Rotary Engine Disassembly

JunpoweR · 10-16-2007, 04:42 PM

Here a few pictures of an engine disassembly.13b gsl se motor from a 84 fb rx7
This Engine was dismantled after getting it back from a rebuild done by another shop in Sacramento.It leaked oil from the dowling area on the drivers side.They either forgot or lost the dowling O-ring during assembly.Also during the dismantling we found a conner seal spring was damaged and a side seal spring was installed backwards.(I won't say publicaly what shop it is but if you PM me I can PM you back with the name of the shop)I do all my rebuilds from home for myself and clients.
Just make sure you have a clean space and lots of bins/buckets/containers for parts like seals/springs/rotors/ect.
After taking the motor apart there will be alot of cleaning.

ScottFc3s · 10-30-2007, 05:45 PM

It was rebuilt and they still used the wire style corner seal spring?

new_to_drift · 10-31-2007, 10:32 AM

im new when it comes to rotory engines. What are the apex seals i always hear about blowing after 100k?thanks

eomund240 · 10-31-2007, 10:42 AM

You see that thing he's lifting away from the rotar in the last picture? That's it.

ScottFc3s · 11-01-2007, 08:47 PM

Side seal? Apex seals don't blow out after 100k miles. My car has 115k and is still running strong and I know a handful of people driving 200k+ motors. Aside from lower than desireable compression there is nothing wrong with them and is an urban legend. Of course apex seals do blow out prematurly form time to time but its often cause by DETANATION or a improper build. I put detanation becase this is the leading cause of premaure apex seal failure. Unlike a piston whos sealing ring is imbeded in the piston and has a huge mass behind it, an apex seal is exposed and thus more fragile. Piston engines can usually knock a few times without any damage other than aking a few miles off the life of the engine an apex seal usually blows on the first knock. This is why proper fuel control is essential if you want to get good mileage from a turbo rotary.

ScottFc3s · 11-01-2007, 08:57 PM

JunpoweR · 11-06-2007, 01:27 AM

No in the last picture I am removing the side seal.
The conner seal spring in lying below the rotor.
Yes it was rebuilt and they used wire springs!!
I always use FD corner seal springs. The flat type.
This is a GSL -se motor with 3mm stock apex seals.
I have seen them go 280k miles+.Most turbo motors blow the 2mm seals due to leaning of fuel mixture due to boost spike and improper tuning.

eomund240 · 11-06-2007, 11:54 AM

My bad, I always thought it was the side seal that went bad. I'm not exactly a rotary head, but I'm trying to learn (just soooo different from a piston driven engine).

So what's the current news with the rebuild?

raisinvsgranola · 11-20-2007, 09:21 PM

That is pretty cool, I own a GSL-SE and I'm thinking of rebuilding it myself. Should I buy new side rotor housings, the silver sections of the engine. Is there how are the fd side springs attached?

JunpoweR · 11-26-2007, 10:41 PM

Getting New Rotor Housings never hurt if you have the money for them.Most people I know reuse their old housings if the chrome didn't flake and no chatter marks.

hachiroku-fc3s · 12-10-2007, 04:15 PM

Wow, very informative thread. Great to see you still around and still doing something positive Junpower. This is my first day back on this site in over 3 years. A lot of things change, but its good to see some never do.

Amaya · 12-22-2007, 10:03 PM

Well, its possible to burn out the apex seals if the engine overheats, I think.

I would say that detonation and overheating a rotary are the two main causes of apex seal failure, both of which easily avoided.

Of course, I am no ways a pro, I just know a couple of things and trying to learn more.

As for the apex seal being damaged, yeah, really bad compression ratios. I think this is reason enough to avoid this situation, since only a rebuild and installation of new seals can fix it. Why is it that some many say the RX7 is not a reliable car? The Gen IIs are extremely reliable when well cared for. Now the gen 3s, those need some preventative maintenance. But with that, they are also pretty reliable, considering they are pretty high end sports cars.

JunpoweR · 12-23-2007, 10:17 PM

Very True Amaya,

I have had rotaries go over 200k miles on the original motor.
Take care of your car and it will last forever.

But I have also had cars that fell apart in 1 yr because I drove the SH*T out of them.