supermileage car build

[charliechaindrive.]

This year, a few classmates and I are in the power mechanics class. In this class, we are fabricating a car for the MTEEA supermileage challange this year, at brainerd international raceway. I figured that I would start a build thread here to get some opinions, and possibly some help with any problems that may rear up.

Here's our car

And here is warren, known as choppercrazy on here, working on the air intake for the carburetor.

We're going to work on running a 3 speed sturmy archer hub with an 80 tooth drive sprocket over the cog on the hub, so we would be able to use the three different gears in the race to try to save a bit more gas. Also in our agenda, we are going to get rid of the dorky stock pancake muffler and put a lower resistance one on it, and do a cold air intake from outside of the car. We are using a 2.4 hp briggs engine, with a 10 tooth #35 chain clutch. I'll try to post pictures of our progress, and updates on how we do at B.I.R this year.

Cheers, ccd.

 

[MotorBicycleRacing]

This year, a few classmates and I are in the power mechanics class. In this class, we are fabricating a car for the MTEEA supermileage challange this year, at brainerd international raceway.
We're going to work on running a 3 speed sturmy archer hub

Wish that I could have done this in school.
http://www.mtea.net/supermileage/smhome.htm

What model Sturmey Archer 3 speed are you using?

 

[charliechaindrive.]

I'll half to go out and check what model.it is, I'm donating the hub because I've got three spare ones, along with two complete wheels with sturmy's in them.

And I like this class, we actually get to problem solve something that isn't on a computer. And also, usually in this class you don't need to solve math problems that have more letters.in them than.numbers...

 

[16v4nrbrgr]

Thats so cool, I bet you're having a blast making parts for it.

 

[2door]

Keep us informed, Charlie. Looks to be one interesting project. Will this be a 3 wheeler?

Tom

 

[Dave31]

Very cool! I'm very interested in this project. Please keep us updated on the progress.

 

[Trey]

Right on! I for one, will be watching with interest.

 

[Allen_Wrench]

Definitely watching this one. Go for it, Charlie!

 

[Goat Herder]

Signing on to see this one. I love these kind of projects!!

 

[charliechaindrive.]

Yep! Both of our cars are tadpoles. We have this car, named "the silver bullet" and also a second car that has a carbon fiber faring over the entire thing, that we've named "black cloud"

To work on the two cars, we've seperated into two groups of five to build on each car.

"black cloud" will be run in the e-85 class, and that car is using a briggs junior 206 as it's powerplant.
But, the deal with "black cloud" is, we got.the carbon shell used, and the previous years just made the aluminum frame to fit under the shell. But, someone hadn't measured right so the front wheels rub on the inside of the wheelwell when you crank it to the left.

Also a second problem I've found, is that it is pretty unstable at about running speed.

We had to test the.turning radius, so I hopped in the frame w/o the shell on, and my classmates jon and zac pushed me along at a running pace in the parking lot, after they let go I started to turn and It made a few scary noises, and it might have actually got it onto two wheels...


The one problem the class has found with the silver car, is that it's a bit of a hog. I mean, that entire nose forward of that blue sticker on the forward part, is a completely sealed off compartment, and is doing absolutely nothing. I think it's just grossly overengineered. I mean, seriously this thing must weigh almost 150 lbs. If someone were able to go berserk on it with the big 10 inch angle grinder, I'm certain they could drop 50 pounds off that weight.

Personally I voted to chop the daylights out of it, and to make it look like a morgan tri car. Cause we would've had the coolest car a B.I.R but, nobody in the class supported my idea and it was shot down.in flames.
And also, nobody ever understands that its not a 15 minuet job to think of a practical way to put gears on these, somebody sugjested that we weld an old mountain bike to the back of the car, and ran the power from the motor to the pedals. But, one problem with that idea is, that steel doesn't weld to aluminum too teribly well.

My plan, would have the 80 tooth drive sprocket over the cog on the three speed sturmy, and wewould hopefull be able to shift through all three gears on the track. But, our car is set up for disk brakes, so possibly either we would need to make an adapter in machine shop, similar to the sportsman flyer sprocket adapter, and mount the brake rotor to that, or maybe try to pitch the idea of purchasing one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001PT6TZK and then just worry about mounting the drive sprocket to there, hopefully without ruining it.


My other idea for putting gears on this, was similar to the popular shift kits for the china kits.
Having a bicycle cog welded over the clutch drum, and running the chain back to the 8 speed dt swiss road bike Wheel we're using, and simply shifting like that. But, I'm not good enough with the calculator to try to figureout what size of front sprocket would be needed.


That's all I've got, I'll get off my soap box now ha ha

Cheers, ccd

 

[BarelyAWake]

...And also, nobody ever understands that its not a 15 minuet job to think of a practical way to put gears on these, somebody sugjested that we weld an old mountain bike to the back of the car, and ran the power from the motor to the pedals. But, one problem with that idea is, that steel doesn't weld to aluminum too teribly well.

My plan, would have the 80 tooth drive sprocket over the cog on the three speed sturmy, and wewould hopefull be able to shift through all three gears on the track. But, our car is set up for disk brakes, so possibly either we would need to make an adapter in machine shop, similar to the sportsman flyer sprocket adapter, and mount the brake rotor to that, or maybe try to pitch the idea of purchasing one of these http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B001PT6TZK and then just worry about mounting the drive sprocket to there, hopefully without ruining it.


My other idea for putting gears on this, was similar to the popular shift kits for the china kits.
Having a bicycle cog welded over the clutch drum, and running the chain back to the 8 speed dt swiss road bike Wheel we're using, and simply shifting like that. But, I'm not good enough with the calculator to try to figureout what size of front sprocket would be needed.


That's all I've got, I'll get off my soap box now ha ha

Cheers, ccd

Just a thought, but using the chainstays off a bike (in this example, suspended) makes for a really simple jackshaft setup w/just a bit of 5/8ths keyed shaft and a coupla sealed bearings in what used to be the bottom bracket - using just commonplace, easy to find parts & cogs on the outside makes it quick & easy to do gear swaps & experiment w/ranges... chainstays also come in aluminum ofc, but steel ones can have mounting plates welded to them & then bolted on or vice versa as the case may be.

Here's an example of what I've been tinkerin' with - yours being easier still as you'd not need the pedal drive freewheel, derailleur & chain ofc, but it also allows me to use any rear wheel setup I wish, currently a 7sp cassette (on an ebike hub drive) but could just as easily be my 3sp Sturmey Archer or any mountain bike or cruiser wheel, I've converted it to disc but left the rim brake lugs w/that in mind as well;

vid: http://youtu.be/U10xLqTekOw

 

[charliechaindrive.]

No pics today, but I started following the basic performance mods that AGK has on their site, and I've managed to get the governor arm out. And I started making up three flanges to fabricate a easy-flowing exhaust, and a longer, curved intake manifold.

I also pitched the idea about buying the 8 speed sturmy archer with disk rotor today, and mr. lindgren liked the idea but all of my classmates looked at me like I grew a third arm out the side of my head. "what? You can fit eight gears inside of a hub?" A few of them even questioned it's existence.

But, oh well. I'll let them go along their ways of thinking because I'd be arguing for a few days with them if I started explaining.

Also I'm in charge of taking our two identical 2.4hp briggs' and making one accept a hydrogen injection system, and then the other will be a blown top fuelie that we are thinking of putting in our last years car, just to have a speedy pit car that we could race the other teams with... Ha ha

Cheers, ccd

 

[GearNut]

I like this project, I like it ALOT!
Signing onto this thread to follow it...

 

[charliechaindrive.]

here are some pics, of the "silver bullet" and the "black cloud"

And also a pic of our progress on doing some of the agk mod's to the motor on silver, I got the governor all cobbled out, and I put sheldon to work with the dremel today and he got every other fin carved off.
And I also snapped a pic of the motor for the cloud, so nice... unmodded... it has so much potential.

And also, in one of the pics there is a shot of the front of the bullet. I got the kudos today, to hack that big protruding nose off and to make it look more like a 30's indy car! I'm excited, but the one thing is I half to do all of the fabrication myself. But I'm upfor the challange!

Cheers, ccd

 

[charliechaindrive.]

Here's the last pic, couldn't get it in the last post

 

[charliechaindrive.]

And to go ino more detail on how I'm going to mod the bullet to look more lindy-car ish, I'm going to cut the nose off at the seam highlited in the circle.

And I brought a chunk of aluminum square tubing to the local machine shop, to bend the horse shoe sahped thing that will be tigged onto the frame, and then the new bonnet will be pop rivveted down fromthe dash board up to the horse shoe. I've also got an ace up my sleeve, with two sets of harley pipes that I'm going to attach on either side of the bonnet. I'm also going to ask if we can put some wier tires to use up front, to replace those tiny 2" wide road tires. I'm thinking about a pair of the new odyssey chase hawk bmx tires, they come in 2.4 and have a tred pattern like the street tires on these new super bikes.

 

[GearNut]

Just remember, a skinnier tire = less rolling resistance.
Less energy required to get it rolling and keep it rolling.
That's why the professional road racers use tires that are about as wide as a pencil.

 

[charliechaindrive.]

Just remember, a skinnier tire = less rolling resistance.
Less energy required to get it rolling and keep it rolling.
That's why the professional road racers use tires that are about as wide as a pencil.

You do have a point, but the reason why.I'm suggesting it is in the hopes that when the class ends I can keep the tires and use them on my bmx bike

 

[charliechaindrive.]

A couple more pics,

a model of what the car looked like when the class started

here is where the new nose of the car is going to be at

a better pic of where the nose will end, and where the new fake grill/ aerodynamic nose will be. We're planning on making a bolt-on bullet shaped nose, and a more art-deco styled one with a faux grille on it

And here's the view outside of my home garage, not sure why I'm posting it but I felt like shareing our snow, and sarcasm with those down below the snow line

Cheers, ccd

 

[charliechaindrive.]

Here's an illustration of my complete plan for this.

The rear boat tail will be made of fiberglass, and will be held on with these little snap things my grandma gets at the fabric store. They resemble blue jeans snaps actually

ccd

 

[charliechaindrive.]

We got the nose hacked off today, warren used the sawzall and cut it off. We all got away with all our fingers and toes too.

(in order) carl and brandon are arguing over the throttle hookup. We need to take a half inch out of the center of the nose form, because it's a hair too wide.

The old nose, weighed in at 32 pounds!! Wow!