What should I make? Taking a machining class.

Billet aluminum cylinder head for the small block six 8) . I think Mike needs some competition for his new head. :wink:
 
So we had the first class tonight. The instructor is volunteering to do the class. We used to have a full time teacher but he left. This guy is starting it back up again. We have a cnc machine, which is just outstanding. I just need to figure out how to use Mach 2 (The cnc's program) with Solidworks.

Basically, I can make something in Solidworks, and plug it into the machine and have it cut it out. This would be amazing.
 
V8 Mustang center link conversion, see below:

Centre link is wider on a Mustang by a few millimetres - maybe 30mm or so. Enough that you can't really adjust it out.

"""There is a neat mod people do here to replace the centrelink, where they internally thread some chrome-moly steel bar and fit a tie rod end (with jam nut) each side - one left, one right.

It means that adjusting toe-in is easy (you just loosen the jam nuts and turn the bar), but more importantly you never get bent over on centre link prices again..."""
 
ludwig":1j807a7l said:
How about one of those center links for the suspension that Addo was mentioning on another thread?
Click to expand...

Here's where you heard it first, Addo.
 
http://www.rickwrench.com/index79master ... ulley.html

Here's richwrench's page with his billet pulley. There's a pdf with the dimensions:

betterpulleyW.jpg
 
That's not a bad idea.

I have a question about the crank pulley. Does it have a counterweight?

How important is a 'heavy' balancer/pulley combo on our engines? Any chance I could replace it with an alumi0num unit? My guess is no . .
 
350kmileford":nes6oed3 said:
That's not a bad idea.

I have a question about the crank pulley. Does it have a counterweight?

.
Click to expand...

Nope. I don't see why you couldn't replicate it in aluminium if you use a harder alloy, except that it will lose most all of the damping ability.

I don't know how much of an effect it would have on engine life, could be severe.
 
The pulleys sound like a good idea. How about a serpentine set? You could retain the current balancer by turning a steel or aluminum drive pulley to go over it and bolt onto the three bolt holes that are already there.
 
MustangSix":1c1wp1ui said:
The pulleys sound like a good idea. How about a serpentine set? You could retain the current balancer by turning a steel or aluminum drive pulley to go over it and bolt onto the three bolt holes that are already there.
Click to expand...

Winner :!:

run the backside of the belt on the right of the water pump, to keep the correct rotation. an idler or eaton m90 on the right side of the engine.

i'll take a 6 groove 8)
 
A "performance" damper would be nice. Didn't Mike have a few Aussie ones that went to some forum members...

(edit) oh never mind I see he has these now! 8)
BalancerLG.jpg
 
350kmileford":13nlvmev said:
So we had the first class tonight. The instructor is volunteering to do the class. We used to have a full time teacher but he left. This guy is starting it back up again. We have a cnc machine, which is just outstanding. I just need to figure out how to use Mach 2 (The cnc's program) with Solidworks.

Basically, I can make something in Solidworks, and plug it into the machine and have it cut it out. This would be amazing.
Click to expand...

Sadly, it doesn't quite work that way :)
 
Well doesn't it? I can make something in Solidworks. I can then import it? via a prgoram such as camworks and (camworks) can convert the model into G-code, which can then be read by the cnc machine (using Mach 2 software) This is how I believe it works. Is there something more/less? Mind PM'ing me the answer?
 
That's how it works. True.

And then it gets something just a little bit wrong, and rapid's your cutter into the vice.

It's a good tool, but its not a magic turn your solid model into a part tool. You need to go through and check everything it does, and fine tune it.
 
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