Why are some type of metal coolant seals not used? Is it because they can't take the temp changes and warp? I would think warping (if it occured) wouldn't matter since the seal ends would be enclosed in the housings.


Just a thought I've been having since my coolant seal went. I hope people that have knowledge w/engines will reply.

 

There are special metal strips which are installed around the exhaust ports on the inside "race" of the inner coolant seals, for heat shielding, but I don't think these are available any more? I suppose you could make them with the right material.

Metal type gaskets are suitable for situations where things are relatively fixed, as in the rotor housings will actually twist in relation to one another under high load - perhaps this is why the seals are made of material like viton etc, which will flex and maintain a seal?

It is certainly one element of the rotary engine design which needs to be improved.

 

i think there was someone on the forum working on this.
matt

 

I believe it was bonzai toyota, they had silver or something in them, and they were built around a spring, if you search you should find them.
-EDIT- Found what you want
https://www.rx7club.com/showthread.p...ghlight=silver
http://www.nopistons.com/forums/inde...howtopic=44351
http://www.nopistons.com/forums/inde...howtopic=41442
http://www.nopistons.com/forums/inde...%20o-ring&st=0

 

I would think the "thin" wall on the housing groove would be more prone to failure...
Weakest link in the chain...


-Ted

 

Thanks for finding that thread, didn't search well enough I see.

I figured some smartass people (much smarter than me) had looked into this and they have. I figured it was possible and had been done.

If anyone messes around w/this stuff post it up, I'd like to see the results.

When I have the time/space/money I will be messing around with the idea.

 

I wouldn't think the flexing can be enough to break or bend a seal so it would stop working. If the seals are wedge fit and snugged into place when the engine is sealed I dont see how the metal could move enough to break and it would have no where to flex.

Maybe after repeated flexing (Im thinking tens of thousands of hours use) he metal might develop cracks and leak water but even then it would just be a very slow leak not a total failure like the current seals.

Nothing is this simple I'm sure that Im missing something (probably several somethings).

 

I recall someone on the other forum using teflon coated solid copper core aircraft wire with rtv at the seam for inner coolent seals for his race engine(frequently rebuilt)...

 

wow awsome info any follow up on banzis seal?

 

Did banzai ever build an engine with his solid seals? Last i read, the company making them put his project on the back burner

 

last i knew banzai discovered it to be too expensive without a *mass* production, something to that effect.

kevin.

 

some place on the forum,I said that a hollow metal seal filled with Nitrogen gas, so it could expand and contract with temps and movement,would make an excellant seal, but no one listens to an old guy anymore!! ron

 

Do you mean filled with nitrogen so it DOESN'T expand? That's the primary reason for filling your tires with it, so that the psi doesn't change with the temperature of the tire, but I don't know if that would apply to the temperatures the seals see?

 

What ?

 

i've been trying to get ahold of Banzai recently but haven't been able to. whenever i do talk to him i'll try to remember to ask him about these seals.

 

I've had seals just like banzai's made, just never got around to running them in an engine. I didn't know there was a large demand... Price was not outrageous, even for my one offs...

 

^what were they made of, specs? any reason you havent tested them out? if you can gice reason why a metal seal wouldnt work easly i like to heaqr it.

i just cant see why a non failing coolant seal cant be made and used widespread.