Carbon Fibre Rocker covers

ihatesissycars · Post by **ihatesissycars** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 11:58 am

Ok don't laugh, i want to make some. I have loads of carbon fibre and resin which i was going to an airbox for the itb's i was going to use but now i have the ACT stuff i'have no use for it. Anyways, i was looking at my engine the other day and thought the ACt stuff looks cool in carbon but the rest of the engine doesn't match so i started thinking about making some rocker covers out of carbon for them so i'd like your views on how to do this.

I was thinking a mould split into 2 pieces along the length of the covers laying the cloth on the inside. Now this seems like it could work but i'm stumped on how to make the slots for the screw holes as i've never been able to get the cloth to adhere to such smalls shapes and angles so that i would need to overcome. Would vacuum bagging be of use for this? I've never vac bagged anything before but understand how it would work however i'd have to probably improvise a baggin sstem involving vacuum cleaners and plastic bags lol!

Also, ref the gasket face, rather than even bother trying to make the required lips and grooves to locat a gasket i was thinking a flat face fit with a smear of sealent to keep things simple, any ideas on that one?

These would be modeled on some efi covers. If i can come up with a good clean and good looking end result then i WILL make some plus more if anyone wanted any. I need something to keep me going over the winter!

Ian Anderson · Post by **Ian Anderson** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 12:39 pm

How about just coating a set of existing rocker covers in the stuff to make them look like carbon fiber?

Ok no weight saving but the bling is there!

Ian

Or have a look at
http://www.gt40s.com/forum/tech-exterio ... er+project Bottom of page 2 and page 3 he did mould the snorlkes and vac bagged them

Post by **katanaman** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 5:52 pm

personally I would make the gasket face out of alloy and bond it in. Much easier to get flat and the screw fixings wont shatter the carbon. I also assume you know you will need to use epoxy resin and not polyester as it wont take to hot oil too well over a period of time. I think Ian's idea is a damn good one by the way and saves all the hassles of getting the filler threads and breathers worked out.

ian.stewart · Post by **ian.stewart** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:17 pm

I did all of my carbon work cold, just used Epoxy, no bagging or cooking.

As for doing the covers, It looks to me you only need only to be made in a single piece mould, outof GRP and Gell Coat, supported with plenty of wood, it looks as there is enough draft there to enable reasonable removal from the mould, to help this you can drill a small hole in the centre/middle of the mould and fill it with placticene or bees wax, remove the plug and blow with an airline to help break the seal, the filler thread could be a piece of the old rocker cover machined back so all you have is the thread and enough metal to bond into the cover, Personally I would remove the cutouts for the carbs, just to smooth things out, as for the thread holes, when making the mould fill the bolt holes with placticene but leave a dimple as a witness mark where to drill thru, drill slightly larger than needed and insert and epoxy in steel tube to support the hole and the bolt to seat against, so that bit is easy,
To smooth out the bottoms where the gasket fits glue 4 sheets of 120 grit emery cloth onto a flat and smooth work surface and with a figure of 8 movement flatten the bottom of the new cover,
Ian

ihatesissycars · Post by **ihatesissycars** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 7:41 pm

Well i've just pondered this whilst in the bath and have come up with a similar thing to what ian (stewart) says. I have a few spare covers so i could machine a base from them and the filler neck threaded part also and then make the appropriate mould (sounds so simple. . . . .)

But also something along the lines of what Ian (anderson) has suggested i could make a mould with the basic shape of the covers but minus the carb cutouts (nice idea Ian s!) but 5 - 10 mm bigger in all directions so that it sits over the top of the originals and held in place by drilling and tapping 2 holes in the orignal covers into which screw 2 nice looking allen bolts but with a spacer between the new covers and the original covers which the bolts go thru. These would need holes cut into them for the breathers and filler neck.

Which sounds best?

GreenV8S · Post by **GreenV8S** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 8:39 pm

Seems like an awful lot of work just for cosmetics, but if you're going to all this trouble you might think about making them a little bigger than standard inside so you can sell them to all those people will flash valve gear that won't fit under the original covers?

HairbearTE · Post by **HairbearTE** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:00 pm

Seems like an awful lot of work just for cosmetics, but if you're going to all this trouble you might think about making them a little bigger than standard inside so you can sell them to all those people will flash valve gear that won't fit under the original covers?

Like me!

ihatesissycars · Post by **ihatesissycars** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:09 pm

It would be a right work up but it could look really cool and my engine bay is starting to look rather trick so i thought i'd keep the theme going. Also, its just something to do, a new challenge. I've wanted to experiment with carbon for a while now and this seems like a good project.

kev_the_mole · Post by **kev_the_mole** » Tue Nov 28, 2006 9:44 pm

If you decide you want to bag and cook them then PM me about using the company autoclave

Cheers,

Ian