[IDEA] Micro Working Fake Engine

[syclone]

Hello there! 

Even though TLC finally stepped out of using big blocky engines, the newest rendition of fake engines isn't very good. Mostly due to the ugly long brown axles and big "crankshaft". Now, it is possible to use the ovaloid-shaped liftarms as the crankshaft with 2l axles and half-bushes, but the entire assembly still occupies a lot of vertical space, specially the Ø3L crankshaft. 

Now, making something smaller with Technic pieces wasn't possible, so I resorted to System parts. 1x1 plates with 1x1 round plates were the solution looked for. Even though the "pistons" don't have much vertical movement, the engine still sounds great and both inline and v-shape setups can be made, theorically with infinite cylinders as the crankshaft isn't limited by maximum Technic axle length but by how many 1x1 plates can be stacked together. 

Advantages:

• Small volume - 3 studs vertical by 2 studs width
• Little extra space required - approximately quarter of a stud around the crankshaft (Technic axles can be placed alongside it)
• Produces sound as well as other fake engines
• V-shape or Inline engines possible

Disadvantages:

• small vertical piston travel
• Crankshaft doesn't use Technic pieces so can be difficult to correctly space (stacked plates height vs Technic stud width) and might break if too long or abused too much

Here's a video showing both setups and sound (e-motor is very quiet so the engine can be heard)

 

Edited July 26, 2019 by syclone

[Appie]

That's a very nice way to do this. I couldn't figure out how to do this when I tried a L2 in this scale, but this should work for that too. Thanks for sharing.

One thing I don't understand in the video is when you show the V6, the engine cover is open, yet when you drive the car it is closed which makes you see nothing moving in the enginebay...

[syclone]

40 minutes ago, Appie said:

That's a very nice way to do this. I couldn't figure out how to do this when I tried a L2 in this scale, but this should work for that too. Thanks for sharing.

One thing I don't understand in the video is when you show the V6, the engine cover is open, yet when you drive the car it is closed which makes you see nothing moving in the enginebay...

Glad to see that it might be useful)

Here's the uncovered movement: 

 

Edited July 26, 2019 by syclone

[Appie]

Thanks for extra video :)

[Gray Gear]

Very nice small engine. I've tried to build a rotary engine in a size you could fit in a 1:8 scale car a while back, but I have not been successful. I love the RX7 FC and FD, but without an engine...

[syclone]

44 minutes ago, Gray Gear said:

Very nice small engine. I've tried to build a rotary engine in a size you could fit in a 1:8 scale car a while back, but I have not been successful. I love the RX7 FC and FD, but without an engine...

Absolutely love that car as well, and the wankel engine . As far as Lego versions go, the one approximately in 1/8  scale to the 13B would need to be 3'5 studs in diameter, leaving the closest to that size Technic Mastery's version - approximately 1/5-1/6 scale to the 13B and inaccurate, square housing. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTT93moFqfk 

3D printing  would certainly make it possible, maybe even with an accurate housing, eccentric shaft and both stationary gear and wankel-mounted gear...  Luckily there would be no apex seals to burn))) 

There's a minifigure weapon holder piece that just might work however: 20612. Would need some work to attach the technic cams in a way for it to rotate freely though.

 

Side look:

 

Edited July 26, 2019 by syclone

[Gray Gear]

These are the smallest Rotors I was able to make:

But I was unable to create a engine housing in which they would rotate in correctly, rotaries have one hell of a complicated shape.

I've seen Technic Masteries Rotary a while back. Not is his housing incorrect, the direction the Rotor rotates in is also wrong. His version is "rolling" in the rousing, in reality it is like more "sliding"  if you know what I mean.

[syclone]

3 hours ago, Gray Gear said:

These are the smallest Rotors I was able to make:

*snip*

But I was unable to create a engine housing in which they would rotate in correctly, rotaries have one hell of a complicated shape.

I've seen Technic Masteries Rotary a while back. Not is his housing incorrect, the direction the Rotor rotates in is also wrong. His version is "rolling" in the rousing, in reality it is like more "sliding"  if you know what I mean.

That is a very neat design, specially the one with studs to the inside, will try designing one with those  . And yup, his wankel goes the other way around, while it should have the same direction of rotation as the crankshaft 

[Jeroen Ottens]

Very elegant solution!

I’ve made a brickbuilt crankshaft in my Pagani Huayra, but I used 1x1 bricks with studs on the side with some 1x1 round tiles on top. That gives a bit more stroke, but also a more irregular movement. I think I like yours better.