Joining this forum because I have a 2008 Mazda Rx8 with low compression in the engine and told that it's a junker but I'm hoping to either salvage or find somewhere that I can take it for repair.

 

https://www.rx8club.com

wrong website homie but yes... it is a junker. you could buy another RUNNING rx8 for what it would cost to fix that one.

 

Let's not send them into that mess...lol

Welcome to the club summerlyyehn. I can certainly understand that you want to give your car the proper attention. We all do, and it's why you're in the right place. Low Compression generally means engine rebuild, but RX8s can be a bit hit-or-miss compared to any rotary before them. The reason is because the Exhaust ports are on the side housings (irons) instead of the rotor housings like on all other Rotary Engines. When an apex seal lets go in a pre-RX8 engine, it is almost immediately ejected out of the exhaust port, which minimizes possible damage to the Rotor, Rotor Housing and the two Irons in either side of the Rotor Housing in question.

In an RX8 engine, the apex seal can't escape the Rotor/Housing/Irons as easily due to the Side Exhaust Ports. So the fragments are thrown around inside the engine, and often damage the Rotor/Housing and both irons beyond reuse. This is why roughly half of the engine ends up in the trash, as the only salvageable parts are the last Iron (far end of the engine), the other rotor housing and rotor and the Eccentric Shaft. Those are the only part of the engine which routinely escape damage during apex seal failure.

Unfortunately, this is a situation where it is rather difficult to determine without disassembling the engine first. On all previous engines, you can look straight into the Exhaust Ports to see both rotor and rotor housing surfaces.

Where I would start is with a Compression Test using this procedure:
Banzai Racing Compression Test

 

Thank you so much for this, this has been so much more informational than what I was told. I'm not sure what machine the dealership used but they told me they had done the compression test. But knowing that this is what causing it is like whoa. Really grateful for the explanation and glad I came here!

 

Stealerships will say anything and everything to induce conditions that they can profit from, including lying straight to your face. Do a compression test for yourself. If the compression numbers are low, but even across all rotor faces, this is quite fortunate as you caught it before a seal blew.

This has a bit more info on rebuilding a RX8 engine and what is likely to be encountered:
https://rotaryresurrection.com/8pricing1/

 

Welcome to the forum! We're here to help in any way we can. As stated above, performing a proper compression test with a rotary compression tester is really the first step in diagnosing your RX-8. The numbers won't be exact but will give you a strong shove in the right direction.

As for the car, its not a junker. You can buy a remanufactured engine either from Mazda or from a reputable builder such as Kevin Landers. You can even go as far as installing a known good used engine. If the car has no been wrecked and is not rusty, I see no reason not to repair it. I have four RX-8's and I've installed engine in two of them. I know how it goes but I love the car's and to me, they're worth putting the money into.

 

Welcome to forum