Broken RX8: I attempt to build an autocross car?

[zieg]

Worked a bit more today, planning more tomorrow. Got the manifolds and clutch off, then set to work on mounting it to my engine stand which was generously donated by a coworker.

So this is level, eh? Looks like I have to drill a new alignment hole...


I hate my tiny ass garage. When not working on the engine, I have juuuuuust enough room to back my other car in and close the door...

[sr20s14zenki]

its soo wierd for me to see the peripheral exhaust blocked off =(

[Alak]

Mounted it backwards have to mount it on the front plate.

[zieg]

Originally posted by sr20s14zenki
its soo wierd for me to see the peripheral exhaust blocked off =(

Get the drill.

Originally posted by Alak
Mounted it backwards have to mount it on the front plate.

Oh shit, that's not how they did it on the Atkins video I bought. Oh well, at least it works. I've got it stripped all the way to the bare keg now, plus or minus a sensor or two. Fuck I hope my labeling job was good enough. Once I took off the ignition coils I realized there were only a few bolts holding the entire harness on, so that came out real quick.

[Alak]

No worries. You mount it on the front plate then remove everything on the front. It should be In such a way that the center of the engine is about center with the tube for the engine stand. The last piece remaining will be the front plate when you are done.


When you loosen the flywheel nut leave it on a couple threads and go to town with a rubber mallet or deadblow. The vibration should pop it loose. Sometimes you need to pry a little while hitting it but usually thats only with an aftermarket flywheel that has a separate counter weight. You should do this next.

[zieg]

Hmm, that makes sense. Thanks. I guess I could redrill that c-channel adapter and flip the plate on the stand. That should get it pretty close to balanced. Gotta lock the flywheel now and see if I can get with srZenki to break that nut loose. Alternatively, PA does sell the sockets but they are friggin' 1" drive so I'd just weld a 2ft length of square tube to it.

Do you really need to remove the alignment dowels between housings? That's what Atkins says to do but it looks like a PITA and I don't have a slide hammer attachment to thread in. Not that I should let that stop me, but..

[Alak]

You'll need more than a two foot bar haha. Sears also sells the socket. I use a 4 foot 3/4" breaker bar with an adapter. Princess auto special. Use a half in drive extension, maybe a 6 inch or so and if you can, wedge it between the counter weight and something on the rear plate like a corner. That's how I used to do it before I got a flywheel lock. Alternatively you can load up the engine and take it to a tire shop with the socket and they can buzz it off for you.

You don't need to remove the dowels to take apart the engine. When you pull it apart the dowels usually stay in the rotor housing. If they are stubborn you can thread in a bolt and tap them out. Once you get the tension bolts off everything just unsandwiches apart. You'll have to give some love on the rear plate with a rubber mallet. Don't pry between the housings because you can damage the mating surfaces. When you pull the rotors out, have an elastic or electrical tape handy with an extra set of hands. Pull up on the rotor and tape around the apex so the seals don't go PING and disappear forever. It's good to keep everything oriented so you can measure the old stuff and compare it to the new stuff. When you pull the center plate you need to lift up on the eccentric shaft to walk the center plate off the offset lobes. This is why you need to completely dismantle the front of the engine so nothing is holding it. Leave the stationary gears in the irons. Alternatively if you have a second set of hands you can pull the eshaft and center plate out together. Make a note too where the tension bolts come out of. I usually label them as per the torque sequence in the manual.

If you need a hand I can probably assist sometime next week. I'm busy finishing up a mercedes project (nightmare) but I might have a little time.

[sr20s14zenki]

Princess auto sells the socket too, but you're welcome to come out any time and use mine. its a 2 1/8" . My impact took my nut off, hopefully itll do yours too. Usually you can wedge a tension bolt in the dowels and pop em out. Usually they dont resist too bad. if they do i give it a few raps with my plastic hammer, that usually loosens them up.



Just give me a heads up via PM and we will organize.

[zieg]

Okay sorry man, been traveling a bunch and then a friend of mine said she wanted to help with the teardown, because she's interested in a career change and wants some experience turning wrenches. So I figured what better way to scare her off than to disassemble a rotary engine, and we went to it last night. I used the bread method to remove the pilot bearing. Can't believe it actually worked.

The rotors look worse than I expected, but the housings look pretty damn good! To my untrained eye anyway.. No scoring, very little carbon buildup, no flaking that I can see.. And I assume the rotors should clean up pretty nicely? Some of the seals weren't moving at all so that definitely explains the compression.


Got tired of the shitty phone pics, grabbed my camera and a 50mm F/2 lens..


full res: http://i.imgur.com/9GxurrG.jpg


full res: http://i.imgur.com/Tw0WHbD.jpg

[sr20s14zenki]

Housings look pretty good. So there were no broken apex seals? Just carbon locked?

[zieg]

Yup. Guess I got lucky! The apex seals weren't locked in there too bad but there's definitely carbon buildup in the springs. The side seals on the other hand, some barely move at all. Thinking that's what really did it in. Irons look good too, so now I'll start cleaning!

[zieg]

Ok that took a bit but it's all clean now. What a pain in the ass, especially all those fucking grooves in the rotors, fuck.


full res: http://i.imgur.com/8mYPpIJ.jpg

And also, fuck Mazda for pinning those exhaust port sleeves in such a dumbass way. Would have been way easier to deal with if they could have been unbolted or something.


Okay, now I need to lap the irons, polish the e-shaft and press new bearings into everything. Oh and all the misc parts need to be cleaned.. oil pressure regulator (and shim), intake manifold, etc. And I need to find a way to walk into a store and buy vaseline without looking suspicious.

[962 kid]

Skip the vaseline, get some Dow Corning 111

[relyt92]

Originally posted by ZiG-87
And I need to find a way to walk into a store and buy vaseline without looking suspicious.

Depending on quantity you could go to Greggs and get 2kg pails of it.

[zieg]

Okay, engine is back together. Er, the keg is anyway. Broke a bolt on the front stationary gear so I can't put the front cover/oilpan on until I get a new set, which is on order and due Tuesday. Got real lucky the broken end came out with zero issues.

Flywheel freshly machined


Rotor 1


Rotor 2


So far so good. She makes a good pop when I kick it over by hand, got the new clutch installed on the flywheel and the OMP injectors back in their holes.. Once the front cover is on I will replace the actual OMP lines. Hoping to have it back in the car next weekend or the weekend after. I did a very tight clearance when I trimmed the side seals so it will need to be broken in easy. Wanna put 3-5k on it before the first autox event.


Holy fuck was the lower intake manifold dirty. Gum/varnish on all three of the air control valves, took a couple hours (and a new set of wire wheels for the dremel) to clean that all up, but it's spotless now. I had to disassemble the actuator for the APV to finish cleaning in there, but didn't realize the motor uses its own position to judge the angle of the valve. Need to reset it now. Shit.

The APV works by moving the horizontal rod back and forth (motor driven from the back side) and that causes the two cylinders to rotate, opening and closing those ports. There's also a rotary valve above that which blocks off two more ports, and at the very top is a rotary valve that just balances the pressure between the first and second rotor intake plenums. Interesting.

[sr20s14zenki]

Looking good.

Im going to get my components from adam this week.

Hopefully i can finish porting soon. Need to find the time. got my porting kit from Racing beat...

[zieg]

Man I was so tempted to try that. Gonna do the porting yourself?

[sr20s14zenki]

yah its in my build thread
http://forums.beyond.ca/showthread.p...0&pagenumber=3

i got a good start on it, now i can finish. Couldnt find the appropriately sized ball stones for the life of me in calgary. Now i can finish the bowls.

[zieg]

Uhhhhhhh does anyone have a spare RX8 oil pan? Mine is fucking NASTY and isn't cleaning up very well.

[sr20s14zenki]

Adam has i bet