Just received this oil ring spring set from Atkins today. Looking at the locking tabs I noticed 3 of the pairs look like they're bent the wrong way, only the blue inner springs look correct to me. When laid down in the rotor groove the orientation of the bends don't let the tabs fall into their divots. Am I wrong?

 

I've never seen that paint before, but those look fine.

The flat tab fits into the control ring and the rounded side fits into the rotor. So I guess if the paint is only on the sides shown in the picture; then put them in the rotors with the painted side facing away from the rotor.


EDIT: oh wait I see what you're saying. The white ones look like they are painted so the paint faces towards the rotor....
Man screw that paint just put them in right and ignore that paint.

 

well, if you look closely at the pair with the white paint, when you place the spring in the groove the round tab isnt low enough to catch the circle divot in the rotor groove. same with the square tab, its not high enough to catch the cutout on the oil ring. it looks to me the tabs were bent the opposite they should be and the paint on the wrong side. the blue inner springs seem to be the only ones bent correctly. unless that is, it doesnt matter during assembly and all the tabs will catch their divots when the motor is torqued together due to compression. i just wanna be sure so i dont have to tear the motor apart twice.

 

I just completed my first rebuild so I can't say I'm a master builder but I would suggest the following:

1. Recheck the FSM on where the blue and white springs go. I can't recall but I remember they are very specific where they go. It might be like, white faces the front and rear of the motor and the blues both go toward the middle of the motor.

2. When I put the oil rings in I just got a good light and put it down low next to the rotor so I could see that the indent in the ring was going into the upward point of the spring as I lowered it in. To a point though I think you have to just make best effort and move on, it can get maddening. I haven't had any oil burn or leakage so there's that.

 

i know how the springs go in, i also know which colors go where, that is not my concern. what everyone fails to notice is the fact that the tabs on all my springs except for the blue inner ones are bent the wrong way. pay close attention to the picture of the white springs and look closely at the rounded tabs that go into the rotor and are supposed to catch the circle divot. according to the manual youre supposed to place the rounded tab into that circle, if you look at the way my springs are bent, it isnt possible...

in order to catch the circle divot id have to bend the round part further down, to catch the groove in the oil ring id need to bend the flat tab upwards. i doubt thats how it should be, has anyone else used springs like these? are they even oem?

 

Put the springs and oil rings (minus O-rings) in the rotors and verify that you can spin the oil ring in the direction of rotor travel but you can NOT spin it backwards once the tabs engage.

If the tabs never engage, when pushing the rings down to installed height... yep you have a problem there.

Personally I have no idea what color goes where... and I only use used springs and the paint is usually gone off of them anyway. So I check installation by verifying that when the rotor is turning it is forcing the ring to turn with it. So on the rear face of each rotor you should not be able to turn the seal clockwise, and on the front face you should not be able to turn the seal counterclockwise.

 

They look right to me. But it's early and I'm tired. Whites go on the fronts and blues on the back. I be back when I finish waking up.



I'm up I'm up. I see it now.

 

I talked to Dan himself at Atkins rotary, showed him my pictures and drew out this diagram. He was confused himself at first but when he saw the diagram he understood completely and was really cool and willing to exchange them for me. +1 for Atkins Rotary!!!

 

I have ordered plenty of sets from atkins and most had this problem.all I did is slightly bend the ends so they sit lower and lock into the rotor,right where you marked your drawing (bottom of wave) Thats where I slightly bend it down.never had any issues.

 

It's because of where it's cut in the wave. Nothing much to worry about. Do like Dave says.

 

I have here a spring set of the ARE90 atkins springs. it looks to me like they have hand bent the end waves a lot more then the other waves. I have assembled the rings with OEM rx-8 black rings and they always push themself out. I think one can then only hope upon tightening up the motor that they walk right in?


The viton outer rings they supply it is near impossible no matter what lubrication and force is used to force the ring in. therefore I swapped in rx-8 black ones. not worth risking to crack a steel ring just to get these basterds in.

N225-11-361


Both blue and withe inner and outers have it

Left is atkins right is OEM N225-11-361