RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

it's only relevant if that dealer did actual rebuilds on rotary engines outside of mazda's recommendations. mazda doesn't even offer a technical class based on rebuilding the engines. they do sell parts for the engines induvidually but in almost all cases the dealer will install a remanufactured crate engine, giving the techs only peripheral engine experience.

something of actual quantification helps, like an actual number of engines having been rebuilt.

Wantanotherseven

iTrader: (1)

I agree with you here totally. I asked him when the last time he worked on/rebuilt a Rotary engine and he told me last week.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

then you may be ok but you may want to get a more general answer, sometimes you run into the occasional hobbyist who enjoys doing the jobs for half the price. it's still a bit more than they would normally be paid at a day job and they also have less overhead to work against.

reason to be careful is there are plenty of these same people trying to way undercut the prices of normal shops, except they are reusing most components to increase their labor intake rate. if you supply the full kit and watch the procedures this is basically impossible assuming they actually know what they are doing. if you aren't seeing the parts going into the engine they may wind up as spare parts on their shelf if the person isn't trustworthy.

Wantanotherseven

iTrader: (1)

i totally agree and that's one thing I was skeptical about....if he were to actually use the parts hes supposed to be using, or reusing parts that im paying him to replace. he told me he rebuilt a friends rx8 a few weeks ago, and he still currently works at an auto shop. he told me that he would do the work at his house, or my house...and that it was my call...after speaking with him on the phone it made me feel a little more comfortable. he also said that he may be able to get the master rebuild kit at a cheaper price thru the shop he works at, and if so then he would get me the discount and I could go to the shop and order thru them.

adam c

iTrader: (2)

Ask him how many rotary engines he has rebuilt, and how many in the last few years. Ask for the name and phone number of someone he built an engine for more than two years ago.

Wantanotherseven

iTrader: (1)

good points. he told me tonight he has worked on mazdas and rotarys for 8 years. he told me hes got a good reputation for himself and he could give me some references if I would like.

fendamonky

iTrader: (6)

The rotary community is pretty small... I'm guessing that if you just said the guys name here, then the people on the forum could help validate his credibility.

IRPerformance

iTrader: (41)

I would tread carefully. There are plenty of us on here who are supporting vendors and run competent establishments with years of experience with hundreds of motors and nothing but positive feedback.

moehler

iTrader: (12)

If it pulls reasonable vacuum, starts hot, holds temp well, boosts well, holds coolant pressure, and you are not planning on modding it for power, just enjoy the car. If it has engine related issues, or you want to mod it for power right away, rebuild it.

IRPerformance

iTrader: (41)

tetsurobash

iTrader: (6)

#1 compression test - see banzai website for comp references... to take it a step further you could buy a lisle hydrocarbon tester and hook it up the the coolant housing to see if theres any leak in combustion.
#2 look for leaks oil & coolant - leaks will end up on the sub-frame a majority of the time.
#3 electrical wires- look for brittle or misc. Wires that may be cracked or split. Check fuse boxes for tampering.
#4 vacuum lines- look for brittle and cracked lines.

Chances are this car will need some TLC because of the age and the under the hood temps these cars see. I bought my car in 2011 w/40k on the odo. The engine was solid and still experienced coolant, oil and vacuum leaks.

Going single turbo took care of all the vacuum lines. New thermo. Housing and hoses took care of the coolant and two o-rings under the oil pedestal took care of the oil leak.

Also its very important that you have a set goal for the car and make sure the parts you purchase will all work together.

Good luck!

Wantanotherseven

iTrader: (1)

I picked the car up yesterday....wooo hoo!! I drove it about 50 miles and the only issues that im seeing right now are the pillow bushings on the back suspension. running at slower speeds over bumps theres a lot of slamming sounds going on. I was told by the previous owner that the pillow bushings needed replaced...but I haven't taken the wheels/tires off yet to take a look. I drove the car about 50 miles yesterday and the temps were fine, boost was good. The car pulls hard. I planned on replacing all the vacuum lines when I got the motor rebuilt too, and the previous owner gave me a vacuum hose kit that he had bought but never installed. They are the PVC lines that I have seen around on this forum. so that's one less expense I have to worry about. He also gave me a case of motor oil for rotaries. I believe its synthetic blend but I thought I read on the forum somewhere that these cars shouldn't have synthetic oil put in them?? any truth to that?

questions I have about rebuild kits..

I planned on getting the master rebuild kit, but they don't have the main bearings or rotor bearings in them. is that something that I should replace as well? im just trying to figure out exactly which kit I should get and im trying to see the differences between them. im looking at the atkins rotary kits. any recommendations on the apex seals I should get? im going to get 3mm but im not sure what the cryo seals are. also when it comes to the corner seals and side seals....any recommendations or will the solid corner seals and stock side seals work just fine? like I have said before I don't plan on building a race car, just something fun and reliable. I do plan on doing a few power upgrades but im not gonna strive for a 400hp car. sorry for running on and on, but I appreciate yalls responses...

thanks

adam c

iTrader: (2)

Good luck spending only $2000.

You really should drive it for a while. It sounds like its running great. Pillow ***** are not cheap, along with whatever else you will need to replace.

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

atkins is ok for the kits but i would try to piece together a kit and run a different brand of apex seals. the kits use OEM or OE quality parts for a few items like paper gaskets.

the atkins apex seals work fine but i simply don't prefer them in turbo engines due to their ability to chip easily under light detonation. cryo or standard it doesn't matter, the material is just too brittle.

stay away from 3mm seals unless you are building a car that won't see many miles or a high horsepower monster that will see limited miles. even upwards of 600whp i would have a hard time considering them. stick with all stock rotor hardware other than the apex seals and rotor oil seals(viton seals work best there).

Wantanotherseven

iTrader: (1)

after driving the car today I noticed oil drips on the garage floor. its only about a drip or so...not a whole lot. is it common for the oil pans to leak? I know these cars are famous for oil leaks.....but if/when I do a rebuild that should fix that too correct? if all the o rings and gaskets are being replaced (the rebuild kits have the o-ring and gasket kits included in them)

RotaryEvolution

iTrader: (30)

it's recommended to get an oil pan brace for the FDs, oil leaks from the pan at the engine mounts are common. replacing the pan helps but only to a small degree, once the pan is removed the flange is warped. a brace will torque it to the block more evenly, giving less chance for leaks.

Wantanotherseven

iTrader: (1)

Cool. Thanks. By the way rotary evolution I sent you a pm