Hey. My name is tommy and i bought my first fc about 3 days ago. I really need some help. I could tell you anything you wanted to know about a standard motor. But when it comes to rotary motors, i am a complete newb. I really jsut want to know what to watch out for (commen problems with rotary motors), what type of oil, should i use premium gas etc. Thanks a lot..

-Tommy-

 

I am glad to see I am in the same boat as someone else here. I have extensive expeariance with standard motors as well as turbine jet engines but not much with rotarys.

 

watch out for a motor that runs like it should! j/k. a lil more info about the car would help. miles, turbo, mods, etc? just be aware for any abnormal sounds, vibrations, OMP funcion, etc. i use 20w-50 oil in mine. and DO NOT USE FRAM FILTERS! if your car is stock, it is advised against using premium. just stick to the cheap low octane gas.

 

I got that you have a '87 GXL from your profile, is that right? I'm going to assume it's still got the original NA motor too.

Oil: conventional or high quality synthetic only (royal purple, amsoil, etc...). It's going to burn oil slowly, so most people stick with conventional. Keep an eye on the oil level too.

Gas: 87 octane is fine on NA motors.

Other than that, things to watch out for are going to be similar to what you're used to w/ piston engines. NA motors are durable and will last a long while if properly maintained. Did I mention maintenance is key?

This is a great site to learn about series 4 NA motors: http://mazdarx7.iougs.com/

It has the factory manuals and a lot of explanation of key systems. Pay particular attention to the section that discusses the auxilliary intake ports (http://mazdarx7.iougs.com/intakeair.shtml) since non-functional ports will rob you of 25hp.

 

Castrol 20w-50 is the most common choice for oil.
Unless it is a turbo, you are better off running regular fuel.
Keep the oil checked and changed, it is more crucial on a rotary.
Keep the coolant changed. Overheating is death to these engines.

 

Thanks guys. It is an 88 gxl n/a. The tips are great.

 

use normal oil i use 20 50
cheak oill leavel the car is made to burn oil
watch out for apex seal dive shafts and main engine crank lob
exspessive commen braking parts

 

Haha, I'm just glad I'm not the only one that doesn't know much about these motors. I'm buying an rx-7 in about a week and I don't know anything about them. I could tear my celica apart and put it back together, but these rotary engines have me confused lol.

 

People need to remember that everybody started out fresh including all of the Mods and long time members of this forum. We all learned from trial and error, researching, and from the help on the members of the forum.

If you are dedicated to learning about the rotary engine, it's as simple as reading and asking questions. Once you get past the basics, these motors are so easy it's almost a crime they are not offered in more car brands than just Mazda.

Oh, and alot of the veteran's will learn something new everyday about these cars and motors.