I have used the 2 and 3 piece steels and the 1 piece carbons. I rebuild my own engines and have 1st hand experience that you can break the carbon seals without making a mark on the rotor or side housings. The caveat and the caution is that my breakage (I believe) has been due to detonation (lost only the middle 1/3 of the seal). The carbons are very fragile and don't like the shock wave of a ping even more so than the steels. I think the carbons or any one piece requires a more thorough break in. They are more susceptible to catching a leading edge because of the way they sit in the rotor groove. The carbons have no corner seal and therefore must be clearanced precisely for best compression.
Don't try to use your stock apex springs with the carbons, they won't work without cutting them down.
My 2 cents.
Jamie
Jamie Kekeisen
86 ITS RX-7 NER
92 325IS oops, blown up
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