Motor Mount - Welded Steel 2.0

While developing new welding skills this week, work was continued on the new design for a steel mounting clamp for the Warp 11.  Each effort demonstrated new challenges for work set up and metal preparation.  In the future, all of the surfaces that will be welded will be light sanded to remove mill scale before the pieces are tack welded together for assembly.  It is much harder to remove the scale after the pieces have been partially assembled.  Another significant detail, learned by trial an error, is the need to use multiple vice grips to hold the assembly in the correct planes and orientation prior to tack welding.

 

Picture DSC00491 showing the beveled edges of the center steel prior to tack welding the angle iron pieces to each side.

                          Picture DSC00497 which demonstrates the setup prior to welding. 

The initial half of the curved steel clamp was carefully measured, the angle iron "flanges" positioned with vice grips, the pieces tack welded together, and finally all of the seams completely welded and ground down for a smoother surface finish.  Welding of the complimentary steel clamp required more care to ensure that both sets of flanges were both in alignment with each other and in the same plane.  Picture DSC00497 above demonstrates the method used.  Initially the work was placed in the bench vice to hold both (right side of the picture) angle iron pieces firmly and in parallel alignment.  An aluminum flat stock was then vice gripped to the outer face of the previously welded angle iron (on the left side), and finally the remaining angle iron (front left) was held (top to bottom) with another vice grip after it was positioned flush with the aluminum plate.  Tack welding locked in the required position, and then complete seam welding finished the job.

 

Picture DSC0495 with Peter from Boy Scouts Troop 95 demonstrating the proper method for welding the steel angle iron.

 

 

Picture DSC00505 showing the side view of the original aluminum top design with the steel bottom support ring.  Note that this design will allow for the bottom extraction of the Warp 11 motor without removal of the upper aluminum clam shell and the side mounting adapters.  This capability may be of value if the space above the aluminum clam shell is occupied by a controller or with batteries that may be difficult to remove and replace.

 

 

 

 

Picture DSC00508 shows an oblique view of the mounting flanges prior to welding the BMW OEM sectioned piece to the outer aluminum flange.  Two plastic spring clamps were used to hold each of  the aluminum pieces together for the photograph.

 

 

 

 

Picture DSC00512 showing one of the new steel rings with the welded angle iron. This configuration could be used when the engine mounts are higher than the equator of the rings. 

 

 

 

 

Picture DSC00514 showing one of the new steel rings with the welded angle iron. This configuration could be used when the engine mounts are lower than the equator of the rings. 

 

 

 

Picture DSC00502 with both steel rings in place.  Prior to attaching rubber gaskets onto each inner curved surface, any excess welding buildup will be ground smooth.  The camera angle does not show it properly, but both left and right mounting faces are actually parallel to each other and both are perpendicular to the floor. 

 

 

Picture DSC00504 showing an oblique view of the mounting faces of the combined top and bottom steel rings.  The required location for the mounting bolt holes will be determined after the assembly is trial fitted into the motor compartment. 

 

 

Motor Mount - Welded Steel 1.0

An attempt was made to weld one of the sectioned OEM BMW motor mounts after it had been hot glued to the aluminum mounting flange, but the hot melt glue did not hold the correct orientation of the two parts during transport and then welding.  The parts were then separated with an abrasive cutting disk and the new plan is to reaffix the parts with hot glue followed by withdrawal of the pieces from the car and tack welding them prior to transport.  The tack welded parts should be safe for transport and the orientation would not be lost due to softening of the glue during the welding process.

To develop the skill required to tack weld aluminum (which requires 100% Argon welding gas), it was elected to practice steel MIG welding using an available Miller Matic 140 Autoset.  Previously only flux core welding had been attempted, and the amount of time required to clean up the resulting flux residues was disappointing.  This was especially true when the weld was incomplete or had to be redone.  A reality too often to confess.  This time it was elected to spring for the rental of a tank of  Argon/Carbon dioxide (75%/25%) welding gas.  Best decision ever for an amateur welder!  The clean up using a wire brush was extremely simple and the repair of defects very fast.

A previous all steel alternate motor mounting design was used as a practice project.  This design could be exchanged for the previously described clam shell style aluminum foundry top casting.  After welding flanges to this top ring, the bottom support ring attached with bolts.  Holes would then be drilled into the top steel flange to allow the OEM BMW support (described in the last blog posting) to be bolted to the flange surface.

 

Picture DSC00437 showing the 2" tall 2" x 3"angle iron prior to being welded to the steel support ring. 

 

 

 

Picture DSC00436 showing an oblique view of  the angle iron pieces prior to being welded to the steel support ring. 

 

 

 

Picture DSC00435 showing vise grips securing the three steel pieces prior to tack welding.  By leaving the excess steel toward the center of the support ring, the vise grips had a secure surface to hold to.

 

 

 

Picture DSC00438 showing the welded mounting surfaces attached to the support ring after the excess steel had been removed from the internal curved surfaces.

 

 

 

Picture DSC00440 showing the side view of  the welded mounting surfaces attached to the support ring after the excess steel had been removed from the internal curved surfaces.