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.