Maybe a 3D printer job.

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  • Rubberdubber
    S2Forum Addict
    • Aug 2013
    • 215
    • Country: Scotland

    #1

    Maybe a 3D printer job.

    I recently had to change my air control valve on my A3 TDI. I saw these kits; https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Repair-Ki...53.m1438.l2649
    there are a few around but I didn't know whether this was what I needed or not.
    I managed to get a brand new Peirburg one at a very good price, so bought that and fitted at the weekend and everything is fine now.
    I also stripped the old valve to find the teeth on the plastic gears worn and broken, so a kit would give me a spare working valve.
    The E.Bay kits in the UK seem to all come from the same source and are £30 a pop, which seems a bit steep for essentially 2 plastic gear wheels. E.Bay .com reveals other places making metal, brass and nylon ones but the postage is then the crippling factor.
    Does anyone know how easy it would be to replicate these on a 3d printer? Does anyone have access to one?
    You may guess potentially where this could head, most petrol cars have throttle bodies with similar gear wheels, possible small business opportunity?
  • Greg_S
    Administrator
    • Jul 2003
    • 12430
    • Country: United Kingdom

    #2
    Yeah im sure there would be a market for it. I had the same with the odd gears on the S2 and ended up buying 10 at a more reasonable price and selling the others on to get them at a realistic costs and I figured if mine had broken others would be swell
    Greg

    S2Forum.com Administrator & Webmaster

    '93 Coupe with a few tweeks

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    • Rubberdubber
      S2Forum Addict
      • Aug 2013
      • 215
      • Country: Scotland

      #3
      Someone suggested to me today he could make a mould and make gears out of resin. I hadn't thought of that and it may well be a pretty good idea. Not sure about mixing materials; Plastic metal, different types of plastic maybe isn't the best but it's already a second hand part so I guess to try for another 90k miles is a bit ambitious.

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