Hey, does anybody on here know the results of gas porting the apex seal grooves to keep them in contact with the rotor housings better? I would imagine if there was an advantage it would only be good for race only and would require frequent rebuilding but was just wondering if anybody knew how well it worked if at all on a rotary.

 

Er, that is why you clearance the seal to the groove properly. Most of the force holding the seal to the rotor housing is coming from the gas pressure, not the spring or centrifugal force.

 

So if you where building an engine with tight apex seal clearances would you gas port it then? I plan on running the minimum spec according to the factory manual.

 

Why do you want the minimum spec? There is alot to gain with a larger spec clearance in these engines.

 

Just remember that different applications require different clearances(i.e. N20, turbo, methanol and All motor). If you were to gas port the seals then you will be creating a new situation that will put more heat in an area it cant escape from. I my "opinion" this would only work under very specific conditions and for very short periods of time due to carbon buildup in the passages you want to create. Another failure would include the apex seal springs being exposed to extreme heat loads. This is already a weak point in our engines and ayone who disagrees can measure up seals coming out of a strong Turbo engine that has been run under extreme race conditions. You will find at least one that is flat and in need of replacement.

The idea sounds good but I don't think that we have the right materials yet to make this work reliably for extended periods of time. A lot of research will need to be done to determine correct apex seal clearance for this setup and different applications.

Just my 2 Euro cents.