The "Tiny Inline 4" is a 4 Stroke, 4 Cylinder, OHV, Spark Ignition, Splash Lubrication, Water Cooled, Gas engine. It runs on either Gasoline or Coleman Camping Fuel. The bore is .375" and the Stroke is .500". The camshaft has a 260 Degree Duration, and .041" lift. The valves face measure .156" in diameter. This gives it an RPM range of 2500RPM @ Idle, to over 9000 RPM on a free run. Plans Available Here
This Engine took 7 months worth of "Free Time" from concept to a running engine. Then there was a couple months of refining to get her in good running shape. With the Plans I will have a full year invested in this engine. I have found it to be a good, reliable engine, and to boast a little bit, it was chosen as the "June Project Of The Month" at HomeModelEngineMachinist.com in 2011.
The TI4 can be built using small hobby size manual machines, and is designed to use Viton O-Rings for piston rings. It is a great engine for someone with experience in Steam and Stirling engines. The plans were made with the hobby machinist in mind, and would be a great first multi-cylinder IC engine project. The small size keeps cost down. The largest piece is the block which can be machined out of a 1 3/4" Square bar of Aluminum, 3 1/2" Long. The Head is solid brass 3/8" thick, and can be described as nothing more than a rectangular bar with a bunch of holes drilled in it. The plans include detailed descriptions of some of the machining aspects, and a full write up on how to make a camshaft the easy way.
This Engine took 7 months worth of "Free Time" from concept to a running engine. Then there was a couple months of refining to get her in good running shape. With the Plans I will have a full year invested in this engine. I have found it to be a good, reliable engine, and to boast a little bit, it was chosen as the "June Project Of The Month" at HomeModelEngineMachinist.com in 2011.
The TI4 can be built using small hobby size manual machines, and is designed to use Viton O-Rings for piston rings. It is a great engine for someone with experience in Steam and Stirling engines. The plans were made with the hobby machinist in mind, and would be a great first multi-cylinder IC engine project. The small size keeps cost down. The largest piece is the block which can be machined out of a 1 3/4" Square bar of Aluminum, 3 1/2" Long. The Head is solid brass 3/8" thick, and can be described as nothing more than a rectangular bar with a bunch of holes drilled in it. The plans include detailed descriptions of some of the machining aspects, and a full write up on how to make a camshaft the easy way.
Power Output Chart
Revised Chart Showing ft/lbs and comparison of o-rings vs. lapped pistons
The Power Output of this engine was taken using a "Prony Brake" (Video Below) This is an actual measurement of torque, and not a formula of bore, stroke, and displacement like R/C Nitro Engine manufactures use.
The Dotted Lines represent the original design using Viton O-rings on the pistons. The o-rings are much more forgiving for a novice builder, and this is what is include in the plans.
The Solid Lines represent the engine built with lapped pistons of the same bore. This is an option that can easily be adopted into this design, depending on the builders prior experience and skill level.
This data was taken using all the dimensions found in the plans. There is enough room in the block to increase the size of the bore from 3/8" up to 1/2". The power output would dramatically increase if made with a larger bore.
Even with the numbers on the original engine design, there is a enough power to mount this engine in a Radio Controlled car and still have some fun.
The Dotted Lines represent the original design using Viton O-rings on the pistons. The o-rings are much more forgiving for a novice builder, and this is what is include in the plans.
The Solid Lines represent the engine built with lapped pistons of the same bore. This is an option that can easily be adopted into this design, depending on the builders prior experience and skill level.
This data was taken using all the dimensions found in the plans. There is enough room in the block to increase the size of the bore from 3/8" up to 1/2". The power output would dramatically increase if made with a larger bore.
Even with the numbers on the original engine design, there is a enough power to mount this engine in a Radio Controlled car and still have some fun.
NOTE: The plans do not include drawings for installation in an R/C car.