| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| BEatonNo1 |
Posted - Jun 25 2003 : 9:58:29 PM
How hard is it for you to change the rotor (not shure if thats what its called) on the RX7. I hear that they have a fairly short life
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| 13 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| n/a |
Posted - Aug 17 2003 : 11:28:41 PM
RX-7 engines often don't tend to last as long as the one found in your typical Honda or Toyota Camry. How long does a Corvette engine last? The Corvette was direct competition for the 1st gen RX-7 when it first came out, same with the 2nd gen Turbo II and 3rd gen Twin Turbo. The naturally aspirated 1st and 2nd gen engines can last a very impressive amount of time for a performance engine.
As for the RX-8, guess what it, has no torque. (I haven't driven it, I'm surmising from what I know, dyno, etc) It's all peak power like the Honda S2000. Typical of a high horsepower compared to displacement naturally aspirated engine. Essentailly this is what is done in racing. It's not as streetable as something with more power lower down. Back when the 1st gen RX-7 was out, Mazda raced it in IMSA GTU class (2.5L and under). A peripheral ported 1.1L engine (with breathing characteristics like a 2.2L) was making 330hp+ at just under 10k RPM. The competition was making simlar amounts.
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| Aaron Cake |
Posted - Aug 14 2003 : 10:43:02 AM
Yes, the electric motor assists the gas engine. Take a look at http://www.insightcentral.net in the knowledgebase/tech section to find out why upgrading the motor is not possible.
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| cirvin |
Posted - Aug 13 2003 : 6:27:10 PM
o so the engine is supplimneted by the electric? why can't you put a bigger electric motor and battery in it so it can save evn more on gas? how large is it?
next stop: nobel prize winner! |
| Aaron Cake |
Posted - Aug 13 2003 : 11:14:02 AM
I am in the process of rebuilding the engine from my '86 RX-7 right now. I'm not doing it because it was blown, but because I want to freshen it up and do a major port job (more power!). It looks almost perfect inside after 250,000KM of hard driving, and serious boost last summer.
The rotary is MUCH easier to rebuild then any standard piston engine, especially the common american V8. Only 3 moving parts in the rotary...Though there is some measurement to be done, it's a lot less then it's piston equivelant. So yes, you could easily rebuild with simple hand tools.
I speak some French, but honestly, I just don't like to. Like every Canadian, we were forced to learn it in school.
The Insight cost me around $20K, but since I have only had it since Feb. it has not paid for itself. However, I used to spend nearly $500 on gas a month. Now, I spend $30.  Once I get the RX-7 back on the road, I will be alternating between cars.
As for charging the battery, it is so small that there would be little gain. The car cannot run electric only like the Prius can.
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| cirvin |
Posted - Aug 12 2003 : 10:34:53 PM
aaron. have you ever had o change a rotor, apex seal or anything else that required the engine be diiassembled? would it be possible for some one with only a socket se, a torque wrench, and a few other standard tools do do this as a weekend project?
ps. can you speak french?
btw, how much did your insight cost. has it paid for itself in gas savings? coudn't you mod it by measurning the voltage across the battery and building a charger so you could plug it in?
i did reaserch on rotary engines and now i want one, and i can't even dive!(legally)
next stop: nobel prize winner! |
| Aaron Cake |
Posted - Jul 24 2003 : 10:19:36 AM
Yep, nitrous has been used quite successfully in the rotary. As with anything, fuel and timing are important.
As for the RX-8, I tired to buy one, but the dealer wouldn't even talk to me...Forget the fact that at that time I was buying nearly $1000 in parts from them per months. Apparently, Canada is only getting 300 of them, and they are all pre-sold. I guess we will have to wait to see if the car and the new engine lives up to it's hype. Some RX-7 owners have already driven the RX-8, and have not been as impressed as they should have...
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| Kale |
Posted - Jul 23 2003 : 2:46:14 PM
Whoa! Just got a look at the RX-8 on the howstuff site. Nice piece of hardware, and it uses the rotary engine! Better start saving up your cash now, Aaron!
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| Kale |
Posted - Jul 23 2003 : 2:42:14 PM
Completely crazy queston:
Would a nitrous oxide system work in a rotary engine?
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| Aaron Cake |
Posted - Jun 27 2003 : 3:08:07 PM
Lots of people have no clue about the rotary engine, and just repeat what they hear...monkey see, monkey do...
The apex seal is on the rotor itself. There are three apex seals per rotor, one per corner. See http://travel.howstuffworks.com/rotary-engine.htm for a really good explanation of the rotary.
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| BEatonNo1 |
Posted - Jun 26 2003 : 10:33:02 PM
hmm...I had heard that RX7 loose their compresson alot quicker than your normal piston type...so is the apex seal on the rotor or on the chamber
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| n/a |
Posted - Jun 26 2003 : 09:28:11 AM
eerrrr .... looks like you beat me to it -.- :-p
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| n/a |
Posted - Jun 26 2003 : 09:21:53 AM
quote:
How hard is it for you to change the rotor (not shure if thats what its called) on the RX7. I hear that they have a fairly short life
Well inorder to replace the rotor you would have to take the engine out and apart, obviously this would have to be done by some one that knows what they are doing or by someone that has done their homework (research). As far as short life, i have seen people with 150k on their engines without a rebuild and going strong. so i believe it really matters how well you took care of the engine as to how long the engine will last. (correct me if im wrong Aaroncake =) ).
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| Aaron Cake |
Posted - Jun 26 2003 : 09:20:27 AM
Changing a rotor would invovle disassembling the engine, at at the minimum, you're looking at 20 hours (2 to remove, 5 to disassemble, 3-4 to clean, 5 to assemble, then installation).
It's not actually a rotor that goes bad. The most common cause is a blown apex seal. These seal the tips of the rotors and form the "working chamber". Common cause is running lean in a turbo application and causing detonation, though many of the engines are getting just plain old and the seals are wearing out. Either way, a blown apex seal means rebuilding the engine.
As for reliability, the rotary is just as reliable as an equivelant piston engine. The problems start when they are improperly modded, or someone modifies a 200K engine and expects it to last...
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