Further to the discussion of Wankel rotaries:
They are a very clever design that is also now very durable. Thermally,
they are a nightmare. Most of the cooling is done through the oil, which is
used to cool the interior of the rotors. I have run a rotary for miles with
virtually no water in it. If they overheat, they are junk. The case bolts
are steel, but the rotor housings are aluminum. Because of the different
coefficients of thermal expansion, a rotary will crush itself when
overheated, and when it cools, it will leak all manner of fluids. The
exhaust from a rotary is the breath of Hell and exhaust systems don't last
long. I've had an RX2 rally car, which was a ball to drive.
Phil Barnes
Cortland, NY (nowhere near New York City)
peb3@cornell.edu
'71 TR6 CC61193L (20 year owner)
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