Potential BBi water pump issue?

My process usually works like this:

1. Remove the part.

2. Scan with an Einstar on a Mac (using their beta software). IMO, it's the best scanner in that tier. The next step up is ~$5k.

• I try to avoid putting markers on the part. Instead, I'll put painters tape on the table, then markers on the tape. Much easier to remove.
• If the part is reflective, I'll spray using 3D scan spray; which wipes off easily.

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3. Insert the mesh file into Fusion 360, and reverse engineer. The scan isn't the "model". Rather, I build the part from scratch, on top of the scan mesh (think of it like tracing). I use calipers to get precise measurements (particularly pipe diameters, inlet sizes, bolt hole diameters, etc.). The "trick", is that I add construction planes on the key parts of the mesh ("Plane Through Three Points"), and then build around that (screenshot shows what I mean). That ensures I get the key points in 3D space that would be very difficult to get using calipers alone.

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4. I 3D print using a Bambu printer. I did most of the EFI/ITB work with a Bambu X1. I recently upgraded to the H2D. My go-to filament is ASA-CF, which is strong, can handle high temp, and doesn't distort / warp during printing.

5. Test fit on the car. Back to Fusion and tweak until I'm happy.

6. 3D print in metal / CNC / laser cut. In the case of metal 3D printing or CNC, I've been using Craftcloud. Even with the tariffs, it's considerably cheaper than having it done in the US. I've printed Aluminum and Stainless Steel. For sheet metal, I use SendCutSend.

In this case, I'm not actually planning on replacing / modifying any parts (at least not at the moment), so it's more of a cataloging process (skipping steps 3-6). I did do a little CAD work for the gas tank, timing cover, and water pump, but that was more out of curiosity than it was out of necessity.

Hope that helps.

 

In-case anyone was curious, I was playing around with designing a BBLM inspired timing belt cover. I likely won't move forward with it since I don't think there's really a ton of value. Reason being, although I could access the hoses better, you still can't really remove the pump without removing the cover, which I don't think can be done without removing the oil tank (at least I couldn't figure out a good way to do it).

So, it was really more of an exercise than anything, but you can see how I go about it. Basically, I scanned the cover and the pump separately, then reverse engineered the main dimensions (bolt holes), 3D printed a simple jig to test the dimensions, then built the rest of the geometry.

The factory timing cover is ~3lb., so it's not like there's a ton of weight savings to be had (in absolute terms). The cost to 3D print my version in aluminum would be ~$350.

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