FED Build

[lake_harley]

Mild steel. It's for forward of the mid plate and ordered .095", which my junior engineer calculations came up to being about 3+ times heavy enough to handle the stress on my relatively short (145") WB car. I expect a delivery of .095" DOM tube tomorrow to replace the w-a-y thin walled tubing I got first, and I'm confident the DOM will be within spec.

I'm using all .120" DOM for the cockpit/cage area which I've been putting together as time permits over the last couple days. I've checked every piece of tubing I've used so far and it's all checking .121" to .122" wall, so I should be good on the .118" requirement. My pile of tubing is starting to resemble the back half of a FED!

Lynn

[lake_harley]

OK...Let's see if I have this photo posting figured out.

If a photo should magically appear, it's the progress on my FED chassis as of the end of yesterday, Friday. I must say, it was pretty exciting to see the chassis actually starting to look like something! Chassis is all tacked, but there is still a lot to do before welding time. I settled on 145" wheelbase.

FWIW....I'm the ruggedly handsome gentleman posing shamelessly for the photo.

Lynn

[JEFF/21C]

looking keep, it up

[tcoupekyle]

Awesome!! Looks super cool

[crider]

Looking great!

[THE FRENCHTOWN FLYER]

Nice!
If you do as good a job on the body as you did on the frame it will be great.

[lake_harley]

Thanks gentlemen! I appreciate the kind words. It's certainly one of those projects that will/would be easier, and quicker, the "next" time than it was the first time. 

Lynn

[Finnish Fireball]

Looks good! Both the frame and the fabricator

[janjon]

You are indeed a ruggedly handsome individual; the chassis is looking good as well. Which welding process are you using?

[lake_harley]

  Just my good looks should intimidate a lot of the competitors!

Welding will all be done with TIG. I'm not certified, but consider myself a competent welder. Since it's DOM I could use MIG, but with TIG I feel I can see the puddle and penetration of the welds much better.

Lynn

[Paul New]

Cars looking great nice work

[lake_harley]

As I was fitting the chassis together the SBC fuel pump cleared the top frame tube (Yay!), but when i added the vertical near the front of the engine and the diagonal along the side of the engine the pump interfered with fitting the diagonal. I have considered cutting and building in a 1/4" to 3/8" "relief" to the inner side of the tube for fuel pump clearance but fear compromising the diagonal. The offending diagonal is 7/8" diameter.

I'd love to do fuel injection at some point and a belt or cam drive pump might be in the future, but for now I'd like to keep it simple, carbureted, and use a diaphragm pump if possible. I really don't like the thought of an electric pump in the event of something going really wrong during a pass.

I'd like to get some input from the voice of "the experienced" here. 

Lynn

[Curly1]

Electric fuel pump is fine for carbs. If you are concerned about the safety you may consider doing like I did. I have a manual shut off in rear of the car but I also have and electric one that I can shut off master power from inside in an emergency. When I get to the track I turn the main power on in back of car and leave it on until I load it up at end of the day. During the day I use the interior master to shut down power. That way I am not jumping in and out of car to turn on power.

[Finnish Fireball]

Nothing wrong or unsafe with electric pump. Lots of safety options available. Kill switch in cabin is a must, theres roll-over switches that cut the power if upside down etc. I'd rather do that way and leave the tubing alone.

[lake_harley]

Granted the pump question was still quite a way down the road in construction but I like to get things settled in my mind as I think of them. Thanks! A electric fuel pump would certainly be the simple solution with a "master" kill switch to cut all power easily in driver's reach is the way to go. From the master switch power would then go to the fuel pump and ignition. For the master in the cockpit I'm thinking either a switch with a large red "push off" button or maybe one of those "aircraft" switches that have the flip cover that could easily be slapped down to kill all power? I'd also use a battery master switch at the rear of the car and assume that should be a heavy battery disconnect cabled all the way to the back and then go forward to the starter main lug, correct?

Lynn