When you click on links to various merchants on this site and make a purchase, this can result in this site earning a commission. Affiliate programs and affiliations include, but are not limited to, the eBay Partner Network.
It's all over-sensationalized for the sake of views and youtube revenue IMHO. If this happened in any shop, where you open an oil pan and see bearing glimmer, you stop and call Mazda or whoever supplied the motor and ask for a warranty replacement (given that Mazda warranties these new shortblocks). Instead, they continue to tear it down and spew a lot of misinformation. Crate motors etc are supposed to go through QC, and somethings get passed them. It happens, not often, but it does. They sensationalize the rusty water - any rotary shop would know that Mazda runs these motors using water, but the rust is nothing but superficial. Oil being dirty? Yeah it was break in oil ... /rant over.
PS, I am glad that Mazda still supports our platform with new motors and sells them assembled for way less than the individual parts sold separately
Damn, I hope that was a fluke or someone outside of Mazda molested that engine before Angel's crew got their hands on it. Looks like it was run for at least for a short time with plain water (rusty plates) and with used motor oil that had all kinds of crap in it. Hard to believe an OEM like Mazda would be dumb enough to fill these motors with used oil & plain water for testing prior to delivery.
I'm amazed they kept taking it apart, as soon as I would have seen the metal flakes in the oil pan I'd be boxing it back up.
The side seal clearance doesn't concern me as much, there's a wide range of acceptable side seal clearances in the shop manual. Engine builders typically go tight and consistent with clearance for a better engine, but Mazda didn't do the same when they built the engines. Too much time in a production setting.
Mazda does run these, they used to just spin them to make sure it had oil pressure and such, but since they have had so many problems with the Rx8's they actually run the REW's too
Damn, I hope that was a fluke or someone outside of Mazda molested that engine before Angel's crew got their hands on it. Looks like it was run for at least for a short time with plain water (rusty plates) and with used motor oil that had all kinds of crap in it. Hard to believe an OEM like Mazda would be dumb enough to fill these motors with used oil & plain water for testing prior to delivery.
The engine belongs to another youtuber who filmed his trip going to IRP to pick it up still in the crate. Like someone else said they do run them after building.
I’m thankful MAZDA made the investment and is still making new engines, but....
Is there a way that the two or three major RX7 enthusiast sites (international) could collectively get the word to whoever is in-charge of the operation that we’re watching?
We've sold literally several hundreds of these motors over the past decade. About half of these we have taken apart for upgrades. This is the first I've heard of an issue but anything is possible when human error comes in to play. Perhaps the builder/builders at Mazda had a rough night before. The happens from time to time with just about any company. I've seen brand new crate motors from GM, Yamaha, Seadoo, Subaru, and others fail because of an assembly related issue. Looks like the thermopellet was bent which would could starve the motor of oil. The motor was replaced under warranty.
Is one person responsible for the entire engine’s assembly? If not, the wacky clearances AND bent thermopellet, AND gross stack end-play is a lot of employees error for one engine. Did one person have a rough night or did the whole assembly team tie one on?
And is the rust in the side plate coolant passages also from employee error or more assembly ‘practice’?
yeah, they pumped rusty water and baby poop into the block just so they could dump it back out on video.
Hopefully it is a fluke and the majority are assembled properly. But really? I just don’t see them disassembling the stack just to increase end-play either.
Is one person responsible for the entire engine’s assembly? If not, the wacky clearances AND bent thermopellet, AND gross stack end-play is a lot of employees error for one engine. Did one person have a rough night or did the whole assembly team tie one on?
And is the rust in the side plate coolant passages also from employee error or more assembly ‘practice’?
Not certain how many people assemble the engines at Mazda. However all the other 20 something engines in that batch I purchased had no issues.
All new Mazda motors are pre-run and unfortunately they use water instead of coolant. Some surface rust is common. We have yet to see it cause any issues. We suggest flushing the system after the initial startup and first run if you are concerned.
yeah, they pumped rusty water and baby poop into the block just so they could dump it back out on video.
so they have this 3 rotor 3 turbo FD, and all of the pics and video are obviously taken the only time it ran, yet they get posted like its a real running car. go look for yourself.
i'm really just saying that you might want to take the video with a grain of salt.
the rusty water is from Mazda they do run the engines (and it had enough oil pressure to pass at the factory)
Taking things with a grain of salt was a big part of my job for 3.5 decades. And i know nothing of the shop other than what I saw in the vid...which really didn’t impress. Anything’s possible, but I also saw nothing to make me doubt the contents.
Glad they give you a warranty! Now I know to check the oil pan for stripper glitter if I pick up one of these super fresh Doritos. I was surprised they don't have some kind of system that has coolant and just use the same stuff on every engine after passing it through a filter. I was really curious when I saw this if IRP/Mazda had a warranty for them. Good on you guys at least the issue can be made right.
I think I found the culprit though! Some poor dude had too many grape Chu-hi's Sunday night and had work the next morning at the Mazda Japan factory. Don't underestimate this fruity bastard it says strong for a reason! God I miss living in Japan.
Yeah, I pulled my oil pan as well and put on Bacons amazing aluminum one- no glitter in mine and clean looking oil.
My e-shaft end play was also on the high end of 1993 spec or just out of spec depending on how hard I pried. If I just pulled flywheel by hand it was just in '93 spec.
I decided to let it be since the engine part # was for 1999+ 280hp spec motor and I honestly dont know if the end play spec is same as 1993 255hp spec manual I have.
yeah, they pumped rusty water and baby poop into the block just so they could dump it back out on video.
