My "CHEAP" RX-8 Is A Rotary NIGHTMARE... Problems For Days

[@ThriftMachine]

I know not being in the big shop is a hardship....but seeing you back in the old garage again is cool throwback content.

[@WatchJRGo]

It's actually way easier to work in here... no room, but I've got A/C that works and no one to bother me! 😍

[@TheBibliofilus]

@@WatchJRGo So how many vehicles are on the driveway?

[@Chris-hw4mq]

Videos where he works on fast flips are the best

[@puttitat2851]

@@Chris-hw4mq Totally agree. Such cool throwbacks.

[@KevRalph]

@@WatchJRGo nothing beats air condition in the garage

[@bren70ssss94]

I dreamt you had a huge shop with a video wall and lots of cars and tools , it seemed so real 🤔😉

[@WatchJRGo]

Huh, sounds like a cool place, I should build something like that 😳

[@aaron71]

The budget project... the driveway setting... I'm loving this throwback to the early days!!

[@Tig-Wan]

I owned a 2004 RX8 and at 6:51 what is missing is the secondary air pump. Mine failed 2x. Good luck. Also do a premix for fuel. It’ll save your apex seals. And for the love of the universe stop moving it 10 ft and shutting it off. It’s gonna flood. If it does flood hold the gas pedal to the floor and crank for 10 seconds. That clears out the fuel as mashing the pedal cuts off the fuel to engine. Can’t wait to see what happens. I miss mine soo much.

[@SomeSkillStudio]

The O’Reilly’s trip on the scooter takes me back to when I first started watching.

[@georgediego]

I feel your pain. An 2007 RX8 is my teenage son's second car (and he loves it), but we are working on it every weekend. His first car(truck) was an 86 B2000 that we rebuilt and dialed in perfectly on a budget and then was sold to pay for the newer car. The previous owner(s?) did a TON of shoddy roadside work on the RX8 so half the battle is fixing PO work. So far we are in a clutch, exhaust, plugs, LS coil conversion, cold air, redoing a battery trunk relocation, air pump delete/block off, coil overs and a bunch of little maintenance parts. I also bit the bullet so and purchased some tuning software so I could teach him some engine tuning. It's a money pit! On the upside, he is learning a ton about RX8's, junkyard hunts and cars in general - and that's priceless.

[@Litevaar]

You sound like a good dad, lol.

[@rotaryperfection]

To save money on testing, you could have actually used the spark plug combo from the 89-95 RX7. At $5 each helps you use the rest of your budget elsewhere. Once you confirm that the engine is running correctly, you can then put in the Rx8 plugs and keep the old style as a back up for if you ever flood the engine. I been a rotary guy for 30yrs so I know all the little tricks to save money. 😉

[@Buildingolives]

Anything you reccomend to start tye car ? Needs a battery and never bothered touching it till now

[@MrMattDat]

It is cool to see you getting back to basics in your home garage. Your diagnostic ability and overall repair knowledge is very impressive!

[@paulvernon4160]

Looked like someone has kindly removed your secondary air pump, that'll be your block off plate and vacuum pipe with the bolt on it. The item you picked up that you were unsure of is your barometric sensor and it actually meant to have a small piece of pipe attached, it would normally be attached to the air pump

[@generatorjohn4537]

You have to love the styling of the RX8.

[@montysport94]

You don’t need a rotary specific compression tester, just remove the valve core from a standard compression tester. This way you can check all three seals you just have to have someone else crank the engine while you watch the gauge fluctuate.

[@WatchJRGo]

I would've done this today, but my compression tester is in storage 🍻

[@hitardo]

@@WatchJRGo everyone that have ever moved knows that feeling: it's in storage, until move day...

[@Fontanamotorsport]

@@WatchJRGo remove the shrader core from the tester as said and use your camera set to slow motion and havesomeone hold throttle open (disconnect eccentric shaft sensor) throttle wide open and video the tester and you will see each of the 3 pulse pressures.

[@briantii]

You can also just hold it open and watch for 3 even bounces then close the valve and let it build pressure. I want to say you’re looking for at least 90psi.

[@RX-8GT]

Honestly much better and easier saving some money and get the rotary compression tester though

[@KevRalph]

used to watch that guy Rob dahm who was obsessed with rotary engines. he did the opposite of what people do with his LS swap by taking out of the C5 Corvette and putting a rotary engine in and then he snuck into LS fest. LOL

[@glennarnold3970]

JR use some hylomar m on the old seals smear a fine layer on leave for a couple minutes and put back together no leaks it is oil water and sensor safe originally made by rolls royce for their jet engines about 10 bucks for a tube and it doesn't set rock hard stays soft cheers from down under

[@ragnarocking]

the new owner of your shop is going to regret not making you throw in those two extra Samsung TVs. It's probably going to be a bitch to find an identical model a few years down the road when one on the wall has a problem 😁

[@henryvandervossen969]

Someone probably said but there is a panel you can remove behind the left front wheel that directly opens on the plugs.

[@WatchJRGo]

Yup, that’s how I changed them 🍻

[@Hanky_Bannist8r]

I've had a carbureted 12a and a 13b Rx-7. My favorite thing about those cars were the redline buzzers in between gear changes. They are definitely a drivers car.

[@pgdmed]

I actually love when you are in the home garage, it makes your channel feel personal.

[@matthewt3586]

Oh please don't give up on the RX8. I miss when you worked on fun Asian imports. This video is a throwback.

[@MrKydaman]

I had an RX7 years ago, and it had an issue. There was a T connector that had a crack in it. It was the cheapest fix ever, but those rotary engines have a lot of vacuum lines!

[@MatSpeedle]

Great to see a back to roots car troubleshooting vid on an old junker from you JR. High hopes for this being a good runner once you've worked the magic. Next step, bin those headlight covers and polish them lights, instant doubling of value :D

[@alpha2gproject783]

Might want to note that many RX owners recommend putting two stroke oil in the gasoline since the Renesis deleted a couple oil squirters.

[@tehfalcon]

Don't forget to take whatever is rattling off! Next up A/C (if it runs fine). Feel like you are probably gonna go a little over budget on this one so long as it runs good after these fixes.

[@samiamm5764]

The rattle would probably be what’s left of the catalytic converter guts

[@johnds6621]

WOW just like the old days in the house garage working on cars. You might not like it JR but I think you did your best work in these types of videos.

[@fisqual]

Glad you mentioned the other VDI. As an I/T guy I was going crazy hearing you say the acronym so many times. Lol

[@jeffhunter1358]

Love seeing you back at your house, but it would be more realistic if you were working on the car in the dark with Gabe.

[@benfrancis4896]

Ah brings back memories. They buried those solenoids in the most awkward place. I had one fail on me too. Great progress though, keep up the good work and good luck getting it sorted.

[@twinscrolled]

The Big power plug is for the air pump that was dleted, the air pump block off plate was installed on the pipe but it shoukd be on the exhaust manifold and that pipe should have been deleted. The sensor on the passenger side is the barometric pressure sensor.

[@Saboda53]

Owned my ‘05 for 13+ years and I really miss it. Always started right up; was as reliable as any car I ever owned. What a great car, killed by owner neglect and ignorance of really simple routine maintenance. So sad.

[@jonathansgarage2488]

Building an 04. Red/black interior. Tag if you think you might want it.

[@Soravia]

Rebuild engine, replace clogged cat and solenoids, upgrade coils to Black Horse Racing most recent direct plug, port the shelf on exhaust port to prevent carbon chunk buildup going into exhaust side seal, do the Sohn pump to feed premix directly. When you rebuild, polish down the rotor surface to prevent carbon sticking. Repressed bearings will come loose vs OE installed bearings. Just that way with iron rotors.

[@charleykeenan6171]

I had a rotary in a 1974 Ford Courier way back in 1985, loads of fun! And for the price of a nice go cart you bought a fun little "auto crosser", well done! Looking forward to this series!

[@Onimun]

Great series, fun cars. Thanks for taking us along

[@richardfarmer6570]

I love how Mazda took an incredibly compact engine and managed to install it in such a way that you still can't change all the spark plugs, we believe in you JR.

[@ericmorgan1256]

I was actually bummed when you didn't continue on by saying "now I'm gonna go to o'reilly's to get A new solenoid so we can start this thing today" 😂 Very excited to see what what the results are.

[@carportchronicles1943]

At this point, since you are able to do simple tests test for the solenoids, and you pretty much know what you need, have you given any thought to hitting a wrecking yard for some of the parts?

[@MrStereototal]

The blindplate and the Open connector on the right side is from the secondary Air system.

[@WatchJRGo]

Yup, the barometric pressure sensor is hanging out there too 🍻

[@tedstriker754]

Those RX-8's have to be one big headache for Mazda. Even for someone who has one and throws their hands up, and goes for an engine overhaul, or new engine if they can still get one, all that plastic stuff you're working on, and those relays and solenoids won't come with a new engine. They could put in the new engine and still have a long list of repairs. So it seems quite involved to get one fixed. I talked to an overhaul shop, and they told me that on the RX8 engine, they went from perimeter ports to side ports on the engine chambers. That opened a can of worms causing it to run too hot. It also helps to add one of those oil injection systems, since those rotaries are a lot like 2 cycle engines.

[@shanetesmer5198]

The block off plate is for the missing air pump Plugs are easy if you go through the left wheel well

[@dsmbilly3690]

This would be a great car to see if you can get it running with the absolute cheapest parts you can find.

[@Rocko892]

Hey JR! This car's certainly one of my "must owns" at some point and I'm glad you're putting out more content on them! Good luck with the fixes, seeing the car on my feed makes me happy.

[@WatchJRGo]

Hopefully I answer all of the questions you have about them! 🍻

[@victorrobinson7008]

That's why I use rotello oil 15w40 in my vehicles for added vitamins !🐒🐒

[@aloy1920]

Loving the rx8

[@WatchJRGo]

Loving the way it drives, not the working on it part 😛

[@geraldlafleur7776]

Exactly the strong point of these cars. Perfectly balanced handling makes them a joy to drive fast.

[@classyguysoria]

Best car channel on KZbin

[@ThriftMachine]

If you ever get a nicer RX8 it would be fun to do a "Bulletproof" series to make them reliable.....well as reliable as it can be

[@WatchJRGo]

One day I'll find an S2 R3 with low miles 💯

[@sheer64]

I had an RX4 13B used to be able to bounce the speedo needle on the high end, whilst the fuel guage went down quicker than a beer in a desert pub. Biggest problem was the rotor apex seals when they wear.

[@mexicanspec]

If I remember correctly from auto shop there are 21 moving parts in a Rotory engine. It would be an easy rebuild.

[@paulvernon4160]

Philips screws are correct for your MAF, the threads do strip I tend to cut a small piece of cable tie off and place it in the hole like an old fashioned Rawl plug

[@mikeferrell6969]

Good luck, I'm an original owner of an 05. I'm on my - 2nd - motor, alternator, fuel pump, fuel filter, clutch, secondary shutter valve, set of oil injectors, secondary air injection pump. 3rd - air solenoid, 3rd set of coils, multiple sets of ngk plugs, 5th catalytic converter. Multiple o2 sensors, I know I'm forgetting other things, but you get the point.

[@geraldlafleur7776]

Seeing how well it ran on cold start up and all the miles it has I would venture to guess that motor has been replaced or rebuilt at some point.

[@ezesrebuilds1174]

I especially like it when you explain everything so nicely. I wish you a lot of success with the channel and happy life. 😊

[@snowyowl7042]

Great looking car, always wanted one, understand they wear out quickly

[@AnthonySmith-ts7qv]

Awesome! Making old content just like back in the day! Those were some of your best videos!

[@ghorner11]

In 2009 I completely rebuilt a 1989 RX-7 GXL 13B NA. I bought a rebuild kit from Pineapple Racing, used rotors off Ebay, and brand new rotor housings. Ran great but I had other issues including financial issues. It's still in storage in my garage.

[@VanisleNSX]

I am enjoying this rotary content.

[@glassvial]

My first phone call would have been to a junkyard, not a dealer if you're trying to do budget fixes on this thing.

[@theanimeotaku2794]

When you have a rotary engine car you have to treat it like a two stroke engine like to add two stroke oil to the gas tank and block the oil fillers in the combustion camber that's what Rob Dahm pretty much said to do to make it reliable since the new oil today doesn't like to burn compared to oil back then Rob Dahm is a good source of info about Rotary engines

[@paulvernon4160]

Neutral switch circuit will cause a poor idle as will a clutch switch, the solenoids like to go bad especially when warm

[@gwildor3154]

I want to see this car stay on the road! I have the car's shorter wheelbase brother, the NC Miata. These two cars share a lot in the suspension/subframe construction.

[@tazswagg]

I actually didn't consider the similarities besides the exteriors!

[@HillDill]

I personally enjoy the old content with you Josh and Gabe around the neighborhood. Even the blinker cover color we don't need to talk about. Can't wait to see the new place.

[@kerrylewis2581]

I'm enjoying the "good old days" of the home shop repair videos.

[@plantedinpr886]

Lol, In a weird way, going back to your home garage is kind of cool. I'm sure there's a lot less overhead. The video is still good though. I really like the dedication more than the car. Lol, the will to want to fix. It's awesome. 🙂

[@germanium1872]

Call me crazy, but I actually prefer when JR makes videos from his garage. It makes it seem more relatable. I've been watching his channel for a long time and I miss that era.

[@jimschafer9196]

Great trouble shooting content, I like the looks of this car look forward to the next reveal.

[@TheDisorderly1]

Don't forget the heat shield rattle. :)

[@AzTurboMini]

You might not have the largest shop on KZbin anymore but it's gotta feel good not hemorrhaging Benjamin's for the time being. Hopefully your close to fixing the RX-8. Have a great week bud. 👍

[@chrislambert2889]

Really like back into your garage for the win 🎉

[@mulletsquirrel]

I had an RX8 in 2010. Its handling feel was the best of any car I've owned up to that point and since.

[@volks-jager]

these are great cars and the engines are plenty reliable if a few measures are taking. run a thicker oil than factory spec'ed and dont run synthetic. Castrol GTX non synthetic 10w-40 is what i run. then add 5 ounces of Idemitsu Rotary oil into each tank of fuel. when adding oil, pour it in very slowly. if poured in too fast the oil backs up and floods the intake tube. get some BHR ignition coils. the stock ones dont last and the cheap aftermarket ones are rubbish.

[@ovad2002]

You can use a N75 valve from VW-Group. 0-1 working valve.12V.

[@mikewood8415]

Spend the whole video saying "yeap". Having done this same process myself on a 2006 from auction that didn't run. It's a blast once it is fixed! Done give up on it just yet!

[@J.Smits1991]

You still made some great progress!

[@AndyZ325is]

You seem happier minus the big shop. That had to be a burden in a way maintaining that huge building and the big budget to run it. Im glad you cashed out and made a profit. Enjoy the freedom of no huge overhead for a minute. Love the RX8 series. Thank you as always!

[@Rose.Of.Hizaki]

10:12 - It dries really quick but thats not the problem. The problem is the residue it leaves behind that could be conductive and cause things to short out.

[@WhatANerd]

Used to own an Rx8, not sure if youve been doing this or not. When you start it up, when the temp moves up a little bit, make sure to rev it up to 2.5k, and keep it there for 10-15 seconds. Same thing with shutoff but shut it down while reving. Also make sure to premix every fuel up

[@bfk1970]

Replacing apex seals is really not that much work on these Would make some interesting content!

[@AM2prunejuice]

It would be really cool to see a joint video with Rob Dahm to fix this rotary.

[@MultiRokusho]

My mom almost bought one of these new back in 05. The salesman tried pulling a paperwork trick at signing upping the price by 6k so she walked out. Instead she got a 05 Silverado 1500 extended cab.

[@cjandsara1]

Damn back in the garage like the good Ole days lol

[@shanvhere78]

I couldnt watch ya in the warehouse but the garage setup ill do all day

[@barrygoodson4952]

I bought many RX7's back in the day from people because they wouldn't cranks. The trick was to pour a little tranny fluid down the throttle body so the rotary seal would seal them they would crank up. You couldn't let them sit for long periods of time. Even when I told people the problem they would sell their car because they didn't like a car with that issue. They are a blast to drive !

[@carsontoopes837]

Your secondary air sets on the passengerside strut tower, that's what those connectors are for

[@danl2073]

Videos about buildings are boring. Videos about RX8 an in your garage = awesome.

[@ltortolano5466]

Make sure you have the air cleaner in. To much air flow will screw up the MAP sensor.

[@jonathansgarage2488]

Fantastic content. Really enjoying coming back to this and watching you in your home garage. Really great work. I have a couple of these cars, best one being a minty '05 Shinka that a rocket scientist cruised between SW Houston and NASA for 9 years and 180k miles before it carboned up and got left to sit for 7 years. Anyway I got it for $1200 and dropped a used engine in it and just one of the best cars I've ever owned. If you are coming to an Rx-8 wanting an FD, you'll be disappointed, but think of it as a Rotary IS200 or a grown up Miata with leather and room for 4, and you'll love it. Can be finicky, but such a brilliant car once the issues are sorted. Just make sure you check the 9000rpm buzzer every day at least once. Couple small tips for anyone coming later: * Resistance on those solenoid should be about 38 ohms - they fail open circuit from the heat, * You did great on checking the SSV, it's a pain to clean if it gets clogged, * Best Rx-8 is a mint one that doesn't run, as swapping the engine isn't too bad and they are readily available for < 3k. For < $5k into the car, yiou can have something a bit different that does everything that a $30k BRZ does, but with 4 doors, something something.

[@cadman10000]

I'm loving the "retro" WatchJRGo episodes!

[@ticrevengereg5114]

best advice: change cooler for aluminium plus fan starting sooner, with mod to avoid it overheating a certain degree, air pump delete+cat delete

[@talesfromthebottle6314]

You need to delete on the whole engine and bolt a 13BT in there

[@sunnohh]

JR installed VDI drivers to that spark plug hella good

[@theblackmages]

It’s really cool to see some work done on a rotary! Love it and it seems less complicated than i thought. hope you can get it running. PS: I’ve never had a rotary, but my mom bought an FC rx7 new in the 80’s. Wish she’d kept it

[@HFMartini6]

careful with that AC compressor, I had a couple seize up on RX-8's, they tend to go bad when they're not used for some time

[@gregorysinclair4873]

Try spraining a little carb cleaner in to one of the broken solenoid tubes, then apply power before it evaporates. This managed to free one up for me, was meant to be temporary but still working over a year on. Frees it up the same way it would an injector.

[@Azov237]

the second you mentioned the codes i knew it was would be at least the SSV solenoid that was bad. I think i have a pair of new ones in my toolbox too! I would double check and see if you have an intact cat. with the air pump gone, you could very well run into a clogged cat.

[@terrencesculley3596]

I had the same year one and the best thing you can do for it is add a tray on the bottom of the engine that has two extra electric fans and a set of Chevy LS coils

[@ua7pyro591]

Not surprised lol. Someone in my highschool had one. Blowing blue smoke all over, and that's when it was new!

[@WatchJRGo]

I shouldn't have been 😂

[@geraldlafleur7776]

Nope when they were new there shouldn’t be any visible smoke to speak of.

[@pstreetgarage7304]

Love seeing work done on a rotary. Really digging this little car

[@ChadsGarage1]

I’ve had a couple Rx-8’s. Got frustrated with both and got rid of them. Make sure to mention that you need to redline them quite often. They will get carboned up if you don’t.

[@andrewhillman9632]

I would love to have an original 1987 RX-7, base GL with a stick.

[@AdamOpheim]

You don’t need a special tester to check compression. You get 3 pulses per rotor face on the gauge. IE 6 numbers total, 3 compression bursts per rotor. All 3 should be over 90 for a healthy motor. You just need to count them. I would check that before spending any money on it.

[@A589C]

JR thanks for the RX8 content. My dad gave me his which doesn’t start and probably needs a major tube up. These videos are helpful.

[@InHypnoticTrance]

Come on WatchJRGo, you know you want to do a rotary rebuild for us!

[@windronner1]

Your Problem-solving skills continue to amaze me. But this is got to be the Rubik’s cube of internal combustion Doritos. Lol