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Author Topic: The weight saving thread  (Read 578552 times)
Bruce
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« Reply #360 on: May 30, 2010, 19:26:01 pm »

I can confess to my gear selector forks having holes in them as well, but not as many as yours (mine have been fine by the way).

I've also been rather extravagant with the framehorn bolts and made them in Titanium, but you will be pleased to hear, in the time honoured fashion they have blind holes in them and a taper to the head of the bolt much like yours. Sad but true!
Pictures?
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deanosvws
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« Reply #361 on: June 06, 2010, 00:30:49 am »

you lot are mad. hope its not contagious.
cheers dean
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Bruce
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« Reply #362 on: June 07, 2010, 05:09:24 am »

Come on guys, I can't do it all!  Let's see your ideas.

These are the 2 dowel pins that locate the gear carrier to the main trans case.
Stock = 41g/pr
Drilled = 14g/pr  = 66% less
« Last Edit: June 07, 2010, 05:17:02 am by Bruce » Logged
Bruce
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« Reply #363 on: June 07, 2010, 05:14:46 am »

This is the reverse gear's lever.
Stock = 48g
Drilled = 30g  = 33%
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Bruce
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« Reply #364 on: June 07, 2010, 05:44:45 am »


 - you must have a fairly decent setup to drill all this, I have been struggling with an old pillar drill for a while now but a lathe would be lovely!  What machinery do you use for bits like this?
I've got nothing!  My job has me driving a desk, but every once in a while I help out where we have a small workshop with a pillar drill.  After work I give it a workout.
I also have a mate who works in a machine shop and likes doing VW jobs, so he does some.

One thing that really helps is good drill bits.  Look at this one from Boeing Surplus.  These are very sharp and they last a long time.  Notice how there's a step in the drill?  It's designed to drill sheet metal.  The step goes in first and produces a wobbly hole.  Then it acts like a pilot for the second part, making a perfectly round hole.  They are also very cheap; they sell them by the pound.  The only drawback is the limited number of sizes.
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Peter Shattock
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« Reply #365 on: June 07, 2010, 11:57:30 am »

Hi Bruce I have a photo for you but don'know how to post it here! I'll see if I can find and adult to show me how!

Peter [ Attachment: You are not allowed to view attachments ] [ Attachment: You are not allowed to view attachments ]
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The fastest beetle in the village
Pas
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Posts: 562



« Reply #366 on: June 07, 2010, 22:50:52 pm »

This is the reverse gear's lever.
Stock = 48g
Drilled = 30g  = 33%

Great drill work Bruce,these are like little works of art in there own right. Cool

Shame that they have to be hidden away inside the box !
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Peter Shattock
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« Reply #367 on: June 08, 2010, 13:45:47 pm »

Hopefully this will work! Lightened Grade 5 Ti frame horn bolt.

[ Attachment: You are not allowed to view attachments ]

Peter
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« Reply #368 on: June 08, 2010, 15:11:27 pm »

We need the weight for it, is it drilled through to?  Grin
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Peter Shattock
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« Reply #369 on: June 08, 2010, 23:17:02 pm »

Frame horn bollt have blind holes and weigh 62g each

I had my hub nuts around as well they weigh 53g each.

Peter
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cameron shorey
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« Reply #370 on: July 11, 2010, 07:26:31 am »

What? Is this thread stalled? Surely, there must be some more weight saving ideas!
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Rule09
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Posts: 27



« Reply #371 on: August 03, 2010, 18:10:30 pm »

What about sandblasting the body a few times extra?
To make the sheet metal thinner..
To bad i just painted my bug last year..  Embarrassed
And left my heating tubes from front to back..  Embarrassed
I think next year when my second engine is ready, (2.7type 4 from Udo becker) i have to start cutting again..
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Rule09
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« Reply #372 on: August 03, 2010, 18:45:41 pm »

I have 1 set doors extra.. I'm gonna fit then on my bug..
Than i gonna try a bit of weight saving with sandblasting and cutting away inside metal and drilling holls in the side..
See what it delivers..
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2.4 type4 162hp @ 5600rpm and 227nm @ 3000rpm
Undercunstruction 2.7type4 (udo becker) +-240hp
Rule09
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« Reply #373 on: August 04, 2010, 17:22:34 pm »

2 doors are in for sandblasting and than some drilling..
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2.4 type4 162hp @ 5600rpm and 227nm @ 3000rpm
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volkskris
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« Reply #374 on: August 04, 2010, 20:57:02 pm »

Just an idea: when you have trim, bore some holes behind it, should save a few grams too Tongue Cheesy
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Rule09
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« Reply #375 on: August 05, 2010, 18:40:39 pm »

i think i'm gonna cut them in half.. No inside metal..
Pics soon..
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2.4 type4 162hp @ 5600rpm and 227nm @ 3000rpm
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Bruce
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« Reply #376 on: August 07, 2010, 08:34:45 am »

I don't think you'll be able to measure any weight difference by sandblasting.  All you're gonna do is warp the hell out of your panels.  Cutting and drilling is where it's at.
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Martin
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« Reply #377 on: August 07, 2010, 09:04:17 am »

I thought sand blasting just moves the metal around, and doesn't actually remove any.


May be wrong,



Martin
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Bruce
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« Reply #378 on: November 09, 2010, 07:52:20 am »

Hey guys, here's my secret weapon:

What? Is this thread stalled? Surely, there must be some more weight saving ideas!

Cameron's a machinist and he's got this cool waterjet cutting machine that can zip through hardened steel with ease.  Check out the holes he put in these reverse gears.  I also narrowed the one on the left.  I figure since this gear never breaks, and never wears out, it can stand to lose strength.  I just gotta remember to not do any reverse burnouts. 
Oh ya, original : 142g, drilled and narrowed : 80g.

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Fasterbrit
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« Reply #379 on: November 09, 2010, 21:42:17 pm »

Bruce, that's just insane! I would interested to know how much weight you save on your complete gearbox. It would also be interesting to know the parasitic power loss through a lightened drive train compared to stock. 
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Bruce
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« Reply #380 on: November 10, 2010, 05:32:23 am »

The goal is to make my Berg 5 weigh the same as a stock 4 gear.  I've got a running total so far, but I'm not close to done yet.

There are two ways power gets stolen by the gearbox.  One is through friction of the various contact surfaces.  I figure that will be pretty much the same in my gearbox after the weight is cut down since I won't be changing anything on the bearings, and other than the gear in the pic and the coupler, I won't be narrowing the forward gears.  Much. Wink

The second way power is robbed is through the inertia of the rotating parts.  They are all like little flywheels.  They steal hp while you're accelerating.  If they're lighter, they take less power to accelerate them.

The parts on the two shafts of the gearbox are almost insignificant compared to the big players like the flywheel, clutch, crank, diff, brakes, and wheels and tires.  All those parts will be on the chopping block eventually.
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Chris W
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« Reply #381 on: November 29, 2010, 18:38:42 pm »



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Bruce
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« Reply #382 on: November 30, 2010, 05:26:39 am »

Well done Chris.  It's good to have a new convert.

You could go with bigger holes in the e-brake lever.  The strength is in the width.  The metal at the half way point of the width adds zero strength.
Next, drill the cross bar that the lever pulls against.  Have you drilled the brake shoes like in the pic I posted long ago?

The holes in the pan clamps do not reduce their effectiveness.  All of their ridgidity is in the vertical flaps.

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Chris W
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« Reply #383 on: November 30, 2010, 06:01:29 am »

I am well on my way.  Smiley

I plan on going bigger on the lever. I just need to grab some smooth step bits.



I will hit the shoes and the cross bar this weekend.
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pupjoint
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« Reply #384 on: December 08, 2010, 14:46:28 pm »

bump for this thread. i like it a lot, but not much to contribute for now.  Sad
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pupjoint
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« Reply #385 on: December 08, 2010, 15:38:04 pm »

just remember

i dint weigh the weight, but sometime last year i changed out the original SC master cylinder on my 66.

i wanted to try something different so i fitted an aluminium master cylinder from a late model Nissan 4 cylinder car.

it was designed to work with a booster, but i just took it, redreilled the holes to follow the the holes inour VWs .

it sure is a lot lighter but i am not sure what the bore size is.

seems to be working OK so far.



main reason wasnt even for weight, i wanted the reservoir to be ontop of the MC and the ATE late model DC costs USD140 in my area, the Nissan MC can be found in near mint condition for USD20, so i decided to try it out and if it doesnt work, just swap back a VW unit. so far no issues yet.





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Pas
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« Reply #386 on: December 15, 2010, 01:51:35 am »

Another small weight loss, 15g saving on a stock steering column clamp. Grin
« Last Edit: December 15, 2010, 01:54:48 am by Pas » Logged

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Neil Davies
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« Reply #387 on: December 15, 2010, 10:31:32 am »

Another small weight loss, 15g saving on a stock steering column clamp. Grin

Tha's one bit I might not take anything out of... Shocked Cheesy
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Pas
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« Reply #388 on: December 15, 2010, 17:20:09 pm »

Another small weight loss, 15g saving on a stock steering column clamp. Grin

Tha's one bit I might not take anything out of... Shocked Cheesy

Hey Neil

Fear not it is still very strong, the strength seems to be in the folded edges of the clamp, ( back me up on this one Bruce Grin) I gave it a good old twist in the vice and it is still rigid. Phil West has been running a very similar clamp to this, and we both know how thoroughly he likes to test his car Grin
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Bruce
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« Reply #389 on: December 15, 2010, 17:44:16 pm »

Tha's one bit I might not take anything out of... Shocked Cheesy
it is still very strong, the strength seems to be in the folded edges of the clamp, ( back me up on this one Bruce Grin)
Indeed!  There's nobody on this board with enough strength to break that.
I was thinking of making something like that from Al, although it would be difficult to best the weight of yours. 
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