Scaffolding poles + old VW bits + Rotary engine....

Scaffolding poles + old VW bits + Rotary engine....

Author
Discussion

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Friday 27th March 2015
quotequote all
PhillipM said:
That aside, I'll get some pictures tommorow, honest
Okay, I lied, the next tommorow, honest!

In the meantime, YOU DON'T GET TO TELL ME WHAT TO DO BILSTIEN! You're not my REAL dad!





How do you like them apples! hehe

threadlock

3,196 posts

253 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
PhillipM said:
How do you like them apples!
hehe

Squiggs

1,520 posts

154 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
Ummm! I'm telling Mum!

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Saturday 28th March 2015
quotequote all
hehe

Finished off some last bits of dashboard wiring today (few extra's been added, launch control settings, etc), and tidied all the wiring behind it into neat runs, switched idiot lights out for LED's (which then required ripping them to bits and trying to add diodes and ballast resistors in the case of the alternator charging light....good fun trying to solder them in a space about 8mm x 4mm.....lots of swearing, some burnt fingers.



Anyway, kettle went on, coffee came out, shiny lights:



As promised, new front bonnet, ignore the steel box section, it was just there to hold the front square whilst welding as it's fairly thin aluminium, it's on hinges now and will get a gas ram lifter fitted to secure it, much easier to work on if you break down away from the service area then.



And new floorpan is on, new bulkhead, seat mounts, pedals, etc:




PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Monday 27th April 2015
quotequote all
Bet you didn't come back into this thread expecting a startup video did you?! biggrinbiggrinbiggrin
















...good because you're not getting one hehe
Yep, you know that slow progress? Done pretty much nothing on the car for the last two weeks due to running around with family health issues again, to the extent of turning work away, so now I'm skint too, so probably not much getting done next week either biggrin
Anyway, less rambling, more shiny car, right?

No pictures yet, but we've decided whilst we're sorting wheels out, to swap the front hubs and make some new custom ones - cue groans at the back over more delays - it's not as bad as it seems though this time, honest.
We're doing it so we can run off-the-shelf alloys at the front too instead of the custom steel wheels, we've found some the right size and fairly tough which are a similar weight to the steels.
So, rather than being even more work, it actually just means we only need to machine up two aluminium hubs, rather than making wheel centres, machining true in the lathe and then jigging and welding wheels up, so - theoretically at least - it shouldn't take any more time than we had to spend making some new wheels anyway.

So the good news is, more shiny machining pictures shortly, the bad news is, the hydraulics and rest of the bits to get it running aren't getting touched until next week, although, there's some good news, in that there's only about a week of work left in those until fire-up time at last!

Squiggs

1,520 posts

154 months

Monday 27th April 2015
quotequote all
Most of this is way beyond my simple (read non-existent) engineering skills - but I can't wait for more updates.

chuntington101

5,733 posts

235 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
PhillipM said:
Bet you didn't come back into this thread expecting a startup video did you?! biggrinbiggrinbiggrin

...good because you're not getting one hehe
Yep, you know that slow progress? Done pretty much nothing on the car for the last two weeks due to running around with family health issues again, to the extent of turning work away, so now I'm skint too, so probably not much getting done next week either biggrin
Anyway, less rambling, more shiny car, right?

No pictures yet, but we've decided whilst we're sorting wheels out, to swap the front hubs and make some new custom ones - cue groans at the back over more delays - it's not as bad as it seems though this time, honest.
We're doing it so we can run off-the-shelf alloys at the front too instead of the custom steel wheels, we've found some the right size and fairly tough which are a similar weight to the steels.
So, rather than being even more work, it actually just means we only need to machine up two aluminium hubs, rather than making wheel centres, machining true in the lathe and then jigging and welding wheels up, so - theoretically at least - it shouldn't take any more time than we had to spend making some new wheels anyway.

So the good news is, more shiny machining pictures shortly, the bad news is, the hydraulics and rest of the bits to get it running aren't getting touched until next week, although, there's some good news, in that there's only about a week of work left in those until fire-up time at last!
Phil you should become a Project Manager with a response like that! wink

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Tuesday 28th April 2015
quotequote all
I'm the manager of Project "Take 2 years longer than it should have done"

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Monday 18th May 2015
quotequote all
Been a while since updates, but we've been through the front suspension machining the worn bits out and sleeving shafts/housings as it had all got a bit tired up front from the abuse again, takes quite some time as the king and link pins are a very close tolerance fit and the fit/finish needs to be perfect on them so that the bearings can take the impact loading - thankfully that's all done now, and tonight the new front hubs got roughed out biggrin
Quite a lot of work left on them but I think there should be some shiny machined billet alloy pictures again next week, in case your weekly quota is running low wink

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Wednesday 20th May 2015
quotequote all
Nope, no shiny billet pictures yet, you'll have to put up with the original rough drawing of the front hubs instead wink



Saves us about half a kilo per side over the old hubs, and the wheels are about a kilo a side lighter too. Okay, it's not massive, but it's better than going the other way!

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Friday 3rd July 2015
quotequote all
Good news, I'm not dead. Well, not yet anyway. I have broken my radius though which isn't helping progress atm, amongst other issues.

They still need scalloping out, and a bit more lightening work, but this is as far as we can go really with our old lathe and a pillar drill*, need someone with a mill for the rest.



(*Well, it's not, but I'd have to have them balanced after if I rigged up to do them in the pillar drill)

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Saturday 11th July 2015
quotequote all
Well, we know the engine setup works....



...not because it's running, but because one of the NORC guys has been reading this and done the exact same setup, swine biggrin

leglessAlex

5,384 posts

140 months

Saturday 11th July 2015
quotequote all
PhillipM said:
Well, we know the engine setup works....



...not because it's running, but because one of the NORC guys has been reading this and done the exact same setup, swine biggrin
You snooze you lose biggrinbiggrin

Any idea on a finishing date for this? Hope the health problems aren't problems anymore...

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Saturday 11th July 2015
quotequote all
Getting back on track a bit now, so should be soon, my arm is back usable bar a big lump so I'm finishing the few bits off this week that are stopping us from actually hitting the start button (trigger wheel setup, pull sump and pump for a final clean, etc).
The good news is the front hubs have had a trial run with new bearings and everything fits perfectly, so they're out for anodising ready to be built up.


The upside of the copied one is he can't get it running anything more than a hint of boost yet without issues, so his copying from photo's didn't go quite as well as he hoped biggrin

Edited by PhillipM on Saturday 11th July 20:57

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Friday 17th July 2015
quotequote all
Update item #1 - My arm is still buggered. I've had a bking for using it from at least 2 nurses now. Guess I should behave.

Update item #2 - Possibly the last machined piece to be done - which is a good job because the lathe is up for sale (~1m bed length, 200mm over centre, 3ph, if anyone's interested):



The cover/cap for the wheel bearings, bit longer than strictly necessary because it also acts as the guide for the alloys to help with wheel changes, and it seals the hole in the centre of them at the same time to stop them collecting mud and gravel.

And, the most important of them all, item #3 - Bit of promo/workshop mug upgrade, vital performance item, knocks 10 seconds off the 0-StrongEnoughToTarnishTheSpoon time for most good teabags:




PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Sunday 19th July 2015
quotequote all
Brake bells on the hubs, just need to make some new discs now - the old ones are fine, but, well, they're not shiny...



(No, we're not quite that vain - but the old discs can go with the 2-pot calipers and old hubs as a complete package to sell on then, might cover the materials for the new fronts.)


Edited by PhillipM on Monday 20th July 00:03

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Tuesday 21st July 2015
quotequote all
Okay, maybe a little vain then - wonky front discs too?

Silly question wink




(In case you're wondering, we have some small 4 pots - freebies as they need a complete rebuild, but that doesn't bother me - to replace the 2-pot fronts, not for power reasons, but the 2-pots have a very small pad, so with another 100bhp I thought we'd shift up to a bit more area to control the heat at the interface/pad surface for wear reasons)

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Thursday 13th August 2015
quotequote all
Discs, just off for a quick dip at the platers to stop any corrosion between mounting surfaces (as it'd throw the disc off from running true), and then the front goes back together and outside to see how she looks in some sunshine!



Look quite large in the pictures but once they have a 1.5mm chamfer on the inside and outside they look a bit better :P

leglessAlex

5,384 posts

140 months

Thursday 13th August 2015
quotequote all
So whats the schedule? Making it to the last round this year for a shakedown or first round next year? I have no idea when the rounds are, maybe it'll be ready before the last one this year?

As usual, mad skillz on display. To think this is 'amateur' engineering! Incredible.

PhillipM

Original Poster:

6,515 posts

188 months

Thursday 13th August 2015
quotequote all
This ain't engineering, this is Bodgit 'n' Scarper Industries hehe

I'm away for a week or two, but once I get back everything apart from a mount for the front calipers is done really, so a couple of hours to fit those, sort out some new hoses, and from now on in it's just bolting parts on, plugging in the loom, and making sure everything is greased and threadlocked, all the making stuff is done.