Pertneer's Blog

Decided to do some deep diagnostics on the fuel issue today since spring has sprung.

Since the fuel pump was able to bring the pressure up to the correct amount I had a wild guess to just drop the tank and see if there was an issue with the pickup. As I lowered the tank from the frame I noticed with enough certainty that I had discovered the issue. First off the tank was full, yep totally full. Not easy to take the tank out with all of that gas in it, but the it was needed to be able to get to the issue. It seams that ever since I first put the tank in after totally rebuilding it I overlooked the fact that you must not let the fuel line get pinched between the tank and the body tub. I believe that the tube, when it was new, was strong enough to remain open and not cause an issue when it was new, now add 5 – 10 years and this hose could no longer remain open long enough to provide the amount of fuel needed to run the 5.0 for anymore then a few seconds at a time.

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This version of the gantry has undergone some changes since its inception. Mostly because I didn’t foresee everything needed to make these changes before i started and had to make some more changes. Others were changed for future plans, while still retaining functionality until the other changes are made. This image is the future version it will finish in. The main difference from what I am doing now is the addition of the second linear rail on the y axis (gantry carrying axis). The other is a lower profile of the gantry itself to allow a better connection between the welded pieces and a overall aesthetics of the gantry itself.
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A collection of images of the new version of the gantry. As new photos are taken I will add them to this gallery. (more…)

I got bored today and rendered a high quality image of the gantry. Caution when clicking on this photo it is very large!

As promised, I will be adding the files to this location as I get them ready for distribution.
Downloads are only available to registered users.

After using the table for quite some time, I have discovered a few issues. First off with my design for the guide rails using the v-groove wheels is flawed. The current design only uses these bearings on the top of the rail. With this type of setup it tends to not want to stay on the rails. Also when you cut thin material it tends to lift one side of the other when you change directions rapidly.

So I have been working on a new design. seen below.

The z axis will remain unchanged as will the table itself. The main changes are with the gantry itself. (more…)

The old Jeep has been having some major fuel delivery issues among other things. In the last couple of days I have worked on some of these issues.

I started with the fuel pressure regulator, because it was not holding adequate pressure. To get the the regulator you need to start with moving the upper intake to the side a little bit for easy access. Starting from the top you need to remove the cover to get access to the bolts that hold it on.

Then you remove the six bolts that hold the upper intake onto the lower intake. (more…)

In my previous post  I stated that i was going to try to rebuild this instead of buying a new one. After tearing it apart and trying to remove the sleeve I noticed that it was cast in place. By this I mean the steel sleeve had the aluminum housing cast around it. There was no way to press out the old sleeve with out destroying the casting itself. So I looked to see if I could find a larger piston with no luck. I then waited for a comparable compressor to go on sale. This past week this finally happened. So instead of rebuilding my compressor I am replacing it with a new one.

I am however not simply replace the entire thing. What I am doing is somewhat of an upgrade. I removed all items from the top of the old tank and plugged all unnecessary holes so I can keep the tank plumbed in to add more volume of air to the system.

Stay tuned for pictures of the plumbing of the two tanks together and the final conclusion.

A couple of years ago I made the rooky mistake of letting my air compressor get low on oil. I know you should check that before you run it for extended periods of time. Turns out this was not the only issue. Seams the oil splasher on the bottom of the rod was broke and it starved that cylinder for oil. I did a quick ball hone job, some new rings, a new rod(with a new oil splasher on it) and slapped it back together. (more…)

Since I have completed this project and not updated the outcome I figured an update was in order.

Since I finished this I have used it quite a bit, but it has a few flaws.

• it proved to be very hard to get the lines to meet exactly where they needed to be, I should have designed in a was to adjust them
• The laser of choice did not last as long as I had hoped. Although they worked great for the first couple of days, they have since become very dim. Almost to the point of not being able to see them any more.
• needed to incorporate a better way to plug them in. I only used a drop cord for the first few days as a power source and never finished the wiring (well they were to dim to use anyway)

What i would change (read on)

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