Question about Rotax 582

[richardkennedy]

:confused: Can someone please tell me what the oil line that comes from the rotary valve reservior and goes to the bottom of the 582 is for? Is there a reservior of oil in the bottom of the engine?

[StanFoster]

Richard: That oil line lubes the rotary valve.

Stan

[GyroRon]

The 582, 532 and 618 Rotax two strokes have a rotary valve on the intake side of the engine. It is basically a disc with a hole in it, that rotates. the rotation is timed so that the hole in the disc is lined up with one of the carbs at the time the engine is ready to accept more fuel and air for a combustion cycle. When it is open for one cylinder the solid part of the disc is closed for the other.

All two strokes have some thing that does this same job. The smaller Rotax two strokes use the piston itself to do this. Many small two cycle engines are the same. Other engines - such as most two stroke dirt bikes - use a reed valve to do this job, The reed blocks the intake until the engine " sucks " in a fresh charge of air and fuel.

Anyway this rotary valve spins on a shaft that sits crosswise on the 582 crankshaft and is turned by gears in the middle. On the other side of this shaft is the waterpump. The rotary valve and shaft need lubrication. The normal fuel - oil - air mixture that lubricates the crank and rods and pistons does not make it into the area where the shaft and valve is, so it needs to be lubricated by another means.

The way it is lubricated is by a small tank on the side of the engine that has two hoses coming out of it. One hose flows oil into the rotary valve chamber and another circulates the oil back to the tank. So it is a closed loop system. The engine should use little to no oil out of this system, it just recirculates over and over. If you notice that your having to add oil often to the tank, then you have a bad seal or other problem with the rotary valve or it's shaft.

One more thing to note, The oil you are to use in the small tank is the same two stroke oil you use for the rest of the engine - by mixing with the gas or adding to the oil injection tank if your engine is set up for oil injection. DO NOT use regular motor oil or gear oil, etc....

[richardkennedy]

Stan and Ron, thanks for your answers. Ron, your answer about the closed loop clarified the matter for me. I appreciate it.

[GyroRon]

You are welcome sir!