Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Today is the day, I got a new toy. The 32cc water cooled, four cylinder inline ohv engine from enginediy.com (also available at stirlingkit and others).

It took just about a month, the vast majority of which was what they referred to a “technical requirement before shipping.”  Shipping itself was three days, Hong Kong to upstate ny, via DHL. FANTASTIC.

I decided to take a walk on the wild side, and ordered the “yellow” (actually gold) color version.
This is an entirely machined from billet engine, the only visible casting is the flywheel. Even the rocker cover is cnc machined instead of cast. The gold finish is mostly electroplating from the look of it, but the engine block, which is a slightly different shade, appears powder coated. All of it is superbly done.

I’ve got a ways to go before firing it, but thought I’d offer my initial impression before I get into the weeds of building a stand, battery box, control panel, and throttle quadrant, etc.

So far I’ve only wiped off oil that ran out during shipping, and installed the legs and a temporary exhaust stack.

For a size reference, the flywheel is exactly the same diameter as those used on the M series hit and miss engines. The cylinder head is just under five and a half inches long, and the assembled engine, less radiator and fan, is a bit over eight inches long.

So there it is. Attached is a photo of exactly what I’ve got so far. Next I guess I’ll tackle installing the optional electric start.

That sounds great. If I was gonna put it in a sixties vintage open wheel car, lol.

The motif I’m going for is hillbilly sawmill though. So it’s gonna get a radiator surround and a slotted grille, and a stack with a muffler that I expect will be about perfect if you like that nasty blat of the average stationary gas engine. 😁

Tonight’s project was installing the electric start kit. The only instructions are a wordless video that conveniently skips over removing the flywheel flange. Thankfully someone commented that the set screw (and as I found out, the flange itself) is secured with high temperature lock-tite.  My little soldering iron wasn’t up to the job of heating the flange, so I broke out the little pencil style propane torch to release it.

All done. It’s a cute system. Rather than a bendix on the starter, the big honking gear that mounts between the block and flywheel is on a one way bearing. The starter motor uses a planetary drive so they don’t need a ridiculously large starter motor. It actually looks pretty well to scale. Push button start instead of using a drill motor to crank it was just too good to pass up, 😁

The hard part now is resisting haywiring it together to hear it run. Gonna go ahead and fabricate the mount block and throttle quadrant, radiator shell and whatnot first.

I actually thought of using a K&N breather filter as an air filter.

But since the filter is on the side, and the carb is the one part I think ruins the look, a walbro clone sticking out a ways, I couldn’t find anything that was quite what I wanted.

My goals for an air box are, functional, a flat, pancake design, and just about big enough in diameter to hide the carb.

Then I made cinnamon rolls. I actually made two batches, having burnt the first one, lol. Turns out, the pop n fresh style rolls come with a plastic tub of icing inside one end of the tube. The little tub of icing has an aluminum cover, not unlike the end of the tube, except a little smaller, and the rolled edge isn’t crimped.  It’s a perfect little tray, or base or lid for an air box.

One lid got drilled to match the intake flange and carb inlet. The other got just two screw holes. A 1/2” wide band of .015” brass forms the sides of the can. Z bent and soldered into a ring that drops in between the two discs. A slot 1/4”x1” in the bottom aspect of the band is the air inlet. A cut down blue scotch-brite scrubber makes a dandy element.

Best of all, it hides that hideous carburetor.😁

Bonjour Jack,
I do not understand your battery prpblem. Your ignition sustem needs a tension whatever the model of the battery you install.
For example if you need 12V, 8xAA batteries with dedicated battery holder can be used as temporary solution.
Where am I wrong i my reasoning ?
I can't wait to see your engine running 

Oh I’m tempted. The ignition will run on anywhere from 6-12V. The electric starter will also, though current drain at lower voltage will skyrocket under the momentary load.  The fan would likely run on even less, simply slower. 
I actually have a 7.2V nmh battery from an RC car. It’s a few years old, and actually puts out about 6.6v with a full charge.
I’m sorely tempted to make up a temporary connection and give it a spin. I could’ve done that at any point I suppose, mashing up a temporary radiator support, etc. but once I’d cut and glued up the base, and began my admittedly mediocre metal work on the radiator housing/support, I decided to get it all done first.  Yesterday morning all I really had left was the throttle linkage and quadrant. Nobody else I’ve seen video of has even bothered with those bits.
But I was determined to hold the line and do it properly.  Whether my resolve holds out longer than the newly slowed postal system remains to be seen. But I find it curious that DHL or FEDEX can get something into my hands faster from China than a seller in a neighboring state can get things through the mail. Ordered 12/2, USPS picked up the shipment on 12/4. I could almost walk there by now.