linewar Posted January 13, 2014 Share Posted January 13, 2014 Does anyone have any firsthand knowledge of Mazda rotary engines? Maybe you owned one, worked on one, had a buddy who had one, etc. My family had a 70's station wagon when I was a kid, I think it was an RX-4. Used to spit tremendous clouds of blue smoke when you started it due to apex seal failure - so maybe I'm just being a bit nostalgic. . . . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silverton Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 I've always liked the FC Chassis. The rebuild interval and low and flat torque line keeps me from having one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Rotary Posted January 14, 2014 Share Posted January 14, 2014 i Own, Build, Port, and Race Rotary. What is Thy Question. lol Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
linewar Posted January 14, 2014 Author Share Posted January 14, 2014 (edited) i Own, Build, Port, and Race Rotary. What is Thy Question. lol Wow, that's pretty open-ended. How bout this. . . .I'm thinking about a toy. This wouldn't be a daily driver, but would be used for fun and the occasional highway trip. It would need to be dependable for that reason. Would you suggest an RX-8, or a late-iteration RX-7? What are some trouble spots with each? If I were to go RX-7, should I avoid the turbo, or target a turbo? Also, do you have a forum recommendation where I could learn and maybe look to make a purchase? Oh, I almost forgot. With me, a stick-shift is a given, so if there are issues specific to the automatics, thou needest not trouble thyself, lol. Edited January 14, 2014 by linewar Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
89Rotary Posted January 15, 2014 Share Posted January 15, 2014 Rx8's are decent cars but the motor is extremely limited sure to being side ported (specific details if u want) they run well, but must be maintained as a performance vehicle. Rx7's I'm gonna break these up into turbo and non turbo. Turbo: problems usually developed when people tried gaining more power, with increasing fuel. Rotaries are not fuel efficient (I average 13mpg with my ported non turbo) most get around 18mpg. What happens is the lack of fuel causes detonation, and that breaks Apex seals. Which causes low compression and smoking. Turbos by nature are usually driven harder. Which means then show more issues sooner. Non Turbo: these are fun to drive, but the lack of low end power means a new driving style, hanging out at 7 - 8k rpms becomes normal to have a fun spirited driving session. Problems are more vacuum related for the 6port system they utilize (specifics if u want k More details) When buying a rotary, I highly recommend along for maintenance records, if they claim "fresh rebuild" ask for receipts. If they bought a rebuild kit and did it themselves, you have to wonder how well it was done. I'd it was built by a known builder (mazdatrix, atkins rotary, racing beat) then you can feel at peace. Bring a compression tester. Do not trust that it starts up as a test. My rx7 I currently own, I bought with a blow engine (knowingly) but it started up every day, and drove me around for over a year before I rebuilt it. I can provide details for proper compression testing of rotary engines. All In all, the rotary engine is a performance engine, provide proper maintenance and they still last a long time. Treat them right, and drive then how Mazda designed then for. Sent from my SGH-M919 using Tapatalk 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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