a moment of silence for the rotary engine - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

engatwork · #1 10-07-2011, 08:49 AM

Seems like it was only yesterday that it was introduced.

Mazda to stop building rotary engined cars

R Leo · #2 10-07-2011, 09:40 AM

Wankels. The way Popular Mechanics went on about them in the 60's, weren't they supposed to be the cure to all our reciprocating woes, while simultaneously solving hair loss and restoring virginity?

I had a Mazda rotary pickup in the 80's. The thing ran like a spotted-assed ape but only got about 10mpg. I'd had enough of it's 2qt/fillup oil consumption and swapped out the rotary for a 2800cc V6 out of a Mustang II. A sweet conversion, it dropped right in and bolted up to the driveshaft.

Before pulling the rotary, I went out on a drive with the intention of blowing that Wankel to Kingdom come...only then I discovered that it had a rev limiter and audible warning that went off above 9000rpm.

Drove it home smoking like a forest fire. Good riddance.

tbomachines · #3 10-07-2011, 09:54 AM

Incredible engines, but unfortunately extremely impractical for everyday use. They burn oil by design, get poor gas mileage in relation to piston engines, make low torque (but decent hp) and at least with the Rx-8s, must be completely warmed up before shutting off (no quick trips to the store). When I was test driving the mazdaspeed3, I only kept thinking what if they put the 270hp, 290tq screamer 4banger in the RX-8 chassis! That would be one hell of a car! I'm a big fan of the wankel but can't justify getting one until the price drops considerably, hopefully they'll refine and revive it.

raymr · #4 10-07-2011, 10:06 AM

Last I heard they were working on a larger rotary with all new geometry, better mileage, etc. Guess not.

TheDon · #5 10-07-2011, 10:13 AM

It was a novel design that went on for too long.

rscurtis · #6 10-07-2011, 05:47 PM

When I was a kid, I had the opportunity to drive an NSU Prinz, the first Wankel engined car ever available. Sometime later, I also drove a Suzuki RE-5 rotary engined bike. I would assume all of the examples of these have disappeared from the face of the earth by now.

PaulC · #7 10-07-2011, 05:56 PM

In college, a friend of mine had a first-gen RX-7. It was light, quick for its time, and pretty nimble, no doubt in part to the front mid-engine location of the compact Wankel. I don't recall fuel economy being an issue, but I do have a distinct recollection of seeing an EPA mileage sticker on a then-new Mazda RX4 (a Toyota Celica-like vehicle) back in the mid-Seventies, which indicated 11 MPG city.

Pooka · #8 10-07-2011, 06:00 PM

During the early 70's I was talking to a GM wheel who told me that GM was giving up on the rotary since they could not get any more than 60,000 miles out of one. He said they had their best people working on it since they already had cars designed to take the engine and they did not want to dump all the work they had done on them, but that there was no way they could make it work.

The AMC Pacer was also supposed to debut with a rotary. I don't know what their source was to be.

I do remember him telling me GM's big problem was seal life; the seals at the edges of the rotor, that is. They even tried to design the engine so changing the seals would be a simple jobs, but then it was impossible for the average mechanic to put the case back together with the precision necessary.

I guess an engine with so few moving parts sounds good in theory. But in a practical application........

PaulC · #9 10-07-2011, 06:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pooka

During the early 70's I was talking to a GM wheel who told me that GM was giving up on the rotary since they could not get any more than 60,000 miles out of one. He said they had their best people working on it since they already had cars designed to take the engine and they did not want to dump all the work they had done on them, but that there was no way they could make it work.

The AMC Pacer was also supposed to debut with a rotary. I don't know what their source was to be.

I do remember him telling me GM's big problem was seal life; the seals at the edges of the rotor, that is. They even tried to design the engine so changing the seals would be a simple jobs, but then it was impossible for the average mechanic to put the case back together with the precision necessary.

I guess an engine with so few moving parts sounds good in theory. But in a practical application........

The cars in question were the 1975 Chevy Monza and its intra-division cousins. They had fairly high transmission tunnels within their interiors to accomodate the Wankel output shaft, which is usually higher than the crankshaft of a piston engine. IIRC, the Pacer was to secure their engines from GM.

tjts1 · #10 10-07-2011, 06:37 PM

Mercedes did Wankels right by never putting it into production. They decided to focus on diesels instead.

hill · #11 10-07-2011, 07:01 PM

I could build a 12A or 13B in one day. But after a few hundred anything gets easy. Had a R100 (think Datsun210) stuffed with a 13B, fully ported with Weber 42's, alu flywheel. Less than 2k lb. Cost me less than $3k to build with cage,seat and cell.

engatwork · #12 10-07-2011, 07:54 PM

It was way quick too wasn't it hill?
I remember riding in the first one I had ever seen back around '72/'73 or so. It was not the RX body style. Acceleration was quite impressive back then.

hill · #13 10-07-2011, 08:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by engatwork

It was way quick too wasn't it hill?
I remember riding in the first one I had ever seen back around '72/'73 or so. It was not the RX body style. Acceleration was quite impressive back then.

It scared a few Porches

But the best part it looked like a POS with 8lb to 1hp

tjts1 · #14 10-11-2011, 02:43 PM

Quote:

If you're a fan of the Wankel engine, chances are that there's a soft place in your heart for the Mazda Motor Corporation. It's also likely that you've been saddened at the uncertain future of Mazda's rotary engines given that the RX-8 is now completing its production run. You'd be happy, then, to read a new tweet from Mazda PR's twitter account:

We thank you all very much for the messages of support for the RX-8 and the rotary engine! It's made a deep impression on us. Currently Mazda is working to implement its breakthrough SkyActiv technology and eagerly developing a new model with a next-generation rotary engine. We look forward to your continuing support!

The wording of the Japanese makes it unclear if the new rotary engine will be branded as part of the new SkyActiv series of fuel-efficient engines from Mazda. But it's the firmest confirmation yet that Mazda will continue to develop this unique powerplant.

Mazda confirms development of next-generation rotary engine | JCarBlog