Automotive Intake Manifold Lid

Discussion in 'Lost foam casting' started by Al2O3, Jun 24, 2018.

  1. Mach

    Mach Silver

  2. Well put, Kelly. However, some complex geometry is better done by hand if you don't need the accuracy. Your jigs and adapting designs to fit tooling you can make is a big plus.
     
  3. crazybillybob

    crazybillybob Silver Banner Member

    The upside with the CNC router is that I can give up skill in pattern making for speed. The learning Curve for the modeling can be steep but if you already have a firm grasp on CAD you're 75-80% of the way there. From that point it's just feeds and speeds that work best on your machine. As well as learning the in's and outs of your CAM package (youtube makes this so much easier!)
    Kelly's skill with the overarm router is crazy!!

    CBB
     
  4. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    With the pump trophies done, it's back to finish up a few other projects. I blasted the intake manifold lid casting with fine media and took a couple of cuts from both sides to true things up. It machined pretty well as cast and quenched. Lot's of nice long chips.

    39 Machining.jpg

    It's coming along.

    40.JPG

    A couple small flaws in the letter embossments but not too bad.

    41.JPG

    I'll need to set up, drill the mounting bolt patterns, and machine the throttle bores.

    42.JPG

    Best,
    Kelly
     
  5. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Is that water traveling through the bottom of that? Does it end up in the cylinder heads?
     
  6. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Yes, each barbed snout is how coolant is independently removed from each head after having traveled through the complete engine cooling circuit. It's heading to the radiator from there.......via one of my water necks :).

    Best,
    Kelly
     
  7. Jason

    Jason Gold

    That's what I thought. Jag did similar dumb stuff with the XKE intake manifold. The result was a warmer air charge to keep the environmental fruit cakes happy. :rolleyes:
    I can understand a V8 with this issue, but not on a side draft cylinder head like this photo below. Your casting looks excellent. I didn't even notice the lettering.;)

    IMG_20170521_174630-672x372.jpg
     
  8. Peedee

    Peedee Silver

    Ooooh, dash pots. HS8s?

    That casting looks amazing Al, you really have set a benchmark in standards.
     
  9. Jason

    Jason Gold

    Yeah those are HS8's... I've got strombergs on mine.:rolleyes: I prefer SU's like most people.
     
  10. Peedee

    Peedee Silver

    Only Jaguar (and maybe RR) had the audacity to put ROWS of 2" SU carbs on their motors, love them though I only played with the HS2's.

    So what is the motor that manifold is intended for Al? I'm assuming a different carb set up is the benefit? (Apologies if I've missed that bit in the thread)
     
  11. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    It's for a Ford Boss 302 engine. They were the engine of choice for the Ford Mustangs raced in the TransAm series back in 1969 and 1970. The induction system was called the CrossBoss and the carburetors were called the Inline Autolite. They were developed by Ford but never homologated for the TransAm series racing as far as the sanctioning bodies were concerned. They are sought after collectors items these days. I restore and rebuild them. This system is a variation on the original system.

    www.inlinecarb.com

    Best,
    Kelly
     
  12. Peedee

    Peedee Silver

    Thanks Kelly, that's quite a speciality. I need to read some more.
     
  13. Jason

    Jason Gold

    So I'm guessing they are hard to come by these days? Cool to see someone recreating there.
     
  14. Rtsquirrel

    Rtsquirrel Silver

    That furnace...
    Makes me feel Cro-Magnon.
     
  15. JoeC

    JoeC Copper

    Found this German equipment in a South African foundry magazine while looking for something else...maximum overkill lost foam compaction system....if you build it we will watch and marvel...
    VUFE_1600_1_web.jpg

    The lost-foam process (casting) makes it possible to produce complex casting geometries through the use of positive Styrofoam models. During the filling process, the binding agent-free molding sand needs to completely fill all the cavities in the Styrofoam model.That includes all of the cavities with multiple angles.


    Due to these complexities, the compaction table is the centerpiece of a lost-foam system. The use of a normal vibrating table doesn’t work here because it can only produce vertical vibration. To flawlessly fill horizontal cavities you need a defined, horizontal vibration motion to get the sand to move forward into the cavity.

    To solve this problem, JÖST developed the special vibration table – the Multidimensional Compaction Table. Using multiple real-time regulated unbalance motors, this table is able to vary the vector of the vibration on the X, Y or Z axis with independently selected angle, frequency and swing in order to achieve optimal fill and density in the mold. It also guarantees that the system can ramp up from zero to the desired frequency without vibration or self-resonance.

    Another great advantage of the VECTOR is the resonance-free startup to the desired operating speed as well as resonance-free runout.

    Unlike conventional vibration tables, the VECTOR starts and stops without the common “shaking” during startup and runout, which can often lead to already dense molds loosening up again and reducing the quality of the cast. This feature also eliminates the risk of the model body slipping in the mold before density is reached.

    https://www.joest.com/en/products/compacting/multi-dimensional-compaction-table-vector/
     
    Rtsquirrel likes this.
  16. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Thanks for that Joe. In fact, I have already started a new lost foam rig build with a suspended flask and 3-axis vibration. I will post when I get it a little farther along. It's based on a 6-gal cylindrical steel flask with upward of 100lbs of molding sand capability. If it performs as expected I already have a scaled up version on the drawing board that can accommodate ~600+lbs of sand. The small one is spring suspended and the larger uses air bags similar to what you have posted. Very interesting too because for vibe I have 3 turbine vibrators that can be tuned and 3+ axis oriented very similarly to what is pictured above......and also have some additional vacuum assisted capability built in....it's gonna be great!

    Still finishing up other projects and also have a whole bunch of foam patterns prepared destined to be cast in A356 with the aid of the Sr and TiB you provided.

    Best,
    Kelly
     
  17. Robert

    Robert Silver

    Kelly- this stuff looks amazing! I can't believe how nice the machined surface is on the manifold. Thanks for inspiring us.
    Robert
     
  18. PatJ

    PatJ Silver

    LOL, me too.
    Just the other day I had to buy a new rock to beat on my furnace sheet metal.

    Everyone seems to have their style with their foundry equipment.
    Kelly does set the bar very high indeed, with his furnace(s) and his castings.
    Makes for some great posts here.

    My new furnace is sort of pre-Cro-Magnon, but I like it a lot.
    It has an "earthy" quality to it, but I am not sure that is a good thing, unless you are a vegetarian or something.
     
    Rtsquirrel likes this.
  19. You know I'm a vegetarian. Grass is my favorite, but I don't digest it well so I use cattle to do that part for me.
     
    Rtsquirrel and DavidF like this.
  20. Al2O3

    Al2O3 Administrator Staff Member Banner Member

    Thanks for the comments guys. I was pleasantly surprised with how well it machined. This was cast with some of that A356 ingot I have but other than the ad hoc temper achieved by demolding and spraying it down with a garden hose, it was pretty much as cast. I had some speed into that 4-flute 2" facing tool but you can see the swarf held together amazingly well.

    43 A356 Swarf.JPG

    I have some grain modifiers and refiners to try and am interested to see what further improvement that might yield along with some honest to goodness heat treating.

    Best,
    Kelly
     

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