Paul ,
 One of the rotor housings I  sent has a very small chip out of the steel
 liner at the
 edge of the housing.They should be arriving today.
 If you have time  would you please take a look at it and let me know if
 you
 have  any
 concerns.
 Thanks,
 Geir

 Hi ,Paul

 Just wanted to confirm my rotor housing's arrived last  week.If you could
 let me know
 what you think on the chip ,  I can round up another housing if nec.

 Thanks,

 Geir

 The chip is not a  problem. They look OK. Thanks for cleaning them up.


 Paul  Lamar



 Paul--Maybe it would be helpful for folks rebuilding with  used rotor
 housings if you would take a photo of the chip in the housing  (and/or
 other
 other housings) to give builders an idea of what is  servicable or not?

 Steve Beckham.

 That is very subjective. Some  of them that look pretty bad will still
 work.
 You may be down on power and  torque in the lower RPM ranges. In the upper
 RPM ranges
 it hardly affects  the power at all. Urban legend has it if you can get it
 started it
 will  run without apex seals.

 It all boils down to if it will start it is  probably OK assuming there
 are
 good apex
 seals in it. I suspect the new  apex seals and the housing come to a
 mutual
 understanding
 so to  speak.  A bit of wearing in of the apex seal and a bit of wearing
 in
 of  the rotor
 housing to a lesser extent.

 The vast majority of after  market seals on the market do not have the
 slight crown shape
 of the stock  Mazda seals. My guess is this is 99% of those after market
 seals. If you
 check the compression with new rotor housings and the new after market
 apex seals the
 compression will be down about 10%.

 In one case of  after market seals that I know about the housing was
 scratched with only
 a  few hours of running. For that reason I do not recommend after market
 apex  seals as
 the surface finish is not nearly up to Mazda standards. The stock  seals
 are heated with
 a laser and cryogenic cooled. Technology beyond the  after market
 providers. The only
 exception is the Ianetti ceramic seals.  If you buy a set of after market
 apex seals
 inspect them with a high power  jewelers loop and reject them if the
 surface is not a
 mirror  finish.


 Paul Lamar



 Would you NOT recommend the RA seals?
 Don

 That is correct. I do not recommend them. You can buy stock seals
 from Mazdatrix or Mears Motors in Lubbock with a discount.

 http://www.mearsmotors.com/

 Paul Lamar


Paul, based on the exchanges you have monitored, does it appear most folks
are rebuilding their Gen 3 and Gen 2 engines for aircraft with used rotor
housings and as-is or lapped side and intermediate housings?  Aso, has
anybody lately developed a program and machinery for clean-up only lapping
process for used rotor housings?

Steve Beckham

If they don't pass the wear test in the shop manuals  they need to be
lapped. Mazdatrix
can do it as well as some place in North Carolina. I have never been able to
find that
address and name yet. It might be this place http://www.grindtec.com/
Or they may know of the right place.

Racing Beat might still do it as well. I know they have a lapping machine.

Here are a few other outfits.

http://www.lapping.com/
http://www.surfacefinishes.com/
http://www.flatlapping.com/sitemap.htm
http://www.askoinc.com/asko/about.asp

The RX8 rotor housings I am getting look to be in real good shape so I
assume the end
housings are too.

Paul Lamar


On the topic of apex seals. Any opinions on Atkins seals? Or should I just
stay with stock Mazda seals?

Thanks
Jay

I would stick with stock seals or Iannetti ceramic seals.

Paul Lamar