RX8 IN March EVO Magazine

[Carl]

Just thought i would let everyone knoe that there is an excellent article on the RX8 in EVO magazine March edition.
The interesting thing is that they do a comparison with other cars event though it is a pre production model,and it is very favourable.
The other cars that they compare it to are:
Alfa 147 GTA
Audi S3
Ford Focus RS
Schnitzer Mini ( superchrged 200 hp)
Seat leon Cupra R
Subaru WRX
VW Golf R 32
The magazine says that if they had been allowed to include the RX8 in the group test then it would have been fighting for top honours with the VW Golf R32 which they said may have more punch but the RX8 was able to retaliate by being more nimble and rewarding to drive.
This is an excellant article.
The pics of the engine also clearly show that the water seals are back in the rotor housings as they were up until the 80s, I think a few lessons have been learned there about how iron corrodes more than the aluminium.
Regards
Carl

[MikeLMR]

http://www.rx7club.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=156117

[zoom44]

Originally posted by Carl
...The pics of the engine also clearly show that the water seals are back in the rotor housings as they were up until the 80s, I think a few lessons have been learned there about how iron corrodes more than the aluminium.
Regards
Carl

actually this question of why the location was moved was discuused the other day on www.rx8forum.com (http://www.rx8forum.com) . dan at www.rotarynews.com (http://www.rotarynews.com) then sent a query to the engineers at mazda and what follows is their reply:

Here's the response from the engineer, copied and pasted: As you mentioned in your mail, water seal groove of RENESIS is in the rotor housing.

Exhaust port is cooled by the water jacket surrounding the port.
Large exhaust port area is required to get high performance, and
some width of water jacket is necessary for casting production.
Moving the seal groove to rotor housing, we could get wider exhaust port and water jacket.

That is the reason of changing the groove location.


larger ports means better performance!

[Carl]

When you have seen not only FD engines but FC s too all having the water seal areas of the side housings corrode which means failure of the housings and rebuild required before apex seals have worn out then i think you would be inclined to change them back to the rotor housings too.
I think that it is only partialy due to the exhaust ports that they have done this mod,they are hardly going to admit they got it wrong for 17 years. After all the location of the seals have only moved 2 mm max, and are now back where they were in all Mazda rotaries up to mid 80s.
Regards
Carl

[Glenn Butcher]

Carl,

It is really interesting indeed, do you think that is why some older RX-2's, 3's, 4's etc. were still running around in Oz with the original engines - not bad at all!

From the photo's you have seen of the RENESIS engine, do you think that the engine could be modified much more than it is now? (Ports enlarged for more power?).

Also, the ports should be a very good for a turbo engine - as long as you use low-comp. rotor's. What are your thoughts on this?

[Carl]

Hi Glenn,
Yes if you look at 1st gen RX7s even they do high mileages.I have seen quite a few FC /FD engine failures purely down too the water seals area corroding.
The Renesis engine will make an excellant turbo base as long as FD rotors fit.
The ideal is to peripheral port the inlet as overlap will be same as FD engines but in reverse and keep side exhaust.
I know someone will try it,maybe me if I can get the parts.
Regards
Carl