Apex Seals
 

I was hoping, can any experienced builders tell me, why there are two piece and three piece apex seals? Is one or the other better? Why do vids only show people using two piece apex seals when rebuilding?

3 piece seals were originally used in the car, they offer better sealing properties because the smaller top piece can shift in the groove to provide a better seal.

Mazda then switched to 2 piece seals because that same top third piece was causing chatter at high RPM.

If you order new seals today from Mazda, I don't know what you will get. Recently some people have gotten three piece seals and others have gotten 2 piece seals.

Mazdatrix sells both versions now.

hmmm ... that's funny, i thought i read somewhere that some of the Japanese tuners bought out the stock Mazda had, and that Mazda now only makes the 2-piece units now. how does one confirm which story is true?

I checked this out, Mazdatrix is now selling both.

diabolical1, That information is pretty common. But the rumor is that Mazda reverts to the seal type of the next motor. So the assumption is that 16x will be 3 piece seals.

Wow,,, Somebody finally spoke up. I thought this question was too scary for people to answer. Thank You for the responses, the basic answer I was given on the phone was that that 3 piece seals are not available and that using 2 piece seals was just the same. Farberio I think I had at one time read something that your speaking of. So thanks for reminding me. I should research this.

when the rx8 came out, there was an article in one of the engineering magazines about the engine. mazda actually doesn't make the apex seals, they are made in germany. we followed up, and it was true in 2003.

i find it a little odd that they cast all the other parts in house, but have zee germans make the seals.

i have no clue why they decided to go back to the 3 piece seals.

hey thanks, man. i never knew that about the apex seals being made in Germany. i suppose it sort of makes sense though, eh? it probably would date back to their days with NSU, right? maybe it's just one of those "if-it-ain't-broke"-sort of things. do you happen to know how long it's been like that? what about the old 6 mm carbon seals?

anyway, yeah, while i don't necessarily have anything against the 3-piece seals, i'm not particularly fond of them either. when i thought they were no longer available, i didn't miss them.

Hell no wonder there expensive(sublet/mark-up). Seriously the side and corner seals appear to be more difficult to produce, yet they cost a fraction. Hmmm now I think about it, this makes me wonder who makes the side and corner seals?

carbon the only way to go... keeps your housings nice/ shame about there short life span and sometimes bit harder to start than steel seals

You want to use the two piece seal not the three piece.

what do you guys thing of ceramic coated apex seals? what are the best high performance seals known to man? im curious

Thanks for your responses!