Wankel

[timmus]

What ever happened to the wankel engine

 

[Rene G]

What ever happened to the wankel engine

Emissions regulations

 

[ABMax24]

Dead.

Low efficiency, high emissions, poor reliability particularly with apex seals, oil consumption.

The only real benefit to them was high power to weight ratios, but modern turbo charged four-strokes and even high output 2-strokes have enough output for manufacturers to not re-visit wankel technology. They also have to spin high rpm's to make power, might make sense for a sled, but not many other applications.

 

[timmus]

Seem like it would be good in sled high torque low vibration runs best at high rpm

 

[Luke The Drifter]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v3uGJGzUYCI&feature=emb_logo

They sound cool and properly built can make some crazy power. But like others have said, poor fuel economy and reliability pretty much killed them off.

 

[scotts]

I can honestly say I’ve never heard one run, weren’t they used in a couple different sleds years ago

 

[GreyGhost]

I can honestly say I’ve never heard one run, weren’t they used in a couple different sleds years ago

Really???? You have to look up 11000 rpm Mazda four rotor. You won’t regret it

 

[Bnorth]

Seem like it would be good in sled high torque low vibration runs best at high rpm

They're actually pretty low torque motors. To make power they need forced induction and lots of rpm. Or 3+ rotors which complicates things significantly. I do love the sound of a bridge ported motor with a 70+ mm turbo though!

I can honestly say I’ve never heard one run, weren’t they used in a couple different sleds years ago

I think they were in a couple models in the 70's.

 

[Rhodesie]

i like this sound
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xv251lDtGu0

 

[Teth-Air]

I think brushless electric will be better on all fronts going forward. The thing about electric is there is such a stigma of failing batteries for my generation as we have all been there with one product or another. I am dealing with a pretty new Hoover brand vacuum that is on its 3rd battery! New high quality batteries are getting better day by day and slowly winning confidence with consumers so I think it is just a matter of time.

 

[GreyGhost]

I think brushless electric will be better on all fronts going forward. The thing about electric is there is such a stigma of failing batteries for my generation as we have all been there with one product or another. I am dealing with a pretty new Hoover brand vacuum that is on its 3rd battery! New high quality batteries are getting better day by day and slowly winning confidence with consumers so I think it is just a matter of time.

Agreed but it’s still nice to hear the roar

 

[moyiesledhead]

I think they were in a couple models in the 70's.

Both Artic Cat and OMC dabbled with Sachs rotaries in the '70s.

 

[Teth-Air]

Agreed but it’s still nice to hear the roar

Fair enough, but if it is about the roar I want a jet engine!

 

[fj40]

OMC were working on a rotary engine for their outboard line.
Even won some races against Mercury with it.
But because the EPA was looking at regulating out board motors and OMC was not in a position to stop producing 2 strokes and only produce rotaries they never brought out a production outboard rotary.

To bad because the rotary would have been a great platform for both out boards and sleds.

You can google OMC rotary racing to find out a lot more on this.

 

[neilsleder]

Both Artic Cat and OMC dabbled with Sachs rotaries in the '70s.

I know a guy with a Johnson sled with a rotary motor. Might be the same as OMC

 

[moyiesledhead]

I know a guy with a Johnson sled with a rotary motor. Might be the same as OMC

Yes. OMC was both Johnson and Evinrude sleds.

 

[timmus]

I wonder how it would have been if it had the same r&d put into it as today's 2 strokes

 

[NoBrakes!]

boys boys boys, youtube Rob Dahm and see that thing!

I had a 91 TURBO rx7 and man was it a rocket! The only vehicle I've been in that gets the speedo increasing faster than the tach in 3rd gear! It just kept on winding up all the way to 9K, bangshift and do it again in 4th.... 5th... I miss that little thing.

 

[HighSpeedLowDrag]

Both Artic Cat and OMC dabbled with Sachs rotaries in the '70s.

A wankel is not necessarily a rotary engine.

 

[NoBrakes!]

A wankel is not necessarily a rotary engine.

He was a man no?