Reading Assignment for next Tuesday:
Chapters 8 and 9 in Zen
In precept:
Review of Last Week’s lab:
Clutch and transmission group took apart the clutch and cleaned the clutch plates and engine casing. Some plates were pitted, but better than any of the spare plates.
Frames, forks, and wheels took the second tire off with wire cutters and sandblasted some parts. Also took apart the front shocks by gripping the assembly in a large lathe chuck, and using a spanner wrench to loosen the collar.
Bottom end took apart the bottom and saw the oil holes in the shaft and casing that let oil into the flywheel journal bearing. The helical gear was not removed, as it is hard to put back.
To Do: clean and test the oil pump and look for fasteners that we need on Ebay.
Top end took the valve springs out using specialty tools. Also washed parts and the head.
To Do: measure the bore (should be 63 mm bore and 64 mm stroke).
Electrical split up and read manuals.
To Do: work on the distributor. Soap and clean it, and then take apart and rebuild it.
Quartermaster collected parts and made plastic caps for sandblasting the bore.
Book Discussion:
Chapter 2 of Shop Craft:
Degradation of both blue and white collar work, as thinking is separated from doing so that there is a concentration of knowledge work in a small elite.
We debated whether modern society has a large knowledge class, or a very limited knowledge elite.
Experts: make decisions and use judgement.
What is an expert system?
Chapter 3:
“Betty Crocker cake mix” We are given the feeling of ownership by superficial customization.
Old motorcycles had oil hand pumps, which could either be neglected or overused. Modern cars just have an ‘idiot light’ that tells the owner he should take it to the shop.
Modern motorcycles have an electric starter, a centrifugal spark advance, and an automatic oil pump, instead of the kickstarter, the manual spark advance, and the hand pump.
Chapter 7 in Zen:
Logic: “rules and procedures of systematic thought” (84).
Analysis: breaking things down into parts: cutting with a knife.
What we learned:
We saw the clutch demonstration. Duplex chains prevent stretching, which could cause a link to skip, damaging the sprockets.
A sandblaster uses a nozzle and the bernoulli effect to spray sand on a part to strip off gunk. Overblasting could remove material. We can use different types of material (sand, glass beads…) for different uses.
The valves have oppositely wound dual springs to prevent valve rotation as the springs are compressed.
Helical cut gears prevent gears from sliding back and forth, as they are pressed firmly in one direction.
Current and voltage have analogies in current and pressure of a plumbing system.
We used the electrical system demonstration that Professor Littman had emailed us.
In lab today:
Frames, forks, and wheels replaced missing spokes on one wheel. Some spokes were too long, so they had to be cut and rethreaded with a threading die.
Several people cleaned parts. One group used the ultrasonic cleaner, which uses ultrasonic vibration in a solvent to loosen gunk.
The electrical group worked on taking apart the distributor, which was quite stubborn. The metal was weak, and two pegs holding springs were snapped off in the process.
More sandblasting was done.
F. P. B.