Top reasons to own and drive a rotary..

[TroyV]

Hi all..

I have a nephew in the 7th grade that is doing a project on rotary engines.. He asked me if I would post to the list and ask the folks that own/drive rotaries, what they feel the biggest pros and cons of the engine are when compared to the standard piston engine. I have heard many things myself, but I felt it would be better if he heard from folks with real experience..

The project is due next Wednesday, so any input you have before then would be appreciated..

Thanks a mil!!

[tmak26b]

Pros:

Lightweight
Compact
Car that comes with the engine
High revving
Shift buzzer
Chainsaw sound
Reliable

Cons:
No torque
19mpg cruising
Gas gauge is taped to your throttle position
Burns oil, yet they give you a 4 quart capacity and hard to reach.
Smells like Eric Cartman on apple juice

[agrabau]

Highest specific output engine.

[DanB]

Reliable?

Compared to what?

I've owned a rotary in the past, and likely will again, but it ain't because of the "reliability"!

[tmak26b]

Reliable?

Compared to what?

I've owned a rotary in the past, and likely will again, but it ain't because of the "reliability"!

both of mine works fine

[StephanAlfa]

Guys: It's a school project ... not a TV debate... let's help the kids out.

Rotary engine: http://auto.howstuffworks.com/rotary-engine.htm
Wankel: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wankel_engine
I like this one (especially for young kids): http://www.keveney.com/Wankel.html

Good luck in your project!

[TroyV]

Thanks for the replies so far..

My nephew has all the technical data he needs, this excersize is intended to be more like an interview showcasing the driver/owner's opinions on the engine, how well it operates for their application, and why they chose that over another..

Stephan... That last link is perfect for this!!! Thanks so much..

[StephanAlfa]

My 2cts: I never drove I car with a rotary engine ... but I beat SEVERAL of them (RX7s) with my Alfa on the streets in the old days. I used to play "satelite": drive pass them, let them pass me and go around them again and make hands signs: Is that all???" and then I'd blow them off

[DanB]

both of mine works fine

Unfortunately this does not form a statistical basis!

Troy, if you're nephew includes "reliability", it definitely belongs in the "Cons" category!

Most rotorheads will acknowledge that worse reliability vs. piston engines is a fact of life for rotaries.

[tmak26b]

both of mine works fine

Unfortunately this does not form a statistical basis!

Troy, if you're nephew includes "reliability", it definitely belongs in the "Cons" category!

Most rotorheads will acknowledge that worse reliability vs. piston engines is a fact of life for rotaries.

haha. what stats is that? It's always the same people who bitch and moan about blown motor. Most of them buy piece of crap and then tries to mod it, what else do you think will happen? This is like the people who complain about the Z blowing transmission, it turns out it is the same people who are blowing them. We have guys who are on transmission #4 and #5, yet conservative people like me are still on the original ones.

[cfossum]

I've owned a few, and I still own two rotary mazdas.
The top reason to choose one has to be the power output per pound, or specific output as Alex says.

Reason two, for me, is the novelty of it. Most people are baffled by rotaries, and call them "magic". Not that most people even grasp what a piston engine is, but they don't count. There are not many on the road, and most mechanics won't touch them either. Its a cheap way to be exclusive.

Reason three, is the sound. Some folks drool over the sound of a V8, but for me its a rotary. But that is probably due to reason number two.
-Carl

[TroyV]

I have a buddy that has a 3rd gen Rx7 that used to belong to a Com instructor named Jack (not sure of his last name) He is on his third engine, mainly because he's been tweaking on it for years with more and more boost etc..

I drove the car about a year ago, and was totally amazed at the power output for such a small and light package.

[rnoonan]

As a former corner worker, I'd say that in the "con" column you'd have to put the fact that an unmuffled rotary will make your ears bleed! There's no other engine (short of F1) that will come close to that pain level.

[Stynger]

Pros

Lightweight
Small package
Few moving parts
Keep oil and water in them and they are bullet proof (in stock form)

Cons

You can't run low on oil or water
The design isn't friendly to emissions or gas mileage
Consumes oil due to oil injected into the combustion chambers
Needs really good mufflers to keep it quite.
Sneaky fast, you'll be speeding before you know it.

Les
apexautoeng.com

[Georgethefierce]

I've owned a few, and I still own two rotary mazdas.
The top reason to choose one has to be the power output per pound, or specific output as Alex says.

Reason two, for me, is the novelty of it. Most people are baffled by rotaries, and call them "magic". Not that most people even grasp what a piston engine is, but they don't count. There are not many on the road, and most mechanics won't touch them either. Its a cheap way to be exclusive.

Reason three, is the sound. Some folks drool over the sound of a V8, but for me its a rotary. But that is probably due to reason number two.
-Carl

STONE HIM, HE'S A WITCH!!!!