October 2007,
The engine we are using for this project is a 1600 crossflow originally from a mk2 escort, we have purchased the engine complete, but needing assembly. It has already had some machining work done, including a rebored block, uprated camshaft and an uprated cylinder head.
The cylinder head itself was overhauled by Vulcan engineering and is fitted with large valves, bowled combustion chambers and has been ported and polished. The work on it was done a number of years ago and hence we now need to fit unleaded valve seats to the exhaust valves to allow us to use normal unleaded petrol.
This will need to be done by a specialist machining company but first we will have to remove the valves and associated components.
This was done by using a valve spring compressor to force the spring down and allow removal of the valve collets. Once removed the pressure was released and the valve, spring and top cap could be withdrawn. It is very important to keep each valve together with its spring and collet to make sure they go back together the same way.
Once the unleaded seats have been fitted the valves will be replaced by a similar method.
Thursday, February 21, 2008
Axle Overhaul Part 2
October 2007,
Work on the axle continued with finishing off the link brackets. The radius of the cut out section would need to match that off the axle in order to get a good fit. This was done by first removing large amounts of material then using a file to shape the section more accurately.
Bolt holes for the link bars were then drilled and a bolt was welded into the back of the bracket using a MIG welder to allow attachment of the panhard rod.
The opposite side pieces were also cut off and they would then be altered and reused as endplates for the section to be welded back on.
Once the link bracket had been finished it was attached to axle using a jig and checked for position and inclination to ensure it was aligned correctly. After being bolted down runs of mig weld were added down each side and on the inner sides as far as possible.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Axle Overhaul
October 2007,
Work on the project could now finally start and one of the first components to receive attention was the rear axle, this would require major work and is one of the most important parts of the build.
The axle itself originally came from a Ford Escort mk2 but has been modified to be located by a 5 link kit and coil over damper as apposed to leaf springs that were originally used on cars of this type. This mean the axle had to be stripped down including removing the differential and half shafts and then the original locating brackets ground off.
New brackets were then made from steel to allow the four link bars and panhard rod to be connected to the axle. This was done by modifying sections of 2 inch steel bar and steel plate by drilling, grinding and filing to produce the desired shape and accurate fitment.
Work on the project could now finally start and one of the first components to receive attention was the rear axle, this would require major work and is one of the most important parts of the build.
The axle itself originally came from a Ford Escort mk2 but has been modified to be located by a 5 link kit and coil over damper as apposed to leaf springs that were originally used on cars of this type. This mean the axle had to be stripped down including removing the differential and half shafts and then the original locating brackets ground off.
New brackets were then made from steel to allow the four link bars and panhard rod to be connected to the axle. This was done by modifying sections of 2 inch steel bar and steel plate by drilling, grinding and filing to produce the desired shape and accurate fitment.
Introduction
For the level 3 mechanical engineering group project, the production of a kit car is going to provide the majority of the focus. This will involve the complete construction of a Westfield ‘7’ kit car, beginning from purchasing the necessary parts to finally track testing the finished model.
The project will be carried out at the premises of Pitstop Training Sheffied, under the tuition of trustee Jim Taylor. Jim will be overseeing the project and providing help through his many years of experience along the way.
The car itself will be of similar design to a Lotus '7' and has been purchased by us as a completed space frame chassis and then will be fully assembled with all the relevant components, many of which will have been modified or overhauled as part of the process.
The eventual aim will be to use the car to compete in a number of selected Sprint and Hill climb events in the local area, this will allow us to gain experience of running a competition car and allow further analysis into the setup and maintenance of said car.
There has now been a Gantt chart produced to provide approximate timings for each of the steps to be completed towards building the car. In terms of organisation, we will try to stick to these timings as closely as possible to maintain the progress of the group to a satisfactory level. However, there may be factors out of our control which may make it necessary to review of the order in which the steps are taken.
In terms of personnel, the group will be starting out with three key members, who are:
Christopher Faulkner
Christopher Goddard
David Joy
In addition to these members, there will be help available from the students who will be studying on level 2 of the ‘Motor sports engineering management’ programme. These students will primarily be having a ‘labour’ role within the project, carrying out tasks which the three key members see as appropriate.
The project will be carried out at the premises of Pitstop Training Sheffied, under the tuition of trustee Jim Taylor. Jim will be overseeing the project and providing help through his many years of experience along the way.
The car itself will be of similar design to a Lotus '7' and has been purchased by us as a completed space frame chassis and then will be fully assembled with all the relevant components, many of which will have been modified or overhauled as part of the process.
The eventual aim will be to use the car to compete in a number of selected Sprint and Hill climb events in the local area, this will allow us to gain experience of running a competition car and allow further analysis into the setup and maintenance of said car.
There has now been a Gantt chart produced to provide approximate timings for each of the steps to be completed towards building the car. In terms of organisation, we will try to stick to these timings as closely as possible to maintain the progress of the group to a satisfactory level. However, there may be factors out of our control which may make it necessary to review of the order in which the steps are taken.
In terms of personnel, the group will be starting out with three key members, who are:
Christopher Faulkner
Christopher Goddard
David Joy
In addition to these members, there will be help available from the students who will be studying on level 2 of the ‘Motor sports engineering management’ programme. These students will primarily be having a ‘labour’ role within the project, carrying out tasks which the three key members see as appropriate.
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