Hi All!
Just a quick post to update this thread. As described above, I was at 58K when the factory motor completely perished in my MT 04. MNAO would not help me out with this repair (even though I had reported power loss issues prior to the expiration of the initial factory warranty at 50K) but Werner Mazda in Manchester, NH did everything they could to assist me including eating their labor charges on installing the reman motor I had to purchase out-of-pocket. In the end I spent $1591 on the repair plus many days without my 8.

Per the extended warranty program that Mazda released a few months back, I made application to have my expenditures on this repair refunded.

I am happy to report that a check for $1591 showed up in my mailbox yesterday :lol:

Good I felt you were going to get that refund. Did you have car rental expenes too? Besides the engine did you have anything else replaced. How is the new one?

No rental expenses, Werner Mazda helped me out with that too! I had the clutch assembly replaced while the engine was out, it was worn and a couple of springs had gone in the plate.

The new one is doing OK although I'm starting to see max achievable velocity drop a little of late. I've got 13K on the reman motor as of now.

Did you buy wider tires?