Some time back HW asked me if I fancied making the awards for RRG.
I responded with a positive, so having come up with an idea and discussed this with a few people including HW, I formed a plan. This initially was to try and source six large pistons with conrods. These would be fixed upright with laser etched inserts in the big end journal with the name of the catagory and event. Shouldn't be too hard I thought, althouth items of a suitable size would probably have to come from a commercial engine, I was hoping for a big end journal around 100mm accross. Alas no boat or train engine parts were forthcomming.
A breakers local to me wated £60 for me to go along and strip an engine. I didn't fancy that, but my local friendly tyre fitter directed me to a chap who might be able to help.
I told my dad and he said "Oh yeah definately, I've not seen him for years, we'll go up saturday." Turns out the chap used to rebuild Bedford TK axles and supply parts for him when he was running tippers years ago.
So the saturday morning the weekend before RRG I ended up here:
Its an old railway building in the west sussex hills chock full of bits and peices accumulated over the last 50 years. The business is currently running as a landrover specialist but has been involved in buying/selling/stripping/rebuilding amy surpluss and commercial vehicals. After a good old chinwag and a root through various piles of parts a deal was done. I got given some engine parts, in return for listing some parts on ebay for the owner.
I returned home with these:
Three matching rods from an engine used in a 60's/70's ex army Bedford (I was told exactly what engine but the detail escapes me now) a fourth rod from a simmilar source, and two pistons with rods from a Landrover TDi engine.
So only two rods with pistons, the plan needed a re-think. I came to the conclusion that some more car parts were needed, and I could see the rods looking good with their small ends welded to a brake disk or drum.
Time to have a hunt round another local breakers.
Where this likey source was spotted.
Two of the already removed drums can be seen on the roof. Getting access was an
because the mini was sitting on its floor, so jacks were hunted in the surrounding cars and much swearing and lump hammering later I had three drums (three because by now I had been told by HW that no wheels whores award was needed).
At the breakers I also spotted these "beauties".
Wide 10's
Banded Fords - Looks like these have seen some short oval action.
So, massively overpriced parts in hand off to school I went.
Wire brushes were brushed, engineers squares squared and G-cramps clamped.
Ready to fire up the gas,
After I "welded" the rod to the drum
I had trouble getting the metal hot enough I think, but then I blew through the drum on one side so I don't know really. I was making it up as I went along. It sort of looked ok but most of the welds ended up cracking.
I tried several times on each of the awards, but they kept cracking so decide to leave as they were.
Seen here with the sample insert.
Three more of these were made and the correct inserts etched.
Then they spent the next couple of days soaking in vinegar, getting wire brushed when possible. I smelt of vinegar most of the week. Swmbo was not pleased.
The two Landrover rods and pistons were used for the remaining two awards. I was running out of time to engineer a solution for fixing the rods upright so I just filled them with fiberglassing resin and made some cover plates from lasered high impact polystyrene sheet. These were supposed to get glued in place but I ran out of time.
Thursday of last week these were finished.
I Would have liked to spend more time cleaning up the steel parts and polishing the pistons, and i think some discs of felt glued to the bottom of each would have enhanced them too.
I responded with a positive, so having come up with an idea and discussed this with a few people including HW, I formed a plan. This initially was to try and source six large pistons with conrods. These would be fixed upright with laser etched inserts in the big end journal with the name of the catagory and event. Shouldn't be too hard I thought, althouth items of a suitable size would probably have to come from a commercial engine, I was hoping for a big end journal around 100mm accross. Alas no boat or train engine parts were forthcomming.
A breakers local to me wated £60 for me to go along and strip an engine. I didn't fancy that, but my local friendly tyre fitter directed me to a chap who might be able to help.
I told my dad and he said "Oh yeah definately, I've not seen him for years, we'll go up saturday." Turns out the chap used to rebuild Bedford TK axles and supply parts for him when he was running tippers years ago.
So the saturday morning the weekend before RRG I ended up here:
Its an old railway building in the west sussex hills chock full of bits and peices accumulated over the last 50 years. The business is currently running as a landrover specialist but has been involved in buying/selling/stripping/rebuilding amy surpluss and commercial vehicals. After a good old chinwag and a root through various piles of parts a deal was done. I got given some engine parts, in return for listing some parts on ebay for the owner.
I returned home with these:
Three matching rods from an engine used in a 60's/70's ex army Bedford (I was told exactly what engine but the detail escapes me now) a fourth rod from a simmilar source, and two pistons with rods from a Landrover TDi engine.
So only two rods with pistons, the plan needed a re-think. I came to the conclusion that some more car parts were needed, and I could see the rods looking good with their small ends welded to a brake disk or drum.
Time to have a hunt round another local breakers.
Where this likey source was spotted.
Two of the already removed drums can be seen on the roof. Getting access was an
because the mini was sitting on its floor, so jacks were hunted in the surrounding cars and much swearing and lump hammering later I had three drums (three because by now I had been told by HW that no wheels whores award was needed).At the breakers I also spotted these "beauties".
Wide 10's
Banded Fords - Looks like these have seen some short oval action.
So, massively overpriced parts in hand off to school I went.
Wire brushes were brushed, engineers squares squared and G-cramps clamped.
Ready to fire up the gas,
After I "welded" the rod to the drum
I had trouble getting the metal hot enough I think, but then I blew through the drum on one side so I don't know really. I was making it up as I went along. It sort of looked ok but most of the welds ended up cracking.
I tried several times on each of the awards, but they kept cracking so decide to leave as they were.
Seen here with the sample insert.
Three more of these were made and the correct inserts etched.
Then they spent the next couple of days soaking in vinegar, getting wire brushed when possible. I smelt of vinegar most of the week. Swmbo was not pleased.
The two Landrover rods and pistons were used for the remaining two awards. I was running out of time to engineer a solution for fixing the rods upright so I just filled them with fiberglassing resin and made some cover plates from lasered high impact polystyrene sheet. These were supposed to get glued in place but I ran out of time.
Thursday of last week these were finished.
I Would have liked to spend more time cleaning up the steel parts and polishing the pistons, and i think some discs of felt glued to the bottom of each would have enhanced them too.
Urban Myth!
