Just got a 1988 mazda rx7

[franciscoescn]

So i got the car and whanted to change the oil on it but dont know what kind of oil to use could i use synthetic because i heard that none synthetic oil is better. Should i use 10w40 or something other than that it has 88,500 miles thanx and its my first rotory

 

[lil_red_wagon]

DO NOT use synthetic. i recommend that you use a decent dino like castrol or pennzoil. these cars are designed to burn a little bit of oil with every revolution as a part of lubrication. synthetics don't burn the same way that dino oils do.

 

[lil_red_wagon]

also, try to keep the oil changes on a 2k-2500 mile interval. 3000 mile intervals will make your oil start to smell like gas and make the level pretty low. you will occasionally have to add a quart of oil if you don't change your oil at short intervals.

 

[jmsj578]

My wife's RX-8 calls for longer times between oil changes; and, I know it's gone beyond 3K miles. It didn't smell like gas. However, the engine does use oil. In fact, I make it a point to check it fairly often. The engine only holds about 3.7 quarts of oil with filter. I'd check it no less than every 500 miles and keep it topped off. I strongly feel that many of us burn up rotaries because we forget to top off the most important fluid to that engine. I also use a good grade dino oil. Pennzoil is my favorite.

As for my RX-7, I also use dino oil. It, too, uses a little oil. However, that may be typical for a slightly modified LT1 GM engine. If your rotary doesn't work out for you, you can always do a swap.

 

[Rotary_Powered]

Synthetics are actually ok to use, I've been running Royal Purple for a long time with no problems. There are some good articles on the web. Not all synthetics are ok but many are fine.