Awesome Engines

We’ve seen a skateboard powered by a pulsejet; now, here’s one that uses a turbine. After explaining how turbine engines work, Integza created a replica of the turbine used by the infamous V-2 rocket. He had the main part fabricated by JLC3DP and then made a set of reduction gears to increase torque. The turbine spins when exposed to high-pressure gas.

A vacuum engine moves due to air pressure on one side of its piston and a partial vacuum on the other. The simplest example uses a flame on one side of the piston to create these conditions. W&M Levsha shows the process of making a working miniature of this kind of engine using brass, aluminum, and precision machining techniques.

The typical cordless drill operates on battery electric power. But in the hands of builder TimWelds, this everyday tool runs on nitromethane, methanol, and oil. Tim took one of Toyan’s working miniature V8 engines and retrofitted it to drive drill bits. The result is the loudest and most satisfying power drill we’ve seen.

This unique fidget spinner from MCA Studio features a mechanism inspired by the famed Wankel rotary engine. Like the engines found in some classic Mazda cars, it has a Reuleaux triangle that rotates in its center. Each is CNC machined from a combination of stainless steel and brass.

Think car engines are impressive? Watch and have your mind blown by the enormous B&W 2000 8-cylinder diesel engine as it starts up and its massive pistons move. HD1080ide posted footage of this engineering marvel that was the world’s largest engine from 1933 until the 1960s. It’s now permanently installed at Denmark’s Diesel House.

The guys at Garage 54 are usually doing unnatural things to cheap Russian cars. This time they decided to do something completely different and put a bunch of time and energy into casting and assembling a completely transparent 4-cylinder engine block. It looks fantastic, but can they actually get it to run?

When it comes to horsepower, more is always better, right? Maker and modder Peter Sripol decided to test that theory by attaching a ridiculous number of outboard motors to a miniature R/C boat. So at what point does the number of motors officially reach overkill… or does it ever?

Ian Jimmerson shows off a truly impressive wooden model he built that demonstrates the inner workings of a 9-cylinder radial engine, like the ones used on some older airplanes. It’s amazing how stable it is as it gets up to speed. Check out his in-depth explainer videos here and here.

Brick Technology showed off some LEGO engines that run on compressed air. This time, they tested some different configurations to see which ones could achieve the highest RPM, how to minimize vibrations, and even connected one to a miniature transmission with a working gear shifter.

This miniature V8 engine is the perfect desk accessory for any gearhead. GT Scientific uses a 5-axis CNC mill to machine the mini engine from aluminum. The center of the LS3-inspired block holds business cards, while the cylinders each hold a pen or pencil. They also make a smaller version for your keychain.

Dyson’s Supersonic hair dryer pushes more air and dries hair faster than most. Integza figured out a way to use its tiny and powerful motor to create a handheld jet engine. First, he had to use an industrial 3D printer to produce a metal case for his project. Then he injected fuel into its combustion chamber and ignited it.

Compressed air can pack an impressive amount of energy in a small space. Brick Technology shows off how it can power LEGO Technic engines, then moves on to a brick-built, remote-controlled semi that’s powered by compressed air in the tanks that it’s towing. The custom pneumatic parts came from Green Gecko Workshop.

DisagrEE makes these cool stainless steel keychains for car enthusiasts. Each one is cut in the shape of the head gasket from an engine. They have keychains based on sports cars from BMW, Subaru, VW, Audi, Mazda, and more, along with beefier designs inspired by big diesel engines from trucks.

Typical LEGO machines use motors to directly drive gears or belts. Brick Technology shows us how LEGO parts can be assembled to move pistons to move a crankshaft, which spins gears attached to a wheel or propeller. They start out with a 1-cylinder engine and gradually ramp it up to a 12-cylinder radial airplane engine.

Cars in racing games don’t have the most realistic-sounding engine sounds. AngeTheGreat’s Engine Simulator not only can replicate the mechanisms and physics of a car engine, but it also produces realistic procedurally-generated sounds. You can grab the source code for Windows on GitHub.

Warped Perception has made several project vehicles that incorporate small turbojet engines. For this video, he built a custom transparent housing for one of the jets so we can see exactly how it works to create thrust. Along the way, he offers a great layperson’s explanation of jet propulsion systems.

Charged with moving the pistons in and out, a crankshaft is like the beating heart of an engine. While crankshafts need to be finished by machining, they start by forging and stamping steel, then twisting the molten metal to form the journals and counterweights that comprise this critical car part.

Typical V8 car engines start around a 4-liter displacement and go up from there. On the other hand, this minuscule engine from Toyan has a 0.028-liter displacement. JohnnyQ90 shows of this amazing fully-functional miniature power plant that runs on nitromethane, the same stuff used to power top fuel dragsters.

A hero’s engine is a spherical device that spins using steam pushed through a pair of opposing jets. Jimmy Kimmel Live regular “Science Bob”​ Pflugfelder created this unique version of the hero’s engine that spins up rapidly as liquid nitrogen vapors create the necessary pressure to get it spinning fast.

The way that steam engines can propel things using boiling water is pretty amazing. This video from How It’s Made takes us inside a factory that makes radial steam engines and shows not only how they come together, but how they work.

This insane vehicle is basically a ride-on V8 engine. Created by the guys behind Boss Hoss Motorcycles, the Hoss Fly Barstool is powered by a 9.37-liter Chevy big-block V8 that makes 621 horsepower. You can build your own from a kit, or you can buy this one at Mecum’s 2022 Houston auction, which runs from 3.31 to 4.2.2022.

A normal turbo-jet engine runs entirely on ignited fuel. Integza built something a little different – a jet engine that uses an electric motor to spin its compressor. He made its main chambers out of empty butane cans, while its fuel source is a mix of butane and propane. Along the way, he built a low-budget spot welder.

After playing around with a gasoline-powered pogo stick you could buy in the 1970s, The Backyard Scientist wanted to see what other kinds of things you could add a gas engine to that don’t need one. So he took a tiny nitromethane-powered engine and revved up a desk fan, a USB charger, and a toothbrush.