Subject: P-port simple fix.
From: Rotary Engine
Date: 9/25/2006, 7:55 PM
To: AA-me


     > >> Paul
     > >> I don't want to be the source of discouragement to anyone so
    feel free to
     > >> post this or not.
     > >>
     > >> First up. Nice drawings. I was wondering how I was going to
    model it. Yes I
     > >> think we are pretty much in agreement now. A few differences
    in terms and
     > >> ID sizes. I happen to think a wee bit bigger ID is the  way to go.
     > >>
     > >> A press fit in my thinking doesn't necessarily mean a
    hydraulic press fit.
     > >> Of course distortion is to be avoided. If the hole and  insert
    are round the
     > >> you can do a slip press fit with a small tolerances (.002"?)
    and a very cold
     > >> insert. I suspect even a g ood fit may even move a  thousand of
    an inch
     > >> during heating and cooling cycles. This is a good thing I
    believe. Cary and
     > >> a few others have already done press fit with a tap of  hammer.
    That is
     > >> most likely because it is difficult to get it to go straight
    in. A slight
     > >> bevel on the front edge would help. As Scallawag says if you
    get it cold
     > >> enough you shouldn't need to heat the housing. He recommends
    not to because
     > >> of warpage potential. How to get it real cold? Dry ice in a
    foam box, or
     > >> liquid nitrogen. The later is not available at your
    neighborhood supermarket
     > >> I know.
     > >>
     > >> Yes all tubes and pipes are not completely round and so the
    insert needs
     > >> lathe work. I would machine a step on the end that holds the
    flange as well
     > >> to get a nice weld. The housing port will have to be  finish ed
    off, ground
     > >> and polished in any case. It seems this is a given in P- ports.
    There are
     > >> ways to do this and precautions to take and the info is out
    there.
     > >>
     > >> I do see where you are coming from design wise as it solves
    the gap
     > >> challenge and that you still have high regards for the JB  Weld
    to act as
     > >> sealant. I don't think anyone can say how long it will  hold up
    in an
     > >> airplane engine. That it works in auto racing engines is
    proven without a
     > >> doubt. These engines take a lot of short term abuse but  don't
    endure
     > >> thousands of hours of hot cold cycles. I'm not trying to
    discourage the
     > >> P-port effort in any way. Au contraire. Safety is on my  mind.
    Who wants to
     > >> rebuild engines even though they are easy to do so. I would
    rather be
     > >> flying with it. P-ports make a lot of sense for our air
    planes. That and the
     > >> adjustable length manifold are great innovations.
     > >>
     > >> Keeping the insert in place is not a design challenge.  Finding
    the best
     > >> material to seal the inside housings but stay flexible is.
    Machine a step on
     > >> the insert to rest against the stubs and it won't be falling
    into the
     > >> engine. Counter sinking set screws drilled and installed in
    the remaining
     > >> two stubs on each side of the tube will hold it from coming
    out as the steel
     > >> bites into the soft aluminum. Look at how the exhaust  port is
    kept in place
     > >> and you can see what I mean. Add to the holding force is the
    sealant.
     > >> You can pour the port full but why? Smeared around the  insert
    and hole
     > >> before placement is adequate. Put some more around the pipe
    perimeter after
     > >> pipe insertion and then do a water test. Water leaks will be
    easy to see
     > >> where if indeed there are any with a tight fit. Is more
    sealing better not
     > >> necessarily. It is a mind set we do to make ourselves feel
    better.
     > >>
     > >> O-rings are best for side sealing purposes but NG on our
    desired straight in
     > >> approach into a curved housing. I wonder what else is  flexible
    but a
     > >> literal pain in the ass to remove from aluminum housings and
    comes in two
     > >> part liquid form as well with many hardness options to  choose
    from. Hint you
     > >> use it to make molds for high temperature plastic forms with
    undercut
     > >> reliefs.
     > >>
     > >>
     > >> No picture came through about the potential leak area. I  would
    be interested
     > >> to see that as I must have missed it.
     > >>
     > >> I don't have access to the machine shop down the road now
    because they are
     > >> assembling some top secret industrial equipment for
    Epsom/Seiko. It looks
     > >> like a machine used in an assembly line plant for flat panel
    displays.
     > >> Seiko gets a little worried to see a non employee working in
    the factory and
     > >> threw their weight around. A-holes. Paranoid I might  steal one
    of their
     > >> ideas. Actually they stole one of my research groups idea we
    brought to
     > >> them (our stupidity) to make 25 years ago. It was a wrist
    watch that had a
     > >> device in the band that sensed and displayed heart beat.  They
    patented it.
     > >>
     > >> Justice was done .... sort of. They spent a fortune  trying to
    market it and
     > >> lost the fortune. Moral: Only let your rivals steal your bad
    ideas:)
     > >>
     > >> That leaves me with a good drill press at the moment and a
    chopper circuit
     > >> to control the sp eed. The insert I will order out.
     > >>
     > >> DougFir
     > >
     > > Darn. Too bad! That machine shop was one hell of a  resource for
    you.
     > > Is this the 1990's SAE paper you referred to above.
     > >
     > > Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.
     >
     >
     > Paul
     >
     > About the SAE paper I think the one referred to is  different. It
    is best you
     > refer to page 20 at the above mentioned RX-7 site. Posting the
    data here
     > will just confuse everyone. Again I concur racing ports shapes
    and aircraft
     > engine shapes have different design goals.
     >
     > One question. When boring through the housing how much of  the lower
     > bolt hole housing do you go through? None ? just graze it?  Halfway?
     >
     > Here is a post from the same site I thought you would enjoy.
     >
     >
     > "If you want to make a big precise hole in aluminum there is an
    easy way if
     > you have the tools.
     > 1- center drill (no flexing in the tool that will determine the
    placement of
     > the port)
     > 2- use your hole saw, a smaller one though, like 1/8" under  what
    the final
     > hole should be.
     > 3.1- I make my own boring tools, It's easy as hell, take a  1" or
    greater
     > steel round
     > 3.2- turn one end down so it fits in the chuck or collet of  your
    machinery
     > 3.3- cross drill a 3/8" hole in the other end of the 1" round
     > 3.4- cross drill and tap another hole in the round that
    intersects the 3/8"
     > hole
     > 3.5- take a broken 3/8" tap and walk to your bench grinder  (it's
    a hard
     > metal and makes good cutters.
     > 3.6- grind away until the thing is shorter than your hole dia
    (plenty of
     > clearance)
     > 3.7- now grind a cutting edge into what's left of the tap (I  know
    kind of
     > unclear)
     > It should look similar to a cutter for a lathe
     > 3.8- stick your cutter into the 3/8" hole you drilled  earlier and
    secure it
     > with a set screw in
     > the hole you tapped earlier.
     > 3.9- chuck this boring bit into your machine and make a hole a
    few thou
     > under desired
     > so the final pass just cleans it up and makes a nice surface.
     > My dad is an old tool maker and he taught me this, we have a  half
    dozen
     > different sizes lying around the shop.
     > The end result should be way more precise than the hole saw
    method and
     > should hold the sleeve a lot better. I can't imagine the  surface
    is smooth
     > with a hole saw, the more rough the less surface area and less
    holding
     > force.
     > Making the tool might take an hour but it will make a  perfect big
    damn
     > hole."
     >
     >
     > Doug Fir
     >
     > That is funny. No mention of the required mill or lathe
     > rigid enough to hold the cutting tool and the rotor housing
     > in precise align ment due to the tremendous forces involved.
     > You want to know why a good mill weighs 7000 pounds?
     > It is because there is no substitute for lots of cast
     > iron when it comes to rigidity.
     >
     > Heck if you own a mill or lathe you can afford a $60 Chinese
     > boring head. You are not going to do this on a drill press.
     > I should not say that as you might try and be successful :)
     >
     > "One question. When boring through the housing how much of the
     > lower bolt hole housing do you go through?
     > None ? just graze it? Halfway?"
     >
     > I am not sure I understand the question. OK I think I know
     > what you are saying. You are talking about the lower TENSION  bolt
     > hole just below the p-port bore.
     >
     > We go through quite a bit of it but we don't break through
     > the bolt hole. See the attached scale Mazda DWG.
     > We split the difference at 8.640 inches up from the
    & gt; bottom. The Lemans engine uses the same tension bolt
     > pattern as the 13B and RX8 engines.
     >
     > You have hit precisely on the problem of using a tube greater
     > than 2 inch OD. I think you just talked your way out of it:)
     > The problem did not occur to me until you just found it :)
     >
     >
     > Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.
     >
     > I have not read every silly page but as far as I know
     > nobody has equaled the 172 HP per NA rotor Mazda got.
     > These guys are talking 150 HP per NA rotor.
     >
     > Kenku may be Japanese but he lives in Wisconsin.
     >
     > Doug, you seem bent on the rest-of-your-life R&D program
     > so why don't you try something like this :)
     > I may have these lying around someplace.
     > Ken Powell and I put our heads together on this.
     > I drew them up and built them.
     > You want a good idle with a p-port. Here it is.
     >
     > Paul L amar ...No rotor no motor.

    Paul and Doug,
    I shipped these to Jerry Hey for a future project when 'life'  bogged
    down my RV-4 project.  I bet Jerry would be willing to part with
    these if Doug wanted to give it a try.  Jerry?????

    Ken Powell
    Bryant, Arkansas

    C150 / RV-4 under construction

Ken,  I vaguely remember but have no idea where they are today. I
probably sent them to someone else but who and  when?????  I am
drawing blanks.  Jerry


They went to rotary heaven :)

Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

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