First off I just wanted to say hi, I'm new around here but you'll probably being hearing more from me. Anyway I just got a cherry 85' Gsl-se for next to nothing,no rust, decent paint, good interior. Of course though it has a blown apex seal. I'm looking to rebuild it soon and I was wondering what all is usually changed. I've different rebuild kits from kits with just apex seals to $1000 master kits. I'm no stranger to rebuilding engines, but the wankel is a little new to me! I'm that there are bearings on the eccentric shaft, and oil and coolant seals on the housings but what else do I need?

 

well unlike a piston engine, where a rebuild is usually all the bearings, rings, pistons, seals gaskets etc.

a rotary is usually torn down and the parts that are worn are changed only.



gsl-se is a perfect example, usually they look really good inside, so you dont have to change bearings.



if it lost an apex seal, it needs a rotor housing, all the apex seals, and probably a rotor, at least. you should change both rotor housings, as they are wear parts.

 

So it would need new rotor housings? that sucks, I was kinda counting on that anyway due to the miles. so basically with new housings and a rebuild I might as well save up for a reman? I was planing on doing the work myself and just learn and rebuild it, but if rebuild kits are $800-ish, once you add housings i might as well buy a reman. I'm really new to the ole' wankel, but I'm nt convinced that it is necessarily an apex seal, they haven't done a compression test (because it seems that you need a tester that goes in both leading and trailing plug holes) and it wont start at all. It would seem to me that if one rotor had a bad seal that it would still run, albeit shitty, on the one rotor. we'll see

 

they usually run, but can be really hard to start

 

I Also have an se my self. I dont think I would go reman. Especially from mazda; one there expensive, and besides stock is no fun. Go with a street port or a half bridge, mutch more fun!!

 

a half bridge will wear real fast though. I have been told you have to put new apex's on a half bridge every 40k. You could do ceramics for longer life but then you got a $1,000.00 in just seals. a reman is like $2,450.00 and it comes with a warrenty. And besides if your going that far you need to change the intake AND exhaust which gets the expensive port job characteristics to come out. AND it only comes out in the top end. If you would like my opinion, put that unfinished combustion cycle to work with a small T3/4 hybrid turbo as told by paul lamar at " http://www.rotaryeng.net/why-tc.txt " but thats my opinion... its cheaper in the in the long run and its far more common so theres way more info. sources.

 

I don't know about all that, one of my close friends has a half bridge 12a. He drove it every day for 5 years beating the **** out of it and I'll bet he did more than 40k. I beleve they were atkins seals, plus I guess it depends on who builds the motor, kilo racing. loose the efi go carb, do some smart shopping pick up some used components tune it well it would run great. Guess it all comes down to what u like,, I do agree that turbo would be sweet. Gonna have to check that link..

 

Lost an apex myself, cost the rotor and housing. Easy test, just pull the leading plug and crank it over, 3 good wooshes and you're okay, 1 woosh and you're screwed. Price out a T2 swap while you're at it.

 

I have a gsl se engine, where do you live?