Questions for the Rotory Pros
 

Hey all:

Last night, my friend traded in his bike for a 1995 RX-7. Great looking car, terrific performance... but definitely not something he's used to. Last November, my girlfriend and I purchased a 2005 RX-8, so I have a little bit of experience with rotaries, but my baby is a 350z... so I'm still mostly in the dark with the RX-7/8.

There are a few things we noticed about the RX-7 I wanted to ask you guys... maybe you can offer some advice/opinions:

(1) Rev Limiter/Redline/Fuel Cut
In first and second gears, the RX-7 goes right to the redline without a problem. But in 3rd gear, my buddy says the fuel cut comes in at 5500 rpms. Is this normal for the RX-7? If not, will an ECU reflash fix this? Any advice is welcome.

(2) Start up/Idle
In the RX-8, I know I have to crank it a little more than my Z... but the RX-7 takes a good 3-5 seconds to crank before startup. Is this pretty standard, or is there an issue with the battery/plugs/wires/whatever. Thanks in advance.

(3) Performance Upgrades (the good stuff)
Every car tends to respond differently to mods, and every car has its "choke points" in the performance. What would you say is a good starting point for the RX-7? What kind of mods does the RX-7 respond to best? Would you say power-adders or suspension/tires is more important?

(4) Service
Do you recommend taking the RX-7 to a Mazda dealership, or a specialized rotory shop for basic service (oil change, fluid flushes, etc.)

Thanks again for your help... its a great sports car you guys have with a ton of potential; I can't wait getting my hands dirty turning it into a performance monster.

#1 I have been at redline in third no fuel cut (I have an 89 so I dont think it is normal, cant imagine why it would be in a 95).

#3 I start with suspension/tires, and a really good alignment.

#4 A rotary engine is your friend it will not hurt you, do not be afraid (you will soon hate that reciprocating engine in your 350z just as I hate the reciprocating engine in my miata). Oil changes, do it yourself.

#2 That don't seem like an issue. But checking those things will probably get you a crisper start. Esp. checking the plugs. Also some additional grounding would help.

Thanks for the advice so far... I've found a "local" rotary shop, and after doing some searching on these forums, I think it might be a good idea to get the seals replaced before anything goes haywire. I'll give them a call and see whats up.

I really can't imagine what the deal is with 3rd gear... at this point, I almost want to get in the car and see it to believe it. But he's no newbie to cars, so I don't think he is mistaken. I'll call the rotory shop and see what they have to say.

Thanks again.

do you know what the boost is going to? is there an aftermarket exhaust on there? if the boost is rising more than stock with no supporting mods, that could cause this issue.

Welcome and I wish you all the best with your rotary experience. It will give you hell sometimes but during the times that it's running optimally, it will completely make up for it! My cars been off the road 6 weeks and I still can't' wait to get back in, I also have a mate who has been working on his car for 2 years, driven it twice and is still working at it :P All because in the end it will be worth it :)

The questions you have all seem to have been answered well above :)

Getting the apex seals changed before anything goes wrong may actually not be the best financial option. An engin rebuild can be quite expensive, I think it may be worth waiting til you lose one then replace the seals and a rotor+housing at the same time while doing the rebuild... Not sure entirely, depends on pricing where you're at.

All the best!

Paul.