Give some love to Steve

[HST4ME]

 

[RiverDave]

Making billet engine blocks?

 

[zhandfull]

They have been trying to machine billet blocks with that machine for a couple years now with issues. Hope they have them all worked out.

 

[Tio Pancho]

Love watching Steve’s videos as well as watching him on the drag & drive events.
You’ve got to be a bad mother to make billet Lamborghini blocks.

 

[lbhsbz]

Didn't watch the video yet, but I'm not sure billet is the best material for a block. Anyone who has ever skinned a long piece of billet and had it curl up like a canoe understands why, the material has a lot of stress in it. This (along with many other reasons) is why blocks are typically cast. With all the shit going in in there, I can't imagine that it's very stabil....regardless of what machine it's made on....features ain't gonna stay where you put 'em.

3D printing might be the solution here....it would allow you to create a support structure that's impossible with any other process while still accomodating some cooling passages, any sort of structure you want with little or no stress in the part that would let or cause it to move around. Probably save a bunch of weight too.
Strength and stability will always be a battle with conventional metal products.

 

[ka0tyk]

Didn't watch the video yet, but I'm not sure billet is the best material for a block. Anyone who has ever skinned a long piece of billet and had it curl up like a canoe understands why, the material has a lot of stress in it. This (along with many other reasons) is why blocks are typically cast. With all the shit going in in there, I can't imagine that it's very stabil....regardless of what machine it's made on....features ain't gonna stay where you put 'em.

3D printing might be the solution here....it would allow you to create a support structure that's impossible with any other process while still accomodating some cooling passages, any sort of structure you want with little or no stress in the part that would let or cause it to move around. Probably save a bunch of weight too.
Strength and stability will always be a battle with conventional metal products.

He already has smx billet blocks in all kinds of cars that perform really well. He just outsourced the production and wants to bring it in house.

But he bought a machine second hand and it was damaged in shipping. So having to get it repaired and dialed in. It was my understanding that the machine wasn’t even set up properly with its previous owner and never worked well.

Love his videos. Seems like a really sharp guy.

 

[lbhsbz]

He already has smx billet blocks in all kinds of cars that perform really well. He just outsourced the production and wants to bring it in house.

But he bought a machine second hand and it was damaged in shipping. So having to get it repaired and dialed in. It was my understanding that the machine wasn’t even set up properly with its previous owner and never worked well.

Love his videos. Seems like a really sharp guy.

He's absolutely a sharp guy....

I have a fairly wide range of exposure and tid bits of knowledge across a broad range....a jack of all trades and a master of none (maybe one), if you will. One thing I've learned is that when absolutely brilliant people specialize in one field and devote all their energy there to excel, it's pretty impossible to understand the entirety of all the ancillary aspects simply because one only has so much bandwidth. This is why teams exist. One guy can't do it all, know it all, figure it all out.

Billet is a buzzword....and really isn't good more much more than being a buzzword, or speaker grills. Forgings are just as unstable with more strength, castings can be more stable and have the same strength is designed correctly, sometimes.

I think additive manufacturing (3D printing) is gonna open up a whole new world of possibilities as the technology moves forward....so much more internal features are possible with considerable weight savings.

Machining precision stuff out of rolled billet is tough for seasoned machinists....it's even harder for drag racers and engine builders because they're not machinists.

 

[HST4ME]

That's been a hell of a project between he and Tom. When you're making 4200+ at the wheels in a mostly reliable way and drive it down the road is remarkablem

It would be interesting to see an smx in front of a ditch pump in a drag boat.

 

[OLDRAAT]

Looks like they got all the problems resolved with the mill and calibration complete. X was checking .0025 out and the techs got it back to .00021 or so. Those new vices will help also. Not having to use the trunion table on the rotab will also make setup easier and quicker.
Like Ibhsbz stated, even forgings can be problematic and inconsistent from part to part and material heat lots. When making the nozzles for Aerojet's Atlas V SRB'S, I had to include three cycles of cold stabilization into the final heat treating processes prior to final maching to ensure of dimensional consistency.

Best of luck to Steve and Val with the business expansion. They have worked hard and enjoy what they love.

Steve does have an SMX or SML that's going in an airboat I believe.

 

[RiverDave]

He's absolutely a sharp guy....

I have a fairly wide range of exposure and tid bits of knowledge across a broad range....a jack of all trades and a master of none (maybe one), if you will. One thing I've learned is that when absolutely brilliant people specialize in one field and devote all their energy there to excel, it's pretty impossible to understand the entirety of all the ancillary aspects simply because one only has so much bandwidth. This is why teams exist. One guy can't do it all, know it all, figure it all out.

Billet is a buzzword....and really isn't good more much more than being a buzzword, or speaker grills. Forgings are just as unstable with more strength, castings can be more stable and have the same strength is designed correctly, sometimes.

I think additive manufacturing (3D printing) is gonna open up a whole new world of possibilities as the technology moves forward....so much more internal features are possible with considerable weight savings.

Machining precision stuff out of rolled billet is tough for seasoned machinists....it's even harder for drag racers and engine builders because they're not machinists.

I have only had stuff move around if you are getting into real thin walled stuff and removing the "core" to an outside shell type scenario.. Even then there's ways around it. I would think it would be better than a casting that would have varying densities?

RD

 

[HST4ME]

Looks like they got all the problems resolved with the mill and calibration complete. X was checking .0025 out and the techs got it back to .00021 or so. Those new vices will help also. Not having to use the trunion table on the rotab will also make setup easier and quicker.
Like Ibhsbz stated, even forgings can be problematic and inconsistent from part to part and material heat lots. When making the nozzles for Aerojet's Atlas V SRB'S, I had to include three cycles of cold stabilization into the final heat treating processes prior to final maching to ensure of dimensional consistency.

Best of luck to Steve and Val with the business expansion. They have worked hard and enjoy what they love.

Steve does have an SMX or SML that's going in an airboat I believe.

They are super people and that shop is full of

 

[OLDRAAT]

I'm really liking Val's "Sugar Momma" chevelle....perfect drag and driver. Maybe her and Kyle can do some heads-up racing this year if he gets the Furd fixed!

 

[rivermobster]

Sonny's machines their blocks out of Billet...

SAR 1005 (2100 HP) - Sonny's Racing Engines

SAR 1005 (2100 HP)

www.sonnysracingengines.com