rotary powered kit car project - help needed!
 

Hi Guys,

I'm complete novice with rotary engines, but I've been learning what I can - think I've grasped the theory but now need to put it into practical terms on my 13b...

The story is this, I'm building myself a lotus seven kit car, using a 13b. All going well so far, until I trial mounted the engine last weekend. Nothing too drastic, it fits in the engine bay, just, but it sticks up a bloody mile! :eek: Gonna need the biggest bonnet bulge you ever saw at this point! :D

My 13b is from an 86 2nd gen, injection, non-turbo. My ideas for shortening it are:
1. shorten sump, sit engine lower in chassis - problem with oil pump being in the way, can the sump be shortened at all, even by an inch or so?? :confused:
2. fitting shorter thermostat housing?? :confused:
3. shorter distributer cap/rotor arm?? :confused:

Do any other series engines have different thermostat housings and dist caps that I could use?

I've read all the discussion about premixing 2 stroke oil in the petrol tank which would allow me to remove the oil pump - would that mean I could then have a flat sump?? Can anyone tell me how I figure out if I've got a mechanical or electrical oil pump? I'm a little bit reluctant to go this route as I have no experience with these engines yet!

I've removed the air pump and all the other emissions stuff, I'm not going to be running cats either so I can move the alternator down to where the air pump used to be to get that out of the way.

Any info/ideas greatly appreciated!

Cheers,

Graham

Re: rotary powered kit car project - help needed!
 

Have you tried to research some of the rotary airplane parts...or racing parts? They have a dry sump system that does away with the oil pan and could save about 3 inches off the height! I don't have any links, but it is out there...

Link
 

I think www.atkinsrotary.com has some links to some of those oil system parts...there may be some other sites as well, but do a search and ask around......they do make them. Maybe www.mazdatrix.com has some parts for that as well. Hope that helps,
Greg

You can not remove the engine oil pump and run premix . The oil pump oils the crank and rotors , The oil metering pump on the front cover can be removed to run premix . An after market dry sump system to remove the in pan pump cost thousands of dollars . You need a good person to guide you and to study more on the engine . good Skill to you , the Lotus kit looks like the most fun . Do your home work .

I had to shorten the thermostat neck to fit under the hood of my MG Midget. I just cut most of the straight section out and welded the two ends back together. I also shortened the alternator mounting bracket and used the shortest belt that I could get on (I have to remove the water pump pulley whent he belt is new to get it on). I also went with the Weber side draft carb to keep everything low. It was much lower than the factory F/I intake.

The stock distributer cap works in my project, so no advice there.

Good luck with the project, it should be a blast to drive.

BTW - I saw a guys website a long time ago that featured his 13B powered Locost 7 kit. He was from Canada I think. Car was purple? Do a search and try to contact him?

Re: rotary powered kit car project - help needed!
 

me too :D

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1. shorten sump, sit engine lower in chassis - problem with oil pump being in the way, can the sump be shortened at all, even by an inch or so?? :confused:

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sounds way spooky, that is where the engine stores its oil, making it shorter would reduce the volume of oil available to the oil pump on acceleration, braking, and turning. a dry sump WOULD do what you want, but the expense :eek:

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2. fitting shorter thermostat housing??

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the previously mentioned cutting and welding, or going with an electric pump. I have seen electric waterpumps offered from a place in australia that looked pretty sweet. albeit pricey.

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3. shorter distributer cap/rotor arm??

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I have seen the distributor in a 92 model, it is TINY. no plug wires, it just houses the pickup coils for crankshaft position indication to the Fuel Injection. I lusted for one of them, to replace my points unit, but apparantly the ignition is controlled by the fuel injection computer so the system is worthless without the injection. bummer. :( .

as my setup is not heigth constrained I just today bought a distributor from an 85 to replace my 78 cosmo point unit, the cosmo distributor is MUCH shorter, it is well below the alternator even counting the plug wires. you might want to check out an older points style distributor.

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Can anyone tell me how I figure out if I've got a mechanical or electrical oil pump?

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as far as I have learned, your engine oil pump IS mechanical, period.
the metering pump might be electric on later models that I have not yet read about, but I have not read anything about late electric metering pumps so far ;)

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Any info/ideas greatly appreciated!

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I have read about a popular movement among the airplane types calling themselves "Plugs Up".

they rotate their rotary 90° so the sparkplugs are on top of the engine with the intake and exaust on the bottom.

this sounds not too horrible except for going around a turn one way would keep the engine oil from draining into the sump properly I fear.
airplanes do not much have that problem.

look at my post "oil exit lines" in this section. This gives my idea on how to make a dry-sump setup using the factory front cover and oil pump.

But why not have a cut-out in the bonnet and have a bulged perspex cover? would look different (and pretty sweet if polished and chromed up!)