Abstract: A hybrid elastomer/metal on metal motor for a helical gear device includes a rotor and stator comprising a hydraulic motor that produces work when a working fluid is pumped therethrough. The improvement involves the stator being, for part of its length, a conventional or even wall stator, using an elastomer to form a seal against the moving rotor. The stator's remaining length comprises a profiled rigid surface that forms a seal directly with the moving rotor. This gives the motor the high efficiency of the elastomer sealing against the rotor, and simultaneously provides a backup of the stator' s rigid section allowing continued motor operation at reduced efficiency, if the elastomer part failed in service. The invention also includes combinations of a regular disk stack with a rubber lining, a rigid material disk stack (or unitized element) and a circular rigid sleeve which react to rotor sideloading while permitting proper rotor orbiting.