Hello,
Currently I am interested in the new RX-8. But I have a few questions about the reliability of a rotary engine. I know that Mazda has several years experience with them and the engine dates back to Wankel and all that. What I want to know is, has Mazda come up with a way to keep the seals on the rotor from needing replacement every 50 to 60k miles? I've heard from a lot of people that say rotaries are reliable and that they aren't worth spit. Could some of you experts shed some light on this for me? Thanks.

 

Ha! Yeah mazda found a way to make them reliable, its called "ditch the turbos."
Rotary engines can be very reliable. They blow due to people modifying them improperly and others treating them like hondas. Change the oil every 2500-3000 miles, give it good gas, drive it hard at least once every day or two and you 'should' be fine. Since the 8 isn't really out yet no one really knows...
By the way, my non turbo 2nd gen was at about 110k miles and running on the first engine...

 

Mazda made lots of mistakes with the 3rd gen RX-7. Twin turbos were just one of their mistakes. I think they learned their lesson and the RX-8 will be very reliable.

Ken

 

Yeah.. the RX7 truely got a bad rap for a multitude of reasons. Not so much that the engine itself is unreliable, but maybe the better way of putting it - is that it has a lower threshhold for error. So assuming you take a piston and a rotary engine, take care of everything, both are fine -- once you start changing things around, the amount you can push the rotary is less - so to speak.

Not to mention, think Mazda tried too hard - with the sequential twin turbo - made what we refer to as the "rat's nest" with 10 million vacuum lines etc.. and due to the high underhood temp... well one vacuum line goes, overboost, not enough fuel - there goes engine. And they definitely tried to keep costs down while making this complicated machine by skimping on parts. If mazda made the RX7 to sell for 70 or 80 grand like a Porsche, I'm sure it would have been much more reliable. At the same time, it also means that we could spend a couple of grand and make the RX7 much more reliable.