Lightweight

[Guest gdc]

i have just removed the st engine from the lightweight , its destined for another project .

cleaning the engine bay down , i found a large stress crack ,

looking at it i have worked out that the engine plates , the steel ones are moving .

in turn the ally is being bent back and firth creating the crack .

to try to sort out the prob i have welded the joints in the steel plates

i have also added a steel box section to the plates to try to stop them moving .

the st is being replaced with a lower bhp zetec , so i hope the prob is resolved .

 

graham

[Andi]

i have just removed the st engine from the lightweight , its destined for another project .

cleaning the engine bay down , i found a large stress crack ,

looking at it i have worked out that the engine plates , the steel ones are moving .

in turn the ally is being bent back and firth creating the crack .

to try to sort out the prob i have welded the joints in the steel plates

i have also added a steel box section to the plates to try to stop them moving .

the st is being replaced with a lower bhp zetec , so i hope the prob is resolved .

 

graham

 

 

 

Bit lucky there mate

 

 

[Guest Wragie]

Hi Graham

 

Do you have any pictures of the damage/cracks?

 

I might have a fix for you if the cracks are around the edges of the steel between the plate and the built up alloy layers.

Cracks are near the bend lines in the outer wall/sheet?

 

Cheers

 

Dave

[Guest gdc]

hi dave

sorry no pics as the engine is now in ,

the crack is on the passenger side engine bay , as the ally folds down .

so in the centre of the car . i think i may have stopped further damage by reinforcing the steel engine bay plates .

they had bent , thus making the ally bend as well .the crack is well away from the steel its right at the down turn of the ally on the bend .

 

graham

[Guest Wragie]

hi dave

sorry no pics as the engine is now in ,

the crack is on the passenger side engine bay , as the ally folds down .

so in the centre of the car . i think i may have stopped further damage by reinforcing the steel engine bay plates .

they had bent , thus making the ally bend as well .the crack is well away from the steel its right at the down turn of the ally on the bend .

 

graham

 

If I'm on the same page here that's a stress crack from engine movement. Crack will have started just to the front or back of where

the engine mount bolts to the steel plate along that edge? ie the crack is in the middle of the side? If that's where it is then

I'm actually a bit surprised it took this long to be annoying;-] Other side may show up as a buckle in the sheet at this stage.

 

I ran over a few fixes for that area and the easiest one is simply a hanger. Nothing more than a tapered sheet piece that hangs from the top rail

down the side and then riveted to the steel/alum plate assembly. All sides have a bent flange. Needs to be riveted along the side wall about every 1.5 inches. You want two, one in front of the mount and one behind. This will stop the plates from flexing from engine movement. It might actually need 4 with the other two towards the ends of the plate. To really fix this one without a redesign you should also do a tie bar between the two motor mounts. Not sure you have clearance for that one but it's a simple one to do. That would tie the two side together and reduce the flexing in the frame at this area.

 

Merry Christmas

Dave

[Guest gdc]

hi dave

with the engine plates removed the ally flexies easilly .

i have added a box section of 25mmto the inner side of the steel plates

this i hope will stope the movement , added to that i have welded the joints on the engiene bay plates

i hope this will sort out the prob

the stress crack is just foreward of the engine mount on the engine bay floor

 

 

graham