johnnyjewel

88 Convertible, 116k miles, never had an engine problem of any kind before. Couple months ago, the front bolt came out -- yes, the bolt no one can get to break loose came out, dumped all the oil, and landed, fortunately, inside the engine bay. My local mechanic put things back together, but did report what he called "some" wear on the eccentric shaft. So a couple of months pass, and oil puddles start appearing everywhere the car sits. So I take it back to Howard, and he says he can fix it, but it will just continue to repeat the problem. Now Howard does not specialize in rotary, but he's one of those guys that can see how something goes together, how it works, and what is at fault if something goes wrong, so I trust him a lot. He is talking like the engine would need torn down and the shaft replaced or another engine.

So I am trying to gather knowledge and consider my options. I emailed Jesse Prather in Kansas, and he asked where the oil is coming from, and that he might be able to fix it. He charges $1200 plus parts for rebuild - does not remove or replace engine. One of the parts people that advertise on this site has 2 used engines for $1100, but, as my wife says, I've already got a used engine. I'm going to look at cost of new -- anyone besides Mazda, Inc sell them? However, we are about to retire, and sinking tons o' cash into my toy is not really a viable option. Any helpful hints?