Mercedes-Benz W165 Grand Prix engine in 1:3 scale

[Jasonb]

To save you looking through 8hrs of video, at just after 58mins there is a 300SLR and then the Autounion

<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvU-9YrakL8" target="_blank">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nvU-9YrakL8</a>

[Lew Hartswick]

Daughter and I just watched the GB  GP Qualifying  and I called her to come read the first post on that GP.  She is a Hamilton and Mercedes fan.  Personally I'm more a Ferrari or Red Bull fan. That write-up on the W165 was great.
Sure hope it doesn't rain tomorrow for the race.
   ...lew...

[Jasonb]

Sure hope it doesn't rain tomorrow for the race.
   ...lew...

Rain is about the only thing that makes it an exciting race these days

[Lew Hartswick]

Sure hope it doesn't rain tomorrow for the race.
   ...lew...

Rain is about the only thing that makes it an exciting race these days

I think that partial first lap should have been adequately "exciting" for you .   Not what I like to see.
   ...lew...

[Jasonb]

Well the rain certainly made qualifying a lot more interesting and did mix up the grid a little for the race. No real offs but lessens the gap between the top teams and the also rans.

Last bit of the race after the safety car was probably the best and rain seems to bring out the SC more these days than it used to.

[Vixen]

Another update from Vixen's den. Progress has been slow due to a few weeks of exceptionally high (well, for the UK it was) temperatures which made working in the shed less than desirable. Fortunately, it's cooled down to normal and some progress has been made

I have managed to finish the 16 con rods for the two engines. You will recall they were made, in one piece, from H15 high strength aluminum. The 32 big end bolts seemed to take forever, as did the spot facing, centre drilling and drilling the bolt holes; which had to be repeated on the lower half as well as the top section of each con rod. You can see the particular problem with spot facing and drilling the top section, which could only be reached with an extra long end mill and a specially adapted drill Loctited into an extension rod.





I also took the opportunity to drill the two 1.0mm diameter oil holes which will lubricate the little end bearings.





Here is the first assembled con rod, only 15 more to go!!! The big end bolts are only dummies, in as much as they do not bolt the top and bottom halves of the con rods together. The con rods were made as a single part with the thin section 'open' ball race pressed in place. I expect the single piece con rod to be a bit stronger than than the bolted, two piece, alternative.




Eventually, all sixteen con rods were completed. I had to use M2.5 Nyloc stiff nuts because castellated nuts and split pins were simple not feasible at such a small size. When I look at this photo I can see some of the blue nyloc inserts need a bit of tidying up.







With the cooler weather, I have also been able to make a start on the two crankshafts. You may recall, I decided to go for one piece con rods and built up crankshafts, which will enable me to use commercial ball races throughout. Mercedes Benz, with their vast industrial facilities, used hardened and precision ground crankshaft journals and with split, two part, hardened and ground main bearing shells and con rods with loose rollers, bearing directly on the ground surfaces. I chose the easier option..... a built up crankshaft. 





The first stage was to start cutting up some 60mm diameter cold drawn EN8 steel from which to make the individual crankshaft webs. Where would we be if it were not for one of those Chinese imported band saws. It made reasonable light work of chopping the 60 mm diameter steel into a set of disks.
I used some aluminium extruded 'H' section as Vee blocks in the band saw vice. They worked well.





The individual disks are carefully numbered as their length are slightly different dependent on their location.









Now I need to summon up the courage (and patience) to mount them in the lathe and start turning the main bearing registers. I will be using the inner part of the commercial ball races to align the crankshaft sections. Well that's the plan.

Stay tuned

Mike

[RReid]

Those conrods are so pretty you really should have made at least one extra to mount and hang on the wall.

[Jo]

Looking good Mike, I can see the progress since I saw this at Guildford 

The first stage was to start cutting up some 60mm diameter cold drawn EN8 steel from which to make the individual crankshaft webs. Where would we be if it were not for one of those Chinese imported band saws. It made reasonable light work of chopping the 60 mm diameter steel into a set of disks.
I used some aluminium extruded 'H' section as Vee blocks in the band saw vice. They worked well.

I keep being tempted by one of those  I am still using the 4" mechanical hacksaw that one of my fellow apprentices "lent" me back when we were doing our apprenticeships  Eric has now sold on his 8" capacity bandsaw 

Jo

[crueby]

Very impressive work!   

[Vixen]

Those conrods are so pretty you really should have made at least one extra to mount and hang on the wall.

Hello Ron,

Actually, I started off with 18, but two were lost along the way due to miss-cuts while setting up for one of the batch runs. Like true heroes, they sacrificed themselves for the good of the of the rest. Even damaged parts can act as 'crash dummies' for the next operation.

Jo,

I do not know how I could cope without that power bandsaw. If anyone were to ask me how to set up a new machine shop; I would say" start with a bandsaw and then buy a lathe". Eric cut me a length of 6 inch diameter steel bar in that big bandsaw, it took next to no time. It was a big powerful beast.

Chris, Thanks 

Mike

[Roger B]

Splendid as ever     

[Vixen]

Roger,

Thanks

[steamer]

Those look spectacular Mike!    though I am very excited to see what you get on about the crankshaft!!!!!     

[Admiral_dk]

Fantastic looking Conrods Mike 

Like Dave, I'm looking forward to see you making the Crank   

Per

[Brendon M]

Hello Mike

I have caught up on this thread and the attention to detail is simply amazing!