OK, time for another sophomoric question injected into this
otherwise erudite discussion (sorry....)  What are the most
popular mixture management/ignition systems used in
rotaries?  And how well do they work?  I am getting a little
nervous reading about "flooding" issues, "difficult to tune"
complaints, about Tracy's system.  Any comments?  Thanks.

Gene Kahn

snips....

The flooding issue came up the day Mazda introduced the
side exhaust port RX8 rotary engine. I bought one of the very
first sold in LA. My brand new RX8 engine flooded in my drive way
within a week and would not start. I have been working on
race cars since I was twelve and the RX8 was the sixth
rotary engine powered car I have owned starting in 1973.
Nothing I knew how to do could get it started. The dealer sent a
tow truck and picked it up. It took them a week to get it started.

Turns out the RX8 engine is so good at preventing raw fuel
from going out the exhaust that it was easily flooded.
People and Mazda now deal with it by cutting off the fuel
pump as soon as it does not start on the first few turns.
Generally it does not occur if the engine is warm.

Mazda changed the computer program and I have learned
not to start it up and turn it off without letting
it warm up first. That was 2004 and I have not had
the problem since.

In an airplane it can be fixed by inserting a small tube
in the lower spark plug hole and sucking out the raw
fuel accumulated in the bottom of the rotor housing with
a turkey baster. I suggested to Mazda at the time to drill
a small hole in the bottom of the rotor housing with
a petcock to let the excess fuel drain out on to the
ground :)

Paul Lamar

When I was a young 'un, we had a neighbor that had one of those old Lawn Boy
mowers. You know the one; red engine with a green deck. He was not the most
diligent with yard work. Every two or three weeks he would get a burst of
ambition. One time he was trying to start it with little success. Of course a
couple of neighbors were watching. This was when Esso had the ads Put a tiger
in your tank. Well one neighbor suggested he had tiger turds in his tank.

Well after that he would get the mower on a side walk and pull the plug out to
heat in the oven while he filled the fuel tank. He then can charging out (this
was a som ewhat portly magistrate) with an oven mitt and screwed the plug in
and gave the rope a yank. Acouple or three rounds around the house and the gas
was used up. When the grass is 6" or so high that happens. In the house he
went for another couple of weeks.

Years ago I had a clapped out R100. Eventually the rotor housings warped and
got coolant in. I would pull the leading plugs and turn it over by hand as the
plugs heated in the oven. Worked until a plug seized and broke at the gasket
area. I put an RX 2 engine in then.

Dale Davies