I know this might be a silly question but I just thought of it and couldn't really find an answer. If the rotary engine is simpler, smaller, less weight, why is it so much more expensive to find one as compared to a piston engine replacement? is it because it is really THAT technical that causes them to be so pricey?

 

Not so much technical as unique/rare. Mazda is the only manufacturer to have ever put them into production in any serious numbers, and aside from a small truck, they've only ever put it in sports cars. Small block chevy's are a dime a dozen in comparison because they were put into a lot of different vehicles with high production numbers. Not so much with the rotary. One manufacturer making them, putting them into one line of cars, and not making all that many of them (the cars).

 

Preach mr buckshot!! Also what's the lining material on the housing/plates them selves? I forget which one but it's a chemical with strict government guidelines to apply and get rid of which is extremely harmful to the enviorment.

 

Yea that's true, I just thought they would be less expensive than what they are. You're right though, compared to most other cars they really are rare.

 

I think it's just a chrome coating, but I'm not 100% sure.

 

You know, I was looking at gasket kits for a complete seal/gasket replacement of my engine, and they run 1,500$ and up. For this price, you can get a WHOLE car ( hell a decent rx8 shell can be ought for 2-3k lol) as opposed to bits and pieces of machined metal which I felt is extremely ridiculous if you think about it.

It comes down to supply and demand. The demand greatly outweighs the supply so the manufacturers can price hike their parts. That's my theory anyways.

 

Economic principals, supply and demand. One supplier, with mediocre demands means high pricing. All things considered you can get an OTS motor for 4K brand new, that is not all that expensive.

 

Not brand new but yeah $3500.00 for a factory reman is still not bad.

 

Housings have chrome; irons/plates are nitrated

 

Thank you stink, from what I heard the chrominance process is very harmful as the chemicals being used. There was a guy here wanting to do that process for all the worn down housings but he was met with so many hurdles that he can't do it.

 

He's not the first - there are a lot of companies that do resurfacing but I think they all just scrape material off to get a smooth finish.

That being said, I do believe racing beat produced Aluminum side plates. There is a picture I saw of a dude holding up a fully built shortblock that had aluminum plates and billet rotors.

 

There is an Australian company that makes all billet 2 and 3 rotor engines.

 

yeah, those alum plates are really expensive.

 

rotary engines are basically hand-built, that adds manufacturing costs. And there is a lot of precision required in properly assembling and getting correct and tight tolerances in all the seals.

BTW Mazda rotaries were NOT only put in sports cars and one truck. They were put in a series of four-door sedans and two-door coupes also. I should know, I owned a RX3 coupe, both a four door RX4 and a coupe RX4, along with three generations of RX7's and one RX8. And Mazda made RX2 sedans for Japan and US markets, and a few other models in Japan including a three-rotor turbocharged sedan and coupe.

http://www.mazda.com/stories/rotary/story/

 

They were also used in airplanes!