Besides just getting closer to finishing the bot, I also purchased some stuff I think I'll need from a thrift store. I purchased a TV, which I plan to use to display data from the prop, as well as a joystick I can use to control the robot. The joystick has many buttons I can use on it so I've just been thinking of what to do with them. I'm thinking one can be used to switch from autonomous mode to r/c mode, and one for killing the engine. It also has a second pot on it I might use to control the positioning of the camera.
I currently do not have a working propeller to test on right now, but I plan to buy one this weekend as well as anything I may need to connect it to the TV. I've never worked with prop and a TV before, so hopefully Parallax has some good code examples for me to work with.
Well, I figured out what is wrong with my engine. I can't say I'm too happy with it though. It turns out my compression is only 20 pounds, and I need 100 to run the engine. I'm not sure how much it will cost me to get it fixed, but I'll check into tonight.·I·sure hope·this won't delay the completion of·my robot by too much.
Before you take it apart, take an oil can fill it with some ATF(automatic transmission fluid) type and brand doesn't matter although Dexron will be the easiest to find. Squirt some oil into the cylinder and try another compression test. If it goes up it means the rings are weak or stuck, if it doesn't it means the valves aren't sealing. If the compression does go up try using a squirt or to of starting fluid(ether in a spay can) and try to start it. If it does run it will smoke alot and may quit once the oil is burned off. You may try filling the cylinder with ATF and let it set for a few days, you may get lucky and it just might be stuck rings.
-dan
I talked to the guy I bought it from since he repairs small engines, and he thought it might be stuck valves as well. His advise was to take the cover off the valves and try working them to see if they will stop sticking (if they are), but if that doesn't work I'll try getting some ATF as you advised and see if it will start working again.
Very nice. Reminds me of my go-cart (without the seating section).
PS - If you try the ATF be careful. It softens ashphalt and eats some rubbers and plastics. We used to inject a small stream of diesel fuel or furnace oil into the carb while the engine was running to loosen piston rings that were stuck due to carbon buildup.
hhmm... looking at your pictures, I have a question... how are you going to drive the alternator? The output shaft of the engine has a centripetal clutch, which has a chain sprocket to drive the rear axle. So the chain is only moving when the engine RPM is raised enough to get the cart moving, with a bit of slipping to get it going. Are you going to run the alternator off the chain? If so, it will not charge at all when the cart is not moving, and even when it is moving, the RPM you'd be turning the alternator at... I dunno if that is fast enough for the alternator to charge effectively.
And if you're running it off the opposite side of the engine, where the pull start normally resides, how would you start it?
on a positive note, that's a great looking cart! It also reminds me of a go-cart I had when I was a kid. Good work!
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Brian
uController.com - home of SpinStudio - the modular Development system for the Propeller
PropNIC - Add ethernet ability to your Propeller! PropJoy - Plug in a joystick and play some games!
@kwinn- I give up trying to fix it myself. I think my problem is actually a bad seal because the valves are moving just fine. On Monday I will take it in to a local shop and have someone else do it.
@parts-man- I am planning on extending my shaft. The other end of my 'bot has no space.
As for enough speed, I think it will be all right. I have over 5,000 rpm when the clutch is disengaged.
You may say it looks a little like a go-kart, but in all reality I would be surprised if I could stick a seat and a steering wheel on it since it's so small. Next year I might make a bigger one, though.
Pi Guy said...
You may say it looks a little like a go-kart, but in all reality I would be surprised if I could stick a seat and a steering wheel on it since it's so small.
That's why I said "without the seating section". Looks very nice. Good luck with it.
If you want a name, it is now FHR (five horse robot). Also--for those of you who are anxious to see it running--I am predicting to have in home and ready to program in ~3 weeks. It may not be perfect, but at least it'll be runnin'.
Pi Guy said...
Although it would be fun, I don't think I'll be able to get a hydrolic system. I'm not quite old enough to get a regular job (coming March I will) and I just about emtied my savings on the engine and the clutch, not to mention I have yet to buy the wheels (about 70 bucks more). However, once I get the initial bot out, I'm planning on doing a lot of work with it to make it better. Plus, I'm hoping I will have enough money from my *potential* job by then. Right now though, I'm just going to stick with whats cheap til' I get more money in my pocket.
Nice and cheap, but I need bigger. This robot isn't exactly small ·I don't know if I've mentioned it yet, but I do have the front wheels I need (shown in the pic). They are·14", however they only get me ~4" clearance when mounted to my frame due to the way it was built. Currently, my motor for the steering is about 1" lower than that making it a likely spot for rocks to hit, however I plan to fix that next week (it is currently spring break for me).
Update: I now have part of the steering done, and the rest shouldn't take long. I'll try and take a picture of this next week for anyone interested. I now have only 2 weeks left until I plan to take this thing home, and I am hopeful I will be able to make the deadline. I might not get everything done, however I plan to finish all the parts that require the rest of the robot to be in the shop, allowing me to finish the rest later.
This week has now ended for me, with no school on Friday. It has been tough trying to work on the FHR since much of my time·has been·dedicated to school work and my school's new robotics club (Parallax kindly donated the robots necessary). However, I did get some work done--as well as make a few errors which I will mention below.
As for the good news, I was able to correct a major flaw in my steering design. Before, I had a lot of friction in the joints and I didn't know what to do about it. This has been fixed now that I replaced the pins with bolds, which are made slightly smaller than 1/2" allowing them to fit in the holes perfectly.
The bad new is that when I welded together the joint for my second wheel, I wasn't very careful. This allowed the metal to·move a little when it was welded, no longer allowing the holes to mach. Now I am left with the choice of either cutting off the one of the metal pieces and trying it again or filling in the hole and drilling it a second time. Whichever method I choose, I hope I decide by Monday so I can start fixing my error. And when I do fix it, I'll get you guys a picture so you can visualize what I'm doing a little easier.
Curious, eh? Well I got you some pics from what I did this weekend. It includes my H-bridge for controlling the motor in charge of steering, which is on the same circuit as what I need to find my engine's rpm (the copper wire goes around the spark plug). Also included is a battery I purchased for the 'bot, and a project case I plan to use to hold all of my electronics.
Also, in case you're wondering, I'll get pics of the steering system later. I was going to do that on Friday, however my teacher forced me out before I could do so. Mayhap I'll do that before takin'·the drivers test tomorrow.
Maybe that "I just have to push it" problem will be fixed soon. I took in my engine today since I could finally drive, and the guy said he would look at it. Hopefully he'll be able to get it back in working condition tomorrow, allowing me to complete some tasks I anticipate for it, including improved rpm measurement and throttle control. I'll be sure to inform you later as to the results.
BTW--my camera's batteries were too low. I'll fix it for tomorrow.
Wouldn't it? Well it's just too bad that I'm too lazy to replace the batteries then, isn't it?
As a side note, the guy I talked to today got my engine running, but he had to spray some gas in the air intake to get it to do so. He said all I needed to do was clean out the carburetor, however when I took a look inside it seemed perfectly fine. Since I don't know what else could be wrong, I'm going to call someone else tonight who I know who is good with engines and see if he has any answers. But for now, please wait in anticipation....
The thing that you got to remember about carbs is that carbs have really small passages that can be hard to know that there clean. What works good for cleanning out those passages is to take a strand of copper wireit will be soft enough that it won't damage the carbs.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
1986 Chevy EL Camino·· No prop yet
We used air pressure. One of the main issues in the engine is water somehow got into the gas tank and caused many issues inside. After cleaning it out we were able to get it to run once. After that it mysteriously stopped working.
I left him with the engine and I took the gas tank, leaving it to dry out to ensure there was no water left in it, and he took the engine to look at it some more.
I just talked to him now and he says he found the problem that stopped my engine. Apparently, while we were running it that once, one of the valves came loose stopping the engine from working correctly. He's not certain, but he says it should work once he gets all the new parts in it (new seals and other stuff for the carburetor).
Right now the only thing waiting is for me to find some time to get over there and help him with the task.
Nuthin' to jump up and down over, but I got you some pics.
You may notice it isn't connected to the motor yet, but that is just because the bar connecting to it isn't quite ready. All I have left to do is weld a small metal piece I made to the end of·it to be able to·put it on the motor.
Once this is done, the only thing left to do for that section of 'bot is attach the pot so I can detect where the motor is positioned.
I just purchased a brake band today·for $14, however I'm looking for some advice as to how I should attach and control it.
It is a 4.5" steel band with brake pads inside of it. The way it is supposed to work is by squeezing it over·a rotating plate. This means I will have to find a good motor capable of doing this on the robot. On Saturday or Sunday I'm planning on driving out to a junkyard in search of a good motor. If you have and idea·as to·what·the perfect motor should be, please advise·me soon.
The second problem I have is attaching it to the frame, but I think I have a pretty good idea for that already. I'll explain better later so you can criticize me first·before I attempt it.
I have included a picture to help you visualize how it should work. I've also included a battery to help you understand the size.
BTW- Tomorrow @3 I'm going to get that dang engine running (hopefully).
The first thing that pops to mind for pulling the brake would be the motor for locking car door. On 80's and 90's most had it as a seprate peace. you could probally use two together if one wasn't strong enough. Another choice would be that 90's and 00's cars started to use electric motors to move the diffrent doors for tha A/C. Thats about all that I can think about.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
1986 Chevy EL Camino·· No prop yet
Yeah, I'm not thinking those will be strong enough. Since it would probably destroy the motor if it stopped while pushing the brake, I'm thinking a good idea would be to find a long spring to pull on instead of connecting straight to the brake band. I don't know, maybe another windshield wiper motor would work for this task?
Nothin' too great, but I got the engine controlled by a servo. Maybe by next week I will be able to connect it to a prop and have it regulate the rpm, but for now all I had time for was a simple bit of pbasic code·to make it controlled via a potentiometer on the breadboard.
This servo is not the only thing I need to add to the engine. One more thing I have to do is connect a servo to the air valve so I can control the air to gas ratio on my engine. If there is too much air, it won't run at the lower speeds, and vice versa.
Also, you may notice I used duct tape to fasten the servo. This is not permanent; in the future I plan to get some industrial fastener to attach it to the engine.
I decided to test the motor's strength today. Unfortunately, though, my finger got in the way. But the good news is that after it stripped off some skin and cracked my fingernail, I'd say it passed the test.
Comments
Besides just getting closer to finishing the bot, I also purchased some stuff I think I'll need from a thrift store. I purchased a TV, which I plan to use to display data from the prop, as well as a joystick I can use to control the robot. The joystick has many buttons I can use on it so I've just been thinking of what to do with them. I'm thinking one can be used to switch from autonomous mode to r/c mode, and one for killing the engine. It also has a second pot on it I might use to control the positioning of the camera.
I currently do not have a working propeller to test on right now, but I plan to buy one this weekend as well as anything I may need to connect it to the TV. I've never worked with prop and a TV before, so hopefully Parallax has some good code examples for me to work with.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
I'll tell you when I get more info.
-dan
Thanks for the advice, Dan.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
PS - If you try the ATF be careful. It softens ashphalt and eats some rubbers and plastics. We used to inject a small stream of diesel fuel or furnace oil into the carb while the engine was running to loosen piston rings that were stuck due to carbon buildup.
And if you're running it off the opposite side of the engine, where the pull start normally resides, how would you start it?
on a positive note, that's a great looking cart! It also reminds me of a go-cart I had when I was a kid. Good work!
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
Brian
uController.com - home of SpinStudio - the modular Development system for the Propeller
PropNIC - Add ethernet ability to your Propeller! PropJoy - Plug in a joystick and play some games!
SD card Adapter - mass storage for the masses Audio/Video adapter add composite video and sound to your Proto Board
Post Edited (parts-man73) : 3/11/2009 7:50:18 PM GMT
@parts-man- I am planning on extending my shaft. The other end of my 'bot has no space.
As for enough speed, I think it will be all right. I have over 5,000 rpm when the clutch is disengaged.
You may say it looks a little like a go-kart, but in all reality I would be surprised if I could stick a seat and a steering wheel on it since it's so small. Next year I might make a bigger one, though.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
As for the good news, I was able to correct a major flaw in my steering design. Before, I had a lot of friction in the joints and I didn't know what to do about it. This has been fixed now that I replaced the pins with bolds, which are made slightly smaller than 1/2" allowing them to fit in the holes perfectly.
The bad new is that when I welded together the joint for my second wheel, I wasn't very careful. This allowed the metal to·move a little when it was welded, no longer allowing the holes to mach. Now I am left with the choice of either cutting off the one of the metal pieces and trying it again or filling in the hole and drilling it a second time. Whichever method I choose, I hope I decide by Monday so I can start fixing my error. And when I do fix it, I'll get you guys a picture so you can visualize what I'm doing a little easier.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
1986 Chevy EL Camino·· No prop yet
1984 Suzukie GS1100GK No prop yet
Also, in case you're wondering, I'll get pics of the steering system later. I was going to do that on Friday, however my teacher forced me out before I could do so. Mayhap I'll do that before takin'·the drivers test tomorrow.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
Sorry, out of luck. I got my license but I didn't get the pic. Maybe tomorrow (if you're lucky).
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
It looks like your making some good progresse on your bot. Hopefully before to long you will have it running.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
1986 Chevy EL Camino·· No prop yet
1984 Suzukie GS1100GK No prop yet
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
BTW--my camera's batteries were too low. I'll fix it for tomorrow.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
I have read so much about your project, a Pic would be cool !
Rob 7
As a side note, the guy I talked to today got my engine running, but he had to spray some gas in the air intake to get it to do so. He said all I needed to do was clean out the carburetor, however when I took a look inside it seemed perfectly fine. Since I don't know what else could be wrong, I'm going to call someone else tonight who I know who is good with engines and see if he has any answers. But for now, please wait in anticipation....
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
1986 Chevy EL Camino·· No prop yet
1984 Suzukie GS1100GK No prop yet
I left him with the engine and I took the gas tank, leaving it to dry out to ensure there was no water left in it, and he took the engine to look at it some more.
I just talked to him now and he says he found the problem that stopped my engine. Apparently, while we were running it that once, one of the valves came loose stopping the engine from working correctly. He's not certain, but he says it should work once he gets all the new parts in it (new seals and other stuff for the carburetor).
Right now the only thing waiting is for me to find some time to get over there and help him with the task.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
You may notice it isn't connected to the motor yet, but that is just because the bar connecting to it isn't quite ready. All I have left to do is weld a small metal piece I made to the end of·it to be able to·put it on the motor.
Once this is done, the only thing left to do for that section of 'bot is attach the pot so I can detect where the motor is positioned.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
It is a 4.5" steel band with brake pads inside of it. The way it is supposed to work is by squeezing it over·a rotating plate. This means I will have to find a good motor capable of doing this on the robot. On Saturday or Sunday I'm planning on driving out to a junkyard in search of a good motor. If you have and idea·as to·what·the perfect motor should be, please advise·me soon.
The second problem I have is attaching it to the frame, but I think I have a pretty good idea for that already. I'll explain better later so you can criticize me first·before I attempt it.
I have included a picture to help you visualize how it should work. I've also included a battery to help you understand the size.
BTW- Tomorrow @3 I'm going to get that dang engine running (hopefully).
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
1986 Chevy EL Camino·· No prop yet
1984 Suzukie GS1100GK No prop yet
Also, how strong are those A/C door motors?
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
This servo is not the only thing I need to add to the engine. One more thing I have to do is connect a servo to the air valve so I can control the air to gas ratio on my engine. If there is too much air, it won't run at the lower speeds, and vice versa.
Also, you may notice I used duct tape to fasten the servo. This is not permanent; in the future I plan to get some industrial fastener to attach it to the engine.
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG
▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔▔
PG