Vertical IC engine

[rdean]

I just can't stop making these model engines as this is my fifth to date in less than a year.
I tell my self this is the last one but they are very addictive.


When I started the twin a few months back I had some issues with the crank shaft in fact I had to make three before I got one that I liked. I was looking at one of the rejects the other day and thought I could make a good single cylinder crank from the pieces.
Here are the results.



It turned out very nice and too good to just sit on the shelf so I thought I should put it to use.
I don't have a plan or even know what it will look like yet, but pieces keep showing up on my bench.
This chunk of aluminum was setting there in the raw material area and it looked like it wanted to be the crankcase.



This is it hollowed out with a crank shaft bearing installed and a 2" hole in the other.



I found an aluminum scrap that wanted to hold the other crank bearing.



Here they are all together and happy.



There has to be a cylinder opening so I put it here along with some mounting screw holes as long as I had it setup in the mill.



Now this guy showed up so I will have to do something with him.
Maybe a cylinder.


Comments welcome.

Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[ShagDog]

Very interesting. Along for the ride.

 

[rogerl]

Along for the ride as well. Amazing that you can just create things without drawings. I have trouble making the parts WITH drawings.

Roger L

 

[rdean]

I do make some mack up drawings like seeing if there will be enough room for the connecting rod to fit in the cylinder when it is hooked to the piston. There won't be much clearance on this engine. I could have moved the crankshaft down 1/4" in the beginning but too late now.

Finished the cylinder and cast iron liner today.



Connecting rod next so then we will see if everything will fit.

Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[rdean]

Cutout a connecting rod and made brass inserts for each end.


That went so well I also made a piston and married them up.


I didn't cut the o-ring groove yet because I am really close to having an interference problem with the connecting rod and the cast Iron liner. I rounded over the connecting rod shoulders to get a little more clearance so time for assembly.

Well I can breath again as everything fits and moves like it should.
Very pleased.


I always make my pistons too long from the piston pin to the top of the piston so it can be cut off later after I get an accurate measurement to the end of the cylinder. It is much easier to cut some off the piston than to make the connecting rod longer.
On this engine I wanted the piston to be 0.200 below the top of the cylinder at TDC. This will give me a compression ratio of 6.69 to 1 with a head gasket of 0.020 thick. So the rod and piston went back into the lathe and I shortened the piston to get the right length.

This is where we are now.



Next will be the cam shaft.

Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[rwm]

Very cool. What will this burn? Can you throw something in your next pics for scale? Carbureted? Has anyone done a model engine like this with electronic fuel injection?

 

[kb58]

Great idea, with a Motec F1 ECU and with digital dash! Great way to turn it into a $20k project though!

 

[rdean]

The crankcase is about 3" square.
It has a 1" piston with a 1 1/4" stroke.
It will run on Coleman fuel or gasoline.
I don't know about the fuel injection question.

Ray

 

[rdean]

The cam shaft housing is shown below and is 1.25 square by 2" long aluminum. The bearings will press into the ends.


The interior was opened up all the way through for the shaft and cams.


The side of the engine block was opened up the same amount so that oil can spray onto the cams.
This is how it is be mounted on the engine.



A blank plate will be fitted to the outside to block off the opening.
The cam lifters will come out the top with brass sleeves.
When I make the cams I will have to be sure to clock the set screws correctly so they are accessible through the opening.


It doesn't look like much progress for today but after locating and drilling 16 holes and tapping 8 of them I got tired.

Thanks for looking
Ray

 

[rwm]

I was thinking it would be a cool project to build your own port fuel injection system. Maybe using an Arduino?
Robert