I know that in piston engins if it is reved to much it can get valve float...(when pistons hit the valves)


what happens to a rotary if it is reved to much???

 

Valve float is when the valvetrain "floats" away from the cam lobes. This is because the valvesprings aren't strong enough, and it's damaging to the valvetrain. It doesn't necessarily mean valve/piston contact but in extreme cases it could happen. Usually before things get that bad, a piston comes apart or a connecting rod lets go.

Now that we've elaborated on why I stopped playing with boingers overrevving a rotary means apex seal chatter/float, or stationary gear failure, or the rotor gears walking away from the rotors and jamming against the side housing, or the rotor's tips smacking the side housing (if the e-shaft flexes enough then the face can hit the pinch in the rotor housing too), and finally after you've combated all of those problems, the bearings fail.

Someone I used to know said that one time the throttle stuck open on his fully built peripheral port engine and it revved to about 16000-16500 for a few seconds before the bearings simply siezed.

 

well.. that would really freakin suck. btu damn thats pretty friggin high.

 

JeeZ Thats revin'!!! How did he know it went that high? Was he running a motor cycle tach?

But that really sucks!! Bet he wore down his bakes riding them trying to get the car to stop. Do you have any pics of the housings? I have never seen housings that have been toasted at that high a RPM.
(joe dirt voice) Dang!