Australian Belly Tank

[JackD]

Too small a shackle for the load will always be too small and risk breaking.
If you wish to increase the diameter if the pin at the point the lanyard goes around it, a simple slide on sleeve will do it.
The lanyard must always go around the straight pin or you have it backwards to the load.
The webbing is put into an uneven strain if it is installed around the rounded loop, as the ends are more highly stressed than the center.
It is like tearing some thing from the edges first.
Take a sheet of paper and pull straight on it across the entire width, and  then pull on it from the edges.
A lanyard anchor that is mounted in such a manner that it cannot follow the direction of pull as the chute moves around, is inviting failure also because the load will vary from side.
Do the same test as before, but this time with a piece of tape to simulate a flat lanyard working against a rigid mounting and a shackle that is allowed to move around.
If using a shackle with a screw in pin that spends most of it's life while not under load, secure it by backing it off from tight just a bit and take a tie wrap through the eye if the screw tab and around the base of the shackle.
Don't use a tool to tighten it.

[grumm441]

Don't use a tool to tighten it

So don't tighten it yourself

G

[JackD]

Don't use a tool to tighten it

So don't tighten it yourself

G

Did I say "Tool" ?
I meant to say "FOOL". 

GOTTCHA

[ol38y]

For what it's worth, the shackle pins that are not threaded but held in by a cotter pin are rated higher then the threaded ones...   

Just my 2 cents

[grumm441]

Did I say "Tool" ?
I meant to say "FOOL".

Jack
Quick translation
Ausralian Slang or "Strine" as it also known

Tool, Fool
In fact if look up Tool in the macquarrie {Australain} dictionary it links to this picture
>

Grumm

[Reverend Hedgash]

I don't think that's quite accurate Grumm... I reckon a tool is a more of a tosser than a fool is, a fool is just an ignoramus.

Tank Update:
This weekend, (Australia Day weekend where we celebrate invasion day) we rebuilt our gear shifting arrangement in a more hand friendly actually-works kind of way. (see photo below)

Ideally we need to shorten the first gearstick a bit to maximise room, but it is a vast improvement. I have made a cardboard mock up for an aluminium cover plate that I'll cut out next week.

Gee, aluminium is good stuff isn't it? When we started we couldn't weld it and thought that we'd need to get someone in to work on the Al stuff, but now we pump it out all the time, give it a quick "rat polish" and on it goes. No paint and looks great.

Part of the blessing of building a slightly rat tank, is that we don't need to get everything to perfection. Small dints, scrapes, slightly messy welds are all more forgivable on the whole if everything is slightly ratty.

The really important thing for us is getting the overall lines right; the wheels in the right place, the centreline and "attitude" right.

The attitude is important for Hot Rodding, but a little different for LSR. We have tried to play a game of balancing the two. For ours we wanted the feeling of being light, (like the Ladybug belly tank) yet have a slight menace about it. The feeling of animal muscle was a good feeling.

Early on, we found a land based crocodile in Australia (now extinct) that apparently was very fast and could see that our car could have some of these attributes. Four wheels (legs) and a tail.

The louvers down its back came from the idea of vertebrae down the spine of a croc.

The next major design update will be the cockpit dressing. We designed the method of finishing this area but this may not be done for Speedweek 08. Essentially we want to carry the body crease (between the top tank of the back of the car and the lower tank) through into the lift up canopy and finish it there. Also we wish to put in a lower polished aluminium edge to the canopy glass.

This simplifies the geometry here visually and will improve the "face" of the car. The side windows were inspired by the side windows of chopped rods such as the gorgeous Pierson coupe and help merge the styles.

rH+
Speed Deacon

[Elmo Rodge]

Sum said "I wish I was able to come this year, but in '08 I'd better be there  ." Here's an update for you Sum. It IS '08. Wayno

[Sumner]

So how does the shifter work now?  I see a flat on the one side.  Is that the side where you start in 2nd if I remember right and then pull it to the stop (neutral) then grab the other stick??

Sum said "I wish I was able to come this year, but in '08 I'd better be there  ." Here's an update for you Sum. It IS '08. Wayno

It can't already be 08 can it  ,  I still thought is was '62,

Sum

[dwarner]

Who were you invaded by? Was it the convicts?

James Michner, the late novelist, died before he could write the book on Oz. Michner is where I learn most of my history. Just re-read Alaska, Joanie and I are going this Spring.

DW

[Sumner]

..............Michner is where I learn most of my history...........DW

Me too!!  .............. and for SE Asia James Clavell.  Fires of Spring by Michner helped shape who I am.  I read it when I was about 20.  It was I think his first book and a semi-autobiograpy based somewhat on his life when he was growing up.  Went out of print, but then when he made it big it was reprinted and you can find it.  Not a great book, but I though a great "values" book.

You guys have fun in Alaska Dan,

Sum

[Dr Goggles]

You're all nuts , especially you Wayno , when are you bringing the tank over to play??

As for Australia Day......Is there not a day of the year when there isn't a "Day"?.....huh?.....I'm thinking of declaring a "Belly-tank" day and instituting a rich tradition of observance where complete strangers will knock on the doors of Belly-tank owners and offer to do any non Bellytank related work ( lawn mowing , around-the-house-fix-it-jobs and shopping "accompaniment")) , pay all accounts , sit for a period of fifteen minutes of quiet contemplation while listening to the owner/builder's stories of sacrifice and deprivation and then leave a cold six pack .

What say Wayno?

We weren't strictly invaded by convicts, the Aboriginals' ownership or stewardship of this country was a bit like a pontoon that people just kept piling onto and by sheer weight of numbers it went under. It was more of a "Lord of the Flies" experiment where the Brit navy just dumped a whole bunch of thieves and fighting types on the other side of the world thinking that by the fact that they were English they would populate and claim another land mass . We , whoever we are now have managed to dispel a lot of the transplanted traits although the British still think we're a franchise . In a strange twist we whip them at any sport they care to play ( except soccer and no-one cares about that) and use their cheap transient labor to staff our bars ........how things have changed

There has been a phenomenon known as the "History wars" between academics here as to the significance and absolute detail of much of what happened....there is a very real " Wounded Knee" aspect to the Aboriginal side of things here and the definitive book hasn't and may never be written. doesn't mean we don't have some great history it's just as they say it's usually written by the victors and no-one really knows who won.........

Now B.O.T

Yeah Sum that's roughly it ....and yes it is possibly to make the fatal mistake of going for third while second is engaged ....if the Rev mysteriously disappears sometime in early March you can safely bet that is what has happened .

I'm picking up our 'chute today from the parachute bloke where it has had a "little work", a new drogue and some tidying of the lines and a new panel.........

[Sumner]

..................and yes it is possibly to make the fatal mistake of going for third while second is engaged .......

Could you put a latch on it so that when you pull it into neutral (after leaving 2nd) the latch falls down or is pulled in by a spring or something else.  This would lock it into position and might save the good rev. life  .  Just lift or pull the latch out to put it into gear at the line.

Or mill the bar with the flat in it so that the flat is stepped and locks when in neutral.

c ya,

Sum 

[Dr Goggles]

Could you put a latch on it so that when you pull it into neutral (after leaving 2nd) the latch falls down or is pulled in by a spring or something else.  This would lock it into position and might save the good rev. life  .  Just lift or pull the latch out to put it into gear at the line.
Or mill the bar with the flat in it so that the flat is stepped and locks when in neutral.
c ya,
Sum 

.....that doesn't stop  the immediate problem . If I had a little more time I'd swap the bell crank at the gearbox so that third and fourth were around the other way and put a link between the two sticks so It  wasn't possible to get to third with the other leaver pulled back. That was why initially I toyed with the idea of spring loading the lever against neutral so it had to held in 2nd but when the lock-out was flipped it would stay in first..........

the ideal solution for this ( and other parts of the car) are all fighting for space on the schedule, which right now , is short.......

[Elmo Rodge]

Dr Goggles, I'm trying real hard to be running next season some time. When I'll get down there is anybody's guess but it's on my list. Wayno

[Reverend Hedgash]

Hey!... are you guys dissing my stick work?

sheesh, so unkind...

If you want a good book on Australian history check out "The Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes

reverend "H" gash
sinister minister