Posted by Joseph on November 16, 2000 at 23:09:46:
In Reply to: Re: Re: Re: Piston or Rotary? Dare i ask??? posted by Leland on November 16, 2000 at 20:16:14:
I've tried to keep myself from jumping in on this tired old thread but this conversation needs some balancing and I can hold back no longer.
What seems to be ignored here though is that a rotory valve problem never happens all at once unless the whole horn was just dropped down a flight of stairs, in which case pistons would fare no better. Rotories give you plenty of warning in the form of sluggishness. You can have a turkey leg stuck in your rotors and *maybe* they will start to get a little sluggish. Pistons on the other hand have a mystical ability to lock up when it is least convenient with absolutely no notice.. especially if they are attached to a 10k+ horn. I also think that the long valve stroke and rediculous finger spread on many pistons stink. And nothing is more anoying than hearing that popping effect during slurred passages that is sometimes associated with pistons. Needless to say I'm not gung-ho about the current piston fad. Folks that fret over the extra mechanics associated with rotors probably haven't spent much time working on them. They aren't all that much trouble to clean out once a year whether they need it or not. And that is all the maintenance in conjunction with a weekly oiling that you should ever need.
I'm with Sean on this issue. Neither is better than the other.. just different. Pick the horn that you like best and forget about the rest(tm).