i am not sure what kind of apex seals my car has, i believe that the owner before me never changed them. if that is the case, then they have 160k mile son them. what is the max HP that i could push them to? should i change them (would it be worth it?)? if i do replace them, shoul i go with stock size seals or waht?

 

Unless the motor was rebuilt or replaced chances are you have orginal seals.

Its my understanding that the stock 3 piece seals are good for about 450HP.

But its detonation that damages apex seals more than HP

 

can u please explain detonation???......... and my car is smokin..... when i rev it past 4000 rpm's.... but only when i start it............ could it be my apx seals?

 

uhm, stock seals can handle way more than 450hp
It's just the tuning that matters the most. Stock 3 piece 2mm are some of the best for turbo cars, however for N/A much better can be gotten.
Just worry about your tuning, you'll break other engine parts before the apex seals if your tuning is good.


Buuuuut....you have an old engine, just be glad its gone 160k and save up for a rebuild, and possibly porting (other mods if you want to past about 350hp)


Detonation is when you have too lean (too much air, not enough fuel) A/F ratio (air/fuel). Then your engine pre-detonates, which basically means the being so lean, it can combust before it gets to the combustion stage (spark plug) and this uneven pre-detonation is very messy, it can be also referred to as pinging and knocking. Piston engines can take it for a bit, but rotaries go after a couple pings.

 

If you DO have an N/A, what kinda seals should ya get, Node?

 

I hear atkins are good for N/A's, and there are some others but I really can't think of anything off the top of my head. There are some others, basically it requires a seal that can take the revs of a high HP/built N/A.

 

I've heard Hurley seals are decent too. Something to check into at least.

 

One question:

Would my Apex Seals last longer if I periodically change my engine oil + filter and do ATF trick every 6 months?

 

you need to change your oil more frequently than "periodically" I would not go any longer than 3000mi on an oil change. I'd feel safer on 2000mi. If you have the time and the patience, every other weekend wouldn't be a bad idea either.

From what I've heard about the ATF trick, don't mess with it when you've got good compression. It should be used as a last resort for restoring compression.

 

if you wait till a last resort to atf your engine your taking your life in your hands.... waiting that long may have just bought you a stuck seal.

do it regualrly to prevent carbon buildup. buildup is the reason your seals get stuck in the first place. i do mine once before i put it away and once when i take it out for the summer. clean as a whistle she is...... healthy seals.....

when i first did it it was like a new car..... instant power increase. previous owner was a ditz!!

 

so the verdict is that i should just make sure i have the rotor tuned right and save up for a rebuild. what exactly would a rebuild entail replacing? would it be cheaper to buy a new engine?

 

To clean the carbon outta my engine i just do it the ol fashion fun way....Take the car out for a couple hours w/out it revvin under 5K RPM the whole time enless im stopped You can feel the difference after pushin it hard for a little bit of time. Healthiest way to do it IMO.

 

Well RiceRocket, rebuilding your engine basically consists of buying a new engine. Most rotary engine dealers will sell you a rebuilt motor, because there is no such thing as a "new" engine since they aren't made anymore, but anyway, most dealers want to take your broken engine off your hands so they can salvage some parts to rebuild other engines.

You can go to places like:
-Racing beat
-Atkins
Those are just a few places. Or you could ask Hypnitz, a member on here, I know he is into doing very cheap rebuilds.

 

2000miles for one oil change? That sounds reasonable since the rotary uses conventional oil, which is 1 buck a qt for Mobil 1

 

Actually, new engines ARE available.
Your can get a crate short block (or long block?) from Japan. Brand spankin new....
They are, of course New Old Stock, and may well run out sometime, but currently, they are still very available.
Actually, one guy I know got one of these blocks, it was shipped to a Mazda dealership here in Ontario.

And yes- HP isn't the limiting factor for apex seals- it detonation.

 

 

propane injection? i also went to that link and saw something about alcohol injection. what does this entail? would that make it safer to up HP? where could i get more info on what it consists of and exactly how it works?

 

 

 

Your ***** still gonna detonate if you have propane injection. propane is just a form of adding more fuel and lowering your intake temperatue which can let you increase boost pressure a little bit safer.
You still need good tuning if you want power.

And a rebuilt engine is new seals, new o-rings, new gaskets, cleaned stuff, usually blueprinted (clearanced and torque to mazda factory specs), and new apex seals most times. You can also get new housings and plates if your others are too scarred to be refinished. It all depends on how the condition of your engine is when you bring it in. New Rotors are needed/wanted too. Most times a reason for a rebuild is a blown apex seal, which can lead to scarring of your rotor housings or other pieces. Expect around $1500-$3000 for a rebuild if its on the engine you already own.
Most everything is dependant on the condition of your engine and how deep your wallet is, also if you have any plans on how far you want to take the engine (higher redline, more hp, porting, endurance ready, etc)

 

Sounds interesting, might hafta do some research and come up with a kit for my 13B.

 

I know that with more boost (air) you need more fuel. But with more boost you also increase the temp at which you turbo puts out. so to counter act that and make more power with the same boost you put on propane injection to cool the intake charge. Did you even read that thread the whole way through. I don't care what you say I know a couple of guys that have it and it is dyno proven so **** off if you don't want to do it then fine just thought I would throw it out there for us RX guys since it seems this is the only forum that doesn't talk about it. So I will now delete all that I have posted before since I don't know ****.

 

I heard 650hp was the max!! that was from soul assasin or some one like that knows whats up.

 

You enjoy throwing your temper tantrum?

Anyways, yes it works, but it isn't a magic cure.

 

blow me you *** you don't even own a RX-7