Winterize the 8
 

Ok, I'm sure there is a lot of scattered information about this topic and I have done some searches in this forum about winterizing the 8 but haven't found anything that great. So here's my question

I live in Massachusetts and am going to let my 8 rest for the winter months. I can't garage it, so my only choice is to leave it in a driveway with a car cover on it. When I go to start it up next spring I don't want to have seals blowing, or anything like that. This is my first winter with the girl, and I don't nearly have the in depth knowledge of rotary engines as most of you do.

So if anyone has any advice as to the type of oil I should use, gas/gas additives, or any other precautions I should take before the temps start to drop, it would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks, hope this ends up helping others out too

http://autorepair.about.com/library/.../aa122003a.htm
http://autorepair.about.com/library/.../aa122003c.htm

Thanks, those are great sites. I'm more concerned about the mechanics of the rotary engine, though.

With the engine sitting for such a long time, is there a special type of oil, like a certain synthetic, the regualr 5W-20 or what?

Also, should I add anything to the gas tanks to avoid issues in that department? Or can I just fill the tank and that's good enough?

As I said, I know the mechanics of the rotary engine are much different than that of a typical piston engine. The rotary has much less moving parts and different physics behind how it works, so I'm sure that you would want to winterize it in a different manner than your typical vechicle. I've also heard that if you don't take good care of it there can be big problems with seals blowing and other horror stories like that.

I'm sure most of you could write a book on these topics, I'm just asking for advice so my car doesn't die come spring time. Thanks again in advance for any advice.

Try a google on gas stabilizer. We do not have to put our 8's away for the winter in Texas :) but I have used gas stabilizer(sp?) in my lawn mower with good results. :cool:

Last winter I cleaned the car, inside and out, changed the engine oil and filter, put it up on jack stands, removed the battery and stored it in the house, and put the car cover on it while it sat in my driveway. When I went to remove the car from storage everything worked perfectly.

Charles

PaddyMurphy,
It is important to note that if you decide to use jack stands as Charles did, be sure to place them on the axles (wishbones in the case of the 8), NOT the frame. You want to keep the suspension properly aligned during winterization or for extended periods of time. If you support the car by the frame, the suspension can be damaged after being fully extended for the winter. Also, it's a good idea if you go with jack stands to manually turn the tires every few weeks so as to keep the grease in the wheel bearings from settling.

Thanks for the responses so far. If anyone else has input, the more the better.

Best thing you can do is start the car once in a while. Starting it and running it is going to keep everything Nice and Lubricated. Just turn it on every few days let it idle for 10-15 minutes and shut-er-off. Should be good. Also I'd reccommend giving your local dealership a call and see what they reccommend. I dont Know if you got any rx-7 specific mechanics out there but give em a call and see what they would reccommend too.

With only 10-15 minutes of run time I would be concerned about moisture build-up. I don't know about you guys, but as we get closer to winter in the Mid-west my 8 takes longer and longer to warm up. I even had to block off the oil coolers at one point last year to help the car warm up quicker. Also, thanks for pointing out to keep the suspension loaded. I forgot to mention that.

Charles