January 30, 2013 – After removing engine, I visually checked catalytic converter for internal damage. A clogged catalytic converter could cause an engine to choke and hard-start. I’ve heard about RX8 catalytic problems possibly relating to engine failure,  hence the visual check. This one checks out ok.

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January 29, 2013 – Mazda RX8’s have been plagued with a particular engine problem as the cars get up in miles. It’s hard to say exactly when the problem starts occurring but it’s usually after about 70,000 miles. You try to start your car one day and the engine “floods” after which you get symptoms of low compression and start-up is almost impossible. This has been a real problem for Mazda and as a result they extended engine warrantee on RX8’s to 100,000 mi. I recently purchased one such car with the classic flooding/non starting issue. I am in the process of rebuilding the engine which has 110,000 miles. In the coming weeks i will share my findings and assess the wear on internal engine components as i complete the rebuilding process, and hopefully shed some light on the issue.