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Date: Sat, 23 Apr 2005 11:12:31 -0400
From: Ernest Christley <echristley@nc.rr.com>
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To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Re: All Parts have arrived, Whew!
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Jim Sower wrote:

> It appears I've missed something along the way here.  We've got all 
> these rotors being pitched because the apex seal slots are wallowed 
> out a little.  The replacement price seems pretty high (and likely to 
> inflate quickly when more folks start inspecting the slots of 
> replacement rotors) and one has to wonder how long the "used rotor" 
> supply will last.  What I seem to have missed is the compelling reason 
> why we can't simply mill the slots out to 3 mm, install new seals and 
> continue the march.  I know Tracy's "new formulation" seals only come 
> in 2 mm, but I speculate that would be pretty easy to change given the 
> current rash of wallowed out 2 mm slots and the potential market for 
> 3mm versions.  I've got this idea that 3 mm seals has been sort of 
> "elective surgery" and perhaps priced accordingly.  Given the 
> potential demand, it seems this could change significantly.
>
> From an engineering standpoint, what's the problem? ... Jim S.
>
According to Bruce, the slots can be repaired.  You just slip in a 
special oversized 2mm seal and roll the edges back down.  He said the 
slots don't actually wear away the material on the sides, but more or 
less just pushes the slot wider like it is soft clay.  The rotors are 
ductile iron and very easy to work, he said.

-- 
This is by far the hardest lesson about freedom. It goes against
instinct, and morality, to just sit back and watch people make
mistakes. We want to help them, which means control them and their
decisions, but in doing so we actually hurt them (and ourselves)."