Author Topic: Belly Tank Build Diary  (Read 361809 times)

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Offline lsrjunkie

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #30 on: April 17, 2015, 10:45:54 AM »
Looking good Mike! Looking forward to watching the old girl come together.   :cheers:
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Offline jacksoni

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #31 on: April 17, 2015, 10:59:40 AM »
The roll cage is coming along.  I am pleased with the LSA engine package.  With supercharger and intercooler the entire package will fit in the body without the need for any alteration. 
Have you tried climbing in and out with full fire suit and helmet on? The cage is sorta narrow and the front circular hoop is going to make getting legs in kinda tough. You're not a midget are you? sorry.  :evil:  :cheers: when I first built my liner mocked it all up with plastic pipe and seemed lots of room. Didn't have helmet on.. Ut Oh! Ended having to raise the cage. I think you are ok height wise but that front hoop concerns me.
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Offline Mike Brown

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #32 on: April 17, 2015, 12:41:04 PM »
The LSA dual mass dual disk clutch is 1-1/4" taller than standard clutches.  I machined a 1-1/4" spacer from aluminum.  It was a lot of material to remove for the transmission clutch release support so I started with a 4" hole saw.  It went easier than I expected on the lathe.  The hole was finished up with a boring bar.  I then had to machine a spacer for the pilot bearing.  The pilot bearing spacer is sandwiched between the cobore in the crankshaft and a cobore in the flywheel.  There are three different flywheel bolt patterns on LS engines, 6, 8, and 9 bolt.  I will be fabricating a guard for the flywheel from 1/4" steel. 

I have successfully entered and exited the roll cage with a helmet on but not a fire suit.  I am 5'-9" tall (does not qualify for midget height) and it is close but not tight. 

Offline Elmo Rodge

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #33 on: April 17, 2015, 01:04:30 PM »
Mike, try to get in and out FULLY suited.  :wink: It's amazing how fast things change when you get everything on.  :cheers: Wayno

Offline SPARKY

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #34 on: April 17, 2015, 01:10:59 PM »
I second that ---more than one cage had to be cut  :-o  and remade at the last moment!
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

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Offline Stainless1

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #35 on: April 17, 2015, 04:20:19 PM »
Hopefully you had the inner skin, steering and controls mocked up in the drivers compartment when you did that.  Stepping in without any obstructions is easy... you might want to cut the hoop and run a brace to the frame, then add the hoop farther forward.
Stainless
Red Hat 228.039, 2001, 65ci, Bockscar Lakester #1000 with a little N2O

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #36 on: April 17, 2015, 04:49:00 PM »
This is gear ratio chart showing the speed in each gear at the factory redline of the engine using 28" tall land speed tires and current gear ratios assuming no wheel slip. 

585hp? It's gonna go faster than 220 :-D
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

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Offline ronnieroadster

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #37 on: April 17, 2015, 07:52:18 PM »
 Having built the cage in my Lakester and needing to bail out fast after doing crop circles at Wilmington I know the design of your cage is not going to work. As others have mentioned the hoop over your legs needs to be moved forward so you can get out in a hurry if need be. Also the seat location looks high in my cage I layed the seat back a lot more this gave me a much lower cage along with less mass in the air.
  My tank is not as wide as yours the widest point is only 31 inches but even with the SFI 20 fire suit which is whats required for a blown car theres still enough room for me the driver.  Its not like being in a Caddy but for the short time were in suited up and under way its good.
 Now towing to the line and returning to the pits thats another story its tight so we try to put a little guy in there for those long rides. Many years ago we strated a build diary on the lakester early pictures show the first cage design which was to high. Latter I removed the cage and built another thats three inches lower I was able to do this by laying the seat down more.
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Offline SPARKY

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #38 on: April 17, 2015, 11:21:47 PM »
EVERYTHING has to be in there---SS1 & RR are spot on!!!!!!!!!!  You just can't believe how a control or two---or the strg. gear change stuff--belts too---what made me have to redo mine I had to change the brake pedal mounting
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline Dr Goggles

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #39 on: April 18, 2015, 04:05:48 PM »
With regard to the cage and that hoop. You can use a net and or straps as well as the mandatory arm restraints in that area but this is what I see as the main issue. Lowering the top of the cage will give you much better aero,better aero means better conversion of fossil fuel to fastness and that's what we're here for.

When you lower the top of the cage you'll find the best way to get into it the car is to squat with your knees up and slide  back as you straighten them. That's not possible with that bar there.

I'm not claustrophobic but wearing a -20 suit on a 100+ degree day in the cab of a tank will give you a fair idea of what it must be like, if you can indeed get in there at all.

I'm not sitting on the fence making idle comment here, I've been there, I've had to bite the bullet and make changes, I want to see you run this thing fast, soon.
« Last Edit: April 18, 2015, 04:28:55 PM by Dr Goggles »
Few understand what I'm trying to do but they vastly outnumber those who understand why...................

http://thespiritofsunshine.blogspot.com/

Current Australian E/GL record holder at 215.041mph

THE LUCKIEST MAN IN SLOW BUSINESS.

Offline SPARKY

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #40 on: April 18, 2015, 09:23:32 PM »
DR. G is spot on ---- are we racing ---- or what 

I am completely inside a 30" tank and I am 6'3" and 240 with a SFI 20
« Last Edit: June 07, 2015, 11:54:05 PM by SPARKY »
Miss LIBERTY,  changing T.K.I.  to noise, dust, rust, BLUE HATS & hopefully not scrap!!

"Security is mostly a superstition. It does not exist in nature, nor do the children of men as a whole experience it. Avoiding danger is no safer in the long run than outright exposure. Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."   Helen Keller

We are going to explore the racing N words NITROUS & NITRO!

Offline Jack Gifford

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #41 on: April 23, 2015, 10:33:23 PM »
I found this one picture of the rear suspension in "Speed Queen" lakester- front is pretty much the same. I misspoke earlier- it's not coil-overs, it's longitudinal torsion bars with the crossover shocks inside the body, connected to the short ends of the torsion bar 'L' arms. So the only suspension pieces outside the body are the long ends of the torsion arms (and of course the radius arms and the ends of the track bars).
« Last Edit: April 23, 2015, 10:36:48 PM by Jack Gifford »
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Offline Mike Brown

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #42 on: May 01, 2015, 08:45:08 PM »
I am designing the suspension.  After some dialog with Joe Timney I have decided that a full suspension system front and rear is in order.  The suspension will be a link design most likely Satchell or triangulated four link.  I like direct threaded links using 3/4" rod ends.  The standard material for direct thread links is 1"OD .156" wall DOM.  I think that this is strong enough for the front suspension since there are no brakes on the front axle.  For the rear links I wanted something stronger but did not want to weld ends into larger tubing.  At my local tubing supplier I found 1-1/4" OD .375" wall DOM.  This will allow me to bore each end and single point threads on a CNC lathe so they will be perfectly straight. 

Offline Mike Brown

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #43 on: May 10, 2015, 07:20:24 PM »
The suspension links turned out nice.  One piece design with no welding, straight threads. 

Offline Mike Brown

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Re: Belly Tank Build Diary
« Reply #44 on: May 10, 2015, 08:28:12 PM »
Winters specifies a 11.532" bolt circle with 11 bolts that attach the side bells to the center section.  My Extremliner quick change pattern was closer to a 10.932" bolt circle with 11 bolts.  I machined two brackets from 1/4" steel that will be used to attach the upper suspension links the rear end housing.  I am planning on a triangulated four link (Satchell) type suspension.