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Some tidbits on Ro80s:

NSU completely revamped the RO80 engine late in its production. Early engines
had peripheral ports and circumferential cooling (the coolant passages go
around the rotor housings, each in parallel). Late RO80s engines were much
more similar to the Mazda -- Side intake ports, and the familiar axial
cooling (coolant passages flowing parallel to the crankshaft, rotor housings
in series). The Ro80 was designed with a common sump for the automatic
transmission and the engine, using automatic transmission fluid (ATF). The
theory was that the replenishment of the small consumption of ATF by the
engine would keep the fluid fresh. I don't believe there was a change
interval recommended (I have a shop manual somewhere, I'll have to dig it
out). By the way, did you know that the original Dexron ATF formula was
specifically created as a dual-purpose fluid? GM was following NSU's lead
with a common trans/engine sump, and Dexron was invented to serve both needs.
Later formulations (Dexron II and later) of course were formulated with only
the transmission as a concern, so there is no assurance that the fluid would
be acceptable in an engine.

Jon Lauter
Rotary Power Marine Corporation
www.rotarymarine.com

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