rx7learner

4 of the little triangle pieces are missing but the major part of the apex seals are about 10% worn.

I have 4 other apex seal corner triangle pieces (sorry for the lack of technical terms) from another 12A that I could use but they are probably not the same exact size as those that are lost.

How important are they and whats the impact of swapping them out with ones that may not be the same exact size as the originals?

Please let me know.

Vashner

lol You should not leave out any parts from a rebuild.

You took your engine apart I assume. Did you buy a rebuild kit or are you
just trying to slap it back together?

rx7learner

I did not say leave them out. Based upon specification the seals are more than 90% therefore I plan on reusing them.

"Slap it back together" is far from what I have been doing. Everything has been specked for reuse and cleaned meticulously, all threads and holes have been cleaned out with die & tap... this is definitely not a slap together job but I don’t like spending money where it's not needed.

gsl-se addict

iTrader: (3)

You'll be fine using other used corner pieces. You can also get the corner pieces new from Mazdatrix (separatly from the apex seal).

rx7learner

Thanks gsl-se addict.

Vashner

Yea I was to quick on the leave them out. I just would not reuse them since the labor is a pain.

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

And you've personally built how many engines?

mikewoodkozar

Get new ones regardless of how nice the used ones are, i mean the motor is apart, why not

Vashner

I don't think a rotor seal or a piston ring is something you should reuse. That's just my opinion.

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

Then perhaps you should sit down and read the rebuild section of the FSM. You may think otherwise afterwards. The ability to reuse some parts is the reason for wear specs listed in the FSM..

waysrx7

Is this an opinion from experience or from something you heard somewhere?
Please answer trochoid's question.

3rd and final 7

iTrader: (9)

LOL i dont think ive ever really seen you like this b4 Scott, take a deep breath man!

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

What, cranky and out of meds, yeah, it happens.

vipernicus42

iTrader: (4)

Yeah Scott, calm down.

Personally I agree with him. I wouldn't re-use apex seals. If I've got the engine apart, and it already costs a few hundred for the soft seal kit, I might as well not cheap out and just do everything.

Yes there are wear specs in the FSM/Heynes, and yes you can re-use them, but it's a personal choice for some people to reuse them or not.

As far as I'm concerned, I went through all the trouble of draining all the fluids, pulling the engine out, mounting it on a stand, ripping it apart, ordering the soft seal kit and rebuilding it, so why do it half-assed? Any amount of wear on the direct contact parts puts you that much closer to having to repeat the procedure again. Sure, "10%" wear isn't a lot, but is that 10% of the full size of the seal? or 10% between the size of a new one and the max wear limit? And how much wear are you going to get during break-in? What if they're worn unevenly and you didn't use a compartmented box to make sure they go back the same way? Just mixing and matching them can cause more wear because they'll be uneven.

Too many variables. As far as I'm concerned if I'm going to do it for my own car, I'm going to do it right the first time.


But not all people have to do that, and in some cases I can understand a "budget" build. I'd probably do a "budget" build on a kicker engine that I don't care about, mixing and matching parts from here and there to try and throw together an engine for the price of a soft seal kit. I wouldn't expect it to last, but that's the expectation going into it.


So don't rib the guy for saying he wouldn't re-use apex seals or piston rings, and people shouldn't rib the original poster for wanting to mix-and-match apex corner pieces. To each their own.

Jon

trochoid

iTrader: (6)

The original question was, 'could he use used corner seal pieces', the answer is yes if within spec. He's aready reusing his in spec seals, no need for new corner pieces.

I'm impatient with all of the unkowledgeable/inexperienced opinions that many others may take as fact. Somedays it's like pre-school, everyone wants to answer, but no one knows the correct one.

vipernicus42

iTrader: (4)

... and other days it's like College Philosophy 101 - many people answer, they say different things, but they're all right from one perspective or other.

I think there's more than enough info here for the original poster. Good luck dude, I'm closing this thread.

Jon