Hey! IS the new RX-8 an rotary engine? If so, doesn't that mean that Mazda had to of fixed the problem with the Apex Seal? And if they did, you think they could fix the older RX-7's?

 

Yes. Mazda + RX = rotary.

What apex seal problem? What do you mean by "fix the older RX-7s"?

 

The RX-7's had engine problems where if you ran them really hard and didn't take care of them, something called the Apex Seal "Blew" Its on the ends of the loabs of the rotating pistons. They go and you have to preety much get a whole new engine. If i'm wrong please correct me, but i'm preety sure i'm not.

 

Dude,
There is only a "problem" if you do not take care of the engine. Anyone who is negligent will have problems with a rotary... actually any engine for that matter. There was never any 'problem' Dont take this the wrong way, but you sound like a newbie so I suggest you read up on how a rotary engine works and then go to www.rx8forum.com for info on this design was changed for the RX-8

 

Anyone who runs any engine hard without proper car will have problems. There is no "apex seal problem".

If you blow an apex seal, you need to rebuild the engine. If you have a turbo or turbos, you may chunk them when the seal flys out the exhaust. It's rare to have to replace a whole engine. Usually they can be rebuilt with a few new parts and a set of seals all around. Of course to some it's easier to replace the whole engine, especially if you seek more poe=wer than your old engine could provide...

 

I've blown four engines in my life. Three of them were piston engines. One was a rotary. In total I've put more actual miles on my rotaries than on my piston engines.

Piston engines are NOT forgiving of driver abuse, while rotaries are unforgiving of maintenance abuse. Maintenance is easy to handle, but I'm not about to change the way I drive