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.