zecc81

Okay so this may be really obvious, but I just want to make sure... I've only had my 86 na for about 4 months now and from the records I acquired it's now been about 3000k miles since the last oil change.
Yes yes...I know I should do it myself but its wet and cold in Oregon right now and I don't feel like it, so is it perfectly okay to take it to an oil changing place like jiffy lube or oil can henry's? There isn't any special way to change the oil in rotary's that they wouldn't know about, right? (apart from not using synthetic, of course)

Also what grade oil should I use? I hear lots of answers, but winter's coming and it probably will get below freezing every once in a while. It has 15w-40 in it now.

RotaryRocket88

iTrader: (7)

Sure, there's nothing special about changing the oil on a rotary. Oil weight suggestions are in the FSM/FAQ: https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...05#post5131205. There's also nothing wrong with using quality synthetic oils. Mazda's warnings against synthetics in the '80s and '90s was directed at low quality, high ash oils.

Evil Aviator

I'm pretty sure you can get Castrol GTX at Oil Can Henry's. Castrol GTX works great in rotary engines. As explained above, the correct grade for your local weather is found in the factory service manual and owner's manual.

Modern synthetics are fine, but they are a waste of money in street car engines. Synthetic oil makes more sense in the transmission and differential where the change interval is longer, plus the RX-7's manual gearbox is notchy if you don't use synthetic oil.

Also, on the internet you will see many warnings about avoiding multigrade oils with a large spread between the winter and regular viscosity ratings, such as 10W40 and 10W50. These would quicky shear back in the 1980's, but they are OK now due to better technology.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

+2 about nothing being particularly special or difficult about changing the oil in a rotary. I also agree that synthetic is a bit of waste in an NA engine. I run a synthetic in my FD, but mostly for it's higher temperature performance in the turbos. If I was NA, I'd just run "regular" oil.

Since rotarys are new to you, there are two things to consider regarding oil changes....
1. There is always a little oil stranded in the rotors and oil cooler(s) that can't drain out during a change. So don't be surprised if the new oil looks a little darker sooner. Not a big deal.
2. Most rotaries will have some fuel dilution over time. Some more than others.
3. Because of #1 and #2, you should make sure change intervals are regular and maybe just a bit shorter (more frequent) on your car. This is also another reason why I don't recommend spending the extra money for synthetics.

On a side note, I'd never take any car I own to a JiffyLube or similar shop. You have no real idea what they're putting in as it's pumped from some bulk tank in the back. They also typically use the cheapest filters and at least in my area, hire anyone willing and able to shake a sign out in front of the store. I've seen stripped drain plugs, filters drilled on so tight they had to be cut off. I've also seen instances where they just cleaned up the old oil filter to make it look new and called it a day.

rotorboy1982

It shouldn't take you more than 30 minutes to change your oil. Make sure it's done right with the correct oil and filter....do it yourself.

StevenL5975

Hello,

I put Castrol EDGE 10W60 into my 1986 RX7. Surely the best oil you can get here, but it is not cheap.
Respect the intervalls stated in the FSM and put quality oil in your motor (piston or rotary) and your engine will be happy.

And yes, my car is a NA !
I dont get it why good stuff would be a waste for a NA engine. I always prefer NA engines before turbo ones.
So maybe it s just me but I always want the best for my car.

Thats why I dont like shops working on my cars, shops overhere seem to be so stupid
that I have to recheck all the repair/work they did just to find that they cant do anything right.


Regards
Steven

zecc81

I hear ya, I often do a lot of work on my own cars so I know it's done right, including oil changes, but I've also been to several oil can henry's with my old cars or been riding with someone else and it always seems to go well enough. Unfortunately I don't have a garage or jacks to work with right now. I'll probably go with 10w40, 15w may be a little thick for cold temperatures.


...Although, the more I think about it the more I do want to do it myself, shouldn't take that long I suppose, just need to borrow jacks....

Evil Aviator

It is a waste of money because the extra protection does virtually nothing for a car driven on the street, and the higher price of the oil is not worth the slight decrease in wear. It is also a waste of money on turbocharged street cars unless they are highly-modified and have inadequate oil systems. The only real advantage of synthetic engine oil in a street car is if you drive it in extremely hot or cold conditions, such as in Alaska or Libya.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

I was with you until this...which is wrong.

Evil Aviator

I have a lot of experience in this industry. I suppose I should also tell you that high octane fuel does not run any cleaner, nor does it necessarily have any more power, so it is also a waste of money unless knocking is an issue. Engine oil treatments are also generally a waste of money.

You are welcome to believe whatever you like, and you can spend your money however you wish. I am just trying to save you guys some money. Technically, some of the money you waste on such marketing scams ends up in my pocket, so it actually helps me financially if you ignore the science and economics of this issue in order to feel as if you are helping your car in some way.

Sgtblue

iTrader: (16)

No one that I noticed was talking about fuel or properties of high octane.
I did reference synthetics and their performance in high temperature enviroments. We could go on but arguing isn't appropritate for this thread, especiallly in this section.
But I do agree that if the OP or anyone else wishes at some point they can do their own research, read those dry tech papers/comparisons as I have done.and make their own decisions.
I pay little attention to marketing but if your making a little off synthetics, your welcome. Go have one on me.

zecc81

Ummm...synthetic arguments aside, I ended up man-ing up and did the change myself, I got a little paranoid after reading some oil changes place reviews. The sump nut was easily reachable and the filter is on top, so it was a lot easier than I thought.