Calling all engine builders

[imebgo]

I have just completed my engine build, pretty succesful, a few issues getting the two peice apex seals to stay in, the super glue didnt hold them together and the tips kept pinging out accross my garage

Its alll together now, and im a bit paranoid about the end play movement in the shaft, it started out pretty stiff and the only way to move it was to gently tap it with a mallet  After working it around a bit and putting some oil in wherever possible it has loosened it up and I can now move it in and out without the mallet (still.. a little bit stiff..)

Is this anything to worry about, or have i just neglected to put enough engine oil on the e-shaft and bearings during assembly, and its made it a little stiff?  

Cheers, James

[ianelvar]

I\'m no expert, but have you been through the procedure in the FSM about end float adjustment? Could be that it\'s a little on the tight side and you\'ll need a different shim.

[RobbieRX-7]

You need to use a dial test indicator or feeler gauges. You should hear a little clunk when you pull or push the e- shaft, thats normal. It needs to be within the fsm tolerances. If you have used new irons or housings, you may need to use a different thickness shim.

[imebgo]

Yea, I need to sort out the end-float yet.  I think that its referring too to the tightness is the torque on the thrubolts and end bolt which brings the engine together and shortens the gap, you test the movement in the shaft and adjust with the spacer accordingly.  The movement is there, its not too tight its just making the shaft move is too tight  it requires a bit too much effort to get the movement to test for the endfloat measurement.  



James

[RobbieRX-7]

Have you fitted the front cover yet?. I made the mistake of tipping the engine upside down on the stand. The needle bearings came loose, i tightened the front hub and squashed the bearnings with the spacer, so a little tip there, once you fit the needle bearings, keep the engine upright untill you fit the front cover and pulley.

[imebgo]

I havent done anything on the front of the engine yet, just checking movement of the shaft after I have installed the thrubolts.  It has plenty of movement (as expected) its just a PITA to move, i expected to just slide it back and forth... lol

James

[RobbieRX-7]

Well, if you have only just put the tension bolts through and the shaft is hard to move, it should slide up/down easily. Did you oil the stationary gear bearings and rotor bearings? You could try oiling around the e-shaft hoping oil seeps down into the stationary gear bearings.

[imebgo]

Yea, i put oil on the saft bearings etc.. maybe not enough???

I will see if I can get some extra oil into there...  what sort of risk do I run if I undo the engine to apply more oil? or is this a no-no once its been torqued up?

James

[ianelvar]

Did you install any new bearings in the course of doing your rebuild?

[RobbieRX-7]

Did you install new bearings in the rotors or stationary gears? I would try turning the engine over a few times first to see if things loosen up. I think you should be ok in taking it apart again. Just watch the rubber seals dont expand too much if they have been in contact with petroleum jelly or oil

[imebgo]

No new bearings, they loked in ok condition, to be honest not much in the engine was that worn when I stripped it down.  I replaced the housings with new ones and a reconditioned rear plate.

Ill take the rear plate of, strip it down and try and get some more oil into it.  I cant think of anything else that I could have done wrong, the thing wont go together if anything is in the incorrect place!

hmm... very little to go wrong, but i manage it... wolly! :spank  Maybe some new bearings....

James

[captainbizzaro]

Hi imebgo,is this the first time you;ve done a rebuild on a rotary as I was wondering if you could give me an honest opinion of how you are finding it....I\'ve been messing around with \'normal\' engines for years but never had a rotary apart but I am tempted as I\'d like to have an FD to mess around with to stop me going too mad on the FB as I\'d like to keep her fairly original!

Cheers

Tim

[RobbieRX-7]

Tim, i rebuilt mine for the first time in june. I booked a trip to the ring and the water seals let go 3weeks before the trip. The car still drove ok but was using more and more water so i just rebuilt it.The engine was low mileage anyway so I reused everything except the seals/springs.  Found some new apex seals with springs going on ebay cheap, so got them, got the rest of the kit from the usa. If you\'ve rebuilt boingers before, a rotary is like twice as easy. Mine is still going strong. I ran it in 1000miles before the ring trip, went round the ring 14 times, got back home, went to isle of man caned it round jurby airfield, got back still going strong.

[imebgo]

nice, i hope mine holds out

I watched a rebuild DVD from rotary art, and those pineappleracing series on http://www.rebuildingrotaryengines.com/ and read up about it.  along with printing out the FSM.  You kinda dont really have any excuse to get it wrong (:Nono! even though it seems I may have)  The engine goes together well, and the processes of setting it all up withing tolerances are pretty easy, the most difficult things are probably getting the flywheel nut on/off cleaning the parts and grinding the side seals down (and remembering to apply enough engine oil around the shaft) the rest is childs play, all the little bits of important info, like placing the seals in the correct way, order of the thrubolts etc.. are well documented.

James

[captainbizzaro]

Cheers Rob and James for the positive info....feeling a lot less sceptical about giving it a go! In the meantime I\'ll keep my eyes peeled on the FD pages for all the useful info that crops up and see if any dead FD\'s surface. Incidentally there is a white P plate on ebay at the mo that says in the writeup needs a rebuild.....has anyone on here got any opinions on it I think he\'s after around the £2000 mark by the looks of it.
 
Cheers again
 
Tim