dunno:

^ right now doesn't show the $11 deal anymore where I purchased them, but rockauto has them for $16 http://www.rockauto.com/catalog/rafr...R100-6701-3149

Search around, there's always some deal somewhere.

Thanks. That's where I got em from!

oil by it's very nature will have some cleaning ability. Water also doesnt have any detergets but it to will also do a spot clean.
I like ATF, I think the other stuff is overrated for engine cleaning. They do ok with fuel injector cleaning while the injectors are in the car.
Good point about the cat. I dont think the cat will like ATF.

Every once in a while, someone puts up a Advanced Auto discount code for $'s off. That's the time to get the plugs.

That's where I get mine unless I have a $20.00 credit built up at Autozone. But Advance usually has them in stock, other places usually have to order them but it only takes a day. The first time I ever bought them years ago was at Advance for $80.00 and they had them for me the next morning.

I know grungepup got them at Carquest real cheap too, but that place is never freakin' open when I am not working.