For those of you who are entertaining disassembling
and rebuilding an engine, I can not emphasize too strongly the need for a system
so you can put ever part back in its original slot (even if you are going to
replace some of the parts) . I use plastic ziplock sandwich
bags with the following annotation scheme:
RR or FR (Rear Rotor or
Front Rotor) Mark or otherwise identify each rotor - they both look alike
two days down the road.
GS or CS (Gearside or
Clearside) ( have used Inside or Outside/Inside to designate which face of
the rotor - but I think this is clearer)
On the side you first see when disassembly, I pick
an vertex (apex area) which is different from the other - like may have no
lightening pockets - anything will do just so you can tell. I then draw a
picture of that face and lable the vertexs as 1, 2, 3 going clockwise from the
choosen vertex.
Then I lable the sandwich bag
1--->2 ( for parts from Vertex 1 to Vertex 2 - but not
including 2). So this would include the corner seal, apex seal, apex
springs, side seal (from 1 to 2) and side seal spring. If the apex seal
assembly is in the bag for vertex 1 the 1 is circled.
So bag 2 for the rear rotor gear side (GS) would be
marked RR GS 2--->3 (2 circled) meaing the vertex 2 corner seal, apex seal
(and their springs) and the side seal and its spring from vertex 2 to 3 would be
in the bag.
Bag 3 would be marked RR GS 3 -->
1 completing the circle.and I would end up with three bags
Bag 1 would be markded RR GS
1--->2 (1 circled - you can put the apex seal in the clearside bags
just circle the vertex number that the apex belongs to)
Bag 2 would be marked RR GS
2--->3
Similarly on the clearside (no
gear) 3 more bags would be labled
RR CS 1--->2 this time
the one is not circled because already have the apex seal/springs in bag from
gear side. So this bag would just contain the Clearside corner seal and spring
and the side seal and spring from vertex 1 to 2.
NOTE when you flip the rotor over to this
side the vertex count goes counterclock wise if you want this sides 1,2,3 to
match the front side (recommend!).
RR CS 2--->3
RR CS 3--->1
Similarly for the front rotor.
Here are some potential Gotchas in rebuild assuming
you might reuse some of the none wearing parts (keep in mind this is only the
4th time I've opened up a rotary - so no expert by any mean):
1. Forgetting what goes where - a scheme
similar to above will help considerably
2. Forget on which housing dowels the "O"
ring goes (Look at the rotor housing it has a recess for the O ring on the dowel
that gets an O ring)
3. Did not mark which rotor AND which side
you took the oil ring side seals springs from - they must be place in a specific
order based on which side of the rotor and direction of rotation. Remember
on each end of the spring is a tab. The rounded tab goes DOWN into a small
shallow hole in the spring slot, the squared tab at the other end always faces
up in the slot.
3 a. For heavens sake don't install the
metal oil ring seal before you put the spring in the groove, otherwise you have
to dig the ring back out (also don't forget to put the rubber "O" ring in the
metal ring or the same applies).
3 b. When you do put the metal oil ring into
its slot remember there is a small square indention on its bottom side that MUST
go over the square shaped tab of the ring's spring which is pointing
up. Be careful not distrub the spring so that the rounded end
pops out of the shallow indention it is in.
3c . Use a 2x6 not a 2x4 when pressing the oil
control ring into its slot - then place the OLD metal ring over its new counter
part and press again with the 2x6 (you can often hear a pop when they slide into
position in their slots). Both rings should move up and down in their slots when
finished.
4. The outside coolant "O" ring ( the
largest) must be placed in its groove so that the tallest orientation of the
rubber stands up in the groove. Yes the cross section of this O ring is
rectangular. The stock O ring has white paint on the side that is suppose
to face the outside of the engine - but some kits not using stock seals have no
white side.
5. Don't forget the rear bearing housing has
an O ring around its base (easy to miss in that grove). This O ring is
slightly smaller than the oil seal O rings and thinner.
6. When you put the side seal (assuming you
are reusing it as I am) back in a slot - you can tell which side goes down as it
will have small burnish marks where the side seal spring rubbed it. Hold
it to the light just right and you can see them.
7. The small trianglar piece of the apex seal
is inserted on the side of the rotor (both rotors) which faces the flywheel end
of the block(its the last face of the rotor you see before putting the next item
on the eshaft.
8. Don't forget you have to lift the e shaft
approx 1" before you can wiggle the center housing over the rear e shaft lobe -
you can work all day - but if you don't lift (or have a friend to it) then you
won't get it off.