Looks like it is strong enough to take an 850 lb load on each of the

engine

attach points. (You must be the judge, of course.)

Here are the FEA results:

           Bill Dube'

Thanks Bill. Nice FEA program you have there. Good work.  Does it  run on
Windows? How much does it cost?

Paul Lamar

Bill if you don't mind and it is not too much work could you rerun
it with two 1/4 square key stock steel added to the top flanges 12  inches

long

and centered? Consider the additional material homogeneous. Which  would
be an approximation for welded on pieces of course.
I like a safety factor of two.

Paul Lamar

Paul,

If the beam is holding the load with the cut-out section in the  center, why
not reduce the re-entrant portion back to the same dimension for  the full
length of the beam. Would make it easier to bend up, would not require
milling, and would reduce weight. Buckling of the channel legs at  the center
would appear to be the failure mode, and the addition of the 0.25  square
strips should delay this mode for the anticipated loads.

Colin Smith


We could do that for the next batch we make. Probably some
kind of additional 90 degree bend. Up or down.

I agree on buckling being the ultimate mode of failure.
I don't think your run of the mill FEA program can predict that
but I could be wrong.

Paul Lamar

The evolution of the beam mount has been a fascinating passage for
me.  If you consider every change since we were bolting it to the
front of the pan, I have probably built five or six iterations. And
before our version there was the pioneering work by Bill Schertz.
Yet, NEW ideas keep coming forth.  Good ones too.   It is fun,
sometimes.     Jerry

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