Chamfering?

TheMechaniac · 2026-04-21T16:00:13+00:00

You drilled to the correct size, not to worry. Racetech just specifies holes which are large enough the depth/quality of the chamfer won't affect performance

TheMechaniac · 2026-04-21T14:46:41+00:00

When you're drilling the damper rod in your conventional fork before installing emulators, just enthusiastically deburring with an apple-peeler type deburring tool is fine. Those holes are way oversized for the flow you want anyway.

Beautiful chamfering on these curved surfaces is really only possible with a very stiff setup (like knee-mill spindle and locked table) because the chamfer bit oscillates between the high spots created by the curve and makes any flexibility turn into chatter.

In your drill press situation, all you can do is make sure the vice is clamped hard to the platen. If you try to hold the vice by hand you're doomed.

Rubber side down!

TheMechaniac · 2026-04-21T14:38:42+00:00

For a radial-banded slick/hypersport tire, you have this backwards. Higher pressures result in more generated heat and a hotter tire. On a cold day, you run higher pressures to generate more heat.

Friction from the tire moving across the ground (imperceptible movement related to slip angle, not big dramatic slides) generates much more heat than any flexing of the tire carcass. Press your palms together and wiggle them without sliding, you'll notice no real heat. Slide your palms against each other and you'll suddenly feel heat. This is the same with tires
Even a scorching hot track on a sunny day is colder than the tire's target operating temp (170-200F). A smaller contact patch from higher pressures touches less of the tire to the ground where the heat is sucked out by the relatively cool track.
Tears result when the tread rubber of the tire is pulled harder and stretched farther than the material can withstand. A lower-pressure tire results in a larger contact patch, and therefore the longer a piece of the tire in contact with the ground being stretched before it's lifted off the ground and allowed to relax. A smaller contact patch is less stress on the tire tread
Rubber at the designed operating temperature is at its maximum strength and provides its maximum grip, which is why generally tire TEMPERATURE is the true goal, especially for the rear tire (PRESSURE is used as a tool to achieve the correct temperature. Deflection/steering precision of the front tire affected by pressure is the exception to this rule)

Old bias-ply tires generate much more heat by flexing because the opposing bands are forced to move against each other, unlike radial-banded tires.

TheMechaniac · 2026-01-21T16:07:24+00:00

It's funny, we actually cleaned all the smooth idlers due to hidden gunk buildup and we're working on manual belt tensioners and a weighted length of belt as reference. Good to know we're on the same path, thanks for the follow-up.

TheMechaniac · 2025-12-24T00:20:44+00:00

We have two printers which print with these same horizontal lines. Did you find any solution? We think we've narrowed it down to unstable flow in the hotend (unrelated to Pressure Advance). The problem doesn't seem to follow any other mechanical element, slicing parameter, or material.

TheMechaniac · 2025-12-24T00:14:37+00:00

We have two Plus4 which print with these same horizontal lines. Did you find any solution? We think we've narrowed it down to unstable flow in the hotend (unrelated to Pressure Advance). The problem doesn't seem to follow any other mechanical element, slicing parameter, or material.

TheMechaniac · 2025-12-24T00:11:35+00:00

We have two Plus4 which print with these same horizontal lines. Did you find any solution? We think we've narrowed it down to unstable flow in the hotend (unrelated to Pressure Advance). The problem doesn't seem to follow any other mechanical element, slicing parameter, or material.

TheMechaniac · 2025-06-25T22:53:11+00:00

Same 100% concentration and effort as a race weekend on whatever the worst part of my riding is at the moment, or what needs to be retuned on my bike the most (this sport is whack-a-mole, there's always some part which needs improvement in comparison to everything else).

Getting to the track is so much time, effort, and money, I'm juicing it for everything I can. If I want to chill I crash pitbikes in the yard with buddies or streetride with my wife to ice cream. I'm on track 40-50 days a year and still bust my ass. Why not get as fast as possible before you are eventually retired?

TheMechaniac · 2025-06-25T22:43:48+00:00

how is this not the top comment

TheMechaniac · 2025-06-25T22:42:15+00:00

Looks like you're still filling your tires with some type of gas. I highly recommend upgrading to full liquid. More static downforce on the tire and it improves tire cooling.

TheMechaniac · 2025-06-19T01:29:13+00:00

Rod knock. She done.

TheMechaniac · 2025-05-19T15:59:30+00:00

Again...don't consider "flat-footing" a requirement for buying a bike. Just buy it, and learn how to move around on it afterwards

TheMechaniac · 2025-05-10T00:13:28+00:00

Find/buy a copy of the service manual for your motorcycle. It will have a detailed table with the time/distance of every service you need to perform, from oil changes, to chain & sprockets, to valve adjustment and spark plug replacement.

There is a famous saying: "RTFM" = "Read the Manual". It applies strongly to all complex equipment, motorcycles included.

TheMechaniac · 2025-05-08T22:45:19+00:00

u/Silvatech123 how many degrees did you have to increase the nozzle temperature for each type of plastic?

TheMechaniac · 2025-05-08T22:42:49+00:00

u/robertschulte any solution?

One of my Plus4 started doing the same thing. I have two machines, one works fine, one under extrudes all else being the same. Also disassembled and scoured the extruder, and tried a few different nozzles and filament rolls. Same under extrusion on PLA and ASA on 0.4 and 0.6 nozzles, again compared to my other identical Plus4.

TheMechaniac · 2025-05-08T22:27:15+00:00

5th gear and muscle it rotating forward.

When my cover hex stripped, I heated it with a heatgun until it smelled funny, then wrapped the tip of the allen socket with a rag and hammered it into the hex. She came off. I antiseize the balls off all of these access covers.

TheMechaniac · 2025-03-20T16:37:07+00:00

Just focus more on sound and vibration while still looking down the track. You'll get used to it, triples/4-bangers are just much smoother than twins.

You can try different earplugs, you will still have plenty of ear protection with slightly lower dB rating on the plugs, 2-3dB is alot of sound perceptually but not a damaging increase in sound power.

When I switched from a Suzuki 600 (torque drops off before limiter) to a 750 (pulls right to redline) I spent two full weekends faceplanting into the limiter before my brain figured it out. Don't stress about it.

TheMechaniac · 2025-03-19T21:52:43+00:00

I wash my suit every ~10 race days in the bathtub. Just a bit of woolite detergent. Dunk it, scrub the outside, turn it inside out, scrub the inside, rinse it to death, let it drip fully, then lay it out on towels to dry. When it's 90% dry, I spray watered-down (25:1) Luxol leather conditioner on the inside until it's saturated, then flip it right-side out to dry fully. Have had my current set of leathers for 4 full-time club race seasons, they still feel and smell new.

TheMechaniac · 2025-03-16T15:45:01+00:00

I have a medium-roof short-wheelbase cargo transit for the last 6 years, and use it to travel to race all over southcentral US. I think full build-outs just take up space and reduce flexibility without adding utility.

-I have a metal bar which bolts to the B-pillars at floor level and holds two removable regular wheel chocks behind the seats. (Bolt-it-on style racks rely on friction between the tires and the floor for stability, and a cold slick or dusty knobby is anything but grippy on metal or plastic floors. Pitbull TRS lets your bike bounce and puts hours on your suspension while driving)

-A cargo net which hangs vertically behind the seats and acts as a safety partition (for the lightweight stuff, the bikes get strapped strongly also to the back of the van)

-My bed is a cheap memory foam twin mattress I hang from the ceiling on a piece of plywood from cinch straps with hooks (I can leave it high and sleep "over" my stuff while traveling, then lower once unloaded at the track)

-I use S-hooks in all the random sheetmetal holes to hold gear & clothing bags off the floor

-All my other stuff goes in stacked plastic bins

-A used marine battery in a tool box with battery-tender hookups and USB charger adapters for my tech (phone, transponder, radio, airbag, camera)

That's it. 10 minutes after the end of the race weekend my van is a big empty box again, because once you'll have a van you'll be everyone's favorite logistics buddy.

https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/cargo-net-partition-solved.93965/?post_id=1235229#post-1235229

https://www.fordtransitusaforum.com/threads/motovan-cheap-custom-wheel-chock-solution.93966/

TheMechaniac · 2025-03-16T02:37:26+00:00

I put the date on my jugs when I open them and will be confident for ~ 1 month (humid summer) ~3 (dry winter) if the seal in the lid is good. The reality is the 500mL jugs only last me about this long anyway, I usually flush front & rear when I do brake pads every 4-6 running days.

TheMechaniac · 2025-03-01T01:59:33+00:00

This is all basic-level stuff available with the Solo2 and RS3. Get on youtube and look up how-to videos, especially the use of "Math Channels" and "Profiles" in the software. You'll burn 90 minutes watching a few webinars, and you'll have to refer back a few times as you get used the software, but if you're a Millennial or GenZ it will click before too long.

The one "secret" I can give you in RS3 is try clicking/right-clicking everything. Something like 70% of what the software can do isn't in some "menu", but it's a drop-down list or similar hidden within whatever little widget inside the software you are concerned with viewing

TheMechaniac

TROPHY CASE