I won the OS Wankel engine (NIB) in E:B:A:Y auction. Want to know how long the OS Wankel will last compared with piston engines. What is your knowledge about OS Wankel engine ?
I know the Wankel engine are drinking more fuel than piston engine and more powerful in size.
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Jens Eirik All landings are just controlled crashes!
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Is it one of the older ones or the new one?
A friend had one of the early ones, back in the mid 70's and flew the heck out of it for a couple seasons. It ran quite well...strong for it's displacment, and spun a 9X6 Top Flite wood (sorry, no r.p.m. figures )
I recall it ran great on our club fuel, 10% nitro, 20% oil, until our fuel maker decided to (unknown to us ) use all synthetic oil in our next batch of club fuel, and the Wankel lost it's seals, and most of it's compression and power. (several guys cooked their engines actually, but that's another story )
I think that as long as you don't over-prop it and/or over heat it and use a fuel with castor (as I know you will Jens, because you have much experience! ) it should last for quite a while...(who knows for sure, aye!? )
< Message edited by proptop -- 6/18/2007 12:15:05 AM >
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It's bad luck to be superstitious... Revver Bro #77
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My experience suggests Wankels don't lose their seals they lose the springs that keep the seals tight. The leaf springs are not expensive or hard to replace. Run any fuel you like, at least 20% oil (castor or synthetic or blend) just keep it RICH. Overheating causes the leaf springs to get brittle. The Wankel is happiest at 14,000 rpm.
I learned in miscellaneous instructions from oldest to newest wankel engine + readed the test report of wankel engine by Peter Chinn and what i can do it with older wankel engine as here:
Keep oil percentage hight until 25%, best with castor oil to keep tight against leakage and better lasted moving parts. Run the engine between 5% and 15% nitro. Keep rich mixture and prevent overheated engine.
But i readed about the new version wankel engine from OS, they has replaced glow plug R with glowplug F (for 4 stroke engine) as i can think the compression ratio are improved to keep glowplug glowing and rpm range are same as older wankel engine. The percenteage are reduced to 18% and the wankel engine can use both castor oil or syntetic oil, may be improved material to run at pure syntetic oil.
I am waiting at the wankel engine as i won in E.b.a.y + i ordered the newest wankel engine from Hong kong then i can compare with both engines when i am talking about use and maintenance of the wankel engine.
Here in RCU are wankel engine less wrote and not much to get information from wankel owner, same in other web sites..
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Jens Eirik All landings are just controlled crashes!
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Joined: 10/18/2002 From: Rome,
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That's great Jens, now we can read of your comparisons of the new and old versions.
My friend that had the Wankel is 78 years old now and his memory is not all that great anymore... He has talked of buying the new version however, but didn't want to spend the money on it if it was not substantially better than the original.
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It's bad luck to be superstitious... Revver Bro #77
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I knew a fella that had one and the seal springs were shot. It had absolutely no compression when hand-flipping, but would start and run perfectly using a starter. This was one of the originals with the bolt-on cooling fins. It was funny to watch him dead-stick and the prop is spinning merrily away.
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I feel I can speak for 90% of humanity when I say 'durrrr' Skype digital_trucker
I received the OS rotary 49-PI Type II, the newest wankel engine. I installed the engine to wood plank and mounted fuel tank + propeller 10x6. Filled up fuel tank with fuel who has 10% nitro and 18% (50% castor oil and 50% syntetic oil). Glosed and reopened 2 turns in main needle after the instruction manual. Then i primed the engine and connected battery to glowplug. Tried to hand start the engine without luck, it was very difficult to hand start. The engine are ignite and will oscillate some time, mostly nothing to start the engine.
Why difficult to hand start the wankel engine? Let us see at the wankel engine, the rotor are rotating 1 revolution while the shaft are rotating 3 revolution, also it is not enough to rotate the rotor fast as the reciprocating engine can do it when we are flipping the propeller fast. With the slow rotating rotor are difficult to get compression quickly before ignition. Also the engine are "overgeared" engine who make the engine difficult to hand start(let us say "the engine are 3 cylinder two stroke radial engine with gearwheel at 45 teeth are driving the propeller with 15 teeth" then the engine will go slow while the propeller are hand started, you understand?).
I has not electric hand starter, then i saw at the propeller drive washer has a groove. I got a idea and took the rope and turned around the propeller drive washer, connected to glowplug and started the engine. Hurrah, the engine was easy to start, ran well. I adjusted the main needle rich (3.5 turn from closed). I am surprised the engine are really hotter than reciprocating engine!!! Exhaust gas are insaneous hot.. Since the engine are new, the rotor are not sure adapted to wall in the engine and can have friction to generate hot. I saw the silicone tupe between rotorhouse and carburator was without oil.. adjusted more rich (6 turns from glosed), very much smoke and oily from exhaust muffler, still not oil from rotorhouse and the engine are hot as before. I will wait until the engine are ready and all parts are adapted after running-in, maybe oil will come there. To be sure the engine get enough oil so long the engine are new.
After i ran the engine, then i was afraid in case the leaf spring for apex seal was destroyed by hot. No, compression are still good as before. There are possible to check the leaf spring are ok: remove exhaust muffler, rotate the shaft until you can see the apex seal are visible. Take the thin wood stick and move light at apex seal and feel if spring are ok or defect. It is better do not dismantle the engine before you are checking the leaf spring are defect or the apex seal are stucked by old oil with the thin wood stick.
Before the engine are stored over winter to example, be sure the are soaked in alcohol in some hour and all dirt are removed from engine, check all the apex seals and leaf spring are ok (as i wrote above), give the engine after-run oil and pack in plast bag.
As i learned how the engine are: Easy to start Not sensitive to adjust carburator Smooth and vibrationfree running Quiter running
I not learned: Will the wankelengine last long as the reciprocating engine, let us see in some year...
Lack of parts in wankel engine: Recoil starter!!
Next time i will upload the movie in youtube.
< Message edited by Motorboy -- 6/30/2007 12:27:03 AM >
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Jens Eirik All landings are just controlled crashes!
Today i received the older wankelengine. The engine are unused and can not rotate. Cause the needle bearing in rotor was stucked by gummed oil. I dismantled the engine and lubricated the needle bearing. Moved the rotor around the eccentric shaft some time before the gummed oil was removed. After the engine was cleaned and assembled, compression are good as new.
You can see these picture who are showing inside of the wankel engine. And how to align the rotor at place at backplate with gears at place. How to check the apex seal before use..
The ring gear inside in the rotor and the gear centered at backplate are forcing the rotor to rotate and the rotor are transfering the power to eccentric shaft.
The next time are to compare between the older and newer wankelengine
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All Forums >> Glow Engines, Gas Engines, Fuel & Mfg Support Forums >> Glow Engines >> Need info from OS Wankel engine owner.. 
Need info from OS Wankel engine owner.. - 
) it should last for quite a while...(who knows for sure, aye!? 
)
