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3D Printed Car Parts

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More and more people are toying with 3D printing for car parts. If you've printed any parts for your car, please post some articles in this section describing how you did it. Whether if was for your DSM or not. With more and more OEM DSM parts becoming obsolete (no longer produced) 3D printing will become a popular option in this community.

Here are some resources I found to give people more info on getting started with 3D printing car parts.




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Post your own Articles on this subject!
 
I didn't realize there were as many of these as there are between 1G and 2G.
MD076175​
FWD​
NT​
6-bolt​
1G​
MD089360​
FWD​
T​
6-bolt​
1G​
MD095656​
AWD​
6-bolt​
Man. Trans​
1G​
MD150760​
AWD​
6-bolt​
Auto. Trans​
1G​
MD191137​
FWD​
T​
7-bolt​
1G​
MD191169​
FWD​
NT​
7-bolt​
1G​
MD191170​
FWD​
T​
7-bolt​
1G​
MD191171​
AWD​
6-bolt​
Man. Trans​
1G​
MD191173​
AWD​
7-bolt​
Auto. Trans​
1G​
MD195125​
FWD​
Auto. Trans​
2G​
MD195137​
BOTH​
Man. Trans​
2G​
MD195138​
AWD​
7-bolt​
Auto. Trans​
1G​
MD339957​
AWD​
Auto. Trans​
2G​

Unfortunately, I have no idea what this one is from, exactly. My guess is 1G 6-bolt FWD turbo but there's no markings on it to verify.

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Not going to say it is perfect, but it isn't bad, either. I was actually pretty pleased with myself on this one.

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As far as reproducing it - I ran it through some quick prototyping quoting services (Protolabs and Xometry) and that bulge or pocket was difficult to account for in any process outside of stamping. And stamping required a custom die be made. And that was $$$$. I think its overall dimensions are too large for our printer here; I'll double-check and see if I can't get one printed, just to see how close I am. :idontknow:
Damn that looks incredible 😍
 
Thanks, @greekgodchaos .

Our printer had some issues and a queue backed up due to those issues, but I finally got it printed. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, mainly due to that third mounting point that would be attaching to the bellhousing. The piece itself is pretty delicate due to overall material thickness. Support material blocked off that hole and attempts to remove it didn't work. In any case, I think mocking it up will give a pretty decent indication as to whether or not it is close enough. I'll get around to that one of these days.

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Revisiting the Miller tool, I took what I had, found some material, and made a two-tooth tool to remove the castle plug. I'm not a machinist but I can make chips. So dimensionally, I'm close enough though I know with more time or more talent I could get a lot closer. And with the oil pump on the bench, I came up with this arrangement to remove the castle plug. I do not believe this tool would work with the oil pump on the car. It was extremely important to keep pressure on the tool as I turned it. Prior to adding the clamp to the mix, I was using my weight to press on it as I turned it. The tool slipped off the nut and damaged the case area surrounding the plug a bit - not unusable but nicked it pretty good. It would be difficult to accomplish the same with the engine still in the car.

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For those interested, I used this drawing to rough out my two-tooth tool. The teeth need to be about 7.9mm wide [.304-.314in] with about 31.2mm [1.228-1.233in] spacing between them. The drawing shows them to have angled walls but I made them straight for ease of manual machining. OD should be around but not exceed 32mm [1.417in], so it fits in the "pocket" where the plug sits in the case.

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With the plug out, I was able to measure and model it up. The thread is a M20 x 1.5 and the plug itself is steel.

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I looked at other design options for this plug and I'm not coming up with any great ideas, mainly due to where the timing belt rides right in front of it. From the outer surface to the opposite face (inside of the threaded boss) the plug is extremely thin - like less than 2mm thin - and less at the center dimple. So not enough material to go that way to add a feature to turn it out. The O-ring groove underneath this plug has an OD of about 30.9mm. The distance between parallel pockets on the plug itself I measure at about 31mm so not much there to do much differently. I'm still thinking on this one, but making no guarantees...

More to share soon, I'm sure.
 
Thanks, @greekgodchaos .

Our printer had some issues and a queue backed up due to those issues, but I finally got it printed. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, mainly due to that third mounting point that would be attaching to the bellhousing. The piece itself is pretty delicate due to overall material thickness. Support material blocked off that hole and attempts to remove it didn't work. In any case, I think mocking it up will give a pretty decent indication as to whether or not it is close enough. I'll get around to that one of these days.

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Revisiting the Miller tool, I took what I had, found some material, and made a two-tooth tool to remove the castle plug. I'm not a machinist but I can make chips. So dimensionally, I'm close enough though I know with more time or more talent I could get a lot closer. And with the oil pump on the bench, I came up with this arrangement to remove the castle plug. I do not believe this tool would work with the oil pump on the car. It was extremely important to keep pressure on the tool as I turned it. Prior to adding the clamp to the mix, I was using my weight to press on it as I turned it. The tool slipped off the nut and damaged the case area surrounding the plug a bit. It would be difficult to accomplish the same with the engine still in the car.

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For those interested, I used this drawing to rough out my two-tooth tool. The teeth need to be about 7.9mm wide [.304-.314in] with about 31.2mm [1.228-1.233in] spacing between them. The drawing shows them to have angled walls but I made them straight for ease of manual machining. OD should be around but not exceed 32mm [1.417in], so it fits in the "pocket" where the plug sits in the case.

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With the plug out, I was able to measure and model it up. The thread is a M20 x 1.5 and the plug itself is steel.

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I looked at other design options for this plug and I'm not coming up with any great ideas, mainly due to where the timing belt rides right in front of it. From the outer surface to the opposite face (inside of the threaded boss) the plug is extremely thin - like less than 2mm thin - and less at the center dimple. So not enough material to go that way to add a feature to turn it out. The O-ring groove underneath this plug has an OD of about 30.9mm. The distance between parallel pockets on the plug itself I measure at about 31mm so not much there to do much differently. I'm still thinking on this one, but making no guarantees...

More to share soon, I'm sure.
Great ideas, but that flywheel cover will never hold up to the heat. My experience with 3d printing for automotive is that anything close to the engine will warp and anything that is in the interior will eventually warp from high temperatures of the sun. I had a door lock actuator fail on my wife's Infiniti. Those actuators are over $500 each. I opened it up and found that a plastic gear broke apart. I reverse engineered the part and it worked for a week or two until it seized up because of thermal expansion. Tried three times, but couldn't get longevity.

However, I did have success making some helpful tools.
 
The goal of printing the inspection cover is, like with most 3D print jobs, to check fit and verify the model. I would never expect to use a 3D printed version of these covers for this application.
 
The goal of printing the inspection cover is, like with most 3D print jobs, to check fit and verify the model. I would never expect to use a 3D printed version of these covers for this application.
What would you fab this in? It'd be quite expensive to have that done by any fab shop.
 
What would you fab this in? It'd be quite expensive to have that done by any fab shop.

...As far as reproducing it - I ran it through some quick prototyping quoting services (Protolabs and Xometry) to try to get any sort of idea for what costing might look like and that bulge or pocket was difficult to account for in any process outside of stamping. And stamping required a custom die be made. And that was $$$$....

Yup. If the fit is right, I'll post the file and anyone interested in fabbing one up can have at it. The original is steel but that's not to say it couldn't be done from a different material. It's only a start because, again, there's so many different versions of the cover. But since I only have the one, can't do much past that.

I'm not a fabricator or a business man so I have no plans to reproduce these. They are originally steel and for how thin they are, I can't see anything but working / lasting any reasonably significant amount of time.
 
I've played around today and tried copying the top door vent for 2G's. I printed a rough idea of how they would look like and they turned out great! Some minor modifications must be done for a better fit

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I've played around today and tried copying the top door vent for 2G's. I printed a rough idea of how they would look like and they turned out great! Some minor modifications must be done for a better fit

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Can you make the dashtop defrost vents? Most dash are old and the skin is shrinking exposing a gap between the vent and the edge of the hole. If you can expand the flange, to cover a larger hole, this would help with older dashboards.
 
Can you make the dashtop defrost vents? Most dash are old and the skin is shrinking exposing a gap between the vent and the edge of the hole. If you can expand the flange, to cover a larger hole, this would help with older dashboards.
I've looked into that before and it looks not too bad to achieve. However I believe due to it's size it would be a two pieces which is the deal breaker in my opinion
 
Some things I've been playing around with over the last few months, mostly just for fun.

1G Side Mirror Inner Covers for Power Mirror Models (MB479156 and MB479157)
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1G Wing Wiper Trim (MB574107)
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1G FlipUp Sunroof Latch Mount (I'm calling it version B)
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Engine Lift Bracket / Hanger (MD130498)
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Valve Timing Belt Idler Pulley (MD156604)
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Timing Belt Tensioner Pulley (MD129355)
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6-Bolt Timing Belt Hydraulic Tensioner (MD164533)
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1G BLANK Dash Button Switch (MB522133)
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1G Switch Holder A1 (MB522135)
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1G Fog Lamp Switch (MB522126)
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1G Rheostat / Dimmer Switch (MB522127)
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Assembly of Switch Holder A (1Gb version, no pop-up button)
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Oil Pump Driven Gear Helical (MD174582)
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Oil Pump Drive Gear Helical (MD174581)
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Starter Motor (no solenoid)
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Thermo Valve (MD103867)
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Water Temperature Switch (MB439576 / MB568959)
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Radiator Cap (MB605277 / MB6600735)
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Oil Pressure Switch Light (MD138993)
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2G Timing Belt Hydraulic Tensioner (MD308086)
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Thanks, @greekgodchaos .

Our printer had some issues and a queue backed up due to those issues, but I finally got it printed. Unfortunately, it didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, mainly due to that third mounting point that would be attaching to the bellhousing. The piece itself is pretty delicate due to overall material thickness. Support material blocked off that hole and attempts to remove it didn't work. In any case, I think mocking it up will give a pretty decent indication as to whether or not it is close enough. I'll get around to that one of these days.

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Finally the right combination of being warm enough outside with enough free time available to actually check this out. Was able to get the flywheel cover plate nearly bolted up. I think there’s some simple modifications I would make for the next round. Tough to get pictures with the crossmember in the way but here it is.

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Second Edit (29 April 2022): Update after finally remembering to trial these parts out. Checked fit and retention in the car, ease of removal, and reusability. In my opinion, it passes all of these without any apparent issues. Last remaining trial is I have one of these sitting in my driver side door pocket and will keep it in there for about a year. This will simulate in-car temperatures and conditions to see how this piece will last over time, though this is really only relevant if this same material is to be used in future versions.

So a year later, as promised. The trial piece remains in overall good shape - not perfect, but usable. It experienced temperatures ranging from single to triple digits and whatever abuse encountered by me throwing random things in the pocket. A little crack formed on the “top” portion where the wall is a bit thinner, but I expect it could still be used. Again, really only a good test for this material but it does suggest that ABS-type material should hold up for 3D printed pieces for the interior when not exposed directly to UV.

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All the recent chatter of covers lately elsewhere on the forum reminded me I needed to revisit this.

Here’s the starting point of metric and inch drawings for the lower flywheel inspection cover I pictured and modeled previously. Yes - I realize they are not “complete” drawings, but they do show bolt hole locations which is certainly a jumping off point for anyone that wanted to make their own. I slotted the two holes that mount the cover to the bottom of the block and enlarged the hole for the bolt that goes to the transmission, just to make sure it would mount up. Unfortunately, I don’t have a way of printing another one without having to spend some money with a 3rd party so maybe someone else can take it from here. Can’t seem to attach the .STL file from my phone so I’ll come back and add it, certainly by the end of the weekend.

Metric - as modeled
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Inch (converted)
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Finally the right combination of being warm enough outside with enough free time available to actually check this out. Was able to get the flywheel cover plate nearly bolted up. I think there’s some simple modifications I would make for the next round. Tough to get pictures with the crossmember in the way but here it is.

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All the recent chatter of covers lately elsewhere on the forum reminded me I needed to revisit this.

Here’s the starting point of metric and inch drawings for the lower flywheel inspection cover I pictured and modeled previously. Yes - I realize they are not “complete” drawings, but they do show bolt hole locations which is certainly a jumping off point for anyone that wanted to make their own. I slotted the two holes that mount the cover to the bottom of the block and enlarged the hole for the bolt that goes to the transmission, just to make sure it would mount up. Unfortunately, I don’t have a way of printing another one so maybe someone else can take it from here. Can’t seem to attach the .STL file from my phone so I’ll come back and add it, certainly by the end of the weekend.

Metric - as modeled
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Inch (converted)
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Here's the .STL file (in the .ZIP folder) as well as PDF versions of the drawings in the above images.

I suppose I should add no guarantees are inferred or implied - USE AT YOUR OWN RISK. Cover my ass. :p
 

Attachments

  • Flywheel Lower Cover STL.zip
    105.5 KB · Views: 49
  • Flywheel Lower Cover - Modified after Test Fit - METRIC.PDF
    110.6 KB · Views: 48
  • Flywheel Lower Cover - Modified after Test Fit - IPS.pdf
    110.6 KB · Views: 46
Hey all, I've lurked this thread for a while and seen lots of your great ideas and implementations of FDM printing.
I recently became a MatterHackers affiliate, and I want to support all of the 3D printing guys in our community. If you use my affiliate link, I will provide a 5% mail-in rebate. MatterHackers does not do coupon codes so this is what I've got. Contact me directly if you have a larger order inquiry, and I may be able to help out case-by-case.
Here's the details: ShopHef

Here's an update on something I'm doing!
I'm currently prototyping an overhead switch panel, that I may release in sheet-metal form as a product in a couple months. Interested what you guys think about the required wire routing, or any other concerns. It bolts into 2 factory holes in the manual sunroof opening/closing panel, so its a sunroof-only piece at the moment.
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I've been using a 3D scanner for the past couple months. It makes an incredible difference in the quality of prototyping.
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Oh how i wish someone would design a 3d model for the 2g spyder driver side door panel bezel where power windows/lock buttons are located. Impossible to find one without broken supports.
 
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“drivers side door panel” check
“instrument cluster” Wha?
Are you referring to the plastic where the door handle, air vent, and window and lock controls are mounted?
Lol I was half asleep when I posted that.
I was talking about the Spyder driver side door panel insert where the window and lock controls are.
 
3D printing is good. I got into it about a year and a bit ago! I wanted to go from drawings to a prototype testing before having such things CNC machined etc.

While not everything is super accurate its pretty close! I can make a thread or even a housing for a spherical to slip into. Depending on the heat it can slip right in or it might need a small sand to clear. Yes it can take hours to do and then not like it vs the CAD drawing butbthats what prototyping is all about!

The Company I do kit cars for is very interested in my developments and way forward so has tasked me with doing some parts for them from cad to printed snd once approved can go into CNC production for the cars! Thats great news and a good way to progress with this kind of market.

Remaking parts is good if they are strong enough for heat and weather! Im about ready to start printing Carbon fiber and if all goes well can even use them on some areas since its as strong or even stronger then billet alloys! Crazy nowadays you can do this from a printer!

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Sick!!!
 
I've played around today and tried copying the top door vent for 2G's. I printed a rough idea of how they would look like and they turned out great! Some minor modifications must be done for a better fit

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Do you have the CAD file for this?
Can you upload it here :)?
 
Also, I’m trying to reverse engineer this. I already got the CAD file for the cover. It would be useful if someone is willing to upload the STP or STL file for this.I will upload mine after prototyping and adjusting.

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