Mailing List flyrotary@lancaironline.net Message #30303
From: Ed Anderson <eanderson@carolina.rr.com>
Subject: Bluing: [FlyRotary] Engine Apart
Date: Fri, 17 Feb 2006 08:39:01 -0500
To: Rotary motors in aircraft <flyrotary@lancaironline.net>
Ouch!  Dave, Sounds like a nuclear reactor meltdown.
 
I can only tell you that I also had some bluing of the side housings where my misplaced piece of apex seal rubbed.  It turned blue as yours but over a much smaller area.  I laid a flat edge and could detect no warping and have flown with them for about 40 hours now with no detectable problem.
 
Ed
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Saturday, February 11, 2006 12:12 PM
Subject: [FlyRotary] Engine Apart

I finally took the engine apart yesterday.
 
As expected, there was not coolant left in the engine - it all boiled out!  The rotor housings were very toast, having melted around the leading plug hole.  They also shrank about .015 in that area and left an aluminum coating on the inner surface.  Even one of the tension bolts had to be pounded out because the passage melted shut!  The tefflon o-rings were intact except for a 5-inch section through the hottest area of combustion.
 
All apex and side seals were still in their place.  The apex seals were a little damaged from going over the melted aluminium.
 
The bearings are a little rough and will have to be replaced, but the e-shaft is undamaged.  The rotors are usable.  The end housings all got severly blued in the hottest area.  Does anyone know the significance of that?  Can they be used?
 
There were no broken tension bolts or leaks in the cooling system big enough to find.  So basically enough of it squirted out the top to expose the water pump, then melt-down occured.
 
Live and learn I guess.
 
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