What have you done to your RX-8 today????

[hachiroku]

Thanks all for the tips, the new exhaust manifold is now fitted! More by luck than judgement I think
I did re-use the original metal gasket.
However I realised there was no support bracket included and the original bracket doesn't fit....
I'm going to check with the seller to see if it was supposed to be included, otherwise I'll have to make something, I take it the manifold support bracket is required?

[hachiroku]

Nope. Mine doesn’t have one and has been no issue

[RichT_Derby]

Pawned a kidney to fill the tank.

[New Duke]

Lubricated the UJ. The steering wheel now spins freely a bit.

Checked the front slide pins and re-greased the front pads. I had excessive wear on the front passenger inside pad. Slide pins were already lovely and smooth and the piston retracted easily. The pedal has been nice and firm. So no idea what caused it. All the other pads on the car show even wear.
That brake had been squeakier than the others which prompted me to check it.

[Bigblueknight3k]

Just wanted to ask is member part playing up as I can't access it ??

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[qwakers]

You’re showing as a ex member...

[Bigblueknight3k]

Am I why not got anything for a reminder or am out of member ship ???

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[Bigblueknight3k]

Renewed my membership now odd cos normally get a reminder been a member since I bought the car lol

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[Bigblueknight3k]

Anyway rx8 going in for whole left hand side paint job finally get the old damage marks and dents out from previous owner and cutting it close so only going to get that done just in time I hope for JDM day just putting new disks and pads on front today and hopefully wheel alignment not done it since I fitted pz suspension on then the rest of paint work will be after JDM day am afraid but hopefully nothing to much showing but am fussy about it

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[casey]

Am I why not got anything for a reminder or am out of member ship ???

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You have a PM.

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[Bigblueknight3k]

Ignore my PM, took me ages to type it on phone and I see you've renewed. Thanks

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[79398]

Finally got around to fitting the new handbrake gaiter, and adjusted the handbrake, it makes me happy.

[ChrisHolmes]

I have suspected the Prosport temp gauge was reading low for a while now and yesterday in the ambient of 21' the engine never went over 70' yet the oil went to 90'. Gauge or sensor was the question and the sensor is the easiest to get at, did I say easy? I have fitted the adaptor where the radiator hose joint sits on the cross member and having moved the battery to the boot I could just get a spanner but it wasn't a painless process!
Anyway got the sensors swapped and went for a drive which showed a steady rise up to 98' and it was steady there so job sorted.

[New Duke]

I have fitted the adaptor where the radiator hose joint sits on the cross member

So where would the sensor location be, on this flow chart?
.

Renesis Cooling System Flow Chart.jpg

.
The most reliable measurement point for highest coolant temperatures should be the pipe to the heater core.
- this is always in-circuit, regardless of the thermostat status
- it unaffected by radiator flow

[Bigblueknight3k]

That's better new discs and project mu pads

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[ChrisHolmes]

I have fitted the adaptor where the radiator hose joint sits on the cross member

So where would the sensor location be, on this flow chart?
.
Renesis Cooling System Flow Chart.jpg
.
The most reliable measurement point for highest coolant temperatures should be the pipe to the heater core.
- this is always in-circuit, regardless of the thermostat status
- it unaffected by radiator flow

The advantage of this location is that the temperature does not rise until the stat opens.

[qwakers]

same place mine is. i chose it for the same reason you did... plus it measures the temperature leaving the engine, which is the most important reading...

[New Duke]

Unless the thermostat fails to open. Then it'll overheat without the gauge warning you. Having had a thermostat fail I don't think I'd put it there.

Is the pipe to the heater core not also leaving the engine?

I plan to install a coolant temp sensor and gauge so am extra curious.

[warpc0il]

Standard practise back in the day the circuit through the heater matrix would have had a valve that was part of the cabin heater control, which is why you would be told to put the heater on HOT to empty/fill/flush/bleed the coolant circuit.

These valves would often seize or leak, so since the 80's most cars run the coolant constantly through the heater matrix and manage cabin heating by airflow control.

"Constantly" is an important word here as this is the only flow exiting the engine, regardless of correct (or incorrect) thermostat operation.

For those considering a "heater delete" for a track car, it is possible to just join the feed and return pipes of the heater matrix into a loop. However, the Renesis coolant flow is "balanced" in that it expects a certain flow restriction through the heater matrix. In the absence of this restriction, more coolant rushes around this loop and less goes through the radiator, causing overheating

[ChrisHolmes]

Well no, it would warn you the thermostat wouldn’t open, because it would not move. You soon get a feel for when it should open and if it doesn’t open you check.

[ChrisHolmes]

Unless the thermostat fails to open. Then it'll overheat without the gauge warning you. Having had a thermostat fail I don't think I'd put it there.

Is the pipe to the heater core not also leaving the engine?

I plan to install a coolant temp sensor and gauge so am extra curious.

As James posted if the gauge does not rise as expected then that indicates a stuck thermostat well before the engine starts to over heat. It’s also interesting to see that the OE gauge moves up to “normal” quite a while before the thermostat actually opens.

[JeradRx8]

Yesterday I stripped all the original sealer from the sill's pinch rails and nearby, underneath it surprisingly I found some mild surface rust (which is definitely something to look at if you have original sills) obviously this is how it starts, so I rust converted these areas and resealed it. Next I'll be looking at trying to get vactan inside the sills and then some cavity wax over the top. Try and extend the life of the original sills as much as possible, they're still very solid at the extremities where they usually go so I'm happy they'll be slightly more 'future proof' now.

Then I fitted an new set of Brembo front brakes, glad I did before I brought the car home because one of the caliper slide pins was seized solid as the rubber seal wasn't push over the carrier. So after sorting that I then painted the Calipers in Hammerite Smooth black.

Getting there with the PZ now soon it will be ready to bring home

[ChrisHolmes]

Yesterday I stripped all the original sealer from the sill's pinch rails and nearby, underneath it surprisingly I found some mild surface rust (which is definitely something to look at if you have original sills) obviously this is how it starts, so I rust converted these areas and resealed it. Next I'll be looking at trying to get vactan inside the sills and then some cavity wax over the top. Try and extend the life of the original sills as much as possible, they're still very solid at the extremities where they usually go so I'm happy they'll be slightly more 'future proof' now.

Then I fitted an new set of Brembo front brakes, glad I did before I brought the car home because one of the caliper slide pins was seized solid as the rubber seal wasn't push over the carrier. So after sorting that I then painted the Calipers in Hammerite Smooth black.

Getting there with the PZ now soon it will be ready to bring home

To get vac tan and waxoyl inside the rear of the sill, front bottom of the rear arches, remove the rear lights and push in a small diameter long tube, brake pipe is ideal, horizontally through one of the holes which will then go across the top of the wheel arch inside the box section and hit the inside surface of the rear arch so squirting any fluid in there will see it fall down into the bottom and treat the well know rot area internally.

[JeradRx8]

Beautiful, thanks very much

[New Duke]

As James posted if the gauge does not rise as expected then that indicates a stuck thermostat well before the engine starts to over heat. It’s also interesting to see that the OE gauge moves up to “normal” quite a while before the thermostat actually opens.

That makes good sense if you watch both gauges. Good logic. Provided the thermostat fails when the engine is stone cold, not in the window between the OE guage rising and thermostat opening, or fail hot and snap shut. Just means one can't be lazy and rely on the aftermarket guage max limit alarm.

Mini rant: I was really disappointed that the RX8 doesn't have an audible alarm or light warning for overheating. The OE needle just silently and quickly rises. It should do given the car already monitors the engine temp and it's so important. Our XF warns when the engine overheats with a big red warning text and an alarm. Seemed liked a silly corner to cut on the RX8, given how well thought out most of the car is.