Leon Promet wrote:

G'day Paul,

Really enjoyed the Engineers jokes.  In view of the aspersions you cast
upon mechanics in a previous private email to me,  I think I am glad to be
just an MMM (Mug Motor Mechanic) and NOT an engineer!!.  I think the same
would apply to Carroll Smith.  I think we are both happy being able to fix
and/or repair dumb designs that engineers,  who have little or no real
world practical experience,  conjure up!

That is a unfair generalization. I was working on race cars when I was 12 years old 
long before I went to college. Many of my engineer friends, some of them on 
here, are hands on kinds of guys. Tracy, Perry, Finn, Jerry Bass, Ed Anderson, 
Bill Freeman, Jeff Spitzer to name a few and many others on here I suspect.

As far as the bell housing progress is concerned,  I know I'm just an MMM,
 so I have come up with an MMM's solution,  NOT an engineer's one!! I
should have a prototype done by the middle of the week.  I'll send you some
pix as soon as it is machined up.

I'm still happy to make a model that will replace all the "Mechano Set"
blocks, and bolt directly onto the alloy sheet mounting that you (and
others) are already using.  All it means is that I have a removable plug
that leaves a hole in the centre of the pattern,  and the actual height
deck height is 1/2 in less than standard height.  (You are using 1/2 in
alloy plate for your mount??).

I will be making provision to fit a starter on the exhaust side to
accommodate people who want to do it that way,  as well as the PU people.
 The bell housing will have LOTS of mounting points,  and will weigh in at
around 8~9 pounds.   If Tracey gets REAL smart and incorporates his oil
seal within the PSRU unit itself,  that will cut another 1/2 LB off the
weight.  It's not necessary to have 1/2 inch thick alloy plate going all
the way to the centre just to hold a simple oil seal.  I'm not even going
to worry about a PSRU register.  You guys can drill your own PSRU holes to
suit.

Anyway,  once you have seen the pix,  you can cast judgment (and further
aspersions)!  }:>)  Until then,  as ever,  and always,

Best wishes and kindest regards,

Leon Promet
leon@promotorsport.com.au

The plate does not just hold an oil seal and you should be able to 
determine that by looking at the drawing I sent. It also takes 
the helical gear thrust loads and feeds them around to the PSRU.

It does not sound like you are saving any weight Leon. The half inch
plate alone weighs about 10 pounds and the whole rig with Tracy's spacers and
bolts is 15 pounds. The plate cost about $100 US, cutting, shipping and tax 
not including labor so it sounds like your solution doubles the cost and is heavier.
10 pounds plus 8~9 pounds is 18 to 19 pounds total as compared to 
15 or 16 pounds for my current set up. The whole idea with the integral
cast  motor-mounting-bell-housing was to cut weight, time to fabricate 
separate motor mount brackets and cost. I can't imagine you can build it
and ship it to the states for less than $100 US. What do you project
the cost to be?

Paul Lamar
 
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