Bridge Port / Coolant Seal Question

[staticpat]

No Limit Industries is helping me get a half bridge motor running. It was built by a reputable shop, and has like 100 miles on it. The motor is installed in the car now, and we were about to install the intake manifold/carb setup. One of the guys stuck his finger into the intake ports and felt something out of place.

It looks like there's a little piece of gasket material hanging into the intake port. When we felt inside the other ports, they also had some material. I assume it is one of the water seals, that no longer has a place to seat because of the porting. I don't want to rip it out for fear that the whole seal will come with it. I don't want to leave it because it seems like an obstruction to flow.

I don't know enough about the porting procedures to know if this is bad or not. Any tips/advice/information would be greatly appreciate it. I'll call the builder this afternoon to get his opinion on it.

[drewski86]

If the seal is hanging out like that, it will need to be replaced. Otherwise you will have one hell of a smoke screen when you run it. I would pull it apart and find out why the seal fell out like that in the first place and resolve it. Do you know what year motor this is?

[Whizbang]

yea that is bad news

[To_Slow]

WoW... Soory, that looks bad. Replace, take the engine apart. You might need to change more that just the water seals...

Good luck

[Fidelity101]

reputable shop huh? where was this at so I know to never take my block there.

[classicauto]

"you fucked up" - Tony Montana

[-xlr8planet-]

I read over at no pistons, that some guys did it 2 different ways

a. put a lil screw to stop the coolant seal

b. let it sit, and then when its hangin out like yours, cut whats not needed

The engine might still be built correctly

[Fidelity101]

how did the motor get 100 miles on it? were you there to experience it personally?

[RETed]

Originally Posted by staticpat

It was built by a reputable shop,

Why don't you tell us who this shop is and save us from doing the same mistake...


-Ted

[staticpat]

People on here are jumping to conclusions. I'm not mad or trying to trash anyone's work, I just wanted some more insight into the bridgeport. XLR8 actually posted some useful information, thanks for that. I now know that the seal in question will blow out like that over time.

I know the builder and the previous engine owner. It was ran for low miles. but it was in a racecar, so it was ran hard. The builder has offered to take apart the motor and reseat the seal. He didn't have to do that and I appreciate it.

The shop is fine, it wasn't a build problem and I have no problem with the builder. It apparently is the nature of the beast. Now I just need to decide whether to trim the excess seal or pull the motor for overhaul.

[classicauto]

Originally Posted by staticpat

The shop is fine, it wasn't a build problem and I have no problem with the builder. It apparently is the nature of the beast. Now I just need to decide whether to trim the excess seal or pull the motor for overhaul.

No one here is trying to knock the shop (at least not me ) but trust me when I tell you a coolant seal in a new engine poking out like that ***IS NOT THE NATURE OF THE BEAST***

Whether the engine is stock, street, or bridge ported, there's no reason ( otehr then pinching it on assembly) for the coolant seal to dislodge from its oring land. If its properly seated and the engien is assembeled, its physically impossible for the seal to leave the groove unless the groove rots away, or the seal is destroyed by heat or age.

Engine may have ran (and burnt coolant like a mofo) but it is absolutely not normal, or a nature of the beast scenario with a BP.

EDIT: Check this thread http://www.rx7club.com/showthread.ph...hlight=porting

Its got some nice pics of some special bridge ports, you'll notice how the coolant oring land is left intact so the seeals stay in place. If they've ported into that land, thats another reason the seal may have dislodged, and it won't make fora happily running bridgey either.

I used to run a 1/2 bridge engine, and although I faced alot of issues, coolant seals falling in the intake ports was never one of them.

[drewski86]

Were the seals in the same condition when the previous owner ran it? Did it smoke at all?

[RETed]

I'd still like to know who did this.
I do not want to be paying money to a shop who can't do BASIC things like this.
If you can't be making sure the o-rings are in place, you should not be charging people for rebuilds.
The procedure is the same for any rotary engine rebuild, and it is not specific to BP's.


-Ted

[staticpat]

I haven't talked with the previous owner yet. I'll find out.

[staticpat]

Okay thanks, I am getting a clearer idea now. But I am still unsure how the seal seats/does not seat with the port work. I may run the motor and see whether or not it eats coolant.

I found a picture of the internals after the port work was initially done. To me it looks like what you just described, where the seal still has a place to sit and shouldn't leave the groove.