1. Understand how the engine and rotary works 2. Use stock pump to put oil into the pump or premix it (premix if the stock pump doesn't work) 3. Let the car warm up before driving (let the choke pull itself in) 4. Don't let it get too hot (if the temperature gauge goes up too much, let off) 5. Add a higher flow cooling system 5. In the winter, don't crank it too much with the gas on 6. When you turn it on during winter let it run for awhile 7. Don't hold it over the redline 8. Take it easy on rain and snow 9. Go to an open parking lot and feel how the back end kicks out to put it back in line
I just got a 1989 Mazda RX7 GTU about a week ago, and I love that goddamn thing to death. It has gotten me out of my lowest and saddest point of my life I was in the last couple of months. :)
My GF had an rx-7 and she filled it with nothing but amsoil dominator synthetic 2 stroke oil and had the stock oil injector. Thats some good oil for the 2 stroke rotaries. She turned up the OMP some more to achiev total loss burnoff lubrication.
another good tip is to just read read read! learn all about the engine and understand how it works. compression checks are good too. also if you have to shut the car down before it's warmed up, in order not to flood it, rev it up and hold the rpms for a second and turn the key off while revved. this will get rid of the excess fuel at cold idle and keeps the plugs from fouling. Zach. you need to start getting paid by Idemitsu. I swear you always have that quart of oil with you.
Reach no, I've had it going on 2 years on the original engine. The person I got it from is my best friend and he is friends with the original owner. The engine has never been replaced
I've been researching rotary engines because I'm buying an RX 8, and this is so far one of the ONLY well done videos that really explains what I need to know. Thank you man!
@@QuincyStick Nope, got a automatic Hyundai Veloster lol. Still love the RX 8, but I don't have the funds, time, or handy skills to own one haha! But hey, maybe one day :)
only bought an rx7 to drift it, premixed on the rotary for several seasons, everything ran fine when i pulled it for a v8, no regrets either. rotary engine is very reliable as long as your pre-mix everytime you fill up...it'll never give you low end torque though.
1InfinityShade - 12A's, if they're taken care of, can go forever. Make sure you check the compression if you can. Mine has her all original 12A at 158K miles and she's still going strong.
A 2 rotor should preform like a 6 cylinder, but incredibly small and high revving. Fuel economy more like a lower end muscle car, and with comparable power.
+Some Weeb. The Renesis only made about 180whp. Thats 20whp less than a F20C. Wheel torque would be around 130ftlbs or less. Thats mid to high level 4cyl performance and you'd have to drive it like a grandma just to see 20mpg. Most had side seal failures before 100k mi and very few make it to 200k mi. There's a reason why rotaries died. They suck at almost everything they do. Trust me, Ive owned a few
+Some Weeb there were lawsuits for the defective side seals on the early rx-8's (2004-2008). topclassactions.com/lawsuit-settlements/lawsuit-news/24261-mazda-hit-rx-8-engine-defect-class-action-lawsuit/ This was just one of several lawsuits on the rx-8. I know there was another one for HP claims. Before the car was released I remember Mazda ads claiming 280hp, then it was released at 247hp, which then dropped to 238hp and then they got sued and had to drop it to 212hp or something like that. Mazda was offering free scheduled maintenance to those who kept the car or had to buy the car back from disgruntled customers, Ive also heard they were offering up to $7k in cash returns for those who kept them but I can't confirm that: ezinearticles.com/?Mazda-RX8-Horsepower-Controversy&id=47018
Nice review! My first two cars were 1st gen RX-7s, a 12A and 13B. I loved the choke on the 12A, but eventually (and after years of hard driving) it would easily vapor lock. The poor car was abused by then and I sold it for parts for $400. I replaced it a 13A GSL-SE, which was like driving a luxury sports car. What a beautiful, fun car! I ended up selling it with 174k miles on it. To this day it’s sitting in a garage waiting to be restored, and it still starts I'm told.
so just to summarize, premix is key, let it warm up and try not to over redline it...make sure to redline it often & if it doesn't want to crank then just leave it for a while before trying again as to not flood it? anything else. Great video, thanks please do more tips for new rotary owners!!
What's up Lexington! I'm planning to drop an offer on an RX-8 tomorrow. I was an Rx-7 owner for 7 years, (and Lexingtonian since birth). Thanks for the refreshing video realness!
Looking at picking up an SA or FB. My biggest concern is oiling lol. It's mainly going to be an autocross toy so I might just premix. 225/45 RE71Rs on 15x7 wheels with BC coils should be a ton of fun.
if you just bought an RX-7 or anything with a rotary engine if you haven't already found the local mechanic that specializes in rotary engines do so take it there first find out what's what RX7 community is fairly small and most places there is not usually too many mechanics so it's very easy to find out who did the previous work if you know where to look. that way if you don't do the work you can find the qualified guy you can learn lots from them you ever have any problems you know who to ask plus they'll know where to get parts cuz if you go to a place that doesn't usually stock RX-7 parts it becomes a special-order item they had to bring in so it's going to cost you double and if you go to a local Mazda dealership it's also going to be very expensive
Love your videos homie. I've got a '79 my dad picked up the year I was born (we e-mailed!) and I love your enthusiasm for the flaming Doritos! Pretty sure my baby needs a rebuild after ~40 years and ~130k on the clock. It's in storage meow so out of sight out of mind. But I miss 'er!
Do yourself a favour don't buy an RX-8 or any rotary vehicle unless you have deep pockets. RX-8 their junk and you usually have to replace the motor straightaway motor and transmission easily going to be 12 ,000 and that's for a basic stock replacement like it would be from the dealership. That's not aftermarket anything in the way of performance do your research to make sure there a local garage in your area works on rotary engines otherwise you going to pay a premium for mechanic
I recently picked up a 82 FB. Been doing a bit of work on it and I need to replace the oil cooler, but I'm really hyped about it. I've been learning a lot over the last couple of months about rotaries and just cars in general but I have a ways to go.
That moment when you have NO INTEREST AT ALL in buying a car with a rotary, but you stop by a video just to see what its like. I like to explore different areas of the automotive world. Like motorcycles, trucks, go karts (lol), sports cars, drag/rally/autocross. Just about everything lol. I don't really like looking at super cars because they seem to be lame and have no character in my eyes. Maybe someday if I'm somewhat making a good living I'll get me a rotary car.
Currently got my eyes on a '79 RX7. Supposedly 74k miles, not sure what specific engine it has but pretty sure it's a 12A, with idling issues. Looks to be quite the project, but fun as well.
Man! I love your videos, I don't see your videos on other cars, just videos based on rx7 and Rotary engines, as I am a very big rotary fan! The way u explain things about the rotary engine in such an easy manner and provide so much knowledge, no one else does it like this man! Amazing content! Keep making rotary videos, Hail rotary!.......
I'm pretty close to buying an 86 FC Cabrio. Haven't talked with the guy much past meeting him so I have not seen the condition of the upholstery, soft top, etc. But if I can get it for less than the $5k he's asking, I'd be more than happy to rebuild the engine, have the car resprayed, etc just to have my little NA rotary convertible.
Still loving my 2007 Mazda RX-8. How long will it last? I have no idea but I have loved driving it for years and had the same amount of issues as my old Corolla so it's not too bad
Just got an Rx8. 40th edition...at 50K miles. The machine is a beast but it does eat gas like kandy. But its a bad ass kar. Knt say no to that. Nice Vid.
doktorbimmer if you treat it like a piston engine it will die on you. If you treat it like an actual rotary it will run as long if not longer than most piston engines. You dont see 2 stroke engine owners treating the engines like 4 strokes. Also quit typing in only bold headass
doktorbimmer over the subject of the FC and rotarys in general, they're just a different approach to the normal four stroke engine with suck, squeeze, bang, blow. The rotary has four power cycles which are technically the same as strokes, but in terminology its important, otherwise confusing. If you would just put some effort in a research, you will quickly understand how the rotary works and at the same time why we can't directly compare these to piston engines due to the major difference in design, and due to that design why it's so moneydraining to maintain if not taken care of, as performance engine it really can't beat piston engines today though, but a racer used to win a world Championship in LeMans with a mazda rotary engine. Nowadays having a rotary engine would be a fun challenge or great idea for a project car. To be able to drive the already getting rare mazda rotory in an rx-7 is a unique experience unlike the more reliable and conventional piston engine. I'm 16 and live in europe, so I've never actually owned a car, let alone a rotary, but I'm saving up for getting an rx-7 fd3s due to the challernge, fun and unique experience, as well as the pride I would bear driving a rx-7 with a rotary. Also the driving experience is different too, as explained in this video, you can't use like your normal engine.
i got my eyes on a 12a FB i really want to get my hands on a rotary/platform before they all are priced out of reach. I remember seeing this with the 911/s over the last 15 years, as well as the 240z.
Number one tip on driving a rotary engine. Make sure its fully warmed and thermostat is open before revving it much over 2000 rpm. I have seen these engines last 400K miles.
I love rotaries but stepped up to an LS, which if you do some further research uses as much fuel as a Rotary, that a German man designed and put in a Mercedes C111 concept car.
I have a fuel cut off switch on my 88fc. Flip it off to run the line out of pressure, flip back on when cranking and fires up every single time. Been running that set up for 2 years, also is a anti theft switch too.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 every comment there you are, dude stop obsessing over me. Not into guys. You are the only troll that hits every single rotory video. If you hate them so much why do you spend your life commenting useless opinions? You have as much credibility as Kim Jong-un. Nobody care what you think anymore. Move on. Get a life. You've been called out as a troll and everyone sees it now.
even with the issues, i would buy one in a heartbeat considering how easy it is to work on. What kills it for me is the crappy fuel consumption, if i could get 30hwy/25ish city i would give in and buy one even with all the extra care needed, but my Tundra gets better MPG than the RX8... :/
Heh funnily i wont be buying my first rotary but returning to life one of my relatives old ones! Went out to see family and spotted in the back of the abandoned old home of one of my relative a Mazda rx2. So i wanna go bring it back, as its pretty good nick, and nearly unused, beign a 72 model and driven two years before something happened and now its, back there.
@@sandervanderkammen9230 why not? not like those things come around often. and its in frankly good state after going to see it. Untouched, all the chrome and glass is there after 45 years is pretty good. As well as being clean inside the engine.
Really appreciate the informative video. I have a 12a and have put a-lot of time and money. Still learning. I dont think I am currently getting any fire. I cranked it on a cold day like you were saying and letting it run and then I get a little gas and I stopped. I think I had fouled the plugs, so I cleaned them up and put a new set in as well. Still not able to catch. Any insight on what I should do at this point? Also, I checked another video and it referred to checking the voltage on the coil right now. I don’t think I’m getting proper voltage to the coils. Thanks for your time and energy. I will research some of your other videos or if you have one to refer me to please. Good day. John
Thanks for this video! My dad owns a 1985 GSL-SE and I'm getting an '83 very soon, I'm sure these tips will come in very handy. One quick question, do you think it's a good idea to put a 13B in an '83? If it's not a terrible idea I would like to do that eventually.
I know this is a old video but I need help I have a Rx-8 and my engine went out I’m new to rotary’s it’s the 13b 2 rotor engine and I think It was my apex seals I found someone to rebuild it but I need to know how to keep it running afterwards
Mazda for life... fast and fun. I have a 79 glc station wagon 12A and I have never have problem with the engine and I have a nissan datsun 1200 with the 13B turbo alcohol 1180hp and it bust ass and believe me 6.90 on a 13B its fast... V8 drivers get scared every time a rotary car gets to the line 😈😈😈
I wish there were more rotary cars around. I really want a rotary but I'm not really interested in an RX8 and RX7s are either ragged to death or made of solid gold. I wish they'd made rotary Miatas or something like an MR2 competitor.
rule #1 take the car to a mazda dealer and have it compression checked. 80+ is a fresh rebuild, 70+ is good condition, 60+ may need rebuilt soon (10-20k miles) 59 or less rebuild asap to prevent serious damage.
Austin Rogers if you got 115 you must have done overall compression for the rotor. to get a proper reading the dial should be pulsing and give you 3 readings for each side of the rotor. which is the most accurate way to see if a rotary is healthy.
8.6bar or 860kPa is the standard for when the car leaves the factory. 6.8bar or 680kPa is the minimum for a good running engine. That being said, if the starter is 2kW (N3H1-A or N3Z1) it will still start the car even at below 4bar or 400kPa. The car will die when the engine warms up though.
hey dude nice video i have a RX8 secend engine .i buy it so not i destroy lol . The last owner was a woman. I start the engine he is cold and then he has 1500-1800rpm wait a minute, than i roll on and drive slowly never more than 3500rpm Then after approximately 6-8 km I give full throttle. When I stop I turn briefly to 3500rpm and pull the ignition off.and i look all 2 days water and oil.only mazda delixia ultra 5w30.and i never drive short times.its taht okay for the rotory?greeting from switzerland.
I'm about to get a 85 rx7 with a 12a n/a 5speed from my grandfather and I'm pretty excited but there's a few problems with it that I can't figure out. 1st problem is it runs better with the choke on but when the choke is off it runs worse. when fully warmed up and the choke is off I slightly rev the engine and it stumbles but then revs fine. 2nd problem is when I'm driving it has no power/get up when I'm giving it normal throttle any thing below 3/4 throttle and cruising around below 4000 rpm but when I floor it 3/4 throttle or to the floor and the rpms are higher than 4000 rpm it has all the power in the world. Iv never worked on a rotary so I have no ida what it could be. I have checked for vac leaks replaced cap rotor plugs wires and fuel filter also ran carb treatment that you add to gas and nothing seamed to help. I'm hopping you can give me some suggestions I can try and solve my problem thanks in advance.
quick tip dont use synthetic oils at the time of the rx7 synthetic oils were still several years off the design of the rotary at a time when synthetic oils were not available equals the rotary not being compatible with synthetic oils main reason oil jets and the apex seals apparently don't like it.. but rotarys are fun and can be an amazing experience if you know how it works and treat it accordingly my first sports car was a 1988 convertible with the BBS RIM package and on the move adaptive suspension tunning which allowed you to adjust the suspension firmness on the fly a thing unheard of in the 80s they were so advance fot the time damn sure my 88 convertible had a pioneer Cd player from the factory a Cd player in the 80s wow very advanced cars for the time shift light and buzzer when to shit damn a miss my rx7
I see people saying plugs and oil filters should be changed every 3K miles. Is this right? How far will this go if you just stay on point with the oil changes?
Hey im about to get one, but im currently with my grandparents in college and there neighborhood is like a retirement place. I really am not even supposed to be here over a month lol. The Rx-7 I found is straight piped without a cat... I heard its unhealthy to low rev it. Does that mean I have to piss everyone off with my high revving strolls in and out the hood? Lol serious replies please.
No, you should shift right at 3k or a little past 3k. (at least until you're out of the neighborhood) I did that all the way to a muffler shop, it was fine. I'd probably get a better exhaust tho.
Okay cool thanks man. Lol what do you think about this? 1982 Rx-7 167k miles $1600. In the description he says he always waited 5-15 min to heat up before dirving, oil changed every 3k miles with non synthetic 10w3. Said it shifts smoothly and drives great. If this is really worth it, i'm going to work my ass off for a minute to get this before its gone.
this helped a lot bro thank you!! also i just bought my first rotary few weeks ago it's a rx8. i was wondering if they are hard to start on a cold start during the winter. i have a long crank already. it's about 2-3 seconds and it turns over. it's like that everytime and i read up and people said only worry about your engine if it is turning over at different times. anything i should worry about?
Oh sweet you’re from Kentucky too. So am I. I have a problem I’m looking into buying a 1991 Mazda rx7 for $800 before I leave for the Marine Corp ,but what should I look for before buying ?
getting a rotary to even start is a miracle....would like to see one of these so-called experts show how to set one up to start without flooding, bathing it in oil, or setting up the timing .... funny no one shows a video how to do that.....all you see is videos of a cross section of a rotary .... and how to port it.... how about just to get one running ?.... me thinks no owners actually know how to do that....
I have a question about my rx8, I bought it Nov. of 2016, my first rotary and dream car and don’t wanna lose it, but my car hasn’t been able to start since last week. Before that it has had some issues turning over. It does crank, just something isn’t igniting. I’ve had a few people check it out and the fuel pump is working. I haven’t had a chance to change out the spark plugs lately and I’m thinking that’s what the issue is. Every time I plug in an OBD reader it’s only giving me a code for a low voltage O2 sensor bank 1 sensor 2. You wouldn’t mind giving me tips on how I could or should fix it would you? If you want I can post a video on my page tomorrow or whenever you reply showing my issue. Btw, I’m trying to avoid the mechanic due to the lack of money, but I’m thinking about getting her towed to one soon.
Zack I really appreciate your comments and wanted to ask you this: I just me a 1985 RX/5 spd. without the engine and a friend of mine made me got a 2004 RX8-6 spd. My plan is to rebuild the RX7 (85) that's my dream little sport car (group B looking car) and will be good to transfer the 04 engine to the 85 body? will the transmission be good idea as well? I have a friend who have offered me a rx7 racing transmission. What about a Weber in the 04 engine? i love that sound and I don't have to get complicated with the electronics, as much right? need y our inputs, please
Just want to know how or what ways can u flood your engine on my RX8 ? One morning I had to start the car and move it out of the driveway switch it off straight away the next day I try to start it and it would only crank, it wouldn't kick over, any information about this topic will be greatly appreciated Cheers.
