Joe, from my memory banks, I believe Lynn Hanover suggested 
> 3/16" (0.1875) was the maximum of what might be considered an 
> acceptable seal.  Personally, I would not put a rotor back into my 
> engine that was very near the limit.  Had one experience with that 
> already - not interested in a repeat.
>
> Ed

The test is for a quick idea of if a rotor is worth using or not. The 3/16" is the end of life measurement. And that is for solid 2 piece seals. The three piece seals make a stepped wear pattern, where the bottom half of the groove can limit seal movement (for the test) and the top half can be absolute junk. Just stand a new seal on end in the clean groove and use a feeler gage to measure side clearance per the manual. Measure in 5 places across the groove, and try the gage on both sides of the new seal, for bellied or less than straight grooves. Look for sharp edges sticking up alongside the groove. Usually means junk. Just measure that groove first to save time.

 

Lynn E. Hanover