Howzit bud Andrew here from South Africa. I have a hard chroming business in Cape Town. If you would be willing to use a steel plate with a hard chromed surface, I would donate that to the cause. Love the videos. You're a true maverick. Let me know. Cheers
From what I've seen in the past a lot of air cooled two stoke kart engines use a stainless steel rotary disc. Maybe giving stainless steel a try instead of the cast steel.
@@dirtkartracer If it were me, which its not :P, I would use a carbon rotary valve and 2 hard chromed plate inserts instead of the PTFE. Old 50cc race motors used to use hard chromed bores when nikasil wasn't a thing yet. Hard Chrome is different from your cosmetic chrome as it doesn't use a nickel sub layer. As a result it isn't as shiny but has a substantially higher hardest and toughness. Also a beautifully flat, non porous, surface. My thoughts say it would be ideal.
@@lorenzolanza8431 the powder coating wont withstand the chemical reactions unfortunately. Especially when Alex goes back to nitro-methanol.....which he will.
You are entering the phase of your life where you are coming to "the end of yourself". The answers you seek to the stresses and relationship issues you allude to lie in the Lord. He is calling you, let Him, He will help.
I work in a small machine shop in the states. We apply nickel coating to aluminum, my coworker is smart and figured it out. He found that in India its a part of their culture to not keep secrets, so alot of literature that are "trade secrets" aren't really kept secret. He said it was easy to find info on the plating/anodize process, they were all published by people with indian names. That might help. If you get a good .05mm thick coating of nickel on the cover i think it would work great, you seem to have most of the supplies. Just right before you put it in the bath sand the oxide later off the whole area as good as possible and just clean with plenty of acetone right after. It has to be extremely clean or it will have spots of bad adhesion
Put the death trap bike on the dyno to check the numbers. You probably know the approximate hp of that engine so you can check the dyno readings and see if it is way off or not.
"I'm just going to take it easy here, cos I'm aware it could disintegrate at any moment" jumps to next scene of redlining it through every gear screaming along the road at triple digit figures🤣
Funny, I can relate - this summer I began restoring a ‘73 Suzuki GT550. After about 5 weeks I put it back in the shed, bummed because things hadn’t gone as planned. Took a few weeks off and now I’m at it again but starting small - polishing metal bits lol. Keep the faith Alex!
A GT550 is definitely a worthwhile project. Take your time and do it right. My first street bike was a 73 GT750 hot rod (ported, polished, smoothbores, chambers). I wish I had kept it to do a full restore. Nothing sounds better to my ears than opening up those 3 cylinders of 2-stroke power. I’ve done a couple of first gen GSXR restorations and currently an ex race GSXR750RR. Slow progress is better than no progress.
You make some of the best content on RUclips; and as painful as they must be in the moment, the setbacks and your heroic efforts to overcome them are part of the reason your videos are so compelling. Not to mention the insanely good production values you've achieved.
Just keeps getting better Alex. I've done a fair bit of nickel plating with the restoration of my motorcycles, I've found with the aluminium, is to set up copper plating, same principle as nickel, then copper plate the aluminium first, only needs a light coat, then nickel plated over the top, but with the your new attack you'll probably won't need to. I was a bit sceptical about that Teflon, because the golden rule with using a frying pan coated with it, is not to use metal cooking utensils on it, as it scratches off easily, carbon fibre wouldn't be any different, we live and learn, that's what I love about your work.
I know that nickel plated materials are very lubricious and are quite hard. I also believe there is a PTFE impregnated version which has excellent wear resistance. I also think you would want to not use the carbon fibre as it is abrasive, so both the housing and the valve would need to be replaced. Anyway, just my thoughts. Love your work mate. edit: Just went back and did some reading, hard anodised aluminium is 60-68 rockwell and the NicoPTFE is 62-68. Normal nickel plating is around 45 rockwell.
Seems like hard anodizing is the answer to me. I’m concerned ptfe isn’t liking the heat and fuel/oil. Going to be even worse if he goes back to nitro and methanol!!
@@jaybirdls1 PTFE is non reactive to nitro methanol and methanol, or petrol for that matter. Hard anodising is just hard to do at the home scale. Also, the commercial hard anodising companies can include PTFE in the anodising process for a low friction component.
Looking forward to next update. It must have felt real good to give the deathtrap bike a blast. Clear the cobwebs and re-motivate yourself for dyno work. I'm hoping the steel disc valve works 😊
Alex you are far from a failure you Amaze me and are an inspiration to all. It's easy too get discouraged when shit just won't get with the program but without these important building blocks you can't form your solid discoveries as all the uncertainty and options will have been tried and tested. And as you know sometimes you just gotta walk away from it for a while for your own sanity. For me what really keeps me riveted is your just another crazy average Joe like me with a drive and focus to prove something and you are doing that and it's just in your garage with stuff you scavenge for the most part. If this was some heavily sponsored show with every tool and machine brand new and money no object it would be boring for me and I'm sure I wouldn't still be here years later like I am because this is real..... this is you. Thanks Alex keep on trucking because we're all team Alex
I was reminded of an old 5hp engine I once worked on where it had a spiral groove machined into the rear main bearing of the crankshaft. The groove ran the opposite direction of rotation so that any oil that made it past the bearing would be "pushed" back into the crankcase. It worked really well. This allowed for looser seal tolerances. I'm wondering if something like this could be used for the rotary exhaust valve where oil is used to seal between the surfaces but a spiral groove would bring the oil right back to the shaft and then centripetal force ( I think I got that one right) would force it back outwards. Perhaps the groove would form a sort of balance point and seal it up well? just a guess.
Hey Alex, you are definitely NOT a failure. I have my own struggles with this stuff. I find, as soon as I get those thoughts creeping in, I have a small break and do something else for a short time. This helps me break that thought cycle. Then I can get back into what I was doing. Keep up the good work, so many of us are with you. Cheers Pete
Definitely not a failure. Quite the opposite. Your honesty and genuine character shine through. It's a privilege to be part of your community. Thank you.
Of course you're not a failure. Making mistakes is part of the learning process. I know you know this, I'm just reminding you. You are gaining tons of valuable experience which could not be had without knowing what doesn't work.
Go to Neder, and talk to Aalt Toersen about rotary valve induction. He's been working with them on 50cc GP Kreidler Florett engines, since the 1970's, as a member of Van Veen. 😉 .....And he still works with them today. He'll be happy to show you what he knows, I'm quite sure of it. Take us along........
27:30 Invents 50cc two-stroke motor with ninja-star intake valve... I love your work, Alex. Most people try to "think outside the box". You're more "what box?" Failure? It's not failure until you quit trying. What you're doing isn't failure. It's refinement. You're discovering what doesn't work so you can move on to trying new things. It's the core process of invention.
Was trying to learn how to port then I come across this guy, most in-depth and probably the best hours on RUclips I’ve spent to date has been watching this man, keep up the work
Steel rotary valve at 18k will made some issues with vibration. Keep the carbon valve, serch for some ceramic tiles the kind used in bathrooms and grind them until you made them thin enough and shape them with diamond tools. I am not mad, this is what Gabriele Gnani did on his engines. Search for this name in wikipedia, he was 2nd in 125 cc european speed championship in 2007, with his self build bike. Greetings from Italy.
What about adding some stainless nibs or something to the cf rotary valve to stop it running against the housing. Like sticking drawing pins in your school shoes to slide along the floor
PLEASE read the article on wikipedia about 'PLASMA ELECTROLYTIC OXIDATION'. It's a way to turn Aluminium surfaces to extremely durable corundum by means of high voltage electrolysis. It's easy to do at home.
The more you know and learn, the more you understand that you dont know. Your self-doubt is a healty sign of a man that knows a lot and har good perspective in life. Keep on keeping on. Love you channel and the way you explain and explore things. Best regards from Fredrikstad ✌️✌️✌️
Nikasil plating for the rotery valve would be very interesting to me but after you have the engine running with more conventional materials Make a list with nice to have options
Maybe something simple that’s been used for ever may work. Inlay a disc of Bronze into the Aluminium and make the valve disc out of hard ish steel plate. Martin
Glad to see another update, man. I keep thinking the best recipe for the development of this engine is: take the simplest and most reliable route to getting it running nice and healthy-and putting down solid numbers-and once that goal has been achieved, then get wild with the experimentation. A steel rotary valve in a cast iron housing sounds very dependable so I'd go for those materials. (Alternatively, getting an anodizing business to do the hard anodizing of parts for you could be pretty great.) This is just me though. Do what you believe is best! ...Something else I keep thinking is that a 3-cylinder 150cc version of this engine would be one of the most incredible things ever to be created (or to be heard), but that is neither here nor there. :)
It may be interesting to attempt running two different length headers into the same exhaust pipe. That way they can't create destructive interference with each other. Split the exhaust right at the exhaust port from the engine and have one just a little bit longer than the other before immediately going back into the normal exhaust system
I like the idea of the hard anodizing or nickel plating for great content! Just remember not everything needs to be an adventure though maybe send the part out to be plated/anodized while you play with the deathtrap?
You can take one of the parts he plates and rub on it with 220 grit sandpaper for 10 minutes before you get through the nickel layer. Good prep and it comes outs silky smooth.
I just want to say, I am very impressed with you taking the time to think about a solution tot he problem you were having, and coming up with something that was a good compromise between easy of making and actual performance when done. You can alway come back to the carbon fiber. Good work.
I'm glad to see you're doing prototype things instead of final production manufacturing. It should help with cost and time. Super rad project, can't wait to see it "finished" (they never are 😉)
Thank you. So much old memories come to my mind, that I can even smell that 2-stroke gas.2 of my my most dagerous builds was Suzuki pv50 with rm80 engine tuned to 90cc ++ with flap valve. Second was Suzuki s1, same teknic. After those I just put s1 cover over old 250rm race bike.
I think nitriding that surface would be best. That's what you do with an engine bore for the exact same purpose - high load friction surface. You would need an optimal way to lap the surface smooth. For replacing the carbon fiber rotary valve itself - "spring steel sheet" can be purchased, typically comes hardened and tempered. Would be perfect for this application, and would be easier to obtain the thickness you're after than a saw blade.
Cast iron frying pan rather than the aluminum Teflon coated pan? Hard anodizing seems to work really well on aluminum pistons for racing engines so it might be a good choice for your application. Plus you can use it also to adjust build up and eventual clearances.
Steel on alum should be fine if its getting a little mix oil on it. The CF is always going to be a bit like loading a grinding disk in there unless things are really just perfect. It could be easier to figure out a way to balance it made of steel or Ti than it is to solve wear with the CF. Nikasil is far tougher than hard anodizing, one survives a couple thousand hours of run time in a cylinder bore, the other wouldn't last 10 minutes. Maybe something like line2linecoatings, not sure what to call it.
I have made cast iron pieces by melting with a Tig from cheap weight lifting weight. For my surprice they are homogenous and machine well. I make a hole on insulating firebrick and then use full current to melt the iron into the pot. It stays molten as long as TIG plasma arc is directed towards the hole. I have 220A watercooled torch, and it has no problems. Air cooled may run a bit hot.
Great content . Realy enjoy watching you . I play with 100cc water cooled go kart motors . I have several rotary induction motors . I've played with the discs and found spring steel in good . Not even the stainless steel ones I made worked . Just to soft . This is what I've found
I don't actually know what temperature the rotary valve has to withstand, but how about making it from - Alloy 673 Heat Treated Standard: AS/NZS 1567 Silicon-manganese bronze Key features: Excellent wear resistance; for bushings, gear blanks and hydraulic pump components. Full alloy description: A.W. Fraser Alloy 673 is a leaded manganese-silicon bronze conforming to the requirements of UNS 67300. Alloy 673 has excellent wear due to the formation of manganese silicide particles. This alloy is available in a continuous cast and heat treated form giving improved mechanical properties over the as-cast material. The composition of A.W. Fraser continuous cast 673 is strictly controlled as are the casting and heat treatment conditions.
I have gotten good results with similar sized part using 30V and 10A keeping the solution in snow chilled. Aluminum container that is at the same time the cathode. Very hard coating and thicker than regular anodizing. And using Techline ceralube, bake on ceramic coating works very good too for reducing friction.
Hey have you thought of using a cast iron frying pan . You can either use it to slide across or make a rotary valve out of it or try a slower revolving valve to reduce load on the engine maybe a driven planet style valve. Have you thought about mess with the timing of the rotor
Have you considered trying cerakote for the coating? People use it for the insides of gun barrels and people coat pistons with it it's extremely durable. And very very thin.
I had several Kawasaki 2 stroke bikes in the 70's with rotary valves. They had stainless Steel valves, mill finish running directly in the aluminum housing with no ill affects. They were about 1 millimeter thick. They made them down to 80cc's, you may even be able to find a used valve cheap on ebay? Good luck, can't wait for 100 HP.......
Line2line coatings is who you need to work with on the rotory valve and even piston skirt coatings to bring undersized pistons up to bore size. If it can hold up tho Steve Morris boost levels it should work on a 2 stroke
Hi Alex, I am wondering about the rotary valve not being balanced. I guess that this issue will not only introduce „vertical“ forces, but also force even the carbon plate to wobble horizontally with high frequency. There is a section in this video where a pattern can be seen on the valve, which could be explained by this.
Try *cerakote* on the rotary valve surfaces!!!!. It's a DIY air dry/oven cured ceramic coating you can apply to the cover/housing, & the valve itself.(it's safe to use on carbon fiber / aluminum) You may have to monitor tolerance after application but I think it's the best option as of right now considering you don't have to modify any components and it's extremely easy to apply. Let us know if you end up considering this option. I think it's the most cost effective and harm free way to go about your friction issues right now because you can't go wrong and it won't require any major re-machining or prototyping!
The other thing to consider possibly four metals is tool steel or something along that line that doesn't warp due to friction is that may create problems somewhere down the line as brake rotors can Warp so something to think over Plus you would be able to heat quench metal to create your hardness that you're looking for and you can adjust it accordingly
Thank you too man. I like the idea of the worlds most powerful 50cc 2-stroke, that's quite a high mark. But I believe you'll get there, and it will be quite the site to see.
Hi Alex. I raced 50cc motorcycles until 1982. I raced Kreidler, Tomos and bike I made. Rotary valve should not touch any surface. Try to center rotary valve with gap of 0.1mm. I hope this will help. I am watching your channel since you made bike to break speed record. Keep working and good luck.
As an engineer I think it was smart to make a valve from a sawblade. You are at the phase of the project where you need to reduce variables. Iteration should happen later. Also carbon fiber is extremely abrasive so maybe it isnt the best fit for a valve. Either way I love your videos. Keep it up
Something like 10 years ago, Gabriele Gnani told a story about the same issue you're having with this rotary valve. He said that the spark plug became black because the carbon fiber valve wear the aluminum of the engine block, so he tested all kind of materials from bronze to steel and nothing worked. The only thing that he said it can bear that kind of wear is a ceramic surface, so if you can get a custom part made out of it , you should be able to solve this problem
Not sure if you're aware of this but carbon fiber is conductive as well if you were to test it with a known meter you would find that it actually will short itself out or use a continuity tester setting on your multimeter... Plus carbon fiber ferry bad to breathe in so if any of that dust is carbon fiber you may want to wet it first to avoid harm to yourself
And in the uk it seem pretty complicated to find anything anyway So go the easy route and replace the PTFE skillet insert with a old cast iron skillet Cheap,easy to find and machine easy
Cast iron would introduce an imbalance, to keep that to a minimum the material would disintegrate at the rpm you run it. Carbon fiber would keep vibrations to a minimum, coat it with for instance with Teflon would keep friction also acceptably low.
I could watch and listen to you working on these problems all day, every day. Would a needle bearing in one of the machined grooves between the valve and the engine help and stop direct contact between the surfaces?
carbon fiber is always going to ware in that application but you need to spared ware over the whole surface. i would subject to change the friction reducing slots to a zigzag around the disc.
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Cerakote ..or powder coating
Howzit bud
Andrew here from South Africa. I have a hard chroming business in Cape Town. If you would be willing to use a steel plate with a hard chromed surface, I would donate that to the cause. Love the videos. You're a true maverick. Let me know. Cheers
From what I've seen in the past a lot of air cooled two stoke kart engines use a stainless steel rotary disc. Maybe giving stainless steel a try instead of the cast steel.
@@dirtkartracer If it were me, which its not :P, I would use a carbon rotary valve and 2 hard chromed plate inserts instead of the PTFE. Old 50cc race motors used to use hard chromed bores when nikasil wasn't a thing yet. Hard Chrome is different from your cosmetic chrome as it doesn't use a nickel sub layer. As a result it isn't as shiny but has a substantially higher hardest and toughness. Also a beautifully flat, non porous, surface. My thoughts say it would be ideal.
@@lorenzolanza8431 the powder coating wont withstand the chemical reactions unfortunately. Especially when Alex goes back to nitro-methanol.....which he will.
The amount of trial and error, destructive testing and creative engineering is simply inspiring.
Glad to be a part of this journey.
You are entering the phase of your life where you are coming to "the end of yourself". The answers you seek to the stresses and relationship issues you allude to lie in the Lord. He is calling you, let Him, He will help.
@@mikegaskin8399 "the end of yourself"🤣 maybe you're the one that needs help.😁
Thank you NordVPN for sponsoring again.
Thank you Alex for your dedication to your craft
Thank you Alex’s family for sharing him with us.
I work in a small machine shop in the states. We apply nickel coating to aluminum, my coworker is smart and figured it out. He found that in India its a part of their culture to not keep secrets, so alot of literature that are "trade secrets" aren't really kept secret. He said it was easy to find info on the plating/anodize process, they were all published by people with indian names. That might help. If you get a good .05mm thick coating of nickel on the cover i think it would work great, you seem to have most of the supplies. Just right before you put it in the bath sand the oxide later off the whole area as good as possible and just clean with plenty of acetone right after. It has to be extremely clean or it will have spots of bad adhesion
Put the death trap bike on the dyno to check the numbers. You probably know the approximate hp of that engine so you can check the dyno readings and see if it is way off or not.
yeah easy checks are always welcome in that type of process !
It's a good idea unless it leads to another rabbit hole of squeezing more performance out of the deathtrap becoming another big job.
@@mrln247 "I decided to try spinning methanol injected exhaust valves on the death trap bike..."
Yeah the thing looks like it has at LEAST 70 horsepower
It's 11pm in aus rn, I've got a German exam 8am tomorrow but there's no place I'd rather be than watching Alex. Your *suffering* is an inspiration!
Well, get that nap in after and good luck on that exam!
Viel Glück
All the best for your Exam🎉
Viel Erfolg und Glück!
sehr gut, viel erfolg :)
That death trap bike sounds like a motorized bicycle...until you open it up! Sounds and goes great!
"I'm just going to take it easy here, cos I'm aware it could disintegrate at any moment" jumps to next scene of redlining it through every gear screaming along the road at triple digit figures🤣
Funny, I can relate - this summer I began restoring a ‘73 Suzuki GT550. After about 5 weeks I put it back in the shed, bummed because things hadn’t gone as planned. Took a few weeks off and now I’m at it again but starting small - polishing metal bits lol. Keep the faith Alex!
That's the way to do it. Do something else for a while. Then try again.
A GT550 is definitely a worthwhile project. Take your time and do it right. My first street bike was a 73 GT750 hot rod (ported, polished, smoothbores, chambers). I wish I had kept it to do a full restore. Nothing sounds better to my ears than opening up those 3 cylinders of 2-stroke power.
I’ve done a couple of first gen GSXR restorations and currently an ex race GSXR750RR. Slow progress is better than no progress.
You make some of the best content on RUclips; and as painful as they must be in the moment, the setbacks and your heroic efforts to overcome them are part of the reason your videos are so compelling. Not to mention the insanely good production values you've achieved.
Just keeps getting better Alex.
I've done a fair bit of nickel plating with the restoration of my motorcycles, I've found with the aluminium, is to set up copper plating, same principle as nickel, then copper plate the aluminium first, only needs a light coat, then nickel plated over the top, but with the your new attack you'll probably won't need to.
I was a bit sceptical about that Teflon, because the golden rule with using a frying pan coated with it, is not to use metal cooking utensils on it, as it scratches off easily, carbon fibre wouldn't be any different, we live and learn, that's what I love about your work.
Hello. To make the valve, I used a construction spatula. Stainless steel 0.4 mm thick.
I know that nickel plated materials are very lubricious and are quite hard. I also believe there is a PTFE impregnated version which has excellent wear resistance. I also think you would want to not use the carbon fibre as it is abrasive, so both the housing and the valve would need to be replaced. Anyway, just my thoughts. Love your work mate.
edit: Just went back and did some reading, hard anodised aluminium is 60-68 rockwell and the NicoPTFE is 62-68. Normal nickel plating is around 45 rockwell.
Four hours at 400 and an oil quench can be a crazy difference in the hardness!
@@DaveyBlue32 yeah sure but I don't think steel is an option due to weight.
Seems like hard anodizing is the answer to me. I’m concerned ptfe isn’t liking the heat and fuel/oil. Going to be even worse if he goes back to nitro and methanol!!
@@jaybirdls1 PTFE is non reactive to nitro methanol and methanol, or petrol for that matter.
Hard anodising is just hard to do at the home scale. Also, the commercial hard anodising companies can include PTFE in the anodising process for a low friction component.
Can you run multiple cylinders in that class of bike?
Better to try and fail than not try at all and I love your tenacity. All the best from New Zealand 👍
Looking forward to next update. It must have felt real good to give the deathtrap bike a blast. Clear the cobwebs and re-motivate yourself for dyno work. I'm hoping the steel disc valve works 😊
Alex you are far from a failure you Amaze me and are an inspiration to all. It's easy too get discouraged when shit just won't get with the program but without these important building blocks you can't form your solid discoveries as all the uncertainty and options will have been tried and tested. And as you know sometimes you just gotta walk away from it for a while for your own sanity.
For me what really keeps me riveted is your just another crazy average Joe like me with a drive and focus to prove something and you are doing that and it's just in your garage with stuff you scavenge for the most part. If this was some heavily sponsored show with every tool and machine brand new and money no object it would be boring for me and I'm sure I wouldn't still be here years later like I am because this is real..... this is you.
Thanks Alex keep on trucking because we're all team Alex
I was reminded of an old 5hp engine I once worked on where it had a spiral groove machined into the rear main bearing of the crankshaft. The groove ran the opposite direction of rotation so that any oil that made it past the bearing would be "pushed" back into the crankcase. It worked really well. This allowed for looser seal tolerances. I'm wondering if something like this could be used for the rotary exhaust valve where oil is used to seal between the surfaces but a spiral groove would bring the oil right back to the shaft and then centripetal force ( I think I got that one right) would force it back outwards. Perhaps the groove would form a sort of balance point and seal it up well? just a guess.
Hey Alex, you are definitely NOT a failure.
I have my own struggles with this stuff.
I find, as soon as I get those thoughts creeping in, I have a small break and do something else for a short time.
This helps me break that thought cycle.
Then I can get back into what I was doing.
Keep up the good work, so many of us are with you.
Cheers
Pete
I think I can speak for us all if I say your very welcome. We all love your videos and hope you keep doing what you love. ❤
You don't need to thank us. We all thank you for allowing us to observe your work. Thanks so much my friend.
Definitely not a failure. Quite the opposite. Your honesty and genuine character shine through. It's a privilege to be part of your community. Thank you.
Of course you're not a failure. Making mistakes is part of the learning process. I know you know this, I'm just reminding you. You are gaining tons of valuable experience which could not be had without knowing what doesn't work.
Go to Neder, and talk to Aalt Toersen about rotary valve induction. He's been working with them on 50cc GP Kreidler Florett engines, since the 1970's, as a member of Van Veen. 😉 .....And he still works with them today. He'll be happy to show you what he knows, I'm quite sure of it. Take us along........
Cast iron frying pans? Keep the pan theory going! Love the vids
27:30 Invents 50cc two-stroke motor with ninja-star intake valve...
I love your work, Alex. Most people try to "think outside the box". You're more "what box?"
Failure? It's not failure until you quit trying. What you're doing isn't failure. It's refinement. You're discovering what doesn't work so you can move on to trying new things. It's the core process of invention.
My home-made rotary valve on my NSR50 has a CF disc between hard-anodised surfaces and has never given me any problems
Was trying to learn how to port then I come across this guy, most in-depth and probably the best hours on RUclips I’ve spent to date has been watching this man, keep up the work
Steel rotary valve at 18k will made some issues with vibration. Keep the carbon valve, serch for some ceramic tiles the kind used in bathrooms and grind them until you made them thin enough and shape them with diamond tools. I am not mad, this is what Gabriele Gnani did on his engines. Search for this name in wikipedia, he was 2nd in 125 cc european speed championship in 2007, with his self build bike.
Greetings from Italy.
What about adding some stainless nibs or something to the cf rotary valve to stop it running against the housing.
Like sticking drawing pins in your school shoes to slide along the floor
Nice to see your surrounding countryside. Looks beautiful.
Darn good to see video of you outside in the sunshine for a change.
I like how you are open minded to the options you have and willingness to get input from your viewers. Glad the death trap bike is going! =)
PLEASE read the article on wikipedia about 'PLASMA ELECTROLYTIC OXIDATION'.
It's a way to turn Aluminium surfaces to extremely durable corundum by means of high voltage electrolysis. It's easy to do at home.
The more you know and learn, the more you understand that you dont know. Your self-doubt is a healty sign of a man that knows a lot and har good perspective in life.
Keep on keeping on. Love you channel and the way you explain and explore things.
Best regards from Fredrikstad ✌️✌️✌️
Nikasil plating for the rotery valve would be very interesting to me but after you have the engine running with more conventional materials
Make a list with nice to have options
Maybe something simple that’s been used for ever may work. Inlay a disc of Bronze into the Aluminium and make the valve disc out of hard ish steel plate. Martin
Easy way would be to change the PTFE skillet with a cast iron skillet lol cheap easy to get and cast iron is easy to machine
the clip riding the death trap bike was awesome. Its nice to look back at successful projects.
No matter where your thoughts, ideas, solutions go. I just enjoy this subject and your presentation. Just do what you do no need to a change thing.
S. Lol still love the Xbox controller mod.
I'm just about too under take an epic custom build. Well in my mind anyway.
That's a perfect two stroke, goes great and then goes 'nope'
Glad to see another update, man.
I keep thinking the best recipe for the development of this engine is: take the simplest and most reliable route to getting it running nice and healthy-and putting down solid numbers-and once that goal has been achieved, then get wild with the experimentation. A steel rotary valve in a cast iron housing sounds very dependable so I'd go for those materials. (Alternatively, getting an anodizing business to do the hard anodizing of parts for you could be pretty great.)
This is just me though. Do what you believe is best!
...Something else I keep thinking is that a 3-cylinder 150cc version of this engine would be one of the most incredible things ever to be created (or to be heard), but that is neither here nor there.
:)
It may be interesting to attempt running two different length headers into the same exhaust pipe. That way they can't create destructive interference with each other. Split the exhaust right at the exhaust port from the engine and have one just a little bit longer than the other before immediately going back into the normal exhaust system
I like the idea of the hard anodizing or nickel plating for great content! Just remember not everything needs to be an adventure though maybe send the part out to be plated/anodized while you play with the deathtrap?
greetings from Poland! 🔥🇵🇱
❤🙏
You can take one of the parts he plates and rub on it with 220 grit sandpaper for 10 minutes before you get through the nickel layer. Good prep and it comes outs silky smooth.
I just want to say, I am very impressed with you taking the time to think about a solution tot he problem you were having, and coming up with something that was a good compromise between easy of making and actual performance when done. You can alway come back to the carbon fiber. Good work.
Hang in there little brother, your tenacity is legendary!
Spot on about the two leg/three leg thing, If you hold flimsy components in a 3 jaw chuck a three leg shows out of roundness better.
Nice to see you outside getting some fresh air on the death trap.
Like edison said with the light bulb ive worked out a thousand ways it wont work but kept trying till he found the one that did great work mate
Wonderful to watch you work. Love from South Africa 🇿🇦
I'm glad to see you're doing prototype things instead of final production manufacturing. It should help with cost and time. Super rad project, can't wait to see it "finished" (they never are 😉)
Thank you. So much old memories come to my mind, that I can even smell that 2-stroke gas.2 of my my most dagerous builds was Suzuki pv50 with rm80 engine tuned to 90cc ++ with flap valve. Second was Suzuki s1, same teknic. After those I just put s1 cover over old 250rm race bike.
I think nitriding that surface would be best. That's what you do with an engine bore for the exact same purpose - high load friction surface. You would need an optimal way to lap the surface smooth.
For replacing the carbon fiber rotary valve itself - "spring steel sheet" can be purchased, typically comes hardened and tempered. Would be perfect for this application, and would be easier to obtain the thickness you're after than a saw blade.
Nice scenery, thanks for the road trip.
Cast iron frying pan rather than the aluminum Teflon coated pan? Hard anodizing seems to work really well on aluminum pistons for racing engines so it might be a good choice for your application. Plus you can use it also to adjust build up and eventual clearances.
Why not to use spring steel rotary valve with uncoated aluminium covers, like normal rotary valve engine. It works fine in kart engines.
Steel on alum should be fine if its getting a little mix oil on it. The CF is always going to be a bit like loading a grinding disk in there unless things are really just perfect. It could be easier to figure out a way to balance it made of steel or Ti than it is to solve wear with the CF. Nikasil is far tougher than hard anodizing, one survives a couple thousand hours of run time in a cylinder bore, the other wouldn't last 10 minutes. Maybe something like line2linecoatings, not sure what to call it.
Nikasil is good stuff Porsche used it in the air/oil cooled motor cylinders for years. Cheers
you are NOT a failure, you haven't given up, and your research is ongoing.
best regards Steve
Love seeing the Death Bike up and running.
Thank you for sharing some of your madness, I really appreciate all the 2stroke suffering !!!!😅
Those shoelaces next to the front sprocket make me nervous XD
I have made cast iron pieces by melting with a Tig from cheap weight lifting weight. For my surprice they are homogenous and machine well.
I make a hole on insulating firebrick and then use full current to melt the iron into the pot. It stays molten as long as TIG plasma arc is directed towards the hole.
I have 220A watercooled torch, and it has no problems. Air cooled may run a bit hot.
Three word for you cast iron skillet
Steel rotary valve brought back memories of the Kawasaki Centurion 100cc scrambles moto. The valve in that was probably a millimeter or less thick...
Great content . Realy enjoy watching you . I play with 100cc water cooled go kart motors . I have several rotary induction motors . I've played with the discs and found spring steel in good . Not even the stainless steel ones I made worked . Just to soft . This is what I've found
I don't actually know what temperature the rotary valve has to withstand, but how about making it from -
Alloy 673 Heat Treated
Standard: AS/NZS 1567
Silicon-manganese bronze
Key features:
Excellent wear resistance; for bushings, gear blanks and hydraulic pump components.
Full alloy description:
A.W. Fraser Alloy 673 is a leaded manganese-silicon bronze conforming to the requirements of UNS 67300.
Alloy 673 has excellent wear due to the formation of manganese silicide particles.
This alloy is available in a continuous cast and heat treated form giving improved mechanical properties over the as-cast material.
The composition of A.W. Fraser continuous cast 673 is strictly controlled as are the casting and heat treatment conditions.
Footage from death bike reminds me of a walk home after 10 pints! 😵💫🤣 Stay positive dude looking forward to next episode
I have gotten good results with similar sized part using 30V and 10A keeping the solution in snow chilled. Aluminum container that is at the same time the cathode. Very hard coating and thicker than regular anodizing.
And using Techline ceralube, bake on ceramic coating works very good too for reducing friction.
Hell yeah! Deathtrap is the best, whenever you get stuck, go for a rip on that fine machine!
Hey have you thought of using a cast iron frying pan . You can either use it to slide across or make a rotary valve out of it or try a slower revolving valve to reduce load on the engine maybe a driven planet style valve. Have you thought about mess with the timing of the rotor
Nice to see you out on the " NSU Quicker" Sometimes we all need to get out of the workshop, especially on a nice day
Have you considered trying cerakote for the coating? People use it for the insides of gun barrels and people coat pistons with it it's extremely durable. And very very thin.
You are smart and capable. Problems are just opportunities for improvement. You got this.
A good bike ride always helps the thinking process blows away the cobwebs and doubts good luck with the next testing phase
I'm happy to see the deathtrap going out for a wazz about.
Every time I watch your videos your desk reminds me of Red's desk on the red green show.
Thankful for you putting in the effort to keep making these vids.
I had several Kawasaki 2 stroke bikes in the 70's with rotary valves. They had stainless Steel valves, mill finish running directly in the aluminum housing with no ill affects. They were about 1 millimeter thick. They made them down to 80cc's, you may even be able to find a used valve cheap on ebay? Good luck, can't wait for 100 HP.......
Line2line coatings is who you need to work with on the rotory valve and even piston skirt coatings to bring undersized pistons up to bore size. If it can hold up tho Steve Morris boost levels it should work on a 2 stroke
A good supply of round iron , use old gym weights which usually have a 25mm hole
Hi Alex, I am wondering about the rotary valve not being balanced. I guess that this issue will not only introduce „vertical“ forces, but also force even the carbon plate to wobble horizontally with high frequency. There is a section in this video where a pattern can be seen on the valve, which could be explained by this.
This is the meaning of “never gives up” glad u have the will power!
Try *cerakote* on the rotary valve surfaces!!!!. It's a DIY air dry/oven cured ceramic coating you can apply to the cover/housing, & the valve itself.(it's safe to use on carbon fiber / aluminum) You may have to monitor tolerance after application but I think it's the best option as of right now considering you don't have to modify any components and it's extremely easy to apply. Let us know if you end up considering this option. I think it's the most cost effective and harm free way to go about your friction issues right now because you can't go wrong and it won't require any major re-machining or prototyping!
The other thing to consider possibly four metals is tool steel or something along that line that doesn't warp due to friction is that may create problems somewhere down the line as brake rotors can Warp so something to think over Plus you would be able to heat quench metal to create your hardness that you're looking for and you can adjust it accordingly
I am so glad to see you happier again.
Thank you too man. I like the idea of the worlds most powerful 50cc 2-stroke, that's quite a high mark. But I believe you'll get there, and it will be quite the site to see.
Äntligen en vettig slid. Aldrig förstått finessen med kolfiberslid.
That is a good mark, always be thankful - always, no exceptions
Hi Alex. I raced 50cc motorcycles until 1982. I raced Kreidler, Tomos and bike I made. Rotary valve should not touch any surface. Try to center rotary valve with gap of 0.1mm. I hope this will help. I am watching your channel since you made bike to break speed record. Keep working and good luck.
As an engineer I think it was smart to make a valve from a sawblade. You are at the phase of the project where you need to reduce variables. Iteration should happen later. Also carbon fiber is extremely abrasive so maybe it isnt the best fit for a valve.
Either way I love your videos. Keep it up
look at this GIT! he's actually leaving his own country to drive the death-trap at speed! - there will be hell to pay,now Alex😆
acier dur pour la valve et bronze la platine! ;)
Something like 10 years ago, Gabriele Gnani told a story about the same issue you're having with this rotary valve. He said that the spark plug became black because the carbon fiber valve wear the aluminum of the engine block, so he tested all kind of materials from bronze to steel and nothing worked. The only thing that he said it can bear that kind of wear is a ceramic surface, so if you can get a custom part made out of it , you should be able to solve this problem
Not sure if you're aware of this but carbon fiber is conductive as well if you were to test it with a known meter you would find that it actually will short itself out or use a continuity tester setting on your multimeter... Plus carbon fiber ferry bad to breathe in so if any of that dust is carbon fiber you may want to wet it first to avoid harm to yourself
You could use titanium for the rotary valve, and for the cover I would use something like DLC coating
That would be a good idea but he doesn't have the tooling to work titanium
And in the uk it seem pretty complicated to find anything anyway
So go the easy route and replace the PTFE skillet insert with a old cast iron skillet
Cheap,easy to find and machine easy
I'll watch from Kentucky USA. Till you stop!!! Making videos!! Let's go stuffing!!!
What is the imbalance vibration of a rotary valve at 17000rpm?
Cast iron would introduce an imbalance, to keep that to a minimum the material would disintegrate at the rpm you run it. Carbon fiber would keep vibrations to a minimum, coat it with for instance with Teflon would keep friction also acceptably low.
I could watch and listen to you working on these problems all day, every day. Would a needle bearing in one of the machined grooves between the valve and the engine help and stop direct contact between the surfaces?
carbon fiber is always going to ware in that application but you need to spared ware over the whole surface. i would subject to change the friction reducing slots to a zigzag around the disc.
You could use a similar system to the yamaha yvps, its electrically operated but very simple, could be messed around enough to work for you