OverDriven

I know of the Atkins video and have heard great things about it. However, I was wondering if there are any other guides available that are recommended by forum members. How are the "instructions" that come withthe Rotary Aviation rebuild kits? Also, WTF is up with Atkins charging $12 to ship a little VHS cassette?


-Joe

Syonyk

The instructions that come with the RA rebuild kits are not general purpose rebuild instructions - they just cover differences with their kit. A good read, but it won't guide you through the rebuild.

Download the FSM, and buy the Haynes manual for your car. Between those two, you'll have all the information you need to do the rebuild. The video is apparently good too, but that covers a lot of how to check parts for wear & tolerances & such - if you're going with new seals and such, you don't need to do as much of that. It's still nice to see things going together, but I haven't seen it, and my rebuild is working fine (well, ok, the other guy I worked with had seen it).

FSM + Haynes, definitely, and if you can add the rebuild video on top, you're good to go.

Also, at least the first time, make sure you have someone to help you. I'm sure it's possible to put it together yourself, but it's a LOT easier in some places with another person (lifting the e-shaft while putting the intermediate housing on, etc).

-=Russ=-

Bob_The_Normal

The rebuild video actually doesn't show you how to measure clearance... that's the FSM... the video basically just shows them taking it apart, then all their parts are magically clean and they reassemble it all in the right order. Cleaning all the old parts was the biggest pain in my rebuild so far (well.. it took the most time.. but I've yet to see how big a pain this is going to be) and the video didn't help that at all. But it kind of helps to see it put together.

Check the Archives, Aaron Cake just put a thread in there on his rebuild that I WOULD have found extremely useful in my rebuild (lol).

--Gary

OverDriven

Thank you both a ton. BTW...I did see Aaron's thread and thought it was great.

-Joe

Aaron Cake

iTrader: (1)

Also, there's the famous Bruce Torrentine (I hope I'm spelling that correctly) video. It's available from http://www.rotaryaviation.com/overhaul_video.htm . I have not seen the Atkins video, but I have seen the Bruce Torrentine video. From what I have heard, the Bruce video is much more in depth. He covers clearances, inspection, etc.

You'll find the videos much more helpful then the Haynes manual or Factory manual. I don't even look at those manuals during engine builds, except to look up torque specs.

WAYNE88N/A

As far as doing it all by your lonesome, I used an angled wedge on the floor that the end of the e-shaft sat on and moved it with my foot to displace the shaft up or down while installing the center housing. Necessity is the mother of invention, lol...

The Bruce video is good, the only thing I disagree with that he did was pouring MMO on the side housing faces for an "assy pre-lube". That ****'s so thin that it creeps into the seal valleys. Just use normal engine assy lube...

YearsOfDecay

The bruce video was really good.. shows you how to take all the measurements.... One thing... super glue the damn end pieces onto the apex seals before you put it together... i don't give a **** what bruce says... the first time i rebuilt one... everytime i tried to put the mid iron on, the e-shaft would move the rotor just enough so that the little bastards would pop up.. and then i'd have to start all over... what a bitch.... I always glue 'em now.. screw it.. Just be ready for the sound of a ball pine hammer hitting the engine wehn the superglue vaporizes and they snap into place!!

OverDriven

Thanks again everyone for the advice! This rebuild is alot of fun so far. Only thing that sucks is I need a new front side housing. Coolant seal went, and then the exhaust gasses blew the coolant side of the metal oring channel (on the front side housing)away...ruining the side housing of course. Good news is that the rotor housings appear to be flawless...no scarring or warpage. If I could only find a side housing I would be set. I have an ad up in the Wanted section so we'll see what that turns up.

-Joe

Syonyk

I agree with the superglue comment. It would have saved me literally hours in the rebuild.

-=Russ=-