Hey, I searched and didn't find anything on this so I was wondering, what amount of work is required to replace a apex seal in a FD engine? Is it possible to be done without having a shop doing it for you?

 

new apex seals = new rebuild.

 

very possible DIY job if you have any mechanical aptitude and knowledge of rotary engines

 

The apex seals are internal to the engine. To replace the apex seals, the entire engine needs to be dismantled and then reassembled (according to Mazda's engine specs).

 

alright, maybe I should make the question a little more specific. If I chose to replace the apex seal by myself, would I be able to just dis-assemble the engine, then rebuild it with the new apex seal, and not worry about re-balancing the rotor assembly and such?

 

You won't necessarily have to "rebalance" the rotors/shaft; however, when you disassemble the engine everything has to be inspected. There are fairly tight tolerances for all the parts. Anything not within spec needs to be replaced so it's not typically as simple as "replacing the apex seals".

You'll have all the coolant o-rings to replace, you have to check the wear on the rotor housing and side housings, replace the front and rear seals, check the bearing and the list goes on. Before considering such a task, I suggest you purchase and watch this video:

http://www.rotaryaviation.com/overhaul_video.htm

 

Yeah, that sounds like a considerable amount of work for which I dont really want to get into. I think it would be more reasonable to have a shop rebuild it for me. Thanks for the help though.

 

If you are going to rebuild you may want to consider porting as well.