lowjack7

iTrader: (15)

hi just wanted to get everyone's opinion/input on how they care for their tii's and what mods, in order, is best for reliability and power. i would like to share what i learned so far in making a happy tii wankel. if i forget anything, your more than welcome to suggest/add or contradict but please give reasoning and don't flame me because i got all this info from this forum and i just wanted to have it all in one thread for anyone to have easy access to it.

Caring:
1. warm up the car to normal temps before revving or spirited driving
2. do not turn off car when cold. let warm to normal operating temps before shut off
3. redline occasionally when driving to prevent carbon build-up
4. check oil at every fill up. i use castrol GTX 20w50 year round. (normally burns 1 qt of oil every 1-2k miles depending on driving habits)
5. for better mileage shift at 3k rpm (i can get 19 mpg driving conservatively in my tii)
6. try not to let the gas tank empty out under 1/4
7 use highest available octane at the pump (i use chevron 91 octane only)
8. do not use synthetic engine oil
9. tranny oil use redline MT90 is best
10. diff oil use redline 75w90
11. stock air box is best but aftermarket is more effective if you can isolate the filter to prevent it from sucking in hot air.
12. after spirited driving its advised to let car idle about 3 minutes before shutting down to cool the turbo
13. s4 stock temp gauges stay up at 1/4 and s5 temp is 1/2 on gauge
14. oil pressure should be no lower than 20 on idle and no lower than 45 at 3krpm+
15. should have atleast 12 volts+ on stock volt gauge
16. a hot rotary = DEATH
17. premix is suggested for engine longevity
18. use SS piping when upgrading your exhaust (excessive heat will eat up crappy pipes/mufflers)

Reliability mods:
1. aftermarket boost gauge
2. aftermarket water temp gauge
3. upgraded aluminum radiator (better cooling)
4. silicone hoses (more industrial)
5. aftermarket ECU
6. vmount or front mount (better cooling)
7. Wideband A/F gauge

Peformance mods:
1. Air intake (more air, preferably cooler air duh)
2. Walbro 255 fuel pump
3. Bigger injectors
4. Port wastegate (helps minimize boost creep)
5. Downpipe (stock gets clogged and can hold more heat in motor) SS is best
6. cat-back (better breathing and power) use high quality SS piping
7. FCD
8. BOV (turbo saver)

thats pretty much my setup im going for so far. what is yours??!?

tuscanidream

iTrader: (6)

You can use synthetic engine oil, as long as it says that it is for specific use with a rotary such as Idemitsu Synthetic Rotary Engine Oil (mazdamatrix).

MaczPayne

iTrader: (5)

Not a bad list, but reliability isn't just limited to the powerplant

Consider the things that keep the car glued to the road and keep you safe:
-Tires
-Brakes
-Steering
-Suspension

lowjack7

iTrader: (15)

ya forgot to mention specially designed synthetic engine oils specifically for rotaries are good. and forgot to mention mods in keeping your 7 on the road is a reliable way to keep you and your car safe

slidin RX

iTrader: (2)

I always use 20w50 change oil at 2000 or less, for premix Idemitsu if you run out guilksilver synthetic is just as good, as far as the list i have the same list, oh if it still has the smog pump remove remove it...the bracket can break off and cut omp lines and anything else in the way while it falls it happend to me and it hapens alot, get a turbo timer, keep brakes up clutch and baby it as much as you can, and try not to go over 8000 rpms the motor isnt balanced for that high rev itll cause gashes in the housing problems rotor tip ware and when its rebuild time youll have alot of issues, if you wanna break caron use sea foam itll get rid of alot dont be scared of the smoke thats the carbon running away haha. if this is your first car GJ mine was a AE86 tho I miss it but the fc is beter.....and more reliable lol

finishline

iTrader: (13)

proper tire air pressure!

JCurry

iTrader: (6)

u dnt need a turbo timer...its useless on a water cooled turbo!

lowjack7

iTrader: (15)

well in mine all emission and rats nest removed. you dont need a turbo timer. save that money and just sit in the car for 3 minutes and listen to your radio. you can use that money for something else like gas money or lunch lol

lowjack7

iTrader: (15)

and yeah i hope everyone knows to change your oil every 2-2.5k miles.

Derekcat

iTrader: (8)

Uh.. Should be totally fine to change oil at 3k

Also, your #7.. Not so much actually. Look in your owners manual[or Fueleconomy.gov] and you'll be surprised to learn that Mazda specified 87 Octane gas for all Naturally Aspirated and Turbocharged FCs. [Of course, if you're doing more than stock power/pressure, then use what's appropriate...]

Spirit-RE

iTrader: (25)

Not really. Think oil and water temps.



any good synthetic oil is fine if you don't have an OMP.


I definitely would not do that.




My suggestions are watch boost creep,

and AFR's AFR's AFR's!!! A happy rotary is a rich rotary.

lowjack7

iTrader: (15)

if the n/a rx8's use premium gas standard, for sure turbo wankels will need highest quality gas also

FelixIsGod29X

iTrader: (50)

For a turbo rotary i was assume you would want to use 91 octane to prevent predentonation. It would really suck to pop a motor because someone wanted to be cheap and buy lower octane gas so they can get more gas in the tank.

For a n/a there is no point going above 87 IMHO.

I like the list you made, should be archived....

green 87

What about Lucas synthetic 20w 50

Pettersen

iTrader: (1)

I would add aftermarket oil temp to that list.

How good is the stock oil pressure gauge? should it be replaced with a good aftermarket one?

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Just to clarify, this doesn't mean to idle the car for 5 minutes in the driveway before moving it. Start it up, put the seatbelt on then drive. Just don't beat on it until it reaches operating temp.

Shouldn't you be checking the oil at every fillup no matter what car you are driving? Pop the hood, check belts, hoses, fluids, etc.

Why?

Factory TIIs run 87 octane. Higher is only needed for modded cars. Though in the interest of being safe I'd say to run 89 in any stock TII and run 91 in modded cars.

Myth.

Based on your laboratory tests? Any quality oil is fine, synthetics are best.

No point. This is only a requirement for crappy oil-only cooled turbos. TIIs have water cooled turbos from the factory and anyone upgrading should always use a water cooled turbo. The only time this cooldown is needed is in track use.


No, ridiculous overheating is death on a rotary. That means continuing to beat the engine when the temp gauge is pegged.

Prove it.

One thing to note about silicone hose is that when used as cooling hoses, they allow water to permeate at a much greater rate then rubber. So silicone radiator hoses aren't the best mod for a daily driven car.

Only if it is installed and tuned properly.

Only if the car is running higher boost or an upgraded turbo. Note that v-mount requires significant front end re-engineering.

Only if the person watching it knows how to use it. Most don't.

Myth.

lowjack7

iTrader: (15)

felixisgod: thanks, i think it should be archived too

pettersen: i used lucas on my n/a motor for 6 months and it seemed to work great. my oil pressure was a bit higher than before.

aaron cake: thanks for clarifying but i still think its a half decent list to get a new wankel owner started

nycgps

iTrader: (4)

1. You don't need to "warm it up" to normal temp before going extreme. Cuz thats just a waste of gas. Just need some good quality oil with correct rating to match your local climate. be easy for the first 10 minutes or so, then just ride on it.
2. a Fully functional car should not flood that easily, I shut my car cold all the time never once flooded, even tho I know my oil control rings are going.
3. You don't have to do it everyday, once a week of hard driving is more than enough, we our engine have P-port setup is not as easy to get carbon up.
4. Check your oil every 5 fills ups, thats what I do, unless you go crazy everyday. thats different story. 20w50 is for hotter climate that never drops below 40f, especially true if you use Mineral oil like GTX.
5. This is true for all cars. keep the rpm low saves u fuel.
6. it helps to make your fuel pump last longer. because Fuel itself will cool the fuel pump off.
7. Wrong, VERY wrong, if your car ask for 91, use 91, if it ask for 87, use 87. using something higher than recommended its just a total waste of money.
8. thats another bullshit, Synthetic oil is not the cause of the o-ring melt down or the carbon problem. O-ring melt down in the old days because Mazda used cheap ****, Carbon problem because people baby their car all the time not to mention MOST carbon came from the gas you pump into your tank, NOT engine oil.
9. MT90 (75w90) works for most people. you can actually use GL-5 Gear oil in your tranny, some ppl is afraid of the stuff in GL-5 so they use stuff like 75w90ns. works the same.
10. Any GL-5 gear oil with correct weight will do.
11. no point to mod this if you're looking at stock power level or keep it at stock.
12. it doesn't hurt. but not totally required.
13. Don't depend on those gauges, too f-ing slow and the dead band zone is just stupid, get real gauges.
14. get real gauges, You should also mod the oil pressure to something higher.
15. Should make sure your battery and alternator fully working.
16. Same thing for any ICE.
17. Because OMP can and will fail one day, but even with a working OMP , a little extra lube doesn't hurt, right ?
18. SS would last longer than mild steel also lighter, but there are other factors to consider, like quality of the welds, etc.

1. Sure
2. sure
3. Make sure you shroud it properly.
4. Stock hose are fine as long as they are new.
5. Depends on what you wanna do.
6. FC has a lot of open space for air to come in. So unless you're doing racing. no point
7. Sure, but only if u need to.

1. stock is ok for most.
2. only if u need to go more than 250 ?
3. only if u needed
4. For S4 yes, S5 not so much. but for serious power I am not sure if u want that.
5. same thing for all ICE
6. Of course
7. U need it if u go over stock boost
8. depends on how far you're going.

Derekcat

iTrader: (8)

To make sure you're not misunderstanding: They're exactly the same gas other than Octane rating and the quantity of cleaning additives.

Also, thanks Aaroncake ^_^

From what I know you shouldn't beat on any car until it's up to temperature..
All of the metal being cold and the oil being more viscous.. Not a good sounding combination to me.
Also, since our engines have aluminum housings and steel end plates they will expand differently. So I'd rather not stress anything until they're up to temp.

nycgps

iTrader: (4)

Water & oil temp are different.

even when your water reads "normal" on your gauge, your oil's temp is far below that.

Im not asking you to Beat the **** out of it right after, but you don't have to be like "ohhhh my engine gonna blow" and drive like a *****. Just go up slowly and u will be fine.

your oil of choice is important too, get something more decent not some store brand crap thats all.

And make sure your OMP is working (if you don't premix like I do)

ecko

iTrader: (57)

I see a lot are using 20w50 oil all year round but for some of us who get hit with real cold temps isn't it best to use a less thick oil? I use at least 10w40 during the winter time

lowjack7

iTrader: (15)

use a lighter weight oil for colder environments

lowjack7

iTrader: (15)

thanks nycgps. you and aaroncake were very informative

nycgps

iTrader: (4)

if your winter months will never go below around 40 for mineral & 25 for Synthetic, then 20w50 is fine.


personally I use either 15w50 Mobil1, 20w50 Royal Purple or Redline.

but sometimes if I see Mobil1 goes on sale I will go grab some 0w40. Its "true" Synthetic and gives you all year around protection

FelixIsGod29X

iTrader: (50)

"6. try not to let the gas tank empty out under 1/4 "

Aaron cake asked, why?

To ME, its because the fuel pump stays cool by the fuel surrounding it. S0 running empty a lot could burn out the pump. Im not saying this is fact or that it will burn up the pump by hey, you never know. Also running low fuel could suck up crap into the filter if your **** isnt clean. Regardless i hate when i have low fuel, I ALWAYS stay about 1/4.

Aaron, i know you know your ****. I just wanted to put my foot in the door.