I've spent hours reading the debates on using regular oils versus synthetics... I just went out and bought some mobile 1 synthetic 10w30 , and again, I'm second guessing. Some say the turbos need synthetic. Some say the engine needs mineral oil... And some just kill the omp and run premix in the tank and synthetic in the pan... Doesn't that get expensive??? Mazda recommends mineral oil, owners recommend using good synthetics, mazdatrix recommends some Japanese rotary oil, or to run regular 20w50....

Any suggestions?

 

In Arizona, you will want 20W-50. 10-30 is way too thin.

Synthetic is fine if you want to run it.

 

I figured 10w30 was too thin, but a friend of mine who happens to be a mechanic, said it would be fine. I did have some trouble finding 20w50 in synthetic, Auto Zone didn't have it, and I prefer to buy from walmart, as that's where its cheapest I'll return the 10w30 and continue my search for 20w50.

Is synthetic that necessary for the turbo to be healthy and happy?

 

I wish "mechanics" would just keep their traps shut about stuff they don't know. There is no harm in this world in saying "I don't know".

Synthetic is not necessary. I personally don't bother with it due to the higher cost and low oil change interval on old RX-7s (the oil will be polluted by fuel long before it is "worn out").

 

FYI, 20W50 Mobil1 is extinct, at least in these parts.

 

What does your owner's manual say?

 

It says to run regular oil..... Thanks for the help guys. Turbos are cheaper to rebuild than rotary engines anyway when it comes down to it....

 

20W-50 is becoming harder and harder to find in auto parts stores. I had to settle for 10W-40 at my last oil change. The "helpful" store employees always act amazed when you don't buy the thinnest, cheapest garbage they're having on sale too.

 

I've come across that as well. I always liked running 20w50 in my jeep, especially in 120 degree heat of Arizona. My "mechanic" friend brought up a good point, that the turbo burns the oil after the engine is shut off, then the sludgy stuff is recirculated into the engine... He said if I was hellbent on running non-synthetic, that I should use 15w-40 fleet oil. Its designed for high heat, but I'm not sure if that means it won't burn in the combustion chamber as well....

I'm going to run 20w-50 non-synthetic in it for now. It's run on the stuff for 165k miles just fine anyway.

What about a synthetic blend? Came across that when I was picking up my castrol gtx last night.

And you're right, 20w-50 is harder to come by. Walmart use to have the big jugs for $13.00 of GTX, I had to buy all single quarts last night. Cost me almost as much as the synthetic did

 

i heard that if you are running synthedic your best choice would be like redline and higher end products... i found out after i used castro synthedic.... i never drove the car but it was a waste of money... since the oil was puord in and pourd out the same day lol

 

fwiw, I get my synthetic 20w 50 from RX7.com:
http://rx7.com/store/rx7/fdengine_maintenance.html

 

Wow.... 7.50/qt... I just can't grasp spending that much for oil on a car that intentionally eats it...Maybe if it was being raced, I could justify that.

 

My local autozone has alot of synthetic and regular 20 -50 oil to choose from......

penzoil, valvoline, castrol, mobil1, even some weights in royal purple......

guess I'm lucky.......

I think if you change your oil regularly you should be fine,,,,,,,,

 

I think Mazda couldn't get behind synthetic because they never ran tests on the cars using it.

 

u can keep this guy as a friend but please find someone else to get mechanic advise from.

and castrol 10w40 is what i use. used 20w50 for yrs but like u said, it's getting pretty scarce these days.

 

Castrol GTX 20w50 it is

 

Your friend must be a terrible mechanic, since he seems to know little about how vehicles operate.

The RX-7 uses a water cooled turbo. Coolant circulates through the center section to avoid nasty things like cooking oil after the car is shut down.

That's a good choice.

Synthetic blend is fine. I agree, 20W-50 is harder to find these days but it will be a long time before it is unavailable.