We scramble to finish

This turned out to be one , very eventful week . As is the case with many people I know, most of the real work took place only during the week before the submission .
On the 24th , the team couldn’t accomplish much , as the engine was still at the shop where it was being serviced . Certain promises were not kept and the team couldn’t collect the engine at the end of the day . What was achieved on this particular day was a couple of hours of continuous “come” jokes . Comical as it may appear , the word achieved such distaste in our mouths that henceforth we refrained from using it whenever possible from the fear that it may trigger another spell above said of “come jokes “ .

The following day , we pick up the almost finished engine so that we can finish fitting the seat with sufficient clearance . We also manage to weld on the front bumper without much fuss .The rear wheel hub bolts then give us a nasty shock . The bolts go in only half way , and at odd angles . This means another trip to the lathe guy . The day has a surprising end with Bji leaving to tirupati .

On the third day , everything goes smoothly . From getting the hub bolts fitted properly , setting up the brakes and buying the micro switches for the paddle shift the team didn’t have to face any hiccups . Dinner at bharma bhai’s turned out to be a very thrilling event with the police turning up and all .

Bji returns the next day and gets to work purchasing the exhaust for the kart .The foot pedals go on and we find a 2 liter vessel to serve as the fuel tank . The team also makes a call at KCT amidst a swine flu rumor to meet Mrs.Malazhvi who gives a thumbs up to our paddle shift circuitry . A simulation of the working of the circuitry is also carried out successfully back in the warehouse .The day has a sweet end with Lux turning up with a cake for the team .

Sudhir reveals his idea for solving the steering problem the following day , which was dubbed the kingpin theory . According to above said theory we find that the stub axles that we had in place weren’t up to the specifications . Later in the day we meet up with mama who graciously provides the electrical wiring needed for the circuitry free of charge . Playing the PS3 at Shu’s place was a welcome relaxation after the days work .

The next day , the engine was fired up for the first time . The sound was heavenly . The engine guy finishes work on the engine fixing the CDI unit with the starter motor .On the eve of D day we realize that there is still a lot of work to be done .

We stack em up

The most notable work that was completed today was the erection of the bricks that would hold the kart , nearly two feet off the ground . The idea arose mostly out of the boredom the team members were experiencing at the time . The huge pile of cement bricks at the end of the warehouse were stacked into columns of seven .6 columns in all , were used to hold the kart off the ground . It was a proud moment for the members of the team as they took in the sight of their creation held two feet of the ground .

However at the end of the day , the kart had to come down ,because the it was standing in a part of the warehouse which wasn’t covered with a roof . The columns would again come up in future on two other occasions , every time at a different spot in the warehouse .

We are reunited , and the week that followed

Lux one of Team Infinity’s patron , obliges to provide 13kg of LM34 Aluminium for the rim casting process .This was after weeks of waiting for Kart Attack , who had promised to give the team some rims which weren’t in use at the time. The deal didn't work out .Better late than ever .

The 17th of August ; probably one of the most memorable days during the length of the project .Why ? Because I rejoined the team . The smile on their faces said it all . Their expressions, if interpreted would probably be something like ” where were you for so long , we were lost without you “. Ok i’m done flattering myself . I doubt the above lines will make it to the final blog .

Bji , picks up Bharat, the prick who managed to stay away from all the work that was done till then , and heads to the famous Ukaddam old market . Once there , they begin the search for some rod-end bearings . It took them a while to find the bearings they were looking for and subsequently bought 4 of the bearings for Rs 150 . Unlike most sales in the Old Market ,the transaction was made at a loss to the seller . It was left unsaid that there wouldn’t be any future purchases made at that shop . We then made some more minor purchases for iron strips ,an oil dispenser and also made enquires for a fuel tank .

During the span of this week , the team made a valiant effort to enter as many shops in the old market that was possible, to find a seller who would agree to sell the solenoids found with the starter motors . Shop after shop the team scurried into until , they found a bloke who was reluctant at first but soon after decided to give us the solenoids .Thus armed with the most crucial element of the project the team headed back into the warehouse .

One of the major problems that was rectified during the week was the stub axle problem . The stub axle which holds the front tyre , was not at a correct angle. The correction was made by cutting the axle off and having it welded on again .

One of the surprising things that was observed inside the old market , was the rear section of a blue swift . This once belonged to a guy who was a friend of some of our friends . Seeing the part in the old market reminded us of how speed can kill .

Mr.Bender needs a new watch .

Today was a bad day . At the end of this day we learned that there were going to be too many mess ups to handle , and definitely too many to blog about .
This is the day the bender stretched 30min into 150 min . First he claimed that he had completed 70% of the work and that the remaining 30% would take another 30min . He says this at 9.30am . Balaji leaves , leaving Arees in the company of Mr.Bender . Sudhir arrives at 10.30 and saves Arees from playing solitary for the 10th time . Mitanshu graces the team with his presence at 11 am . Still no bent pipes . At 11.30 the team decides to have a tea break . They stop at a tea shop , and Mithanshu bites into the first of many vadaais . There after the break is called vadaai break to honour Shu’s new found addiction .On arriving back at Mr.Benders place , he points to two bent rods .
We very pissed . We so pissed that we entertain the idea of making two go karts . The idea lasted till the budget breached 15K . While one of the rods was to be bent the other one had other purposes to serve .
Anyways the disappointment didn’t stop Shu from running home under the pretext of showing his parents some sort of proof that he wasn’t actually spending the money in a fraudulent scheme . He used the seat belt in his car to fasten the bent rods inside the car . Safety first !
We found a work place in the form of Bji’s paper warehouse . Good place , with a lot of fresh air .This was where the bent rods were stored while we went back to search for the bright rods . Owing to a number of factors it took the team the rest of the day to track down a shop which was ready to sell us 1.1 meter of a 30mm diameter EN8 bright rod . With the new bright rods , the team returned to the warehouse with nothing to do but stare at the bent rods .

WE have a bad shaft day

The team regroups at 11am , and heads off to meet Mr.Bender and collect the bent rods . It was on this solemn day the team encountered its first official project problem . Now Mr.Bender it seems had a nasty habit of making ridiculous speculations when it came to delivery dates . Arees swears that Mr.Bender just stopped short of showing the team the finger . In any case , Mr.Bender made it clear that there was no way he could have it done on that day . The new delivery date was set to the 20th .After being handed the first setback the slightly demoralized team arrived in front of a Seth’s kaddai (shop) to buy the rear shaft . After which Mithanshu’s steed , carried the team and the shaft to buy the all important bearings ( which go on the shaft) .
Setback #2 . The bearing guy told us that there were only two standard bearing sizes closest to the shaft dia .Either we chose the 28mm or the 30mm one . To make this decision we called Lathe guy , who told us that we had screwed up again . The shaft we first purchased was a 32mm EN24 rough rod .Rough rod meaning , that the dia of the shaft wasn’t going to be the same throughout the length of the of the rod making it difficult to turn and impossible to obtain a decent finish . We were supposed to purchase the bright rod . Now he tells us ! All this could have been avoided had we followed protocol and bought the bearing before the shaft . The sun goes down on a team with dented hopes .

WE begin

July the 17th , a Friday of great importance to the Team . The day we took the first step towards translating our thoughts to actions , the first day the team wilfully began to shelve out discreet yet significant amounts of money , the day after which there was no turning back .
With a design in hand , the team ( devoid of one of its very important member ) set out towards Nanjappa road hoping to purchase the circular rod which would form the basic structure of the chassis .Nanjappa road to Brooke Bond Road , from Brooke Bond road to the Ganapathy , from Ganapathy to Kattur . It was in Kattur that we finally obtained the 25.4mm , mild steel , cold rolled hollow rod .It was also here that the team was blessed with its first patron , Mama . Mama and Lux had accompanied the team with helpful hearts and bulging pockets . Mama spent Rs 500 to buy the rods . Armed with 2 rods , each 6 meter long , we hailed a Tata Ace ( chinna yannai ) to transport the material . Mama and Arees rode atop the chinna yannai .
Still very fresh into the project business , the team had yet to make all the required acquaintances who would help them ( in exchange for money ) to complete the project . So , the team went to Ashok’s office to enquire about someone who could help in the bending process . Ashok obliged , and we had a bender . Mr.Bender , says that he’ll have the rod bent and ready by the next day . A good day all in all .

CAD model of chassis

Here is the first pictures of the CAD model of the chassis design. The model was designed by our very own cad expert, balaji. The model was created in Pro/E.

We meet the inspiration

Qualifying day for the UCAL Championship fell on the 2nd of July . The Team heads out to Kari Speedway to meet up with a , Mr.Rashid ( the event manager ) , who may be able to arrange for the wheels and the rims for the go kart . The slightly inebriated team along with Mama take a while to arrange a meet with Mr.Rashid . After explaining to him our predicament he says that there was only one solution , and his name was Mr.Akbar Ebrahim . Mr.Ebrahim was one of the earliest in India who saw potential in the karting as a stepping stone to the higher forms of racing .
http://www.hindu.com/mp/2003/09/04/stories/2003090400860400.htm .

Now Mr.Ebrahim was present at the speedway to oversee the activities going on . After spending more than an hour in a queue , the overjoyed team meet Mr.Ebrahim and tell him the plans for the kart . Most will say that the only reason we finally made up our minds to begin building the kart was because of what Mr.AE said on that day . He was thoroughly impressed , and said that what we were doing was most certainly inspiring . “Drop the ABS plan for now “ he said , because it wouldn’t have much of an effect during the race . On the other hand he asked us to focus on the paddle shift gear . He revealed that his team was also working on a similar initiative, the design of which he wasn’t going to reveal ( so that our design wouldn’t be influenced by it ) . To solve our problem about the kart parts , he said that on a future date he was willing to take apart an existing kart to give us the parts we were finding difficult to obtain . Imagine that ! We leave Mr.AE with his contact number promising to contact him so as to set up our next meeting . The meeting never took place ,but we went ahead to build the kart anyway .
In the middle of all this , Bji didn’t qualify for the main race , Shu had fun on one of those simulated two wheeler training bikes ( which he couldn’t drive until the gears were set to automatic ) and everyone saw a couple of hot Chinese ladies who they couldn’t stop ogling at . Without question , one of the better days since the initial plan was conceived .

In search of the powerhouse....

The search for the engine for the kart lead to dead ends till date.. But things took a U-turn today and we finally got ourself a engine today..  During the past 2 weeks we discuseed a lot about what engine to buy and finally we short listed the following engines, yamaha 100cc (2 stroke), yamaha 135cc (2 stroke), suzuki 100cc (2 stroke). The next part was to find any one of these engines for a cheap price and thats when trouble started .. the yamaha engine prices started from Rs.5000 and the suzuki engine price was around Rs.3500.. all these prices were negotiated through local mechanics who owned the engine or knew people who owned the engine.. but the world changed on the day when we went to the great 'UKKADAM OLD MARKET' in coimbatore.. so, this place is the graveyard of almost all the vehicles which were either stolen, broken or seized in and around coimbatore.. after 2 days of frequent visits and contacts which balaji had inside the market, we came across one vehicle which caught our eyes right away (like love @ first sight!!!!!).. the vehicle was SUZUKI SAMURAI 96 model, which supposedly met with an accident and was ditched in the market.. Balaji started to work his magic with words, bargaining, negotiating and finally the price came to Rs.2200(complete with air filter and carburetor).. the deal was sealed right away and so we have ourself a engine..

The specs are as follows,

ENGINE:

Type            :  2 stroke, air cooled

Intake sys.  :  Reed value

Bore             :  50.0 mm

Stroke      :  50.0 mm

Piston disp. : 98.2 cc

Compression ratio  :  6.7:1

PERFORMANCE:

Maximum horsepower @5500 rpm :  5.74 KW (7.8 BHP)

TRANSMISSION:

Clutch           :  Wet multi-plate type

Transmission   :  4 speed constant mesh

Gear shift pattern :  All down, heel-toe shift

ELECTRICALS:

System            :  AC & DC type

Ignition timing :  24° ± 2° B.T.D.C. @3000 RPM

Battery            :  12V 2.5 Ah / 10HR

Generator    :  Flywheel Magneto 60 W

Fuse            :  10 A

Getting the paper work out of the way .

Project definition:

To design and fabricate a go-kart using a motorcycle engine.

Scope:

* Incorporate Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)
* Design a paddle shift gear system
* Design analysis using ANSYS
* Commercial feasibility analysis

Timeline:

3 months

Modules:

* Chassis structure (Mitanshu, Bharat)
* Engine Mounting and Transmission system (Sudhir, Siva)
* Steering and brake systems (Arees, Balaji)


Resources:

* Engine (2 stroke, 100cc)
* Warehouse
* Lathe
* Welding equipment

change my photo

Arees, you better change my photo before I start posting photos of you getting drunk and holding cigarette...

25th of May , 2009

Team Infinity decides its time to get a hands-on feel of what it really feels like to drive a Go-kart . Accompanied by a guest member Laxshmi Narayanan , the group visited Kart Attack , Coimbatore on the 25th of May . After a couple of laps around the track during which we discovered that none of the karts had a working brake pedal , we decided to quiz the owners on their interesting standards of safety . We learnt that the brakes were set the way they were because otherwise the owner would have had to meet the rising costs of the worn out brake pads and on the rare occasion the blown up tire . We were jublient because the implementation of the ABS system would solve both problems . Add to this the 5-speed gear box , and we would get a fun ride that could scare the wits out of the driver .

The Purpose

Lets start off with a story . The story that explains the reason why 6 guys decided to call their new formed coalition ‘Team Infinity” is no ordinary story but is fraught with incidents that shows them to be brave ,gentile and knowledgeable . Na, there’s no story really ! If it wasn’t for the twisted rod we found at PSG Tech’s junkyard , we wouldn’t have settled on the name ‘infinity’ . We would have probably decided on a name like Zephyrus ( Father of a horse and sister impregnator ) .
Now to meet the 6 protagonists and their ever optimistic coordinator , listed in an order which was convenient for me ,

Arees
Balaji
Mitanshu
Siva
Sudhir
Bharat
Arun ( Coordinator )

Now that the ice is broken , lets get on to the more important part of the blog . The purpose of the blog , is to keep track of the progress of the Team as they embark on a trip of self-discovery as they put into work their ever depleting brain cells , so as to construct an ATV . Well that was the initial plan anyway , now it seems we would rather build a Go-Kart with an Anti Lock braking System complemented with a Paddle gear shift mechanism . I call this a trip of self-discovery because after 4 years of learning in an educational institution , that should ( in my personal opinion ) be listed under the finest examples of ‘ engineering colleges you shouldn’t join ’, we need to prove to our selves that the two letters (B.E.) that will precede our name in our marriage invitation actually signifies something .

are we waiting for the world to change?

sudhir, have you finished the spreadsheet?