How many parts in an engine?

[Nigel Taylor]

I was thinking how many parts in a model engine...so I had a look at a few examples, I will try and add some more examples:

A simple oscillating steam engine (such as a Mamod) has less than 10 parts, although this could be reduced as the crank is pushed together from 3 parts.

My simple oscillating engine has 20 parts, but then add fixings, pipes etc and this has a total of 50 parts:

However, take a look at this Wright radial engine made by Ken-ichi Tsuzuki:

This has over 1500 parts. This takes skill and stamina to make.

 

[Nigel Taylor]

My simplified oscillating engine is now running quite smoothly.

 

[marcros]

that radial engine looks amazing.

 

[Adam W.]

I'd say.

 

[chaoticbob]

I was thinking how many parts in a model engine...so I had a look at a few examples, I will try and add some more examples:

A simple oscillating steam engine (such as a Mamod) has less than 10 parts, although this could be reduced as the crank is pushed together from 3 parts.

My simple oscillating engine has 20 parts, but then add fixings, pipes etc and this has a total of 50 parts:

However, take a look at this Wright radial engine made by Ken-ichi Tsuzuki:

This has over 1500 parts. This takes skill and stamina to make.

Not an engine, but this has 7000 parts - - it took the guy 16 years to make it apparently. Skill and stamina iideed! Pointless in a way, but rather beautiful. I wonder how I'd feel if I'd put that time into making something. A bit empty when it was finished I suspect.

Rob

 

[Fergie 307]

Not an engine, but this has 7000 parts - - it took the guy 16 years to make it apparently. Skill and stamina iideed! Pointless in a way, but rather beautiful. I wonder how I'd feel if I'd put that time into making something. A bit empty when it was finished I suspect.

Rob

Must show that to the boss, she will never complain about my watch making again!

 

[Fergie 307]

In answer to the original question a simple two stroke engine as you find in your strimmer or similar only has essentially three moving parts, crankshaft, con rod and piston, probably the simplest internal combustion engine there is.

 

[Nigel Taylor]

In answer to the original question a simple two stroke engine as you find in your strimmer or similar only has essentially three moving parts, crankshaft, con rod and piston, probably the simplest internal combustion engine there is.

Quite a lot of parts still even in a two stroke. A glow plug engine is probably the simplest:

1. crankcase
2. bearing - assume phosphor bronze so just one piece
3. rear crankcase cover
4. crankshaft
5. thrust washer (keyed to crankshaft)
6. washer + nut to clamp propeller or flywheel
7. conrod
8. conrod main bearing - phosphor bronze
9. piston
10. gudgeon pin
11. gudgeon pin clip
12. gudgeon pin clip
13. cylinder liner
14. cylinder head
15. glow plug
16. soft copper washer
17. carburetor body
18. carburetor butterfly
19. needle body
20. needle valve
21. needle spring or friction spring
22. silencer
23. ~8 bolts to fix head and rear crankcase cover
24. 2 bolts for silencer

So, I think there are around 20 parts and with fixings around 30 parts. I'm sure I've missed some......

 

[Fergie 307]

Not my thing but I had thought most glow plug engines are two strokes aren't they? Parts count pretty much the same, If you are looking at a simple two stroke without valves, variable ports etc.
I suppose it depends what we call an engine. If you look at something like a pulse or ram jet, it can have no moving parts at all, really just a cleverly shaped tube. Interesting that Walter Kaaden, probably the most important man in the history of the two stroke engine, was one of the team who designed the pulse jet used in the V1 flying bomb. That's where his knowledge of gas flow etc came from, and enabled him to come up with the expansion chamber exhaust which still bears his name, as well as a variety of other ideas still in use today.

 

[Spectric]

That is what you call model engineering, small and precise. I wonder if he will tackle the 18 cylinder Wright engine the R3350 or the 18 cylinder Napier Deltic which might be easier as it has no valves being a supercharged two stroke but with three crankshafts.

 

[Craig22]

The biggest thing I tackled was rebuilding a Jaguar V12 engine. That had a LOT of parts!