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Date: Sun, 06 Dec 2009 13:02:36 -0600
From: Charlie England <ceengland@bellsouth.net>
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To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Subject: Re: [FlyRotary] Oil starvation
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Lynn Hanover wrote:
> This is a similar question about smoothing an iron I did for the 
> "Nopistons" list. This is for irons that have been run so long they 
> have developed a chrome like finish. New seals will take a year to 
> seat in on a chrome finish. Same as honing a cylinder in a piston 
> engine. I prefer the better oil holding of a deeper finish to that of 
> a stock Mazda. But almost anything will work. 
>  
> Also Yawpower has the web site back up, and I urge you to read all of 
> his tech articles about rotaries. 
>  
> http://www.yawpower.com/CompanyInfo.html
>  
> You can lap the surface yourself and you can get it ready with a 
> random orbital sander. Used dry with 180 grit paper,
> this alone will get most of the surface close to one color. You can 
> run the front iron against the front side of the center iron with oil 
> and valve grinding compound in between. Wipe it off now and then to be 
> sure all of the surface
> has a flat finish with no shiny spots. This will produce a very 
> satisfactory result on both irons. About half way through, rotate the 
> top iron 180 degrees so the ports are not together the whole time. If 
> you have a mill or access to one make a bar and plate with holes in 
> the plate to mount a bearing on a bolt. Plant the bearing in the 
> center hole, so it impinges the iron about one inch. Run the mill 
> slowly and keep adding grinding paste as you go along.
> A few layers of Visqueen under the bottom plate will keep the mill 
> clean and allow reuse of the paste. Bolt on a rod of some kind and run 
> the rod through a fixed bracket or just any bracket on the bed to keep 
> the iron from spinning. Then you flip the center iron over and do the 
> same again with the rear iron. If you drill press has an electronic 
> speed control that allows for very slow rotation, you can use it as well.
>
> This method costs nearly nothing and produces very flat irons with a 
> nice oil holding finish. Clean the irons at the car wash with high 
> pressure water and soap. Spray with WD-40.
>
> You can do this by hand as well, but it will take all day long. This 
> can be done quite a few times without bothering the nitride. Piece of 
> cake. This has to do with finish, and is not much help with wear 
> grooves since it removes very little material.
>
> Lynn E. Hanover
For cleaning, an amazingly effective tool is a kitchen dish washer. If 
you can't talk your spouse into using hers (it won't hurt it, honest :-) 
), then pick one up from your local Goodwill/Thrift Store for $10. I 
first read about using this in relation to cleaning a/c cylinders. Dish 
detergent is a very potent grease remover.

I've been using ours to clean aluminum parts prior to painting & it 
works great.

Charlie