As anyone who has ever built and tested prototype engines will vouch, apart from not getting the thing to fire and run, the next nightmare is the steady drip, drip, drip of a fluid on the dyno test bed's undertray. Large leaks - whether oil or coolant - are, funnily enough, usually the easiest to solve, where a loose bolt or a forgotten hose clip are generally quickly dealt with. Worse by far though are the slight 'weeps' - the leaks that appear out of nowhere, travel down to a...
We have become accustomed to the fact that many race motorcycle exhaust systems are made from titanium. Owing to the fact that they are generally much better supported than on most racecar installations, the problems with fatigue and creep are nowhere near as serious. One company, Good Fabrications, with extensive experience of many types of exhaust materials has applied its knowledge of special high-temperature materials used in other race series with great success to motorcycle racing,...
In a recent article, the subject of using fasteners for composite components was discussed. The number of components for which composites are considered is increasing considerably, and in some race series their use is limited by regulations. There are many areas in a Formula One engine, for example, where composites are expressly forbidden, but in production-based series, people are free to use composite components much more freely and so they have developed techniques to make their use...
We've all received them at some time in our lives. That invitation to so-and-so's wedding that spreads mild panic in the household. A new outfit for the wife, a few modifications to the waistband of that old suit of mine, and the prospect of being away from the workshop for a whole weekend. At the bottom of the card the letters 'RSVP' demand an almost immediate reply and so inspiration for damage limitation has to come - and come quickly. But in the world of fuels, simply...
What is the difference between a gear tooth in a gearbox and that in an oil pump? In case you were expecting some form of witty answer I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint you. For although at first glance the two might appear to be the same, in reality the tasks they are being asked to undertake are very different. In the case of the transmission, the object is to transfer the tangential force from one rotating shaft to that of another, while for the pump it is not so much the...