> Hey Guys,
    >
    > I finally came across some pictures of how they do a stacked 4 rotor
    > setup that we have seen from Austraila/Japan. I would assume they are
    > doing a machined down stationary gear but don't know if it is some
    > collar around that gear or the gear itself. I am sure
     staring it awhile
    > it will become more clear. Whats funny is the money they are charging
    > for this machine service. Does any one have any specs of the station
    > gear tooth profile itself? Also anything on the metallurgy of the RX-8
    > gears?
    >
    > Rob Woods
    >
    >
    >
    > Very interesting Rob. Thanks for the pictures. I have always been curious
    > about
    > that. It is the oil drain back that is tricky. I am guessing they are
    > starting
    > with the rear stationary gear.
    >
    > Paul Lamar ...No rotor no motor.

    Rob,
    I've always felt that the best approach was to have stationary gears each
    side of the rotor. This would eliminate the rotor cocking at combustion and
    eliminate the wear on the opposite side, hopefully.

    No machining costs are funny, in fact I find them extremely unfunny.

    I would also be interested in gear specs - I understand that
     racing people
    had the gears tip relieved and this is also part of the RX upgrade as well
    as the gears being hardened from 1989 on ( I think).
    George (down under)



George,

That would seem to make sense but the rotor gear would have to be one
piece then and I don't know how that would work off the top of my head
seeing as the gear is larger than the ID of the bearing area. If they
two gears didn't phase/line up perfectly then I imagine that it would
cause more trouble then the stock setup. This also comes back to one of
my original questions. The weight of a rotor is a rpm limiting factor
because of the rotor bearing or the tooth loads of the gears or both???
I was led to believe that the gear teeth were the issue since you can
always battle hydrodynamic forces with more flow and pressure. Having
double gears would help solve this since you are getting more contact
ratio per rotor. Don't know how you would squirt the oil into the rotor
either at that point if you "close" the open windows. Reason I ask about
tooth specs and material type is that would be an easy part oto make out
of something much stronger if need be. I have real good connections with
Taylor Race Engineering and know what they use on their top dog gear
boxes and such.

Rob Woods

It is a bit of both but the bearing load is something you cannot do
much about other than making the rotor out of aluminum. Mazda fooled
around with different roll pin configuration and drastically reduced
the gear loads. In simple theory there are no loads on the phasing
gears. In practice there appears to be quite a bit and nobody is
quite sure where it is coming from :)