Go Back   Rotary Car Club > Tech Discussion > RX-8 (2004 - Present)

RX-8 (2004 - Present) All things to do with RX-8

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 07-06-2013, 02:29 PM   #1
rotar bones
rotary owner/driver.
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 69
Rep Power: 0
rotar bones is an unknown quantity at this point
Coolant & Oil temperatures

I am getting ready to pull off my front bumper

Last edited by rotar bones; 08-03-2013 at 09:16 AM.
rotar bones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2013, 05:35 PM   #2
RETed
RCC Addict
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii USA
Posts: 1,813
Rep Power: 19
RETed will become famous soon enough
Quote:
Originally Posted by rotar bones View Post
I wanted to be preemptive in my cooling and have it come on 10 degrees before stock settings.
Why?

Your engine is designed to work most efficiently at a certain temperature RANGE.
If you're trying to run it too cold, you're just wasting fuel and possibly causing premature engine wear - hell, why would you care cause you advocate shutting the engine off after revving it up to 3k+ RPMS!

Unless you're having overheating issues - are you? - there's no reason to be changing anything, including the radiator.
A larger radiator does nothing if your previous radiator worked fine.
If your previous radiator worked fine, then upgrading to a larger radiator just causes the thermostat to possibly work harder and possibly fail prematurely.


-Ted
__________________
reted_2000@yahoo.com
Technical Advisor
FC3S Pro
http://fc3spro.com/



Quote:
Originally Posted by TitaniumTT View Post
because you're only as good as your backup
RETed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2013, 07:44 PM   #3
Sephitrask
BOILED PEANUTS!!!
 
Sephitrask's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 257
Rep Power: 15
Sephitrask is on a distinguished road
Why are you wanting to install a secondary radiator? Are you having cooling issues now? If so the issues causing that needs to be remedied before any modifications are done. On to the answers to your questions:

Oil temps do not turn on the fans, coolant temps do, and they turn on at around 210 F. Rx8performance.com sells a relay kit that turns them on at 185 F, I have that on my car. For the oil temp sender I found it best to get a modified banjo bolt that you can screw the sender into and us it to replace the banjo bolt either on the front cover or drivers side oil cooler (put it on the side pre-cooler not after) You can get an oil filter sandwich adapter but I found that the oil filter location made the thing a bitch to deal with.. I ended up throwing mine across the driveway in frustration and ordered the before mentioned banjo bolts. Again, Scott at Rx8performance.com made those for me.

All in all the cooling system on the rx8 is very good if functioning properly, unless you live in extreme heat or track the car it should be fine. Do you have a undertray that is intact? it is an essential part of the cooling system
__________________

www.rotarycarclub.com
"The way a Rotary engine makes power is ferocious, much like having a chainsaw under your right foot."
Sephitrask is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2013, 07:49 PM   #4
rotar bones
rotary owner/driver.
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 69
Rep Power: 0
rotar bones is an unknown quantity at this point
Quote:
Originally Posted by RETed View Post
Why?

Your engine is designed to work most efficiently at a certain temperature RANGE.
If you're trying to run it too cold, you're just wasting fuel and possibly causing premature engine wear - hell, why would you care cause you advocate shutting the engine off after revving it up to 3k+ RPMS!

Unless you're having overheating issues - are you? - there's no reason to be changing anything, including the radiator.
A larger radiator does nothing if your previous radiator worked fine.
If your previous radiator worked fine, then upgrading to a larger radiator just causes the thermostat to possibly work harder and possibly fail prematurely.


Changing things is half the fun ted. I have changed things before , I have owned it 6 years now. I am also going to change other things in the future. If your a buff on keeping stock cars stock , than congrats, I am not a stock car buff at all. I bought it to play with and I shall. I have been revving up my motor to 3 or 4000 rpm at shut down for the last 6 years and 80,000 miles with no ill effects or wet starts etc, etc, etc. You were skirting a statement that revving your engine ad dumping the power is a bad thing at shut off. Do yu think it is a bad thing for the motor?. Is it?. I have been doing it for 6 years and 80,000 miles and my motor is as strong as the day I bought it new , so if that isa bad thing to do than why is my motor so strong and never , never experienced a bad start or any thing of the like. I'm not convinced we are the same page. you sound angry. Why be so angry man , life is too short. Crack a smile and let the sun shine through ok?.


-Ted
I don't know quite how to respond as it sounds like your chewing my ass and not giving me advice?. You sound almost angry?.

Last edited by rotar bones; 08-03-2013 at 09:18 AM. Reason: addition.
rotar bones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2013, 08:00 PM   #5
rotar bones
rotary owner/driver.
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 69
Rep Power: 0
rotar bones is an unknown quantity at this point
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sephitrask View Post
Why are you wanting to install a secondary radiator? Are you having cooling issues now? If so the issues causing that needs to be remedied before any modifications are done. On to the answers to your questions:

Oil temps do not turn on the fans, coolant temps do, and they turn on at around 210 F. Rx8performance.com sells a relay kit that turns them on at 185 F, I have that on my car. For the oil temp sender I found it best to get a modified banjo bolt that you can screw the sender into and us it to replace the banjo bolt either on the front cover or drivers side oil cooler (put it on the side pre-cooler not after) You can get an oil filter sandwich adapter but I found that the oil filter location made the thing a bitch to deal with.. I ended up throwing mine across the driveway in frustration and ordered the before mentioned banjo bolts. Again, Scott at Rx8performance.com made those for me.

All in all the cooling system on the rx8 is very good if functioning properly, unless you live in extreme heat or track the car it should be fine. Do you have a undertray that is intact? it is an essential part of the cooling system
You
Attached Images
File Type: jpg auxillary_radiator_basic3_large.jpg (29.6 KB, 23 views)

Last edited by rotar bones; 08-03-2013 at 09:19 AM.
rotar bones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-06-2013, 08:35 PM   #6
Sephitrask
BOILED PEANUTS!!!
 
Sephitrask's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 257
Rep Power: 15
Sephitrask is on a distinguished road
Quote:
Originally Posted by rotar bones View Post
You are making assumptions about a secondary radiator. I am replacing the stock one with one that maybe an inch larger in size and am moving it to the center of the grill behind it to achieve more efficient cooling. Thanks for the info on the banjo bolt , that makes a lot of sense. I run my 8 some what harder than some folks. I run the mountains every week end as duty allows and that is a lot of stress on the motor. My desire to set the temperature switch to 10 degrees lower is because I stress my motor racing around at 11,000 feet. Yes my under tray is intact and I am going to change it to this( see attachment) type for cooling the transmission oil during my runs up and down the mountain. On a typical 95 degree day the car gets really hot and I don't want to wait for the tow truck yea!. Thanks for the input man.
I misread the initial post, my bad. So the car is an auto then? I havent done measurements on the location your talking about moving it to, but it seems like it would be to narrow for a non v-style mount. If you go through with it please take pictures, I would love to see it.
__________________

www.rotarycarclub.com
"The way a Rotary engine makes power is ferocious, much like having a chainsaw under your right foot."
Sephitrask is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2013, 06:42 AM   #7
RETed
RCC Addict
 
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: Honolulu, Hawaii USA
Posts: 1,813
Rep Power: 19
RETed will become famous soon enough
Let me just preface this...

I've been dealing with newbs like you for years now.
I've been dealing with newbs like you online for over 20 years now.
I can smell them from a mile away.
You think you know what you are doing.
In actually you have a lot to learn.
You know just enough to be dangerous.
You also have a chip on your shoulder that if you get criticized, you get all defensive and get all butt hurt.
Get over it.
You asked a public question on a public forum - be prepared for responses that you do not agree with.


Quote:
Originally Posted by rotar bones View Post
Changing things is half the fun ted. I have changed things before ,
You look like the type that likes to waste money?
If you're buying and swapping stuff just for the sake of doing so, then none of this applies to you and just ignore anything I say, period.
When I build my cars, I change and mod things that NEED to be modded - nothing more; nothing less.
My philosophy is: function over form.


Quote:
I have owned it 6 years now.
I've been doing this since 1996, so that makes it 17 years?
Since we're comparing resumes...


Quote:
I am also going to change other things in the future. If your a buff on keeping stock cars stock , than congrats, I am not a stock car buff at all. I bought it to play with and I shall.
See above.


Quote:
I have been revving up my motor to 3 or 4000 rpm at shut down for the last 6 years and 80,000 miles with no ill effects or wet starts etc, etc, etc. You were skirting a statement that revving your engine ad dumping the power is a bad thing at shut off. Do yu think it is a bad thing for the motor?. Is it?. I have been doing it for 6 years and 80,000 miles and my motor is as strong as the day I bought it new , so if that isa bad thing to do than why is my motor so strong and never , never experienced a bad start or any thing of the like. I'm not convinced we are the same page. you sound angry. Why be so angry man , life is too short. Crack a smile and let the sun shine through ok?.
I don't argue with stupid.
You made your point.
I came to the conclusion that you're not going to listen to anything I had to add, thus, I ended my involvement in that thread.


Quote:
I don't know quite how to respond as it sounds like your chewing my ass and not giving me advice?. You sound almost angry?.
Dude, sorry to tell you, but you're nothing special...
Ask anyone who has known me for a few years - my road is littered with ignorant people like you...thousands...
Angry?
You're giving yourself too much credit.
I'm sitting here smilin' and laughin' at how much you don't know...
Try again.


Quote:
The one I bought isn't much bigger than the stock one.
This implies you're wasting money...

Quote:
I am moving it to the center grill because I want to gain more efficient cooling.
This implies you're ignorant on how heat exchange dynamics work...


Quote:
I plan to use the original hole drivers side to feed air over my coils.
I don't know where the stock coils are located, but if you need a dedicated air source to cool them, either the original design is stupid to begin with (ala FD), or you don't know what you're doing...

Quote:
I think it is best to leave this where it is as you sound more like my dad than any thing. Thanks for the ass chewing but no thanks sir.:0. I was just looking for discussion not discord. Some how I have written in your quote?, I opoligize far that.
I hope I am not related to you in any way, shape, or form...


-Ted
__________________
reted_2000@yahoo.com
Technical Advisor
FC3S Pro
http://fc3spro.com/



Quote:
Originally Posted by TitaniumTT View Post
because you're only as good as your backup
RETed is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2013, 08:14 AM   #8
WE3RX7
RCC Addict
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: VA
Posts: 1,812
Rep Power: 19
WE3RX7 is on a distinguished road
I'm really confused. Are you installing a new coolant radiator in place of the OEM one? Or - are you installing a new oil cooler in the center inlet thus removing the driver's side oil cooler?

Is your car auto or manual?

I understand that you "race" down mountain roads and that your car gets hot, but by your own admission you just bought digital gauges to view the temperatures of both oil and coolant. This means currently you're relying on the factory gauges which is a terribly bad idea. If any of your temp gauges are reading more than "normal" or slightly less than half way in an RX8, you've probably already cooked something and no amount of additional/larger coolers is going to solve that problem.
WE3RX7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2013, 11:14 AM   #9
Sephitrask
BOILED PEANUTS!!!
 
Sephitrask's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jun 2010
Location: Jacksonville, Fl
Posts: 257
Rep Power: 15
Sephitrask is on a distinguished road
The coils are in a crap place, but I don't know that any amount of ducting will cool them in the stock location. Want to fix the issue? move them.
__________________

www.rotarycarclub.com
"The way a Rotary engine makes power is ferocious, much like having a chainsaw under your right foot."
Sephitrask is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2013, 01:26 PM   #10
rotar bones
rotary owner/driver.
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 69
Rep Power: 0
rotar bones is an unknown quantity at this point
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sephitrask View Post
I misread the initial post, my bad. So the car is an auto then? I havent done measurements on the location your talking about moving it to, but it seems like it would be to narrow for a non v-style mount. If you go through with it please take pictures, I would love to see it.
I will take pics as it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

Last edited by rotar bones; 08-04-2013 at 04:04 PM.
rotar bones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-07-2013, 01:34 PM   #11
rotar bones
rotary owner/driver.
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 69
Rep Power: 0
rotar bones is an unknown quantity at this point
Quote:
Originally Posted by Sephitrask View Post
The coils are in a crap place, but I don't know that any amount of ducting will cool them in the stock location. Want to fix the issue? move them.
Actually you are correct.

Last edited by rotar bones; 08-04-2013 at 04:09 PM.
rotar bones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2013, 02:47 PM   #12
rotar bones
rotary owner/driver.
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 69
Rep Power: 0
rotar bones is an unknown quantity at this point
Quote:
Originally Posted by RETed View Post
Let me just preface this...

I've been dealing with newbs like you for years now.
I've been dealing with newbs like you online for over 20 years now.
I can smell them from a mile away.
You think you know what you are doing.
In actually you have a lot to learn.
You know just enough to be dangerous.
You also have a chip on your shoulder that if you get criticized, you get all defensive and get all butt hurt.
Get over it.
You asked a public question on a public forum - be prepared for responses that you do not agree with.



You look like the type that likes to waste money?
If you're buying and swapping stuff just for the sake of doing so, then none of this applies to you and just ignore anything I say, period.
When I build my cars, I change and mod things that NEED to be modded - nothing more; nothing less.
My philosophy is: function over form.



I've been doing this since 1996, so that makes it 17 years?
Since we're comparing resumes...



See above.



I don't argue with stupid.
You made your point.
I came to the conclusion that you're not going to listen to anything I had to add, thus, I ended my involvement in that thread.



Dude, sorry to tell you, but you're nothing special...
Ask anyone who has known me for a few years - my road is littered with ignorant people like you...thousands...
Angry?
You're giving yourself too much credit.
I'm sitting here smilin' and laughin' at how much you don't know...
Try again.



This implies you're wasting money...


This implies you're ignorant on how heat exchange dynamics work...



I don't know where the stock coils are located, but if you need a dedicated air source to cool them, either the original design is stupid to begin with (ala FD), or you don't know what you're doing...


I hope I am not related to you in any way, shape, or form...


-Ted

Wow! me too. If you don't have an 8 its probably best you do not comment on the 8. Make sense ted. Here is a nice 1st generation 7
Attached Images
File Type: jpg rx8-13.jpg (136.7 KB, 2 views)
File Type: jpg $T2eC16F,!zEE9s3!(IvgBR0Zl+pGgQ~~60_3.jpg (80.4 KB, 1 views)

Last edited by rotar bones; 08-04-2013 at 04:14 PM.
rotar bones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2013, 04:38 PM   #13
WE3RX7
RCC Addict
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: VA
Posts: 1,812
Rep Power: 19
WE3RX7 is on a distinguished road
You don't need to move your coils. The upgraded BHR coils (LS2) have heat sinks in them and they don't sit near close enough to the exhaust to cause any REAL problems. I've run a similar setup as what BHR offers for years now on many track days with no issues other than plug wire failure (unrelated).

Now - unless you WANT to move them because you're bored and looking for something to do, by all means. Although almost anywhere else you move them to will involve lengthening your harness and plug wires which if not done properly will probably cause more harm than good.

If you're really trying to be different - why don't you tackle doing a 6spd swap into your automatic? That'll be your biggest bang for the buck (swap in the 6 port engine while you're at it)....
WE3RX7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2013, 06:34 PM   #14
rotar bones
rotary owner/driver.
 
Join Date: Jun 2013
Posts: 69
Rep Power: 0
rotar bones is an unknown quantity at this point
Quote:
Originally Posted by WE3RX7 View Post
You don't need to move your coils. The upgraded BHR coils (LS2) have heat sinks in them and they don't sit near close enough to the exhaust to cause any REAL problems. I've run a similar setup as what BHR offers for years now on many track days with no issues other than plug wire failure (unrelated).

Now - unless you WANT to move them because you're bored and looking for something to do, by all means. Although almost anywhere else you move them to will involve lengthening your harness and plug wires which if not done properly will probably cause more harm than good.

If you're really trying to be different - why don't you tackle doing a 6spd swap into your automatic? That'll be your biggest bang for the buck (swap in the 6 port engine while you're at it)....


Not

Last edited by rotar bones; 08-03-2013 at 09:22 AM.
rotar bones is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 07-08-2013, 08:15 PM   #15
WE3RX7
RCC Addict
 
Join Date: Feb 2008
Location: VA
Posts: 1,812
Rep Power: 19
WE3RX7 is on a distinguished road
The 06 and newer RX8s have 6spd autos.. you could do that swap.

Worn grommets? Please elaborate.
WE3RX7 is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Bookmarks


Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is On

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -5. The time now is 01:44 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2025, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Hosted by www.GotPlacement.com