Gas Turbine streamliner

See cars and bikes being built for the salt

Moderator: DLRA

vetteracer
Posts: 80
Joined: Fri Apr 10, 2009 7:56 pm
Location: KINGAROY QLD AUSTRALIA

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by vetteracer »

Mate- this is good stuff. Please keep it coming.
Denis
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

Just a bit more info on the engine, a guy I have been talking to in the US has the same type of Nimbus engine in a ROAD REGISTERED Dodge van. He runs is at the drags as well:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBozXKnSZ6o

The main problem is that it has a habit of vaporising tyres.... :D :D :D
Would make a great burnout car....

My favourite video is : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZ5_nUpOzWA
Where he takes one of his mates for a drive the whole video is good but if you fast forward to 3.50 and Chris does a launch... I think his mate will need a chisel to get the smile off his face... :lol: :lol: :lol:

Cheers
Ian...
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

Back to the saga....

Next thing is splining the gear, and picking a steel to make the drive shaft out of. Well this turned out to be an interesting exercise in itself, one thing I found out was that different steels and different hardness's "Don't play well together".

When I destroyed my first FPT shaft I just put it in the lathe and buzzed away so I know it will machine. It is hardened but very lightly. I tested the gear area to be splined with my trusty drill and no problems drills fine.

The only problem is that I do not know the exact chemistry or hardness of the area to be splined. So I thought to be safe I would drop it down to a local lab and they are going to test it. It costs $300 but I feel it will be worth it to make sure I make the shaft of the same materiel and temper.

Ok time to start making something.
1.JPG
1.JPG (73.67 KiB) Viewed 32737 times
Time to turn big bits of steel into swarf...
2.JPG
2.JPG (96.72 KiB) Viewed 32737 times
Partly done,
3.JPG
3.JPG (78.95 KiB) Viewed 32737 times
I don't have an indexing wheel to drill the holes so I went out to see a friend of mine and bludged a favour.
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

One last thing I thought I would put the large final drive gear on some scales and see how much weight I am taking out
4.JPG
4.JPG (59.86 KiB) Viewed 32737 times
17 Kg that will not be spinning around the place. I guess this will mean quicker acceleration, but I will need to fairly spot on with governor to prevent an over speed?

I will be interesting to see what will be the result of all this weight removed?


More later.

Ian.....
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

Now it is time to "Get Medieval" on the gearbox.
1.JPG
1.JPG (80.74 KiB) Viewed 32670 times
Firstly marked up the front of the gearbox for the area to be removed. Note I want to keep the 4 through bolt holes that mount the gearbox to the gas generator (the jet engine part) and the engine mount on the side of the sump area.
2.JPG
2.JPG (44.24 KiB) Viewed 32670 times
The original length of the gearbox is about 612mm
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

3.JPG
3.JPG (74.94 KiB) Viewed 32667 times
The area delicately removed with a drop saw and an angle grinder....pretty it ain’t
harky
Posts: 252
Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:03 am
Location: Adelaide

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by harky »

Oh ---hell
measure twice no three times -----cut once no just measure again ------cut carefully
cause you cant go down the road and get another one -----no no measure again ----have a cup of tea ----then cut !!!!
harky ( who has cut toooooo many things tooooo short !!!!)
harky
DLRA #643
so far 120mph for$2000---imagine how fast I can go for $20,000
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

4.JPG
4.JPG (66.57 KiB) Viewed 32623 times
The “new” gearbox mounted on my jig plate I wanted to buy a piece of 12mm mild steel, but I found a piece of 16mm 350 grade surplus to requirements at a friend’s work (free).
5.JPG
5.JPG (63.89 KiB) Viewed 32623 times
Don't worry Harkey, all worked out in the end, finished Length 450mm, I was hoping to get down to 435mm but this is close enough.

Next thing is welding the pieces together, I can stick 2 bits of aluminium together with a mig, weather you would call it welding is another story.

I Gave it a go, but looked like the proverbial cockie poo so I got it done professionaly.

Cheers
Ian...
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

Ok, got the welded gearbox back an all looks good... no cockie poo.
gearbox_welded.jpg
gearbox_welded.jpg (148.01 KiB) Viewed 32540 times
Next thing I needed was the new output shaft machined up for gearbox, well a friend of mine has all sorts of CNC stuff so I threatened him with a carton of ted's and hey presto... :)
beer.jpg
beer.jpg (71.81 KiB) Viewed 32540 times
Fits on the uni-joint fine
connected.jpg
connected.jpg (6.23 KiB) Viewed 32540 times
Now time to get some splines cut

cheers
Ian...
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

Oh well it has been a while since I posted but I have been distracted by another project so here goes.

While the new drive shaft was out being splined and heat treated I thought I had better have a look at the rest of the engine.

It had been in storage coated in cosmaline for at least 30 years and possibly longer.

Image

So I stripped it down and painted the gas generator
Image

Disassembled all the pumps, regulators etc, and cleaned out all the old fuel scum and replaced the 40 year old rock hard O rings.
Image

So I ended with 4 tables full of stuff to go back on.
Image

But it all seemed to find a home without any leftovers
Image
harky
Posts: 252
Joined: Fri Feb 09, 2007 9:03 am
Location: Adelaide

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by harky »

No leftovers is GOOD
ever had that cold sweaty feeling when you have finished an assembly ----- and there is a circlip / ball bearing /or little bit ---- looking @ you ??????
All part of the fun !!!
The cold sweaty feeling -----dont feel nice
harky
harky
DLRA #643
so far 120mph for$2000---imagine how fast I can go for $20,000
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

Yep you are right Harky, in my early days I worked out if you pull something apart and put it back together enough times you will have enough bits left over to make another one of what you started of with.... :wink: :wink: :wink:

Later I worked out that is not such a good idea :(

I did have a few "left overs" in things I deliberately took off like I don't think I will need the anti icing out on the lake or outputs for compressed air to run winches or cabin heaters.

Cheers
Ian...
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

Ok next instalment of the saga...
Got the splined shaft and gear back started assembling the gearbox.

I still had 2 spacers to make up either side of the thrust bearing, but I want to put it together so I can get some measurements before machining.

The shaft was not heat treated at this stage but the smart man for the heat treaters recommend a 0.1mm nitro carburised case hardening as the actual shaft is almost at the hardness of the gear spline now after all the working so will get that done later.

Image

I dug all the bearing out, cleaned them up and pressed them in.
Image
There was no gasket between the faces so I used a black silicon to seal it.

Image

Now it is starting to look like something.

Image

cheers Ian...
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

Well, it has been a while since I posted but I have been busy,,,, Its hot,,,, I'm lazy..... (Inset excuse here)

Firstly I dropped down the shaft to the heat treater and got it back a few weeks later.

Image

Now it is time to reassemble the gearbox and power turbine.

A guy with a similar engine in the UK sent through about 500 pages of the Maintenance manual dealing with the gearbox. It gives a very detailed breakdown on the procedure for re-assembly of the gearbox so I have been using that (as much as possible) for the tolerances and the procedure for the reassembly.

A few of the bearings and some clearances are slightly over spec but not by much so I guess I will need to live with that.

Image

For those not familiar with turbo shaft engines it is basically a jet engine making LOTS of fast moving hot air.

This air is blown over the turbine/fan doo-hickey above that drives the gearbox etc.

Image

That drives a driveshaft and finally the diff.

Image

The biggest pain in the butt is setting up the clearances on the turbine

Image

Image

Because this spins at 35,000 rpm it has tolerances that have to be right within 5 thou of up, down, left, right, twist left/right twist up down and depth in and out. This is all done with shims and a torque wrench. It took best part of a week to get it right but all good now.

Next time the first run of the engine....

Cheers
Ian...
gidge348
Posts: 129
Joined: Sat Mar 07, 2009 12:50 am

Re: Gas Turbine streamliner

Post by gidge348 »

It's been a while since I loaded any, but the engine is all together and I have been a bit distracted with another project in the shed.

Image

I have set the engine up in test stand and started it just to make sure all was ok.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8KYToVX6Fpg

I don't have the free-power governor hooked up at the moment so it is idling a bit high at the moment (about 22,000 rpm) should be idling at 16,000rpm but that will all be fixed when I get the drive line & governor in. All went well, the smoke is just burning off some new paint and oil. did have a couple of small oil leaks that needed a bot of fixing, but other than that all fine.

Next thing is the drive line.

Cheers
Ian...
Post Reply