Chapter 59 A Miracle Created by Hand, Engine Rebooted!
The Ford engine is right there.
That cast iron machine that once powered a one-ton car is now the only source of spare parts.
Su Wei did not hesitate.
A ratchet wrench covered in black oil jammed the oil pan screw, and the arm exerted force.
dismantle.
The movements were rougher and more precise than before.
The abandoned engine doesn't need to be preserved intact; all that's needed is a connecting rod inside.
The oil pan hit the ground, and murky engine oil dripped out, revealing the crankshaft connecting rod mechanism.
The four connecting rods remain sturdy, their surfaces gleaming with the cool luster characteristic of high-strength alloy steel.
Su Wei reached in and shook the connecting rod of the second cylinder.
It remained completely still, without any movement whatsoever.
These are materials used in old Ford cars; although they are surplus products of the industrial era, they are now the only hope.
Remove the connecting rod cover.
Remove the piston and connecting rod assembly.
This set feels heavy in your hand, noticeably heavier than the original snowmobile tire.
That's where the problem lies.
The sizes cannot be perfectly matched.
Su Wei took the snowmobile linkage that had broken in two and placed it side by side with the Ford linkage on the workbench.
The vernier caliper is pulled out, and the metal jaws engage.
The caliper's LCD screen displays the number: 48mm.
Ford connecting rod: 50mm.
Two millimeters larger.
This means that once installed, it will immediately vibrate, and the engine will smash itself apart the moment it starts.
Su Wei rummaged through his toolbox and found a roll of brass sheet with a thickness of 0.5 mm.
These are the shim materials left over from when my father repaired old-fashioned farm machinery.
Cutting.
bending.
Two semi-circular brass tiles were formed.
Adding it in perfectly fills the two-millimeter gap and also acts as a flexible bearing to prevent hard wear.
This is an unorthodox approach.
A reputable repair shop would call it murder, but in Alaska's blizzard-locked areas, it's called survival.
After solving the aperture problem, the thickness problem still needs to be solved.
The thickness of the big end of the Ford connecting rod is 25mm.
The crankshaft opening of a snowmobile is only 22mm.
It's 3mm thicker.
It won't fit.
Su Wei glanced at the rusty bench vise beside him, then at the row of alloy files of varying thicknesses on the table.
There is no milling machine.
There is no grinding machine.
You can only rub it hard.
By hand and with a file, they ruthlessly ground off 3mm from one end of this high-strength alloy steel.
This is not only physically demanding, but also an opportunity to gain experience through tedious and repetitive tasks.
The passive ability [ Mechanical Repair LV2 ] is highlighted in the field of vision.
A dotted line appeared on the connecting rod, precisely marking the thickness that needed to be cut.
Su Wei clamped the connecting rod in the bench vise and locked it tightly.
Pick up the coarsest flat file.
push.
Zzz!
A piercing metallic scraping sound echoed in the garage, so sharp it made your teeth ache.
The Cotton Candy hiding on the bar stool instantly bristled, its ears folded back into airplane ears, and it snorted at Su Wei in dissatisfaction.
He then jumped off the stool and vanished from the garage in a flash.
It can't stand the noise.
Su Wei stared only at the falling metal powder.
The first stroke left only a faint white mark.
This alloy steel has a very high hardness.
Let's try again.
Zzz!
His arm muscles were taut, and he pressed all his weight onto the file.
Push, collect, push, collect.
The rhythm is monotonous, yet full of power.
[ Life Module +1]
[ Mechanical Repair Experience +1]
really.
This kind of high-intensity, precision manual processing is a good way to gain experience.
If we can fix this thing, we'll not only get a means of transportation, but we can also take our skills to the next level.
Ten minutes.
Su Wei stopped and measured with calipers.
0.2mm was ground off.
It's still 2.8mm short.
Sweat trickled down my forehead and into my eyebrows, stinging my eyes a little.
He didn't wipe it, he continued.
Only the screeching sound of metal scraping against metal and Su Wei's increasingly heavy breathing remained in the garage.
This is an extremely time-consuming and patience-testing process.
After every hundred pushes, Su Wei would change the side to ensure even grinding on both sides and maintain the dynamic balance of the connecting rod.
If one side is heavier than the other, the crankshaft will break directly at high speeds.
Delicate work is also physically demanding.
An hour passed.
A layer of shiny steel powder had accumulated on the ground.
Su Wei's palms were red from being rubbed by the handle of the file, and his thumb and forefinger were throbbing with pain.
He dared not stop.
Once I stop, my mind is filled with debt collectors' calls and images of being trapped here by heavy snow.
Only the aching from the file and my arms could temporarily push those thoughts away.
The final 0.1mm.
Su Wei switched to a fine-grained, glossy file.
The movements became gentle, turning into a fine grinding motion.
Sizzle... sizzle...
His voice deepened.
The calipers were put back in place.