This thread is mostly to determine if there is enough interest in a new type of water seal for the rotary engine. I work for a seal manufacturing company and we can make this seal it is just a matter of if there is enough interest to make it worth while.

I have noticed that there are threads devoted to "what do I do, my engine overheated?" From what I understand, once a rotary engine is overheated, the water seals are either toast or weakened. This new type of seal would be pretty much impervious to overheating while still retaining good flexibility during assembly and engine stress. This seal would also be well suited to race applications as well because it could tolerate a lot more abuse and heat.

Please post any type of relevant questions and if you would be interested or not. I will try my best to answer whatever questions you might have. However, it might take a day to answer something that is very technical. Also, what would you be willing to pay for this new seal assuming there is enough interest?

 

The reason that stock waterseals are damaged during an overheat is not entirely due to the temperatures...it is due to the expansion of the metals which effectively crush the soft seals slightly more then is allowed if they are to maintain enough tension to form a seal.

Also, I'm not sure if a single person with limited engineering and design background, with little to no R&D funding, can truly improve upon a part designed by a major automotive manufacturer with tens of years and millions of dollars of R&D invested into rotary development.

Rotaryaviation has done it with apex seals and coolant seals...neither of which are exactly a glowing success, and are arguably inferior to stock. I believe hayes rotary sells these same ones.

Pineapple racing has done it but we don't know how successful they are in real world applications because I dont know of anyone running them long-term right now.

Banzaitoyota developed some seals that should have worked well but found the cost to be prohibitive and the project never went anywhere.

 

If you can't beat $10 / each, I wouldn't be interested.

banzaitoyota tried to develop a super, ultra seal a few years back, but at $100 / each (?), it was just too cost prohibited.


-Ted

 

Kevin, you misunderstand me. It has already been designed by my company and it is just waiting to be made if there is enough interest. The seal would not be damaged by the expansion and contraction due to overheating either.

Reted, it would not be anywhere near $100 but I am not sure it would be as low as $10 either.

 

You talking about the seals you showed me? I would be interested in a set if I ever get a job on another race team, lol.

I always thought the seals leaked because of warpage of the rotor housing???

 

I'd say if you offer a set for under $200/engine there would be a fair market, IF you can back up your claims in the high power FD realm of things. Stock and mildly modded FC's don't have so much of an issue with coolant seals, except these guys running around on 100k+ mile original engines.

 

We can make these seals twelve ways to Sunday. My company specializes in sealing things that no others can such as high pressure, high-stress, radioactive, et cetera. In other words we can make standard, high volume ones and ultra-sealing, low volume ones for your crazy, insane horsepower. It is all about what people would be willing to pay.

 

Well I'll be willing to try them on my engine, it's an N/A S4 but I won't be taking it easy on it. Also have atleast one person up for trying them on a supercharged engine.