Formula SAE Welding Projects

admin

I am always welding something or another here at my schools Formula SAE team. For those not familiar with Formula SAE it is a competition for college students to design, build, and race a small open wheel race car. Ours is powered by a 600cc R6 engine running a Motec ECU and student designed and built intake and exhaust. There is a little background for you... the point of this thread will be a place for me to document the random welding projects I do on the team. Today I modified an extra oil pan to add a temp sensor so we can monitor oil temps in the pan as we run the engine on the dyno.I quick machined up a bung out of 6061 T6 and cleaned everything up very well. The casting is of high quality and after a few rounds of acetone I hit it with the propane torch to burn off any oil and scrubbed it down good.Then I welded it up.Here it is with the sensor installed.And how far it stick into the pan.And a close up of the weld.
Reply:That's pretty slick... when will we see the whole car?
Reply:What school you go to?  I recently thought about hitting up a school with FSAE on the advice of someone who is doing stuff just like you.I think MSOE is the closest one to me which is in Milwaukee.JoeMiller 140 Autoset (2010)Miller Syncrowave 250 (1996)
Reply:I go to the University of MN Twin Cities for Mechanical Engineering. I am semi confident that IL Champange has an FSAE team... but don't quote me on that. Formula SAE has really gotten me involved in school and I can't even begin to say how much I have learned being a part of it.The whole car is a few months out from being done... but there will be many more updates. Our chassis tubes are out getting CNC bent and laser coped right now.
Reply:Originally Posted by kustomizingkidI go to the University of MN Twin Cities for Mechanical Engineering. I am semi confident that IL Champange has an FSAE team... but don't quote me on that. Formula SAE has really gotten me involved in school and I can't even begin to say how much I have learned being a part of it.The whole car is a few months out from being done... but there will be many more updates. Our chassis tubes are out getting CNC bent and laser coped right now.
Reply:One of our new guys is 25 and worked construction for 5 years before going back to school... he is very happy to be getting educated and out of the cold hahaha.
Reply:I miss my old FSAE and Baja days.  If you do a thread search I put up a bunch of pictures last year.Keep up the good work, and SAE is the only way I got a job right out of school so all the late nights are worth it.DustinMechanical Engineer
Reply:Originally Posted by kustomizingkidOne of our new guys is 25 and worked construction for 5 years before going back to school... he is very happy to be getting educated and out of the cold hahaha.
Reply:Nice clean job, super pro!Gordhttp://gordsgarage.wordpress.com/
Reply:Nice work, and Formula SAE is definitely an awesome program to be a part of. I sometimes miss my days on the team but it takes a lot of time out of your studies. Keep us updated!
Reply:Last Thursday I added some primary O2 bungs to our current dyno header.Ready to be weldedUsed a little bent piece of welding wire to hold the bungs in place, I made the bungs out of 304ss.All done.Closeup of the welds... I didn't back purge these as the header is old and has been heated up so many times that it is already precipitating... and I don't have an extra regulator right now.
Reply:Then last night I had to replace the old bent jack on our trailer... it was a total POS, you couldn't even turn the handle because it would hit the trailer. The new jack is so damn nice it isn't even funny.The offending unit.Removed the old POS and had to make a round hole square.Here is the awesome new jack, the drop leg is so nice. You just pull the pin and drop is down and crank a few times and you are done.Here it is tacked in.Layed down a 6010 root and a 7018 cap... welds aren't very pretty. I haven't arc welded anything in about 6 months.Here is a closeup of the weld... not that pretty, but it will do the job.
Reply:I forgot this pic... the leads on my Lincoln 175 precision tig are a little too short. Clipped in my other welders leads and strung them out into the driveway.
Reply:Originally Posted by joebieYeah, I think Champaign has a FSAE program too.I know there is never a bad time to go back to school, but at 25, I'm finding it hard haha
Reply:With how big UofI Champaign-Urbana is, I'm almost positive they have a Formula SAE program. Also, Bradley in Peoria has one also, I believe. I've met some of the students from Minnesota's solar car team. A bunch of really nice guys. Hell of a nice car, too.
Reply:Solar car... lol.
Reply:Yeah, lol, because it's easy to build a car to go from New York to Minnesota on public roads with nothing but sunlight getting you down the road. If you were an EE that would be the place to be. What's your budget to build a car, just curious.
Reply:Not enough.... Around $15-$20k Solar car and formula guys are a good ole rivalry, we think we are better and they feel the same way
Reply:Originally Posted by ticnYeah, lol, because it's easy to build a car to go from New York to Minnesota on public roads with nothing but sunlight getting you down the road. If you were an EE that would be the place to be. What's your budget to build a car, just curious.
Reply:Originally Posted by BLUE2KSSEvery solar car I ever saw was a complete joke .  If you are an EE, Formula Electric or Formula Hybrid is the place to be
Reply:Oh man... This isn't good for me...Did I tell you I'm a physics major?
Reply:If you are a physics major than you should be able to highly appreciate the fact that we can pull 1.2 lateral G's on 4 contact patches the size of pack of smokes
Reply:Trust me, if my school had a Formula team, I would be on it.I never told you, nice work!
Reply:Originally Posted by kustomizingkidIf you are a physics major than you should be able to highly appreciate the fact that we can pull 1.2 lateral G's on 4 contact patches the size of pack of smokes
Reply:We hit 1.8 g's the last year I was on the team.  A serious pucker factor in my opinionMechanical EngineerYou actually think I'm going to post up our cars exact performance specs??Last year our car was kind of a POS, but we have been working our asses off making major improvements and the results of our efforts are looking good
Reply:Originally Posted by kustomizingkidYou actually think I'm going to post up our cars exact performance specs??Last year our car was kind of a POS, but we have been working our asses off making major improvements and the results of our efforts are looking good
Reply:Like I said last year was bad... what we are up to and what will show up to at the 2012 competition with is a little more secretive  All I can really say is that we are headed in a new direction, and I am very excited. In all honesty being secretive is probably not actually that big of a deal, but it adds to the fun. We are trying something new with intake and restrictor design that I have never seen tried before.
Reply:You guys are way past my level of racing knowledge, but I know from racing friends that the R6 is a very popular plant to mod. These guys I know do sprints and mini-sprints, and seem to drop an endless supply of money into their rigs. Are the bike motors the most common way to go? Just curious. Looks cool.Lincoln Square Wave 175
Reply:Originally Posted by macvanceYou guys are way past my level of racing knowledge, but I know from racing friends that the R6 is a very popular plant to mod. These guys I know do sprints and mini-sprints, and seem to drop an endless supply of money into their rigs. Are the bike motors the most common way to go? Just curious. Looks cool.
Reply:Turbos are expensive. It would be cheaper to just go with a bigger bike motor. Say 1000, instead of a 600 motor (assuming they are using 600s). Thats a 60hp+ and 40 torque+ difference. If you need more then a 1000 you might be insane.
Reply:Originally Posted by Seb650RTurbos are expensive. It would be cheaper to just go with a bigger bike motor. Say 1000, instead of a 600 motor (assuming they are using 600s). Thats a 60hp+ and 40 torque+ difference. If you need more then a 1000 you might be insane.
Reply:Rules mandate the engines for formula SAE have to be 4 stroke, piston, spark ignition engines and be under 610cc. Also, all air that enters the engine has to pass through a single, round, 20mm restrictor. If you choose to run a turbo or a supercharger the throttle body and restrictor have to be placed before the air enter the turbo/supercharger, ala no compressed air through the restrictor as the game would be who can run the most psi of boost and HP levels would be insanely high.
Reply:Nice work on the project! How do you like the Lincoln 175? Is that what you used to do the alum welding with? Is this car being built at your school or your house or a local shop? Looks good.....
Reply:is it a Squarwave 175 or Precision Tig 175?
Reply:Been a while since I posted... life got busy and I stopped taking pictures.Anyways, here is one of our bigger projects that has been a long time coming, and I will post build process photos later... but here it is all finished, our new jigging table.The welder is the cheapest no bells or whistles 175 Precision Tig, and we have a miller 175 econo-tig.
Reply:What's the roughness on that blanchard ground table top?
Reply:Its pretty smooth... dont really have a good analytical answer for you.
Reply:That table is too nice to work on... too bad you couln't clear coat it.Lincoln pro mig 180Lincoln Square Wave Tig 300/wp 20/home built water cooler Victor, Purox, Harris, O/A welding/cutting setupsVintage Craftsman drill pressVintage Craftsman/Atlas 12"x 36'' lathe7''x 12'' w/c band saw Everlast 140 st
Reply:Originally Posted by DemonSpeederThat table is too nice to work on... too bad you couln't clear coat it.
Reply:We oiled the top down... Planning on making a cover for it too. The table is 48" wide and 100" long, the top is 5/8" thick. The holes in the top are an alternating pattern of reamed 3/8" and tapped 1/2" holes 5"x5" on center.