Rotary maintenance and reliability

[CrzyMR2T]

i know its easier said than done, but i wanna at least get an idea of how hard it is to maintain a rotary engine, and i want it as specific/detailed as possible, like how often do you have to change the oil? or how often do you need to change other things on the engine/car? now i know that if you took care of an engine well, it should last pretty long, but are there things that are known to fail often on rotary engines, or other parts around it? for both the fc3s, and the fd3s, turbo or n/a engines? hows the gas mileage? i heard that its recommended that a rotary should get a rebuild near 100k, but what if the guy really took care of it, and you wanted to know the condition of the rotary, how could you tell if its in good condition? is it a difficult, and expensive process? if the rotary was really taken care of, then it should last almost as long as a piston right? finally, what are the flaws on the old rotary engine that were taken care of on the new rx-8 engine? i know that it doesnt waste as much gas, but what are all the specific things that were improved or fixed?

if this isnt the best place to ask about rotary engines, then maybe there are other forums with more people that have experience with them? and maybe there are websites with really good rotary engine info? or maybe good books out there that anyone might know of? this would all help, but talking to people with lots of experience, and reading books about rotary engines are what im really looking for.

[MBTN]

Ahh lots of questions! I can get you started, I know mostly about the FC's.

Bottom line is turbo is going to be less reliable than an NA no matter what. Exhaust heat of rotary motors is what does the damage (cracked turbos and exhausted manifolds). Usually a rebuild around 100k for a Turbo FC is a good idea. NA's can last a lot longer, but you have to take care of them just the same. Change oil every 2500 or so mile's (IMO). Don't forget that they burn oil, so check levels often and add more when necessary. Only use non-synthetic (or maybe the latest synthetics with low ash content). They inject oil into the motor so you want an oil that burns clean. For Turbos run premium gas, NA's can run 87. Don't put anything higher it won't help you. Gas mileage is not that good (can't speak for the latest RX8). I average maybe 12-15mpg on my 91 NA, granted it needs a tune up and it's winter. On average i'd say 14-17mpg is a good figure for an RX-7. For a lot more info check out specific rotary forums and read up on everything you can.

www.rx7club.com
www.fc3s.org (for second gens)
www.nopistons.com