Scaffolding poles + old VW bits + Rotary engine....
Discussion
bitwrx said:
On point 4), I think you overestimate the amount of non-bulls
t on the internet...
This thread probably adds 1% to the b*****t quota on it's own t on the internet...
Seriously, that's the best I can tell you outside of what you'll learn from the theory and basics through uni and books written by people with more knowledge than myself, but once you can work that lot out, bear mine in mind afterwards, and yes, trail, error and educated guesswork is still a big part even in these days of computing power.
edit: whoo, 4500 posts. Make that 2% of the internet!
double edit: WRT a link - ThumperTalk isn't a bad place to see people playing with stacks and valving settings and theory behind it.....but take a pinch of salt with you.
Edited by PhillipM on Tuesday 19th April 22:16
Workshop elves have been making new CV flanges since the old were pretty sloppy on the flanges, I'm going to have them plated to to tighten up the clearances a little this time around, as the rock on the splines a little from the plunging forces, and it wears the seals out eventually.
Edited by PhillipM on Monday 25th April 22:06
Good news, the CV joints are here!
Bad news, they've sent the undercut 'race' ones with undersized CV balls that we don't want, as per earlier in the thread, as they're crap for wear and distort where the bolt heads are undercut.
So yes, more waiting....
Bad news, they've sent the undercut 'race' ones with undersized CV balls that we don't want, as per earlier in the thread, as they're crap for wear and distort where the bolt heads are undercut.
So yes, more waiting....
Edited by PhillipM on Wednesday 18th May 10:00
More wing pictures time - finally got the first skeleton up to full width - need a thin sheath of balsa in certain spots just to give it some shape in order to skin it with either fabric or fibreglass to give it a structural skin, the wooden spars will get replaced with aluminium tube when it arrives, and it needs some carbon + epoxy reinforcements to go in on the trailing edge to stiffen/strengthen it, but at least it's getting closer - just another 3 to go...
Been and swapped the CV's today, forgot to get a photo but they're some proper GKN outers, but the chromoly race cages, eletropolished centre stars and balls are already fitted.
I need to hand finish some of the tracks but apart from that the rest of the prep work on the other bits already done so it should be a quick job to get them bolted up, bar coating the driveshafts in some anti-chip coating to stop any places cracks could propagate from.
Clutch pipe needs remaking as it's only a mocked up piece from old bits atm, but once we have that sorted, it can move. At last!
Won't be soon - have to give us a few weeks - as we're repairing one of the old spaceframed racers we used to make for someone else atm.
I need to hand finish some of the tracks but apart from that the rest of the prep work on the other bits already done so it should be a quick job to get them bolted up, bar coating the driveshafts in some anti-chip coating to stop any places cracks could propagate from.
Clutch pipe needs remaking as it's only a mocked up piece from old bits atm, but once we have that sorted, it can move. At last!
Won't be soon - have to give us a few weeks - as we're repairing one of the old spaceframed racers we used to make for someone else atm.
Edited by PhillipM on Friday 20th May 21:42
Inlet for the supercharger got remade to give a better run for the throttle cable and smoother transitions - still not ideal as in a perfect world it'd be curved into a bellmouth too but space is very, very tight down there - there's not enough length to do it properly. Mind, I don't think we'll miss a couple of horsepower...
PhillipM said:
Inlet for the supercharger got remade to give a better run for the throttle cable and smoother transitions - still not ideal as in a perfect world it'd be curved into a bellmouth too but space is very, very tight down there - there's not enough length to do it properly. Mind, I don't think we'll miss a couple of horsepower...
Some nice welding there Phill!
leglessAlex said:
That looks terrfiyingly close to being a finsihed car, Phillip. It also looks fantastic!
It's all getting rather worrying. What are you supposed to do with them once all the bits are on and it's running?I remember something is supposed to happen but I'm not sure what...
PhillipM said:
It's all getting rather worrying. What are you supposed to do with them once all the bits are on and it's running?
I remember something is supposed to happen but I'm not sure what...
Something something mud, something something bent, something something hammer straight again?I remember something is supposed to happen but I'm not sure what...
I see the Fox suspension on the back, but weren't you fiddling with some Penske units earlier on in the thread?
I did mention it, but I probably didn't explain it, I know, not normal for me, I usually talk until the cows come home 
But....I know quite a few competitors read this so I was keeping it quiet on the technical front - well, at least until I get it working and running anyway, then I'll go through it on here, as I'll have the next stage in the works so I won't care then if they adopt it
Plus we're one of those rubbish 2 wheel drive things so we won't be going fast enough for anyone to notice anyway :P
It's nothing particularly fancy, and some on here will know exactly what I'm up to just from stating this - but it should ramp the damping/springing up for hard landings on either the rear or the nose.
Basically lets me keep the corner rates softer whilst still controlling the chassis pitching. There's a few flow/piping issues to overcome though so it might merely result in a Penske canister in low Earth orbit.
But....I know quite a few competitors read this so I was keeping it quiet on the technical front - well, at least until I get it working and running anyway, then I'll go through it on here, as I'll have the next stage in the works so I won't care then if they adopt it
Plus we're one of those rubbish 2 wheel drive things so we won't be going fast enough for anyone to notice anyway :P
It's nothing particularly fancy, and some on here will know exactly what I'm up to just from stating this - but it should ramp the damping/springing up for hard landings on either the rear or the nose.
Basically lets me keep the corner rates softer whilst still controlling the chassis pitching. There's a few flow/piping issues to overcome though so it might merely result in a Penske canister in low Earth orbit.
Edited by PhillipM on Thursday 2nd June 23:28
Sounds very interesting and very complicated. I'd like to get to one of the races to see this in the metal at some stage, I'll remind myself to ask you then!
Speaking of competitors, are you expecting this thing to be comparable at all in terms of stage times to any of the 4WD vehicles? I imagine with all the power on tap this thing is going to be fast with a capital F and I know the RWD dakar trucks aren't always at a disadvantage to their 4WD competitors.
Edit: I think your edit kinda answered that last bit
Speaking of competitors, are you expecting this thing to be comparable at all in terms of stage times to any of the 4WD vehicles? I imagine with all the power on tap this thing is going to be fast with a capital F and I know the RWD dakar trucks aren't always at a disadvantage to their 4WD competitors.
Edit: I think your edit kinda answered that last bit
We were averaging about 7th place finishes with the rotary IIRC the last year it competed - when it finished an event anyway - although it was rare we didn't have problems even when we finished - think our highest was a 4th place.
I'd like to see a podium with this new setup, even if it's only the odd outlier.
There are quite a few big power 4wds running since we last ran though and a lot more money is coming into the sport again this past year or so - some guys are having tyres custom made to the same pattern/name as the road tyres on the approved lists but in soft compounds with kevlar carcasses, which is both rather naughty and a bit pricey...
I'll be annoyed if we aren't regularly in the top ten though, plenty of car/suspension setup to redo this year mind.
I'd like to see a podium with this new setup, even if it's only the odd outlier.
There are quite a few big power 4wds running since we last ran though and a lot more money is coming into the sport again this past year or so - some guys are having tyres custom made to the same pattern/name as the road tyres on the approved lists but in soft compounds with kevlar carcasses, which is both rather naughty and a bit pricey...
I'll be annoyed if we aren't regularly in the top ten though, plenty of car/suspension setup to redo this year mind.
Gassing Station | Readers' Cars | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff