Gents:
I was advised by RP to anodize my 6061-6 belly pan.
Gents:
I was advised by RP to anodize my 6061-6 belly pan.
V/r
Iverson
Several good reasons to anodize 6061, but on a belly pan, subjected to the abuse they take, and their replacement frequency, perhaps not good value? YMMV
Ian Macpherson
Savannah, GA
Race prep, support, and engineering.
I believe that RP's rational for anodizing 6061-T6 belly pans is 6061 starts oxidizing immediately upon manufacture. You have to remove the oxidization before applying epoxy to achieve the best bond but the oxidation process starts immediately after removing it so it is impossible to get the excellent epoxy bond because of oxidization.
Most epoxies bond to anodized aluminum. So anodize = no oxidization = excellent epoxy bond.
Ta Da
Steve
It looks totally bitchin. Your floorpan is gonna be on there awhile, might as well make it look killer. DB1, Crossle 45, and RF97k.
Ethan Shippert
http://shippertracingservices.com
https://www.norwestff.com
"l'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace!"
Ethan this looks like hard anodizing versus standard anodizing would that be correct? Beautiful craftsmanship!
Ethan, Where are the purple rivets? I assumed that was your signature style. Beautiful work that we have come to expect from you.
Nope, just regular type 2 anodizing. Any anodizing shop can do it in a variety of colors. You just need to tell them the alloy you’re giving them and what color you want it. I also scuff up the areas that will get glue BEFORE it goes to anodizing. And thanks! We try hard to make them look good and go fast in equal parts!
Ethan Shippert
http://shippertracingservices.com
https://www.norwestff.com
"l'audace, l'audace, toujours l'audace!"
Yes, scuff the bonding area. Doing it adds "tooth" ( surface area) to the bond.
The only problem with scuffing after anodizing the surface is that you can remove the sealer that seals the color liquid inside the anodizing crystals that are hollow and hexagonal in shape - the dye goes into the hollows and gets sealed in. I have no proof, but I would think that that could reduce the bonding strength - which is in part why I recommend only clear anodiding ( no color dye).
The other benefit of anodizing the pan is that it keeps you from getting aluminium oxide smudges on your drivers suit.
Last edited by R. Pare; 12.21.23 at 5:55 PM.
Charlie Warner
fatto gatto racing
'Cause there's bugger-all down here on earth!
7075, Type II Class 1 (un-dyed)
ADF MkII #11
Geez, you guys are putting a lot of money into what we call a sacrificial part
You should see our belly pans after only a few events (curbs are fast)
Ian Macpherson
Savannah, GA
Race prep, support, and engineering.
I anodized my last car's pan and was originally planning to do this one but ran out of time, and money for the local supplier. Bad planning. I ended up attempting to do the Alodine conversion coating but honestly, not sure it did anything for a DIY dilution/process.
I had a lot of rivets. This sucker better last.
Brandon L. #96 FF
-PM me for RF85/86 bellhousing
picture below shows the "rivet check" on the 0.090" 7075-T6 type III full length belly pan for my RF-00; took four people with air driven rivet pullers to get the job done before the epoxy cooked off. cool evenings in the summer in the desert are still warm.......
Art
artesmith@earthlink.net
Art. I no longer feel I have too many rivets.
Brandon L. #96 FF
-PM me for RF85/86 bellhousing
Delete
Last edited by Rick Iverson; 12.23.23 at 8:07 PM.
V/r
Iverson
Couple things I have learned over the decades I have been attaching belly pans to tube frames is that the glue is just as important as the rivets you use. And solid rivets are way stronger than blind/pop rivets.
One person mentioned stainless rivets. I don't like them because the rivets do not do a good job of expanding and filling the hole and they tend to bend under repeated stressing and become loose. And a loose stainless rivet is close to impossible to drill out.
I have had good success with https://www.wicksaircraft.com/shop/avex-rivet/ . These are my choice for blind rivets.
I have been adding rivet strips to the inside of all the lower frame rails so I have a 2 inch wide surface to rivet and bond the belly pan to the frame. I also stagger the rivet lines 1/4 inch either side of the center line of the tubes or 1" wide strips. I have a rivet every 3/4 inch for each line of rivets.
I have done a lot of torsion testing of my frames and the process I have outlined above gives the best results and the belly pans have held up for several years of racing.
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