My titanium obsession

Posted: Tue Feb 14, 2017 7:57 pm

That's good stuff there Cary....I was an engineer at a company that also did manufacturing and machine work. They turned Ti parts for Naval Underwater Systems....I know the machinists had lots of fun with the ti...even using stuff I believe was called The Cutter as coolant, they caught a machine on fire with it once LOL....really light and strong stuff tho....As I recall the bar stock was pretty expensive at the time too compared to stainless....Nice work here tho as usual....

Posted: Sat Feb 25, 2017 11:14 pm

Yeah, it will burn like magnesium if you aren't careful.

I finished these items today.

Fork axle holder and sprocket studs:

and a front wheel collar for my new black boomies.

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 3:16 am

I finished the oil filter bolt today.

Maybe, I'll make an oil filter boss next.

Posted: Sun Mar 05, 2017 7:54 pm

Dear Santa,
Please put one of these under my tree!!!!!!!!!

I really would like one of those.

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 1:40 am

It's probably the only one in existence. And believe it or not, that was more challenging than the valve cover bolts. Drilling and boring ti into blind hole was a bitch.

BTW, I disassembled it today and heated it to 250 degrees F to test the clearance of the piston. Last thing that I need is that bypass valve malfunctioning at engine temps.

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:16 am

Cary, I already have one I made myself but I need one more for my second engine.
The adapter that screws into the cases for the oil filter bolt.
You want to make one for me please ??
I don't need the bolt as I use an Aluminium one that has no bypass.

Captain

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 2:59 am

No problem, I haven't tackled internal threading yet so I don't yet have the tooling. However, it's on order so I'll probably get started on them next weekend.

So why aren't you using a bypass valve? Aren't you worried that the engine won't have enough oil at startup?

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:30 am

Actually to make it more worth your while, make two if you can. Again I always want to have spares and having one extra is worth it for me.
Payment and shipping the same as usual ?
As for my oil filter bolt, the reasons are as follows:
The engine is guaranteed to receive 100 % filter oil and as I use 5/50 wt oil I have zero problems with oil supply at start up. Naturally I am looking/inspecting the filter after every meeting and are replacing between 1-2 meetings anyway. This is good practice IMO as the cost of all the components is up there with trick cranks, Titanium rods, Pistons and the list goes on.

Captain

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 5:16 pm

Brent is your filter bolt anodized? I have been wanting to do this.

I'll hold off on ordering anymore Ti bolts for now. This motor I'm building is getting too expensive as it is. I'll keep up grading.

Beautiful parts Cary. I wish I had more time to work on my lathe. Plus I really need a DRO on it. So much easier and faster.

Peace, Jim

Posted: Mon Mar 06, 2017 7:27 pm

JJam wrote:

Brent is your filter bolt anodized?

Yes it is (anodised). In fact the first one I got was from AHM so I just copied it. Then I made a Titanium insert to replace the OEM one (which I am asking Cary to make more off) There is a picture of this Titanium insert on a post when I first showed the details on the oil filter air-bleed mod.

Captain

Posted: Tue Mar 07, 2017 11:25 pm

I made a swingarm pivot bolt yesterday.

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 12:41 am

STOP IT Cary. You're killing me

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 4:55 pm

JJam wrote:

STOP IT Cary. You're killing me

Don't worry, I'm just about done. There's not much else to replace after I finish the oil filter boss and get my titanium exhaust.

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:35 pm

Cary, if I send you one of my Titanium stepped washer used on my main bolts would you be interested in making another set ?

Captain

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 9:44 pm

Captain wrote:

Cary, if I send you one of my Titanium stepped washer used on my main bolts would you be interested in making another set ?

Captain

Absolutely.

Posted: Wed Mar 08, 2017 11:17 pm

I also have a need for some other Titanium stuff. 3 special UNF bolts with a bull nose lead before the threads needed in my Gear Drive conversion and the same "bull nose" 8mm exhaust studs in the head. I'm in Australia at present and returning home on Sunday coming and will email the specifics then.

Captain

Posted: Tue Apr 04, 2017 4:47 am

I fixed the broken brake pivot on my lathe so I started getting caught up in my parts backlog and made the oil filter bosses today.

MB-5 Joined: Apr 28, 2004 Posts: 25 Location: Westie

This is really cool. I remember doing the same thing to a mountain bike years ago. Addicted to Ti. Nice work headless, I appreciate your skill.

Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 11:44 pm

I just finished a titanium B cam chain adjusting bolt. Cool

Posted: Mon May 01, 2017 11:47 pm

Pure F'n porn, brother.

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 12:00 am

That is sweet. You got it bad dude lol.

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 12:01 am

Looks like you are starting to run up against the law of diminishing returns - but oh what a beautiful piece!

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 12:15 am

headless wrote:

I made a swingarm pivot bolt yesterday.

Doesn't that stuff stretch like a rubber band?

CB1100F Joined: Feb 17, 2009 Posts: 2105 Location: Oz

It's sexy but flexy. To achieve the same stiffness it'll end up being approximately the same weight.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/young-modulus-d_773.html

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 3:26 am

DonR wrote:

It's sexy but flexy. To achieve the same stiffness it'll end up being approximately the same weight.

http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/young-modulus-d_773.html

Thats what I thought. The swing arm pivot I'd think needs to be fairly stout because its a major factor in how stiff the chassis is in addition to the shear and supporting the swinger itself.

I wonder how much that bolt will stretch at like 50lbs of torque.

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 6:32 am

Don't accept totally what DonR is saying as there are ways and means around it. I use 17mm Titanium 6AL4V for my swing arm pivot and do not have a problem. If there was I would be fitting a bushing/sleeve in the middle of the arm which would eliminate any possible deflection. However it doesn't move or deflect so it is not needed. Further to this is that I also use tapered rollers so there has to be a certain amount of pre-load on this bolt and again there is no issue.
Then there is the fact that every single axle, nut bolt and washer is Titanium on our Superbike with the only things not are the con-rod bolts and the cam gear bolts. Every single other is Titanium.............. The reality is that it is a viable replacement that is 40% lighter than the parts replaced.

Captain

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 7:24 am

if you have a frame / swingarm that is prone to flexing then Ti may not be the best choice - but if you have a stiff structure then the need for the bolt to support flexing diminishes. Take this further (stiffer) and there is no need for a through bolt at all - can't get lighter than fresh air Smile

- old style VF / around 200yr fireblade etc.. - horses for courses

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 3:25 pm

Man Cary, you are just killing my wish list. So many cool bits in your arsenal.

Posted: Tue May 02, 2017 7:21 pm

nlovie wrote:

if you have a frame / swingarm that is prone to flexing then Ti may not be the best choice - but if you have a stiff structure then the need for the bolt to support flexing diminishes. Take this further (stiffer) and there is no need for a through bolt at all - can't get lighter than fresh air Smile

- old style VF / around 200yr fireblade etc.. - horses for courses

That was my thinking as well. I'm not an engineer, but I don't think the pivot bolt substantially affects this swingarm's rigidity.

Posted: Wed May 03, 2017 8:40 am

Huge respect for tooling up (& probably schooling up a bit?) to do all this quality work and all those ounces and pounds add up. Keep at it. beerchug