Alfa Romeo Owners Club of Australia Forum

General Category => General Discussion => Topic started by: cc on September 04, 2021, 01:07:20 PM

Title: 3d printing plastic parts eg clips
Post by: cc on September 04, 2021, 01:07:20 PM
Hi all
The plastic clip holding the camshaft position sensor plug end on the top of the engine broke on the blue alfa (2001 156 monza)
and a friend has agreed to 3d print a new one.
Ive got a couple of other plakky parts to make; one holds the rubber power steering pipe away from the exposed serpentine belt on the silver spider (1998)
currently held in place by a plastic tie.
Am wondering if there is a demand out there and whether its worthwhile to get my own 3d printer
Anyone need something made too?
cc
Title: Re: 3d printing plastic parts eg clips
Post by: festy on September 06, 2021, 01:55:18 PM
I've 3d printed parts for my Alfetta and other cars, as well as plenty of other things.
Just a warning - most filament types (e.g. PLA) really don't like the heat. Trim parts will warp and melt over summer inside the cabin, and anything near the engine will only last a few minutes.
Other filament types are available that tolerate higher temperatures, but they're harder to work with.
ABS is one of the more heat resistant filaments and might be ok for engine bay parts, but even that has a glass transition temp of 105 deg C.
Title: Re: 3d printing plastic parts eg clips
Post by: poohbah on September 23, 2021, 02:56:23 PM
Would be nice to be able to print all the fiddly bits on demand - if they were going to last.

Just had to buy a whole new drivers sunvisor for my 156 because the end of the crappy plastic peg/mount had busted (and the anchor clip for other end too).  I had put up with a bodged fix for a year, but got fed up with it hanging quarter way down.

Cost $160. Yes I did have a look on fleabay, but everything I saw online (cheapest was $50) looked like it came from the bottom of a river, and the plastic is probably questionable anyway.
Title: Re: 3d printing plastic parts eg clips
Post by: festy on March 28, 2022, 06:31:18 PM
I was 3D printing some speaker adapter rings for my GTV today and remembered this thread, so dug up a few pics of different parts and tools I've made recently.

Alfetta/GTV6 Headlight adjuster blocks:
(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_adj1.jpg)

(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_adj2.jpg)



Hand throttle cable mount:
CAD:
(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_hand_throttle_bush.png)

Printed:
(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_handthrottle_bush.jpg)




To repair a failed helicoil on a cam cap stud, I knocked up a drill guide:
(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_3_drillguide.jpg)

... and a loksert installation tool:
(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_loksert_tool.png) (https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_5_loksert_tool2.jpg)



My tailshaft has been missing the grease boots for as long as I've had the car, so thought I'd have a go at making my own.
I printed these in a flexible TPU material which is sort of half way between silicon and plastic for squishyness.

(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_propshaft_seal2.jpg)

(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_propshaft_seal1.jpg)



And the speaker adapter rings I made today, to adapt some random 5" speakers to fit the existing mounting holes for some very sad 5.5" speakers:
(https://www.festy.org/pics/albums/userpics/10001/10/normal_speaker_ring.jpg)