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Apex Seals: OEM 2 piece VS. OEM 3 piece

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Old 11-26-06 | 11:10 AM
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Apex Seals: OEM 2 piece VS. OEM 3 piece

I have decided the best for my application is to go with OEM Mazda Apex seals. But I would like to know the difference between in their 2 piece and 3 piece design. What are the negatives and plusses of each? I searched but couldnt really find an answer to this. Thanks for reading.

~Dave
Old 11-26-06 | 12:09 PM
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if I'm not mistaken the 3 piece design was an older one that they faised out in favor of the 2 piece. Unless you get like old seals that mazda still had laying around then you should be getting the 2 peice seals.
Old 11-26-06 | 12:20 PM
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Here nothing but good things about 2 piece. 3 piece killed my motor
Old 11-26-06 | 01:16 PM
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As hondahater said, mazda no longer uses 3 piece seals so you will be getting 2 piece ones when you get them new.
Old 11-26-06 | 01:20 PM
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You will be very hard pressed to find the 3 piece. The 3piece offer the best sealing known to date but they tend to wear the rotor grove more and fold. The 2 piece offer longer useability.
Old 11-26-06 | 02:05 PM
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Do not use 3-peice...
Old 11-26-06 | 02:40 PM
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Go here: http://wombat.sevarg.net/RX7/RX-7_Training_Manuals/

And download the ENGINE section and see how they are supposed to work.
Old 11-26-06 | 02:42 PM
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Originally Posted by J-Rat
Do not use 3-peice...
I like them :-P

Less rotating mass = less chatter & less chatter = greater sealing & greater sealing = More power.
Old 11-26-06 | 03:38 PM
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Originally Posted by iceblue
I like them :-P

Less rotating mass = less chatter & less chatter = greater sealing & greater sealing = More power.
How do they have less mass? How does something that moves around and spreads the groove lessen Chatter? How do they seal better?

I'm actually serious, and not trying to be a *****, I just want to here why this is being stated
Old 11-26-06 | 03:54 PM
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****How do they seal better? ******

So? You didn't read the thread I attached above?
Old 11-26-06 | 04:08 PM
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Apparently not, but something that allows internal damage to engine components doesn't really seem like something I would like to use.

Ok that answers the sealing and might minimize the chatter, but I still don't see how it's going to be any lighter.
Old 11-26-06 | 04:08 PM
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I suppose, at the end of the day its all personal preference...
Old 11-26-06 | 04:36 PM
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Originally Posted by J-Rat
I suppose, at the end of the day its all personal preference...
A little birdy told me they stopped making the three piece apex seals. So someday soon you'll only be able to get two piece, personal pref or not.
Old 11-26-06 | 04:38 PM
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Well, since I only use 2-peice, then its not really much of an issue for me...
Old 11-26-06 | 10:42 PM
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Originally Posted by Nismo Convert86
How do they have less mass? How does something that moves around and spreads the groove lessen Chatter? How do they seal better?

I'm actually serious, and not trying to be a *****, I just want to here why this is being stated
Less rotating mass = less chatter & less chatter = greater sealing & greater sealing = More power.

There split so they have less combined mass alowing the seal to vibrate into the grove instead of chop on the housing. This is where the groove wear comes from.
Old 11-26-06 | 11:16 PM
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Originally Posted by HAILERS
****How do they seal better? ******

So? You didn't read the thread I attached above?
Pages 10 and 11 from http://wombat.sevarg.net/RX7/RX-7_Tr....%20Engine.pdf
prove exsactly what I just said. Take a look.
Old 11-27-06 | 04:48 PM
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so why did they go back to 2 peice?
Old 11-27-06 | 05:46 PM
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thats the million dollar question...

High intake
manifold temperatures lead to detonation and detonation can fracture stock
three piece apex seals with consequent scouring of the rotor housing and
rotors. The engine will not fail catastrophically but will still run
somewhat down on power with leaking apex seals. Thicker and tougher apex
seals are available for turbo charging. Newer apex seals starting with the
RX8 engine are now only two piece and much tougher.
Source:

http://www.rotaryeng.net/Increadable-rotary2.txt

Last edited by J-Rat; 11-27-06 at 05:54 PM.
Old 11-27-06 | 06:05 PM
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so our engines come out with 2 piece right? i dont know enough about this. feed my appetite for knowledge guys. make me fat
Old 11-27-06 | 06:18 PM
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I've actually got a hard copy of that manual. The sales guy that by dad bought his WRX from used to be the service manager at a Mazda dealership and copied me off the whole thing.
Also, to clarify the less weight thing, its not that the seal itself weighs less, but the piece that contacts the housings and provides the actual seal weighs less.
Old 11-27-06 | 09:31 PM
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Originally Posted by NZ_87_TURBO
so our engines come out with 2 piece right? i dont know enough about this. feed my appetite for knowledge guys. make me fat
They were built with three piece apex seals. Now or in the near future, you'll only be able to get the two piece apex seals.

The three piece seals are shown in the FSM.

The two piece seals are shown on this site: http://www.mazdatrix.com/b3.htm
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