Look what I made.

[/quote]Smog ports weren't included for venting crankcase pressure, they were added as part of an emissions reduction system in order to meet emissions standards in the US at the time of production. The breather on the the crankcase, behind the cylinders, takes care of crankcase pressure.[/quote]

I was just going to say that... But I scrolled down further.

no need for em up here, no emissions testing where i live

notaduc wrote:

Do you not want to ventilate your crankcase pressure?

The crankcase vent is under the airbox....

how about just casting them? no structural need to carve them from plate or billet

Never done any casting before....I dont really have the tools to do it.

550A2 wrote:

notaduc wrote:

Do you not want to ventilate your crankcase pressure?

The crankcase vent is under the airbox....

how about just casting them? no structural need to carve them from plate or billet

Never done any casting before....I dont really have the tools to do it.

Unless you are doing huge runs of them, the machining process is wasteful, or both, no sense in casting.

These specifically are very simple with little waste, and you would have to machine the mating surface on a cast piece either way.

Not a good candidate Id say.

i could have the kids in local high school shop class cast those and hit the bottem side on a belt sander,no fancy machining required for about $1.00 a piece

PLUMMEN wrote:

i could have the kids in local high school shop class cast those and hit the bottem side on a belt sander,no fancy machining required for about $1.00 a piece

Yea.

You could just cut a piece of bar stock to length and drill the holes too.

I wouldnt be satisfied with either, nor would I put my name on them. Ill leave making the fastest crappiest parts possible to the folks selling china junk on ebay.

Still not a good candidate for casting.

fastest,crappiest? origional covers are cast,the valve cover is cast,head is cast,cylinder is cast,cases are cast,lower fork legs are cast,mag wheels are cast,hubs for wire wheels are cast,foot peg brackets are cast........
id say those pieces are a lot higher stressed than those smog covers are and casting seems to work fine for them!

i used to run the maintenance department at the foundry down the street ,and i still do special fab projects /welding around the plant for them the maintenance guys cant do.
id cast you a bunch down there but they only work in iron at that plant,but i still help out at my old high schools shop class from time to time and have absolutely no doubt those pieces could be sand cast from aluminum and cleaned up with 5-10 minutes of belt sander and drill press time to punch the holes.
just because you apparently dont have the abilty to make a very simple part without a cnc machine or paying somebody else doesnt mean the rest of us lack the skills to do it! :laugh:

Wow, defensive?

I never said casting was crappy. but having High Schoolers cast them from recycled soda cans and bumping them on a belt sander seems like the long way around to not so good.

Im not sure if you were trying to insult me with the assumptions of my abilities, but I have been a metal worker professionally for years, including foundry work, programming/operating cnc equipment, welding etc.

5-10 minutes on the mill and I'll cut you a perfect pair with your name on them, guaranteed set up time is shorter than sand casting.

Or 5 minutes and you can have one made from bar stock.

If I was going to cast them for what ever reason, Id investment cast them.

All this said, I appreciate a company like APE, and buying a set from them would also suit me.

notaduc wrote:

Wow, defensive?

I never said casting was crappy. but having High Schoolers cast them from recycled soda cans and bumping them on a belt sander seems like the long way around to not so good.

Im not sure if you were trying to insult me with the assumptions of my abilities, but I have been a metal worker professionally for years, including foundry work, programming/operating cnc equipment, welding etc.

5-10 minutes on the mill and I'll cut you a perfect pair with your name on them, guaranteed set up time is shorter than sand casting.

Or 5 minutes and you can have one made from bar stock.

If I was going to cast them for what ever reason, Id investment cast them.

All this said, I appreciate a company like APE, and buying a set from them would also suit me.

notice i said without fancy machines? you were the one who said cheap chinese junk and ebay,not me.
kids in shop class dont always use old beer cans,ive donated plenty of old pistons and old junk engine and trans cases over the years for the cause .
not all high school shop classes teach kids to do half ass work.

If you like I could make you a set from bar stock with a couplemof files a hack saw, and sandpaper, but they wont be as nice, theyll take much longer, and wont have your name on them.

ill make my own ,ive got an old set of trw's ill donate to the cause! :laugh:
anybody got a stock smog cover i can use as a pattern?

PLUMMEN wrote:

ill make my own ,ive got an old set of trw's ill donate to the cause! :laugh:
anybody got a stock smog cover i can use as a pattern?

I have a pair. You are welcome to either, or both.

are they for 550? ive got plenty of 900-1000 stuff unless the 550-mkII use same block offs