The continuing saga of Niksons 1402 IMP sn 129

[turbinator62]

More progress on the transition duct. I got the complex bends done and the bulkhead that goes down to the bottom of the tunnel to prevent hot air from flowing forward under the engine. I just have to make the right side panel and the top cover. Fortunately I didn't screw up any large parts, only small ones.

I have some engine compartment insulation to put on the inside and it will be ready to paint.

I am going to use a hand throttle mounted on the angled cover. This thing is more of a tractor than a car and with a governed engine I think a hand throttle would work better.

The bottom of the lower bulkhead will be retained by two angles riveted to the belly pan that will slip over and sandwich the bulkhead without the need of fasteners. It has a rubber seal on each side that contacts a frame member.

Another couple of days and this part of the job will be done.

 

[Cletis]

I used a hand throttle on my machine and I really like it. Thought it would be much better than trying to work a foot pedal should I have the pacs on.

Cletis

 

[JimVT]

Your using sound/heat insulating from napa on the engine. Did you do the same with your cabin?

 

[turbinator62]

The cabin interior is gray indoor outdoor carpeting from Home Depot as was done by Nikson. I glued it on with the brush on paste type contact cement made by Weldwood. I tried the spray on 3M 77 but the carpet fell off the ceiling when the cat sat in the sun and the roof got hot. I'm using 3M Yellow Super Trim Adhesive for the engine insulation. It is supposed to be good for engine compartments. I hope so, cause it costs 22 bucks a can. It is too expensive to use for the whole cab.

I see you live in Enumclaw. I live in Silverdale, but when the cat is done it will be used at our cabin north of Ellensburg.

 

[turbinator62]

My bench during the air box construction. I'm not usually this messy.

 

[turbinator62]

The final stages of the airbox and transition duct assembly. The insulation is glued in and the sections painted. I still have to make a new clutch lever that will extend out the duct and a hand throttle that will mount on the angled duct cover. The whole thing is riveted and screwed together with 10-32 button head screws and MS21059L3 anchor nuts.

 

[nikos]

Mathematics, Geometry, Design, Constructions, Functionality, Modeling, AND Shaping STRATEGIES - . - METHODS in the 1402 IMP.

NIKOS.

 

[DAVENET]

You should see his paper swans!

 

[Cidertom]

The only imp that can pass a FAA airframe inspection.

 

[nikos]

You should see his paper swans!

DAVENET You mean Origami SWAN

He is the ARTIST (Turbinator62) and you we are only saw something of what he is doing.
Not everything but...., There is so much talent here.......

NIKOS

 

[turbinator62]

The only imp that can pass a FAA airframe inspection.

My wife says every time we drive through Auburn Washington in our motorhome it sets off the radar at the Air Route Traffic Control Center. (It also has a lot of aircraft parts.)

I have been an aircraft mechanic for a little over 30 years. I retired as a jet engine mechanic 6 years ago. The problem is after a time that is the standard to which you do everything even when it may not be necessary. But I still enjoy going that extra mile to make things reliable and serviceable. There is nothing worse to me than breaking down.

 

[turbinator62]

DAVENET You mean Origami SWAN

He is the ARTIST (Turbinator62) and you we are only saw something of what he is doing.
Not everything but...., There is so much talent here.......

NIKOS

I thought NIKOS may appreciate this. Kind of a break from the snow cat.
This is a pipe organ I built for our living room in 1990. My wife thought I was nuts. I used to be able to play it but I would rather turn a wrench than practice. Now my hands don't work too well so I wired it with MIDI so my computer plays it. (Better than I ever could).

I love big machines of any kind.

 

[turbinator62]

Ok. Back to business. I started the final assembly of the air box and transition duct today. I had to make a new clutch lever so it would extend outside of the duct. It is now positioned comfortably right at the end of the seat arm rest. Notice the clutch safety switch. The reason for this is explained in post #51.

A little heat and bend was necessary on the shift lever to make it clear the duct in all positions.

I used a Dorman PN 924-5405 shifter boot that I got on Amazon.com for 22 bucks. It fits nicely over the shifter trunnion, but you will have to replace the trunnion pivot bolts with 7/16 allen screws with the end machined to a point and a 7/16 check nut (thinner than a standard nut). Make the set screws just long enough for the check nuts to lock them. The stock bolts stick out too far for the boot to fit over the heads. I had to use a boot to keep hot air from coming up through the shifter.

This boot would work on a 1404 too.

I went to town today to get new shifter knobs but no one had any so I made my own.

Hope to get the duct cover and hand throttle done tomorrow.

 

[JimVT]

My wife says every time we drive through Auburn Washington in our motorhome it sets off the radar at the Air Route Traffic Control Center. (It also has a lot of aircraft parts.)

I have been an aircraft mechanic for a little over 30 years. I retired as a jet engine mechanic 6 years ago. The problem is after a time that is the standard to which you do everything even when it may not be necessary. But I still enjoy going that extra mile to make things reliable and serviceable. There is nothing worse to me than breaking down.

next time you drive that road give me a call.I live right on it milepost 9 first right is my drive.
i'll show you my pistenbully.
jim

 

[turbinator62]

I'll do that!

 

[Bobmog]

Your work certainly is top notch! Very impressive. I need to replace the fuel gauge sender on my 1404, would you mind giving me the part number for your new fuel sender.
Thanks, Bob

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

your work is top notch my jeep was once owned by an aircraft mechanic, and the same thing all rivets were equally spaced on the patch panels, and wire ties on the harnesses were also equally spaced it's a funny thing you are working so hard to keep the heat out of the cab when normaly every one around here works to keep it in.

 

[turbinator62]

Your work certainly is top notch! Very impressive. I need to replace the fuel gauge sender on my 1404, would you mind giving me the part number for your new fuel sender.
Thanks, Bob

Thanks for the compliments.

I used all Sunpro gauges that I got on Amazon.com and bought the gauge and sender together. Most senders are universal though I think. Amazon does not currently list a Sunpro sender but they have a Moeller [ame="http://www.amazon.com/Moeller-Marine-Electric-Sending-Tanks/dp/B000MTI15K/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1374087527&sr=8-1-fkmr0&keywords=sunpro+gas+sender"]Amazon.com: Moeller Marine Electric Fuel Tank Sending Unit (6" to 12" Deep Tanks): Sports & Outdoors[/ame]

Ebay has a Sunpro which is more adaptable to different depth tanks http://www.ebay.com/itm/NEW-Sunpro-...748?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item3380e00b7c

Good luck!

 

[turbinator62]

your work is top notch my jeep was once owned by an aircraft mechanic, and the same thing all rivets were equally spaced on the patch panels, and wire ties on the harnesses were also equally spaced it's a funny thing you are working so hard to keep the heat out of the cab when normaly every one around here works to keep it in.

Thanks much.

The little bit that I drove this cat convinced me that something had to be done about all the heat. It would be as though you were getting all of the radiator heat into the cab on a water cooled machine. The ducting will direct 95% + of the engine cooling air out of the cab, but the rest of the engine is still exposed. I provided vents to direct hot air to the windshield and into the rear cab, but I'll have to wait for winter to see how effective it is. If I need more heat, I can add more vents. If it is still too hot, There is a large vent on the front under the windshield, and a 12" RV ceiling fan on the roof which will move cool air through the cab.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

you have to remember our out side temp can be as low as - 40 in the winter takes a lot of btu's to bring it up to 65

 

[turbinator62]

Finished the new belly pan today. I riveted on 2 flanges that are .050 apart to sandwich the bottom of the forward bulkhead. I bent an entry angle on both to make it easer to install. This will stop any hot air from flowing forward under the engine.

Also finished up the clutch lever where it exits the side of the airbox.

The hand throttle is a self locking unit from a propeller control. The governor on the Wisconsin has vey high return to idle force. I tried a simple lawn tractor throttle but it would creep back to idle unless the friction was set so high that it was unusable. This unit allows motion when applied from the lever, but locks if the force is applied from the cable end. I was originally a reversing type, so I had to make an adapter to pull the cable when the control is pushed forward.

I was not real happy with the rubber hose fuel line with all the heat in the airbox so I replaced it with a stainless AN 4 Aeroquip hose with fire sleeve.

I think I'll pull off the exhaust manifold and wrap it with insulation like the exhaust pipe also. Every little bit helps.

 

[turbinator62]

Today I assembled and tested the new air box. IT WORKS! I ran it for about a half hour at max governor speed (2800 RPM No load) and the cowling was only warm to the touch. Before it would roast you out. There is good airflow out of the defrost vents but almost none from the back one that is intended to blow warm air into the rear cab. I used a manometer to check the pressure at the rear vent and it is almost ambient. This is actually a good thing because it means there is no back pressure on the cooling air. (I thought there would be a little) To correct this I ran a 2 inch scat duct up to the top of the engine to pick up the higher pressure air and that corrected the problem. I wrapped part of the exhaust manifold with insulation but ran out so I had to order more. It should be even better when the manifold is fully insulated.

There is now a flow of warm air out the back of the tunnel around the rear end.

I will have to wait for winter to see how effective it is. There will still be a lot of radiant heat from the engine but I may have to add more heat vents.

There are a few more details I have to finish up and this thing will pretty much be done.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

the scat tube works well for heater duct that was the ducting of choice for my snow trac heater tubes

 

[Cidertom]

With the engine so well buttoned up, have you given thought to a remote extinguisher bottle? I've been in an Imp that caught fire... no fun

 

[turbinator62]

I have a Halon bottle with a remote nozzle from a plane that I plan to use but I have to get it refilled. (Expensive) Fire is always a concern in a tightly cowled engine. That was why I went to high temp fuel lines and fire sleeve.

 

[Snowtrac Nome]

if you plan to Keep up with Bid Al and his kt-7 you're going to have to get a wet bar for that thing and some cardboard cut out chicks to prop up next to it

 

[turbinator62]

The air box is finished and all buttoned up. I wrapped the manifold with 1" exhaust tape. All I have left is to rebuild the brake system.

 

[turbinator62]

The next thing on my list is to fix a leak in the rear end. I had determined earlier that it was leaking from the input shaft seal. I ordered one from the good people at Spryte Improvement in Wallace Idaho. The seal is a common size, and easily available, but their price was as good as any and I believe we should patronize the people who are supporting our machines.
I did not want to have to remove the rear end from the chassis to do this, but the bearing retainer/seal housing cannot be removed due to interference with the rear end mount. Since the seal is bad anyway, I decided to allow it to get trashed as I drove the housing off the shaft at an angle.

I then determined how deep the new seal had to go into the housing in order to clear the splines. A seal driver was machined with a boss of the proper depth to seat the seal. I used a piece of 2- 1/2 " nylon for the job.

The new seal is somewhat thinner than the old one so it can be installed deeper in order to clear the shaft spline. That may have been the problem that caused the leak.

I can check that one off the list.

 

[turbinator62]

Both slave cylinders were leaking badly as is evidenced by the damaged paint on the rear end. Since there are no new cylinders of this type left in captivity, the only option is to rebuild them. After disassembly, both were found to have extensive corrosion inside. The pits were too deep to hone out. The only option is to sleeve them. New cups are available from NAPA, United PN 14451.

I ordered a 1 foot length of 1.375" .065 wall 4130 aircraft tubing. The ID is 1.245". 4130 is very close tolerance and resistant to corrosion. With a light honing it is ready to go.

The cylinders were chucked up and bored to 1.380". (A slip fit for the tubing) Two lengths of tubing were cut to about 3.400", deburred and a notch cut in one end to prevent blockage of the bleeder hole. They were then installed into the cylinders with JB Weld, a common high strength epoxy. Cleanup is done with rubbing alcohol before the epoxy cures. Should this ever need to be done again, (hopefully not in my lifetime) the cylinders can be heated to 350 degrees or so and the sleeve pulled out and a new one installed.

The pistons were serviceable, but the aluminum cup retainers were pretty badly corroded so I machined two new ones from 6061 T651 bar stock.

Tomorrow I'll reassemble the brakes and replace the master cylinders.

This thing is almost done!

 

[Nate b]

The craftsman ship and abilities you have are phenomenal. Absolutely enjoy reading and seeing the work you are doing.