Mailing List flyrotary@lancaironline.net Message #23976
From: Bob Perkinson <bobperk@bellsouth.net>
Subject: FW: For Georges Boucher
Date: Wed, 15 Jun 2005 22:06:09 -0500
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
 
For Georges Boucher
 
Hi Georges,
 
Thanks for the suggestion about the possible role of the missing piece of the apex seal and to be honest, if I could have found a "stiff spirit", I would have partaken {:>).  I certainly like your  idea about the piece of apex seal as that would mean the cause of my problem has exited the engine.  However, I am not certain how/if that part could have stayed appended to the end of the rotary for over two hours of engine time.  I guess the centrifugal force could move it to the end of the rotor and the corner seal might have trapped it there until it did its dirty deed and then disappeared/disintegrated.  That might account for why one "hot" spot is smaller relative to the other.  The larger spot perhaps being the side on which the piece of apex seal was stuck causing the most friction and perhaps the other side simply the "cocking displacement" caused by the stuck seal piece on the opposite side. 
 
Those triangular pieces of the apex seal do have a propensity for springing away from their position and is one reason why I put masking tape over the coolant galleys of the rotor housing when I am placing those parts of the apex seal.  I have had them hop completely out of the engine. Naturally, I was certain all seal pieces were in place before placing the center side housing on the rotor housing - but, must admit I could not find one of the triangular pieces upon disassembly. So thanks again for the hypothesis.  
 
As I believe Tracy Crook mentioned I seem to find "problems" that do not seem to occur for others, just lucky I guess {:>). However, I have reflected that if I had not aborted the take-off due to the engine not being right and then had the brake failure, I might well have discovered the brake failure on my first refueling stop on a small airport (Guntersville, Al) which has one runway stuck off into a lake.  The lake Would have probably put out the brake fire..but..... {:>).  So long as anything breaks on the ground (and provided it isn't me), that is just fine with me.     
 
Have a "spirit" for me {:>).
 
Best Regards
 
Ed
 
Ed
Nice to hear you are still in good spirits (I don't mean the one in the bottle). Could it be that your missing seal corner had flipped out on assembly stuck flat on that corner, causing the stiffness & finally exiting through the exhaust. (Just me thinking aloud again.)
Georges B.
 
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