Alex Buchka
8 cylinders
- Joined
- Apr 8, 2004
- Location
- Los Angeles
I am involved in quite a few projects that aren't really big enough to get their own thread but are still more or less noteworthy. I figured I'd keep this thread updated with what I'm currently working on in the shop if there is any interest in it.
Latest is making up a trans adapter to fit a Whiteblock 5 cylinder on to a transmission from an aircooled VW Vanagon. It's for a 1972 VW Beetle that's been converted in to a rallycross race car. It has a full roll cage, Porsche brakes and suspension, fiberglass widebody fenders, a fiberglass whale tail hood, and a bunch of other goodies.
The engine in question. This particular one is a normally aspirated 20 valve 2.5l inline 5. Should be somewhere north of 200bhp when it's all together.
Started off with a rather large piece of 1/2" thick aluminum plate that was previously used to mount a giant electric motor. Used a boring head to make a 50.00mm hole in the center.
I mounted the crank in the block and used the hole i just drilled in the plate to hang the plate on the crank. With the plate effectively "centered" i could now drill and ream the holes for the locating dowels on the block. Visible are some of the mounting holes already finished.
I made a fixture to hold the flywheel to a lathe chuck. The big lathe was broken so I had to mill the diameter of the flywheel down with a rotary table and a 25mm carbide endmill.
Here's the other half of the adapter being rough cut. Cutting 8mm thick steel plate by hand is boring as all hell, especially when it's a circle. The plasma cutter is great for this but the cut can be wobbly and uneven. I drilled a hole and stuck a bolt in the center and used a piece of TIG filler rod as a guide to drag the torch along. Made for a really nice round piece of plate.
Latest is making up a trans adapter to fit a Whiteblock 5 cylinder on to a transmission from an aircooled VW Vanagon. It's for a 1972 VW Beetle that's been converted in to a rallycross race car. It has a full roll cage, Porsche brakes and suspension, fiberglass widebody fenders, a fiberglass whale tail hood, and a bunch of other goodies.
The engine in question. This particular one is a normally aspirated 20 valve 2.5l inline 5. Should be somewhere north of 200bhp when it's all together.
Started off with a rather large piece of 1/2" thick aluminum plate that was previously used to mount a giant electric motor. Used a boring head to make a 50.00mm hole in the center.
I mounted the crank in the block and used the hole i just drilled in the plate to hang the plate on the crank. With the plate effectively "centered" i could now drill and ream the holes for the locating dowels on the block. Visible are some of the mounting holes already finished.
I made a fixture to hold the flywheel to a lathe chuck. The big lathe was broken so I had to mill the diameter of the flywheel down with a rotary table and a 25mm carbide endmill.
Here's the other half of the adapter being rough cut. Cutting 8mm thick steel plate by hand is boring as all hell, especially when it's a circle. The plasma cutter is great for this but the cut can be wobbly and uneven. I drilled a hole and stuck a bolt in the center and used a piece of TIG filler rod as a guide to drag the torch along. Made for a really nice round piece of plate.
A buddy of mine has 3: French/Canadian/US. I'm so jealous of people that travel.
