Author Topic: The Zetec 'Ropacane  (Read 71150 times)

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Offline Chuck Nukem

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #570 on: Tuesday,May 30, 2023, 07:20:02 PM »
All looking good. I like the blue. Is that the Twin Cam you gold leafed the stripes on? Good to see it still has the ashtray.

The ashtray is actually in the S2 at the moment. It came without a console and the only one I had spare was a TCS console that had been wrapped previously. The ashtray was the find of 2022! I got it in a pile of parts that came with my other eclat and elite! I couldn't believe it!! I got tons of unobtanium Elite and Eclat parts and the Europa ashtray was sitting in their midst.

Offline Chuck Nukem

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #571 on: Friday,June 09, 2023, 05:47:49 PM »
My god! This thing is incredible!! I still have a few issues to sort before she is registered...but my god!!! I finally know what I have been waiting for all these years!!!

Online BDA

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #572 on: Friday,June 09, 2023, 06:13:43 PM »
This is the first time you’ve driven a Europa?

I know you’re not the only one and I think that says a lot about a car that people are willing buy them as a bunch of boxes of parts and spend more time and money to build it so they could finally drive one.

Enjoy your new toy!

Offline SilverBeast

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #573 on: Saturday,June 10, 2023, 12:30:29 AM »
 :trophy: Enjoy!

Offline TurboFource

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #574 on: Saturday,June 10, 2023, 04:25:14 AM »
Awesome!

I can hardly wait to finally drive one!!
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Offline Chuck Nukem

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #575 on: Sunday,July 02, 2023, 10:01:01 PM »
It works!!! It was a great first test of the process. I need to add more runners and a larger sprue to promote flow at the base of the casting and to provide more head pressure. I think this can be welded and saved. Next up is the special Renault to Zetec bellhousing!

Offline S2Zetec54

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #576 on: Sunday,July 02, 2023, 11:52:43 PM »
I'm in awe of your skills, well done.

My first one was a basket case and it was years before I actually got to drive one......definitely worth the wait

Offline TurboFource

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #577 on: Monday,July 03, 2023, 03:33:15 AM »
Nice work!
The more I do the more I find I need to do....

Online BDA

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #578 on: Monday,July 03, 2023, 06:59:05 AM »
In spite of what the thermometer said, that’s very cool!!  :beerchug:

Offline Chuck Nukem

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #579 on: Wednesday,July 05, 2023, 07:14:12 AM »
Thanks guys! I used PLA on this go around which is a well tried method, but there are known issues with ash and debris left behind. For the next print I am going to try a new filament, Polycast that is specialty made for casting. This should help with some of the surface defects. Another issue might have come from burying the bottom of the mold in sand. Apparently the temperature differential can cause problems with shrinkage in the buried portion.
« Last Edit: Friday,July 07, 2023, 09:08:58 AM by Chuck Nukem »

Offline Bainford

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #580 on: Friday,July 07, 2023, 08:30:51 AM »
Impressive stuff, Chuck. That's looking quite good.
The Twin Cam plays the symphony whilst my right foot conducts the orchestra. At 3800 rpm the Mad Pipe Organ joins in.

Trevor

Offline Chuck Nukem

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #581 on: Thursday,August 10, 2023, 07:48:53 AM »
I had quite a momentous week! I have been searching for a CNC router for a number of years to make patterns for aluminum castings and molds for composite body panels. Somehow I stumbled in to this deal...

I searched craigslist of all places and found an absolute smoking deal on this CNC router (It works!) The owner had it in a detached garage at the back of his lot. He was remodeling his house to sell on the market and absolutely needed it gone.... We got to talking and he also had a currently non functional Haas VF-0E in the same detached garage. He had pulled the vector drive (Haas' servo drive) from it to power a different machine at his shop which had broken. He said "Look, if you are interested in the router and can get it next week I will give you the Haas for free..."

So I showed up with my rigger and we moved his machines!

Currently they are in storage...Not that I needed more motivation to finish the Twin cam...but once it is done that will open a space in the garage for these beauties. The PO had elected to cut his header to fit the Haas in his garage. I believe you can remove the motor and the pneumatic counterweight which will allow it to fit under a 7" garage door.

The news on the press brake has been good so far. I am convinced that the issue was a bad winding in the X axis motor. This caused a failure which overloaded the servo drive and blew some capacitors and a thermal resistor on the power side. The servo drives are tied in pairs, so one failure took out 2 drives. Once the new capacitors were replaced, the drives appear to be functioning again. I found out that the previous owner had sent the motor in to be repaired recently, and that it was still under warranty! I dropped it off for repair this week so hopefully the press will be operational soon!

Online BDA

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #582 on: Thursday,August 10, 2023, 08:23:17 AM »
It looks like what you need is a huge warehouse to store all your toys and cars!

Offline Chuck Nukem

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #583 on: Thursday,August 10, 2023, 08:57:12 AM »
It looks like what you need is a huge warehouse to store all your toys and cars!

I am thinking an Amish style barn raising is in order.

Offline dakazman

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Re: The Zetec 'Ropacane
« Reply #584 on: Thursday,August 10, 2023, 01:31:11 PM »
   Hope you have a pallet jack to move it around, but if not I used a assortment of pipes to roll a heavy crate engine around like the egyptians.
 Congrats on your new toy.
Dakazman