Rotary And Reliability
04-23-2003, 10:06 PM
#1
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Join Date: Apr 2003
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I am a noob and have never posted on this site, I did a search and could not find any information on the reliability of the rotary motor.
I have heard that turbo rotary motors are not reliable, which is the reason that mazda made the rx-8 a n/a car. I want to know is any of this true.
How and what is the best way to take car of and or rebuilt a 13b to withstand the rigors of weekend racing and boost around the 12-15 psi range, on pump gas (91 octane)?
Thanx guys
I have heard that turbo rotary motors are not reliable, which is the reason that mazda made the rx-8 a n/a car. I want to know is any of this true.
How and what is the best way to take car of and or rebuilt a 13b to withstand the rigors of weekend racing and boost around the 12-15 psi range, on pump gas (91 octane)?
Thanx guys
04-23-2003, 11:11 PM
#2
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 282
turbo rotaries have a tendency to flood, so installing a fuel cut switch is useful. If it's in good condition it should be plenty reliable.
A stock motor can take that boost, but the stock turbo can't. You can buy a variety of different apex seals (if you are rebuilding), but the stock ones are supposed to be best.
Basically, boost won't kill the motor, but detonation will, so make sure you have the fuel for the boost you want.
A stock motor can take that boost, but the stock turbo can't. You can buy a variety of different apex seals (if you are rebuilding), but the stock ones are supposed to be best.
Basically, boost won't kill the motor, but detonation will, so make sure you have the fuel for the boost you want.
04-24-2003, 08:16 AM
#3
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also on this topic, I saw where someone said that a v-8 is more reliable than a rotary? what about an n/a rotary? I always thought the n/a rotary was more reliable because of few moving parts, among other things. 
04-24-2003, 12:02 PM
#4
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Originally Posted by Baldy' date='Apr 24 2003, 05:16 AM
also on this topic, I saw where someone said that a v-8 is more reliable than a rotary? what about an n/a rotary? I always thought the n/a rotary was more reliable because of few moving parts, among other things.
mike
04-25-2003, 01:30 AM
#5
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Let me quote the car and driver suplement that's all about the Rx-8
Jim Downing, who was initially drawn to Mazda rotaries because of their simplicity says "I had been racing piston-engine cars for 11 years, and I was hoping to move to Trans-Am in the late 1960's and early 1970's. But all you did was work on motors all the time. You burned pistons, you burned valves, you blew head gaskets, there was just no end to the grief. And you didn't get a lot of track time. It became obvious to me that with very few moving parts, the rotary might have some reliability. It turned out to be true. In those days you could go virtually the whole season without changing the engine. You could concentrate on racing and driving and tuning, rather than spending all you time making sure the engine didn't have more than 600 miles on it."
Jim Downing, who was initially drawn to Mazda rotaries because of their simplicity says "I had been racing piston-engine cars for 11 years, and I was hoping to move to Trans-Am in the late 1960's and early 1970's. But all you did was work on motors all the time. You burned pistons, you burned valves, you blew head gaskets, there was just no end to the grief. And you didn't get a lot of track time. It became obvious to me that with very few moving parts, the rotary might have some reliability. It turned out to be true. In those days you could go virtually the whole season without changing the engine. You could concentrate on racing and driving and tuning, rather than spending all you time making sure the engine didn't have more than 600 miles on it."
04-25-2003, 10:05 AM
#7
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Join Date: Feb 2003
Location: Calgary
Posts: 564
Its not turbo rotaries that tend to flood and its not rotaries, its mazda's ecu that causes the flooding not the engine or its design...
Since going haltech, my TII has never flooded..
My non turbo 7 floods sometimes, but when it floods its the ecu holding the injectors wide open for the first couple of seconds when the key is turned, when it floods the injectors pump enough fuel into the motor to actually fill the exhaust up with gas, and it leaves a puddle of fuel on the ground...No engine would start with fuel conditions like that, rotary or piston..
My n/a car is approaching 200,000 km's compression is still above 100 psi on both rotors...Maxt
Since going haltech, my TII has never flooded..
My non turbo 7 floods sometimes, but when it floods its the ecu holding the injectors wide open for the first couple of seconds when the key is turned, when it floods the injectors pump enough fuel into the motor to actually fill the exhaust up with gas, and it leaves a puddle of fuel on the ground...No engine would start with fuel conditions like that, rotary or piston..
My n/a car is approaching 200,000 km's compression is still above 100 psi on both rotors...Maxt
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