Bugatti T57/59 Engine Project

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Added the base/surround plates to them. Doesnt look like much but they need to be very flat as they are the datum face for the core. So if either side is bowed itll lift the core up higher than it should. Bonded a couple together on a surfaced table but even then it bowed afterwards. So they are now mounted to some box section.

Now they are completed! Happy with how they turned out.

Ill be taking them up to the foundry next week to try them out!

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All boxed up at the foundry and moulds filled. They added their expertise with risers and runner system.

See how it goes in the next couple of days.

 

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Looks like its come out great! 

They will do another one and Ill pick them up next week.

Next up I think Im going to machine the blocks. Need to make a big trunnion for the 4th axis! 

 

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Got 2 great sump castings and a 3rd with a small defect that would be fine once welded.

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Acquired a pair of Zenith carb castings off a guy in the Netherlands.

He finished his 59 a few years ago and had these left over.

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Started on a 4th Axis Trunnion for the cylinder block (and other things later)

All the plates are dowelled so hopefully later it can be a bit modular with switching out plates.

The tail stock bearing is a Nissan Tiida wheel bearing. Dont see why that shouldnt work but we'll find out how ridged it is soon! 

Firstly I did a mounting plate for the 4th axis to shift it off the table ~150mm to get more room.

 

 

 

 

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Completed the main tailstock end.

Onto the final long plate now.

Its working out well. I have a Renishaw probe on the mill thats a game changer for datum setup and tool height setting. Really accurate. Not like the good old days when I used a wobbler and a cigarette paper borrowed from a work mate!! 

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Making a ton of swarf on the main saddle plate.

Have one more plate to go.

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The large plate moved around quite a lot due to how much material was swarfed. So iv spent a lot of time measuring all over and cleaning it up to get it accurate.

Measured and clocked it up once assembled and all looks good now.

Definitely looks serious!

 

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Been working on the 2 cylinder to work out the programming/process. Learning a lot. For the most part its rigid enough to get a good surface finish, but a couple of faces want to ring no matter what. Luckily a couple of jacking screws sorted it. It may or may not be a problem on the full block but if it is its not a big deal. Unless I forget to remove them before the 4th axis moves!! 

Now onto the harder part of boring and doing the combustion chamber. Boring should be ok but doing the bowl will be tricky. Waiting on a special tool holder for it.

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Have completed the sparkplug cup area. Theres a cup that presses over the top of the dome and orings to the top of the block. Usually its a press fit and bonded on but I think Im going to Oring top and bottom and retain it differently. Just so I can take them out.

Now starting on the bores. Roughing them with a long facemill and then with a boring head. You can get some pretty nice tooling on AliExpress for a couple hundred bux these days!

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It took several days to figure out how to machine the bowl/chamber. Was a challenge for sure, both in the programming and the surface finish. But it has come out nicer than I thought it could considering how long and chattery the tool could be.

Ive talked to the engine machine shop that I will have hone it and it seems like it might be a good idea to have them finish bore it anyway. Then itll be done in a proper boring machine with proper tool by someone who knows what theyre doing.

So Ill leave about 0.1mm on the bore but finish the rest.

 

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Finally got onto machining the full block. Its going pretty well.

At about 7days so far with about 2 days left I think.

 

Setup outside the trunnion to do the underside.

Start on the top face with all the oring grooves and sparkplug area.

Then Cambox faces.

Exhaust/Inlet faces

Water inlet side.

Underside with leadins and roughing out the bores.

 

Final opp to do is the bowl finishing which takes forever. Then Ill send it away to have valve seat cut plus final bore and hone by the guys that know what theyre doing! 

 

 

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Got the combustion chamber bowls finished. Took 10hrs! 

On the 2 cylinder test part I used an Aliexpress steel shank, carbide single insert Lollypop style tool. It would ring and chatter so easily that it took 3+hrs just for one bowl.

Luckily in amongst a bunch of tooling I bought from an auction was a full carbide shank, carbide insert ball mill. Turns out these are worth 1000s on their own so that paid for itself!  Managed to find some new cast iron inserts on Ebay.

So much more ridged. The only issue is there are 3 inserts at different heights and I guess they are not quite aligned right. The point you transfer between inserts it leaves a slightly raised section. Not really a problem.

 

On to the final cylinder opp now. Need to have an undercut / relief at the top of the bore. So when boring and honing they can run upto the bowl without hitting it and messing up the bowl and hone.

 

 

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To face the ends I had planned to use the horizontal part of my manual mill. But only just clicked that I could come down vertically in the cnc with the long face mill. Did 1mm stepdowns and it worked great.

 

 

Then theres a clearance/face for each nut mounting. Got it with 3D contouring with a 3mm ball nose.

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Finished and out of the machine.

Had the Sparkplug cups machined at a place in China Ive been trying out. Really good and only $20 each. From ordering to in my hand in 8days!

They will be press fit I just need to decide on the fit.

Took 20+kg out of it!