Tomster
Beware of idiots
- Thread starter
- #1
So,
I have recently replaced my AC condenser because it was getting a little ragged with fins bent and overall road debris damage. I figured I'd replace it before it becomes a problem down the road.
So when I was removing the condenser, I noticed that one of the clips was broken. A closer look at it revealed that it was the same material that our brake housing bracket was constructed of just before the mass recall. (PA66GF30).
Below is the part of the clip that was on the car. The other half was missing.
To give a better orientation of where these clips are, refer to the below diagram.
So, I figured no problem..... I'll just stop on into my dealership and order a small bag of them for when this happens again. Well, not so fast..... I was informed that the clips are not for sale by themselves. If I wanted one, I would have to buy a new radiator because it is sold as an assembly. I figured this had to be some kind of mistake, so I reached out to one of our forum parts experts. I was informed that was indeed the case. You can't buy the clips by themselves.
I posted this dilemma here and I got all kind of half ass fix recommendations like rubber bands, wrap it in steel, whatever. That wasn't going to happen. This is a GT500, CFTP for that matter. No rubber bands, no half ass fixes, period.
So thought to myself I would simply take out the 3D scanner and do a quick scan and print it with my Prusa MK-4 3D printer.
Nope. The condenser clip was not able to be easily scanned, even after spraying it with scanner spray. So I decided to go old school on this one. I have a background in working with composites. I finally realized instead of going through a lot of CAD Kung Fu Hayaka in trying to take an incomplete 3D scan and manually turning it into a solid file that a printer can work with, I simply fell back on the old tried and true method of casting a silicone prototype mold.
It started with a form, the part, and a backing. I used silicone to create a seal between the backing and the form so the silicone wouldn't leak out.
Then I let the silicone set for a few hours. I then mixed the silicone by weight.
I prepped the form, backing, and part with mold wax to prevent it from sticking to the silicone when it cured.
Once the silicone was weighed and mixed, I poured it into the form to create a mold.
I let it cure overnight and began to separate the part from the newly formed mold. I took my time and it came out perfect.
I then took the same mold wax and coated the inside of the new silicone mold. I chopped a small batch of carbon fiber and had that ready to be added to the mold after the epoxy was mixed.
I mixed the resin, added a black tint, mixed again, and poured a small amount into the mold. I then added carbon fiber, pushing it all the way down while allowing it to saturate into the epoxy. I poured more resin, then more carbon fiber and repeated until the mold was full with saturated carbon fiber.
I topped the mold off with another boundary layer to provide a uniform cured top end of the new part. I placed it over a gentle heat (my coffee maker) overnight until it was fully cured the next day.
I don't have a video or photo of me prying the new part out of the silicone mold, but I think you get the idea. Below is the new part next to the old part. The new part that I created is superior. It is made from a heat resistant epoxy that is reinforced with aviation grade carbon fiber. If this happens again, I have the mold and can readily create a new part on short notice.
So much for rubber bands and bent tabs of scrap steel..........
Anyone with a CFTP that needs one of these, let me know.
I have recently replaced my AC condenser because it was getting a little ragged with fins bent and overall road debris damage. I figured I'd replace it before it becomes a problem down the road.
So when I was removing the condenser, I noticed that one of the clips was broken. A closer look at it revealed that it was the same material that our brake housing bracket was constructed of just before the mass recall. (PA66GF30).
Below is the part of the clip that was on the car. The other half was missing.
To give a better orientation of where these clips are, refer to the below diagram.
So, I figured no problem..... I'll just stop on into my dealership and order a small bag of them for when this happens again. Well, not so fast..... I was informed that the clips are not for sale by themselves. If I wanted one, I would have to buy a new radiator because it is sold as an assembly. I figured this had to be some kind of mistake, so I reached out to one of our forum parts experts. I was informed that was indeed the case. You can't buy the clips by themselves.
I posted this dilemma here and I got all kind of half ass fix recommendations like rubber bands, wrap it in steel, whatever. That wasn't going to happen. This is a GT500, CFTP for that matter. No rubber bands, no half ass fixes, period.
So thought to myself I would simply take out the 3D scanner and do a quick scan and print it with my Prusa MK-4 3D printer.
Nope. The condenser clip was not able to be easily scanned, even after spraying it with scanner spray. So I decided to go old school on this one. I have a background in working with composites. I finally realized instead of going through a lot of CAD Kung Fu Hayaka in trying to take an incomplete 3D scan and manually turning it into a solid file that a printer can work with, I simply fell back on the old tried and true method of casting a silicone prototype mold.
It started with a form, the part, and a backing. I used silicone to create a seal between the backing and the form so the silicone wouldn't leak out.
Then I let the silicone set for a few hours. I then mixed the silicone by weight.
I prepped the form, backing, and part with mold wax to prevent it from sticking to the silicone when it cured.
Once the silicone was weighed and mixed, I poured it into the form to create a mold.
I let it cure overnight and began to separate the part from the newly formed mold. I took my time and it came out perfect.
I then took the same mold wax and coated the inside of the new silicone mold. I chopped a small batch of carbon fiber and had that ready to be added to the mold after the epoxy was mixed.
I mixed the resin, added a black tint, mixed again, and poured a small amount into the mold. I then added carbon fiber, pushing it all the way down while allowing it to saturate into the epoxy. I poured more resin, then more carbon fiber and repeated until the mold was full with saturated carbon fiber.
I topped the mold off with another boundary layer to provide a uniform cured top end of the new part. I placed it over a gentle heat (my coffee maker) overnight until it was fully cured the next day.
I don't have a video or photo of me prying the new part out of the silicone mold, but I think you get the idea. Below is the new part next to the old part. The new part that I created is superior. It is made from a heat resistant epoxy that is reinforced with aviation grade carbon fiber. If this happens again, I have the mold and can readily create a new part on short notice.
So much for rubber bands and bent tabs of scrap steel..........
Anyone with a CFTP that needs one of these, let me know.
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(see, I'm trying to drag 
