what aftermarket apex seal would you choose?

Rotary Evolution · 04-14-2013, 06:29 PM

there is no indestructable apex, side or corner seal. if they hold up then you will crack an iron, if you pin the engine the seals will warp or eat a side/corner seal. there is no way to build an engine to handle detonation more than in short bursts.

RA seals seem to be one of the most popular choices of "banana" seals. meaning they will warp under excessive EGTs if everything else survives.

FC Zach · 04-14-2013, 10:10 PM

I've run RA seals for 6 years with hard driving and excessively high RPMs (I beat the hell out of this motor). My car was nowhere near perfect at the time, I built it while in highshool with the help of a friend. It's a carbed 13b 6port and has run in both rich and lean conditions. The engine had a failure in 2010 that I didn't realize till returning home from a B3R trip, I had a blown coolant seal and destroyed bearings. With all this extra play in the motor the seals held up and made the 300 mile trip, thankfully getting me home. I took the motor apart and even with the excess play from the bearings crapping out on me the seals still looked great and the rotor housings looked ok considering what had happened.

I had already purchased new seals and a local friend of mine wanted to use my old RA seals in one of his projects, still to this day I believe that motor is still running.

I'm a fan of these seals and recommend them

PSI · 04-16-2013, 07:36 AM

RA seals here to date. I haven't managed to bend or break any yet, but I can't say what housing wear is like until I pull down an engine that's been pushed hard.

I saw an FD engine recently that had done 5000km with Als seals and both the housings and seals still looked like new. It didn't have a heap of hp though - 330rwhp and 100:1 TTS premix. I also saw an SCR seal from an engine that had done 2000km with even less hp and what a mess - it was half worn away, more so at one end, and had a bad flat spot on the leading edge.

I'm keen to give Goopy seals a go, by all accounts they work well. It sounds like Goopy and Als are similar material.

GoopyPerformance · 05-21-2013, 03:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rotary Evolution

there is no indestructable apex, side or corner seal. if they hold up then you will crack an iron, if you pin the engine the seals will warp or eat a side/corner seal. there is no way to build an engine to handle detonation more than in short bursts.

well said Ben..

Although parts and tuning has come a long way, when you improve in one area you will have to improve in the other..

Also keep in mind when building 2MM engines to always use authentic OEM Mazda FD 93-94 Apex seal springs, side seal springs and corner seal springs. They are able to withstand higher temps for longer periods of time.
All others that i have seen will loose deflection with one or two passes down the 1/4

04-14-2013, 06:29 PM	#1
Rotary Evolution rotaryevolution.net Join Date: Feb 2011 Location: Las Vegas, NV Posts: 248 Rep Power: 15	there is no indestructable apex, side or corner seal. if they hold up then you will crack an iron, if you pin the engine the seals will warp or eat a side/corner seal. there is no way to build an engine to handle detonation more than in short bursts. RA seals seem to be one of the most popular choices of "banana" seals. meaning they will warp under excessive EGTs if everything else survives. __________________ http://rotaryevolution.net

04-14-2013, 10:10 PM	#2
FC Zach RCC Loves Me Not You Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Eagleville, TN Posts: 2,267 Rep Power: 20	I've run RA seals for 6 years with hard driving and excessively high RPMs (I beat the hell out of this motor). My car was nowhere near perfect at the time, I built it while in highshool with the help of a friend. It's a carbed 13b 6port and has run in both rich and lean conditions. The engine had a failure in 2010 that I didn't realize till returning home from a B3R trip, I had a blown coolant seal and destroyed bearings. With all this extra play in the motor the seals held up and made the 300 mile trip, thankfully getting me home. I took the motor apart and even with the excess play from the bearings crapping out on me the seals still looked great and the rotor housings looked ok considering what had happened. I had already purchased new seals and a local friend of mine wanted to use my old RA seals in one of his projects, still to this day I believe that motor is still running. I'm a fan of these seals and recommend them __________________ 1993 Yamaha GTS1000 1992 Celica Turbo AllTrac 1987 RX7 Sport 1979 Yamaha G1, KM24 powered 1975 Dolmar KMS4

04-16-2013, 07:36 AM	#3
PSI The Newbie Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 18 Rep Power: 0	RA seals here to date. I haven't managed to bend or break any yet, but I can't say what housing wear is like until I pull down an engine that's been pushed hard. I saw an FD engine recently that had done 5000km with Als seals and both the housings and seals still looked like new. It didn't have a heap of hp though - 330rwhp and 100:1 TTS premix. I also saw an SCR seal from an engine that had done 2000km with even less hp and what a mess - it was half worn away, more so at one end, and had a bad flat spot on the leading edge. I'm keen to give Goopy seals a go, by all accounts they work well. It sounds like Goopy and Als are similar material.