Polishing Rotor Faces
 

SInce I ceramic coated my rotors, I was wondering if polishing the rotor faces would have a similar effect.

It's my hunch that if u polish the rotor face the smooth surface would make it harder for carbon to stick to it.

We all know that carbon build up is a bad thing since it contributes to detonation from being a possible ignitor source and the mass of the carbon build-up may "artifically" increase the compression ratios.

Furthermore, I have heard from some piston engine builders that polished combustion engine internals helsp reflect heat energy back in the combustion chamber, much like a shiny emergency blanket.

This helps increase the thermal efficiencies.

I like to hear thoughts and experiences........

Piston engine builders polish for that heat reflection effect. A friend of mine polished his rotors to try and accomplish what your coated rotors should do.

results?

I wire wheeled mine with a fine bristle wheel until they were shiney. All you could see was the cadmium coating. I don't know if they perform any better now. I guess they're not technically 'polished' though.

nope.

polished in my sense is enough reflection so that u can look at the rotor face and shave urself without cutting urself........

an emergency blanket refelcts heat cause of the thermal proberties of the material, not just cause its shiney.

STEPHEN

It does make a big effect. There was an article by one of the guys from Racing Beat and he mentioned that is important to polish the face of rotor for good heat dissipation and I think there is additional effect for the flame propogation. I'll see if I can find the link to it.

i tediously put mirror finishes on faces, chambers, and exh ports on a boinger. also recontoured chambers.

with CR raised from 8.5 to 10.2, car ran much cooler at 2x hp with same rad. also could run lower octane gas w/o knock. all surfaces stayed quite clean, iirc. my conclusion was it kept the heat in the combustion gases, and kept surfaces more carbon free.

Here is some insight:

http://www.scuderiaciriani.com/rx7/polishing.html

http://www.rotorsportsracing.com/per...gine_parts.htm

Re: Polishing Rotor Faces
 

I'm thinking the same thing. The last 2 engines I've built I had the rotor faces polished to a mirror finish. One was a 12app that was running for 2 1/2 years and when I rebuilt it I made 2 changes, one being the polishing and the other being a transverse ellipse on the trailing plug holes. I know the latter is good for 5hp or so so when the engine is refitted to the car I will know if there is a detectable difference.
It works in theory:D
Heat is directly related to hp. I also came across the racing beat article and it reinforced what I was already thinking.

well do it and report back. ;)

yeah, i'm in the process of trying to have my rotors polished for my next buildup. i've been curious as to what real world results to expect as well.

I read something in my 91 FSM that said the rotors were teflon coated. Wouldn't polishing remove that coating?

James

i'm not sure, but even if it is Teflon-coated, wouldn't it just be the sides and not the faces?

Rotor housings NOT rotors were teflon impregnated. this was simply to ease the break-in period from what I remember. this was to protect the rotor housings from new owners that didn't break in cars properly, but bought it and drove the piss out of it from day 1. It let the apex seals break in without wrecking rotor housings. Most of the teflon was worn away after break in, but some remained in the pores withen the grain of the chrome plating.

~Mike...........

I wasn't talking about rotor housings. I was talking about the rotors.

James

:rolleyes:

And I was explaining that the rotors were NOT coated and the HOUSINGS WERE.

~Mike.............

Now that I read this, I wish I had polished my rotors a year ago when I build my current motor. I wish I had ceramic coated my port runners, too.