Turbo Optima mid SE

[Optinutz]

FWIW, I've owned 3 or 4 Mids and all of them were missing part OPM-9. You can see it here on page 13 of the manual.


OPM-9.JPG



I've never actually seen one but I think it's rubber. It's meant to seal the underside of the belt cover where the belt exits the rear gearbox - directly above the motor. This part never comes up on ebay so I think it's rare.
I've made a rather poor substitute by forming a piece of lexan but it really doesn't work very well.
I'd reckon this part would be a perfect candidate for 3d printing if anyone has access to one they could replicate.

I found a clamp with a rubber liner that fits perfectly and is easy to find anywhere. It is the only one that was a consistent 15mm width.

[radioactivity]

After a lot of trial and error I have settled on the finish for these parts. Way more time than I expected.
The larger motor plate was the test bed for the anodization.
It was in the worst condition of all the pieces.

Almost all articles on ano of Duralumin and it's closest cousin 2024 stated, the finish is not quite mirror like.
It is however, quite glossy and fairly difficult to take pictures of unfortunately.
On very close examination a hint of grain can be seen in the Duralumin. Possibly a remnant from the extrusion process.
I'm guessing that is because the grain is horizontal in all the pieces. All the prep work , sanding and polishing, was done mostly across the grain to help minimize the effect.
From 12" away it looks very good and the grain is not obvious.
Upper deck posts and saver shafts are not Duralumin and appear to be "normal" aluminum. These pieces polished, anodized and look even better than the Duralumin pieces, no surprise.

I have been using the Caswell 720 rule calculator as a guide to ano time and amperage.
Also upped the current density to 6 ( recommended ) and the thickness to 6 mils.
At a current density of 4 the time necessary ( longer ) opens more of an opportunity for a failed connection.


Ano progress so far...

Chuck

[Dadio]

That's really attractive and the finish looks great to me , well done !

[radioactivity]

Thanks Dadio

I tried to anodize the knuckles but, as expected, they are obviously cast aluminum and absolutely not anodize friendly.
They turned chalky grey and ruined the polished finished that took quite a bit of time.
So back to re-polishing and they are once again nice and shiny but not anodized

Still want to ano the aluminum gear protector plates and then the chassis.


Chuck

[mikea96]

Those knuckles look best glass bead blasted and then clear coated.

[mikea96]

Those knuckles look best glass bead blasted and then clear coated.

[mikea96]

Double post sorry!

[mikea96]

Double post sorry!

[coxbros1]

Double post sorry!

Quadruple!

[radioactivity]

First crack at test fitting parts and building a sub assembly. All went good.

On some of the plastic parts I needed to tap a few threads into the plastic because the new hardware is machine thread not self-tapping screws.

The aluminum pieces, when installed, IMHO look awesome. Way better looking than the original ratty aluminum, black fiberglass or even CF.
I thought that the stainless hardware was going to be a bit much but now it looks really good. Works with the anodized and on the black plastic.

Big hurdle coming up with the chassis. Scared to anodize for fear of screwing it up. It's so nicely polished now

Chuck

[coxbros1]

look,n good Chico!

[TheDiamondOne]

Chuck, u might just have a BOTM OR YEAR winner on your hands! Great photo work too.

[Coelacanth]

Those polished, anodized parts really pop! The stainless hardware too much? Nah...not at all, it looks fantastic, compared to the black steel fasteners that look like crap after a few assembles & disassembles. But, I may be biased...

[matt1ptkn]

I'm really loving that blue! I'm looking forward to seeing the chassis!

[radioactivity]

It's ELECTRIC !!!!

Chuck