1998 Jaguar XJR Cooling Fan Conversion

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1998 Jaguar XJR Cooling Fan Conversion

The other day we started on a 3d printing project for a customer’s 1998 Jaguar XJR Cooling Fan Conversion. One of the customer’s radiator cooling fans stopped working and the engine started to overheat. The fan assembly from Jaguar were quoted between $1100 and $1400 (for 2 fans and the shroud) We told the customer that there was a second option. The other option was to convert the fans over to brushless slimline style cooling fans.

The Process

I took about 20 measurements and traced the mounting holes. Then I scanned the tracings on my flatbed scanner. After that, I digitized the files and imported them into Fusion 360. After a few hours, the CAD files were done and it was ready to print. I stayed up until about 3am, making sure the first bracket was printing ok. It wasn’t. Some of the settings needed tweaked. I changed the settings and hit print again, praying that when I woke up the print would be good.

When I woke up 3 hours later the print was almost done and looked really nice. When that was done I removed it from the build plate. Then, I hit print again. I went into the shop to start modifying the shroud.

One of my techs ended up taking the motor apart and we extracted the OEM harness connectors. I wired and loomed that electrical connector to the fan harness. Furthermore, this made for a really nice, cohesive OEM looking connection.

Fitment

This bracket will fit the following Jaguars:

  • Vanden Plas – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, & 2003
  • XJ6 – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, & 1997
  • XJ8 – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, & 2003
  • XJR – 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, & 2003

How was it made?

The XJR Cooling Fan Conversion is printed on a highly modified AnyCubic Kobra Max 3d printer with Priline Polycarbonate CF. For example, here are the A-Z photos of how it was done, and how it all turned out.

Gallery

Question / Contact Meister Werks

For more information on how to get your XJR Cooling Fan Conversion installed, please call 425-254-0627. You can also contact us by clicking here. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA, across the street from the former Boeing Store and on the westside of the Paccar / Kenworth plant.

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European BMW 635csi

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1980 Euro Spec BMW 635csi M90

Today we finish a engine for a customer’s 1980 BMW E24 635csi. Here are the specs on this build.

Engine:

M90 Euro Spec
King Bearings
CP Forged Pistons 10:1 Flat Top

Head:

Stage 3 Port & Polished
Schrick Cams
Ireland Engineering Valve Spring, Rockers, & Guides
ARP Everything.

Powder Coat:

BMW Silver: Intake, brackets, oil pan, intake manifold & plenums, coolant flanges, etc…

Stay tuned to see this 635csi, subframe repair, steering, suspension, exhaust and custom header install.

 

1985 Article about the BMW 635csi

In many ways, the 635CSi is a superlative car. It produces prodigious speed thanks to its new 3.5-liter engine. The 635csi exhibits much better handling than BMW’s early 6-series coupes. It is put together ,vith rare care. Its ergonomics are generally excellent. And now it has Bosch ABS anti-lock braking equipment for help during emergency stops. All told, the 635CSi is a very accomplished piece of work.

Still, we’re talking 3.5-liter, high-rev­ving. seven-league boots here. BMW has punched out the 3.2-liter bore from 89 to 92mm, and the torque has increased from 195 to 214 pounds-feet. This single overhead-cam six is old. but it remains atop the pack in basic design. Its aluminum hen1i head is fed by Bosch Motronic fuel injection. Crossflow intake and exhaust ports handle the breathing. and a new, adaptive Lambda-sensor control sets the fuel-air mixture more precisely through a ,vider range of operation. ·ro allow maximum spark advance at all times, BMW has not yet resorted to a knock sensor, and the 3.5-liter motor compression ratio remains a impressive 10:1. The added dis­placement has bumped up, the horsepower only from 181 to well over 250hp. However, it is tuned instead for midrange response, the big six’s power peaks at 5400 rpm, 600 rpm earlier than in the 3.2-liter. A 3.45:1 final-drive replaces the 633’s taller 3.25 gear, boosting the throttle response throughout the rpm range. but a rev limiter clips the power smartly at 6200 rpm.

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T4 Eurovan Coolant Bottle Bracket Adapter

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T4.5 Eurovan Coolant Bottle Bracket Adapter

We had to make a custom adapter for a T4.5 Eurovan Coolant Bottle Bracket Adapter the other day. We needed a new coolant reservoir for our customer’s 2001 Volkswagen Eurovan VR6 MV. The warehouse sent me the wrong reservoir (Ver C, and not a Ver E). (701 121 407 E). The Ver C is for 1999-2000 Eurovans with a 12v VR6 engine, however all the connections and hoses are the same. It’s just 180º off from the one we needed. Apparently the Ver E coolant reservoirs are no longer available (NLA) and virtually impossible to find. We searched Classic VW parts, eBay and other sites and came up with zero results. Ver C is still available, however it is also hard to find, but they are available special ordered new from Europe. If you need a Ver C reservoir, we can get one for you.

Instead of wasting time trying to find a new one, or installing a used part, we drafted a file in Fusion 360. Then we 3d printed this bracket. Printed with PA12-CF Polycarbonate Carbon Fiber (25%CF/75%Poly). The bracket is safe up to 220c / 428ºF. This will adapts the older C style bottles with the overflow return on the left / drivers side. These other tanks are readily available. Furthermore, this will fit so the left / drivers side electrical connection (coolant level sensor) fits the configuration for Eurovans with the Ver E bottles. Fits 2001+ T4.5 Eurovan / Transporter / Caravelle – 24v Engines, with the bottle that mounts to the core support. We also installed some brass inserts so we can just bolt it right in and the tank can be replaced it in the future, if need be.

Version 2.0

We revised our design a little to make it both easier to print and use less material. It’s just as strong as Ver 1.0.

 

More Info

For more information on how to get your Volkswagen Eurovan Repaired, please call 425-254-0627. You can also email us by clicking here. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA, across the street from the former Boeing Store and on the westside of the Paccar / Kenworth plant.

Purchase

If you would like to purchase one of these. You can do so by clicking the link below. These are made to order, so the turn time on these is approx 3-5 days to ship + shipping time.

Click Here to go to the shop site.

 

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1960 Porsche 356b Shifter Rebuild

1960 Porsche 356b Shifter Rebuild

Last week our tech Jonathan and I were able to repair Craig’s (Rennfilms), 1960 Porsche 356b shifter. When driving this beautiful Porsche, It was difficult to find gears and made very sloppy shifts. This was due to the fact that it was missing the main lower ball pivot. It also had some poorly fabricated sheet metal, installed from the previous owner, which was not helping the situation. We had talked to Craig about this concern the last couple times he was in for service and seat bracket fabrication. We decided now was the time to do this.

Starting the project

First, I found a photo off the internet of the exact part we needed. This is really all we had to go by. Since we only had the shifter itself. The other measurements I had were the spring size and the dimensions for opening of the lower stick. I brought the photo into Adobe Illustrator and resized the photo so the hole size slightly larger that the known lower stick size of 20mm. Based off of that, I extrapolated the degree in which the photo was taken. After that, I calculated the outer ball perimeter, ball height and overall height. 

Next, I opened up Fusion 360 to start drafting our CAD file. Using our notes from the internet JPG image dimensions, I was able to come up with this drawing.

The 3d Printer

Since we print replacement parts with high temp resin, we must calculate the shrink rate. This is typically between 1-3%. Using a little simple math, that number needed to be around 103%. For safe measure, we printed 100% through 104%. Furthermore, there was going to be some margin of error. It takes about and hour to print these, so we wanted every option when we started assembling the shifter.. The 104% part fit best, although the 103% would have worked, we wanted some tolerance.

After the part came out we post processed it in a wash / cure station. Washing it with 99% isopropyl alcohol for 10 minutes and curing it with high intensity UV light for 6 minutes. This will harden the resin and prevent it from failing in the future.

While I was drafting and printing the parts, Jonathan media blasted the shifter housing and put a light coat of satin epoxy paint on it. We would have powder coated this in house, but the customer was picking up the same day. Powder coating will add a few hours to the project. If we need to make any adjustments in the future, we will powder coat it. Disassembly is fairly simple so it shouldn’t take too much addition time.

Assembly

After post processing the parts, Jonathan and I took them to the bench to test the sizes and fitment. You can see from this photo that the fit was spot on at 104%.

From here, we performed a dry fit before lubricating the mechanism. They dry fit felt night and day better, and that was without any grease. We removed the shifter for the last time, greased up all the components and reinstalled the shifter assembly. The feel was 100% OEM and each gear was defined, with no lateral movement while in gear. Reverse felt so much different than before, which might take a little getting use to for the customer. (In a good way)

In Conclusion

Overall we were very pleased with how this shifter turned out. The customer was very pleased with the results. Considering the short wait time to make the part and its functionality, It’s pretty amazing that we can replicate parts like this. 15 years ago, this was mythology.

Since we have six different 3D printers (SDA resin and FDM filament), we have the ability to print polyurethane and other synthetic components. With build plate dimensions from 4-1/2″ x 2-1/2″ x 6″ tall all the way up to 16″ x 16″ x 17″ Tall – The possibilities are almost endless.

Information / Schedule

For more information on how to get your classic European vehicle or Porsche repaired, please call 425-254-0627. You can also email us by clicking here. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA, across the street from the former Boeing Store and on the westside of the Paccar / Kenworth plant.

 

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Project 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560sec

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Project 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560sec

It’s been a long road to completion but we finally got Project 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560sec finished today. Our customer came in about 6 months ago wanting to do a air suspension install on his 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560sec. We wrote him a quote based off his needs and some suggestions from Meister Werks. After approving the quote we ordered all the parts necessary to install his custom setup. The customer also wanted us to have the bumpers, side mouldings, mirrors and door handles painted white to match the body. We contacted our friends at Automotive Solutions to come out and do all the body work, prep and paint.

Fast forward a few weeks later, Covid-19 / Coronavirus hit the Seattle area and thus started the parts delays. It took a few months of waiting to get all the parts in. A few months later in March, we finally received everything and the install started very soon after. We also installed a kit on this customer’s 1990 Mercedes-Benz 500SL, which can be seen by clicking here.

The Install Begins

We began the install by removing the bumpers, side mouldings, mirrors and door handles. While these parts were out, we started polishing the OEM stainless steel trim. After all the parts went into paint, we began the air suspension portion. We started the air system by disassembling the custom stereo setup in the trunk. The car stereo installer had fabricated a custom enclosure to house the rose gold plated air tank, Air Zenith air compressors and Airlift 3p manifold. We bent custom hard lines, powder coated them white (to match the body) and affixed all the fittings to the components.

After we did this, we installed them into the custom build enclosure. Additionally, we wired the Air Zenith OB2 compressors with 4 gauge wires and 80 amp fuses. Futhermore, we ran the custom harness to the Airlift 3p manifold, then connected the remote wire to the ignition circuit. Once that was complete, we installed the 3p controller in the Mercedes-Benz 560sec center console.

 

Air Suspension Issues

We had many issues with the custom air bags we purchased from a company in Germany. The bags were rubbing on the body and the upper bag mount did not line up with the control arms. Countless hours corresponding, assembly, disassembly, reassembly, photos and diagrams were sent to the manufacturers. After weeks of communications, we finally got results and newly machined parts were shipped from Germany. After 3 additional weeks, we received new parts. Unfortunately the parts still did not work right. So we decided to machine the new parts in house to get them to work. What we machined was perfection and will be able to replicate this on any future projects. This Mercedes-Benz is now able to air up properly, lay frame and not rub on the body. These additional modifications to the air suspension were much better than the original kit.

 

More Custom

We also had to delete the Mercedes-Benz factory hydraulic suspension. To do this we removed the rear shocks, removed the hydraulic pump on the engine and machined a custom block off plate. We used 6061 T6 aluminum to machine this part in our inhouse machine shop. We also made a custom gasket on our CNC laser cutter. Everything installed perfect, with no leaks or issues.

 

Wrapping it up

With the components installed, we attached the air lines using OEM brake line clips to secure the air lines in place. While all this work was being done, we assembled and sealed the wheel. These were custom plasted rose gold on the AMG monoblock wheels. After sealing these three piece wheels, we mounted and balanced the tires. After test fitting the wheels, we knew we needed spacers on the front. To give this beautiful Mercedes-Benz 560sec a flush fit, we installed 20mm spacers all the way around.

After all of this hard work, we finally were able to test the system. We checked for air leaks, buttoned up the trunk, and make sure all the small details were ironed out.

Project 1991 Mercedes-Benz 560sec Build List

  • Airlift Performance 3p management
  • OB2 dual air compressors
  • 4 Gallon Specialty Suspension seamless air tank – plated rose gold*
  • Custom hard lines at Meister Werks
  • Air suspension install at Meister Werks
  • Front bags & hydraulic pump block off plate custom machined at Meister Werks
  •  Rose gold plated* AMG wheels & OZ lips & barrels assembled and sealed at Meister Werks
  • Bumpers, mirrors, door handles, moldings, body work & paint at Meister Werks by Automotive Solutions
    * All custom rose gold plating done at the customer’s shop in California.

To make an appointment for your custom air ride, stop by or call 425-254-0627. You can also email us by clicking here. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA, across the street from The Boeing Store and on the westside of the Paccar / Kenworth plant.

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Vintage Car Week at Meister Werks

This week is vintage car week at Meister Werks. We’ve had a number of vintage vehicles come in such as a ’64 Coupe Deville, ’64 – 13 Window VW Bus, ’71 Beetle and a 1977 Datsun 280z.

Coupe Deville is in for a air compressor refresh and wiring. 13 Window Bus came in for a plethora of service, repairs and upgrades. The Clementine Orange Beetle was dropped off for a crate engine install, all new upholstery, disk brake conversions, powder coating and many more custom items. Lastly, the ’77 280z came in for some repairs and some custom powder coating.

The Z and the Coupe Deville will be done next week, although the VW’s will be ongoing projects over the next month. Stay tuned for further progress reports on each vehicle.

 

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500+ HP Audi TTRS

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TTRS Performance Upgrades

The inline 5 may be the most stout engine ever produced by Audi. But for some, the best is simply not enough… A long time customer brought in his 2018 Audi TTRS for a Carbon Cold Air Intake, 4 inch Turbo Inlet, Wastegate Lines and to top it off with a Stage 1 tune all supplied by Unitronic.

 

UNITRONIC STAGE 1 FOR AUDI TTRS MK3 2.5TFSI EVO
• STOCK POWER: 400HP / 354LB-FT
• After Tune: 476HP / 469LB-FT

Unitronic Stage 1 Performance Software is for vehicles with 91 octane / 95 RON fuel, on a completely stock car. It is the performance upgrade that will result in the most gains! Performance Software for your ECU Box Code is subject to availability. 2019+ models may require to have the hood opened during the flashing process.

UNITRONIC STAGE 2 DSG FOR AUDI TTRS MK3 2.5TFSI EVO

Flashed directly through the (OBDII) Diagnostic port of your vehicle (10-15 minutes). Unitronic’s TCU Performance Software calibration enhances the gear shift speeds making them up to 70% quicker. D-mode (Drive) is for everyday daily driving and economy, while S-mode (Sport) is for faster acceleration. Unitronic’s TCU Performance Software unlocks the factory launch control limiter. The OEM launch control limiter blocks the engagement of launch control after only 200 launches.

Unitronic’s Stage 2 TCU Performance Software calibrations increase TCU torque limiters to allow for an increased output. It’s been developed alongside Unitronic’s upcoming Stage 2 ECU Performance Software for the ultimate overall experience. Unitronic’s Stage 2 TCU Performance Software calibrations increase clutch clamping pressure. It is perfect, alongside Unitronic’s Stage 2 ECU Performance Software. This supports an increase in engine torque output and ensuring that the clutches properly grip . This also will help for the higher output to be sustained. Includes all Stage 2 tune variants and all lower software stages as well.

For more info on these products, check out the Unitronic Website by clicking here.

To make an appointment for your TTRS, Audi or European car, please call 425-254-0627. You can also email us by clicking here. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA, across the street from The Boeing Store and on the westside of the Paccar / Kenworth plant.

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Custom Wheel Refinishing

Custom Wheel Refinishing

A customer of our came in for wheel refinishing with his Jeep SRT. He wanted to change the color from the polished aluminum to gloss black. We removed the wheels from his Jeep and put it on jack stands during the wheel refinishing process. Then we removed the tires. We noticed all the the wheels had some curb rash damage. The customer opted to repair all the rash which was a little extra in labor cost. We began the wheel refinishing by stripped this wheels in a chemical bath. This removes all the paint, clearcoat and any dirt or debris. It also etches the surface slightly. After stripping we repaired the wheel damage and media blasted the surface to insure powder coat adhesion to outlast the warranty we provide.

After the wheels were cool and came out of the oven, we hand painted the inside of the SRT logo with silver leaf paint. After all was said and done, the wheels turned out well.

To make an appointment for your wheel refinishing, please call 425-254-0627. You can also email us by clicking here. Meister Werks European & Import is located one block south from The Renton Landing in Renton, WA, across the street from The Boeing Store and on the westside of the Paccar / Kenworth plant.

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