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Are ceramic seals worth it?

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Old Mar 13, 2008 | 07:24 PM
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Are ceramic seals worth it?

I am thinking about getting my engine street ported. It is already out of the car and am iguring it would be a good time to get the mods done.
Should I get the ceramic seals? What are the otehr options?

Also where is a good place to get a rebuild kit, ie. bearings & gaskets?

Thanks in advance.
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Old Mar 13, 2008 | 07:36 PM
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Are you going to rev the **** out of it?
Or run high boost?

Judging by your question on where to get parts, I'd say: "Save Your money for some other parts"
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Old Mar 14, 2008 | 07:14 PM
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depends on your budget, your power goals, how you plan to make the power and your overall usage. that's the best answer you're going to get from me on a subjective question like that, because ultimately, it's your $1900.

however, my opinion is that you save your money and invest in other parts that lend themselves to better reliability and achieving the best tune you can get.
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Old Mar 22, 2008 | 02:01 PM
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im planning on buying a blown FD, would ceramic seals be worth it? it would be a DD and i didnt know if ceramic would be worth it for the reliability or not.

figured posting in here would be smarter than starting a new thread :P
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Old Mar 22, 2008 | 02:25 PM
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There is a huge thread on the NRS seals go read it. There is also another thread on unbreakable apex seals read that as well. Should answer all your questions.
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Old Mar 22, 2008 | 03:42 PM
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I'd say anything short of fullblown allout racing. Not worth it.
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Old Mar 22, 2008 | 05:21 PM
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i think they can also have a place if you're trying to build for longevity in more pedestrian applications. i'm not sure about the stock rotor housing sealing surface, but when used in tandem with a Cermet sealing surface, isn't it supposed to maintain great compression for much longer than the stock fare? wasn't that one of the things that was so special about the 787B?

granted it makes for a very expensive build, but i'm just saying i think it can have a place outside of all-out racecars. it's not what i would recommend to the average joe, so i stick by my original assessment of saving your money and spending elsewhere in the buildup.
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Old Mar 23, 2008 | 10:06 PM
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Ceramic break also...not worth the money...theres also ceramic housing coatings. 3mm FTW.
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Old Mar 23, 2008 | 10:25 PM
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Most of the rotary experts agree that 3mm is unnecessary in terms of reliability and doesn't seal better than 2mm.
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Old Mar 24, 2008 | 02:06 PM
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Oh so lasting longer and not having the ability to be broken in my hand makes them unnecessary?
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Old Apr 3, 2008 | 05:27 PM
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Originally Posted by Electric
Oh so lasting longer and not having the ability to be broken in my hand makes them unnecessary?
You sir are an idiot.
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Old Apr 6, 2008 | 09:36 PM
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Yes, and I'm the one insulting others on the internet.
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Old Apr 7, 2008 | 03:57 AM
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im also getting my engine built soon id be interested in this topic. half bridge daily driver with a big turbo.. will likely be revving the **** out of it.. what seals you guys reccomend? lol
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Old Apr 8, 2008 | 08:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Electric
Yes, and I'm the one insulting others on the internet.
Not meant as an insult, it's just the information you posted was retarded. All seals will break, that is a fact, but some easier than others in a running engine. Exactly how many ceramic apex seals have you broken in your hand? If you haven't broken one in your hand then you are giving second hand information out like it is a fact, so stop. The whole 3mm thing is more useful for people that have excessive wear on the apex seal slot on the rotor and have to have them machined out to 3mm to make the rotor usable than just popping in 3mm seals because it will make up for shoddy tuning.

Go read the ENTIRE NRS thread in this section to brush up on current events in the ceramic seal world. There are a lot more benefits for using a ceramic seal, ESPECIALLY if you are using it in conjunction with Cermet coated housings.

Bottom line, if you have the cash to buy them then get them. As long as you have good tuning it may be the last seal you ever buy.
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Old Apr 8, 2008 | 10:30 PM
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I wasn't talking about breaking ceramic seals in my hands. I was talking about being unable to break 3mm with one hand. I was reffering to the fellow above's opinion on 3mm. I guess I'm biased because I have a 3mm motor, that thing buzzes 10 grand all day no problem. 2mm are just garbage, sure they have less friction but are definetely weaker. Look how many people on here are blowing them up left and right, or for an example my boss is on his 6th motor in his FD.
You completely read what I said wrong, sure I don't know much about ceramic seals. They probably do last a hell of a lot longer, but I'm not quite sure if they're worth the money...its just a matter of having the cash like you said.
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Old Apr 8, 2008 | 11:09 PM
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Originally Posted by Electric
I wasn't talking about breaking ceramic seals in my hands. I was talking about being unable to break 3mm with one hand. I was reffering to the fellow above's opinion on 3mm. I guess I'm biased because I have a 3mm motor, that thing buzzes 10 grand all day no problem. 2mm are just garbage, sure they have less friction but are definetely weaker. Look how many people on here are blowing them up left and right, or for an example my boss is on his 6th motor in his FD.
You completely read what I said wrong, sure I don't know much about ceramic seals. They probably do last a hell of a lot longer, but I'm not quite sure if they're worth the money...its just a matter of having the cash like you said.
I thought you were talking about the factory three piece ones. They break real easy by hand.
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Old Apr 8, 2008 | 11:25 PM
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Originally Posted by Boostmaniac
You sir are an idiot.
QFT
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Old Apr 8, 2008 | 11:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Electric
I wasn't talking about breaking ceramic seals in my hands. I was talking about being unable to break 3mm with one hand. I was reffering to the fellow above's opinion on 3mm. I guess I'm biased because I have a 3mm motor, that thing buzzes 10 grand all day no problem. 2mm are just garbage, sure they have less friction but are definetely weaker. Look how many people on here are blowing them up left and right, or for an example my boss is on his 6th motor in his FD.
You completely read what I said wrong, sure I don't know much about ceramic seals. They probably do last a hell of a lot longer, but I'm not quite sure if they're worth the money...its just a matter of having the cash like you said.
Sounds to me like your boss doesnt know what the hell he's doing.

the stock 2 piece 2mm seals will support 400 to 500 rwhp with zero problems, I hardly think that they're garbage......
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Old Apr 9, 2008 | 02:39 AM
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oh.......
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Old Apr 9, 2008 | 12:37 PM
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Originally Posted by Electric
I wasn't talking about breaking ceramic seals in my hands. I was talking about being unable to break 3mm with one hand. I was reffering to the fellow above's opinion on 3mm. I guess I'm biased because I have a 3mm motor, that thing buzzes 10 grand all day no problem. 2mm are just garbage, sure they have less friction but are definetely weaker. Look how many people on here are blowing them up left and right, or for an example my boss is on his 6th motor in his FD.
You completely read what I said wrong, sure I don't know much about ceramic seals. They probably do last a hell of a lot longer, but I'm not quite sure if they're worth the money...its just a matter of having the cash like you said.
Gotcha. Now that makes a lot more sense. The stock seals will last a while as long as the tuning is good. He's either riding the ragged edge of the 2m seal or someone is tuning him all wrong.

Originally Posted by Turbo II Rotor
QFT
Who are you and where did you come from again?

Originally Posted by GoodfellaFD3S
Sounds to me like your boss doesnt know what the hell he's doing.

the stock 2 piece 2mm seals will support 400 to 500 rwhp with zero problems, I hardly think that they're garbage......
I also believe there was someone in here that was putting down close to 700 with 2mm. It really comes down to the tuning, I just can't iterate that enough. I personally like the ceramics from a sealing/weight/longevity perspective. The extra strength never hurts either.
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Old Apr 13, 2008 | 11:37 AM
  #21  
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Originally Posted by Electric
Oh so lasting longer and not having the ability to be broken in my hand makes them unnecessary?
3mm seals don't last any longer.

They do require a lot more oil.

I have yet to pull apart a 2mm seal engine with rotor housings as horribly worn as any 3mm seal engine with over 100k on it.

All seals can break. I broke a (3mm) seal in a N/A 13B that still shows over 120psi compression on the front rotor. Still have no idea how it happened, thinking it was a high RPM misfire issue.

Given their greater RPM tolerance and their MUCH reduced wear on the housings, I feel 2mm is the only way to fly unless you're stuck with 3mm rotors for whatever reason.
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