# Engines for Dummies



## stpjokin1996 (Sep 21, 2009)

I must be crazy! I know absolutely nothing about engines, although I have recently become very interested in them! 
I am looking for a very simple engine design, I'm not sure if I care if it is steam, gas or other... I have been looking at car engines, and I think I understand how the engine works. But what happens after the engine does its thing? How does it make the wheels turn?

I am full of questions and am not sure how to go about finding the answers. I did see the post for the book, "Making Simple Model Steam Engine" by Stan Bray. Does anyone have any other suggestions so I don't ramble a sixteen page post of questions?

Thanks in advance for your help!
Stephanie


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## zeeprogrammer (Sep 21, 2009)

Welcome to the forum Stephanie!

Are you looking to build engines too?

Keep using the Internet. Read everything you can. There's a lot of stuff out there. I don't have a specific suggestion (my memory isn't what it used to be) but I'm sure a bunch of people will try to help. Keep looking.

And if you think you're going to do a build...keep it simple and grow from there.

Good luck! And tell us your progress!


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## stpjokin1996 (Sep 21, 2009)

Yes, Eventually I would like to build an engine, but I want to build a new type of engine. I have the idea in my head, but no knowledge to go with it! Thats why I was looking at the steam engines, they seem to have part of the technology I am looking for. I'm just not sure what other types of engines there are.


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## black85vette (Sep 21, 2009)

Stephanie:

Welcome. There is a wealth of information among the members here. Also on the web. At this site:

www.howstuffworks.com

There is information on all kinds of stuff. They have articles, videos and animations like this one on steam engines:

http://science.howstuffworks.com/steam.htm

Plus there is lots more on specific engines out there on the Internet. This is one of my favorites to understand the various types of engines and how they function:

http://www.animatedengines.com

Hope this helps.


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## stpjokin1996 (Sep 21, 2009)

Yes those site definitely help! I have one question left for now. ;D What kind of engines are in lawn mowers?

Thank you so much for all of your help and information!

Okay I lied. One more question, with a steam locomotive engine, how does the locomotive pick up speed if the valve slide is continuously moving at the same speed? (I think it's a the slide valve anyway)


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## tmuir (Sep 22, 2009)

stpjokin1996  said:
			
		

> Okay I lied. One more question, with a steam locomotive engine, how does the locomotive pick up speed if the valve slide is continuously moving at the same speed? (I think it's a the slide valve anyway)



I'll leave the lawn mower question to other people as I have limitted knowledge on IC engines but will answer your loco question.

The valve slide isn't continuously moving at the same speed. Its opening and closing is contolled by the linkages that are connected to the loco wheels. So as the steam pushes the piston it moves the wheel and this in turn moves the slide valves.
The faster the wheels move the faster the slide valve moves.


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## spazman_77 (Sep 22, 2009)

welcome to the the site and you might wanna look here http://www.instructables.com/ do a search for stream engine and its full of neat stuff


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## NickG (Sep 22, 2009)

Stephanie,

Modern lawn mowers have 4 stroke petrol engines ... same as a car engine but usually just 1 cylinder.

Look at some of the oscillating or wobbler steam engine designs, it's a good starting point and easy to understand.

Going back to your original question, the engine in a car is connected to a gear box via a friction clutch (lets you disengage the drive from the engine to change gear then re-engage). The drive is then transmitted through a differential to the drive shafts which have the wheels on them. (this allows the wheels to rotate at different speeds when going around a corner ... when going around a left hand bend for example, the left wheel will be rotating more slowly because it's going around an arc of a smaller radius than the right hand wheel!)

Nick


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 22, 2009)

stepphanie:
Welcome. there are many engine prints out there suitable for a beginer. 
the Mccabe runner is good look here. 
 http://npmccabe.tripod.com/steam.htm
another simple oscillator is 

http://www.littlemachineshop.com/Projects/OscillatingEngine.php
some real basics here.
http://www.animatedengines.com/index.shtml

And lots of reading here
you will have to search a bit but lots of good stuff on machining and engines. 
http://www.archive.org/index.php
Where are you attending an engine show or Model engineering show can be very informative.
Tin


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## stpjokin1996 (Sep 22, 2009)

NickG  said:
			
		

> Stephanie,
> 
> Modern lawn mowers have 4 stroke petrol engines ... same as a car engine but usually just 1 cylinder.
> 
> ...



Okay, so I know the engine goes by combustion, how does that energy transfer all the way to the wheels? Gears? Electricity? Gum?


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## Maryak (Sep 23, 2009)

Steph,

The power from the engine is transmitted to the wheels by a gearbox, (because at low rpm an IC engine has low torque), and then a differential, which allows for one wheel to slow down/speed up when cornering, (each drive wheel is on a different radius so for the vehicle to stay in one piece on wheel has to travel further than the other).

Hope this helps.

Best Regards
Bob


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 23, 2009)

> Okay, so I know the engine goes by combustion, how does that energy transfer all the way to the wheels? Gears? Electricity? Gum?


the transmission is a gear box then you have a drive shaft with u joints then the rear.
maybe this will help
how a differential works
http://www.archive.org/details/Aroundth1937
Tin


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## Jadecy (Sep 23, 2009)

I very simplified view of this is the bicycle. On a bicycle you are the power source (ie. engine), The petals are the link from the engine (you) to the drive train, and the chain and sprockets are the transmission that drives the wheel.

In a standard automotive transmission the engine is linked to the transmission by a friction disc between two metal plates. In an automatic transmission the engine is linked to the transmission by fluid in a torque converter. There is a lot more to a modern automatic transmission than the standard (aka stick shift) transmission. In an old style go-kart clutch centrifgul force is used to make the shoes lock against the drum which drives a sprocked which in turn drives a chain that drives another sprocket that is attached to the drive wheel.


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## gbritnell (Sep 23, 2009)

Go to the site, How Stuff Works, and type in internal combustion engine or automobile engine. Along with this you can type in transmission or automatic transmission. There is a wealth of information on that site along with animated clips.
gbritnell


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 23, 2009)

Stephanie:
There are actually many ways of transmitting the energy from the engine to the wheels. 
Mechanical 
gears 
pulleys and belt
chain and sprocket
gears and shafting
etc
Electrical
the engine drives a generator the wheels are driven by electric motors 
common application diesel electric locomotive

Hydraulic 
motor/engine drives a hydraulic pump the wheels are driven by hydraulic motors. 
I have seen this done not sure of a common application. 
In a model a piece of silicone hose can be used to transfer energy from an engine to say a prop shaft. 
Engineering can be as complex or simple as one makes it depending on the needs and application.
Tin


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## stpjokin1996 (Sep 25, 2009)

I have a plan in my head. (scary I know) How do I make what I need? I don't think I will find what I am looking for on line, I'm not even sure there is one still in existence. (Ultimately I want a model 735 Stanley) Can I make these parts on my own? What is the best way to proceed?  As a side note, I'm not rich (yet), and I do not have any tools except a saw, drill, and soldering iron.

Suggestions?

Thank you!


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 25, 2009)

Stephanie:
for starters here are plans for a model engine that can be built with hand tools. 

http://npmccabe.tripod.com/olddesign.htm


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## joe d (Sep 26, 2009)

Stephanie

Here's another one that requires only hand tools

here

Cheers. Joe


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 26, 2009)

Stephanie:



> I have a plan in my head.



First of all we need to get that plan out of your head and in a format the rest of us can understand.
There is a good drawing program that allows one to sketch in 3-D called alibre CAD. This program will allow you make parts on the computer then assemble the parts. The license for this program was almost a thousand bucks but they have been running a special for the last month or so you can get a license for $99. Myself and several other members of the board took advantage of this deal it is only on for two more days. So if interested act now. What the price is next week I do not know. 
This will not give animation of an assembly but will give a 3-D computer model and will make construction drawings.
http://www.alibre.com/




> How do I make what I need?



What do you need? We need to break this down to specifics.



> (Ultimately I want a model 735 Stanley)



Now we have some direction but a monumental task. Probably a 10 year project. 




> Can I make these parts on my own?



With the proper tools or often improvised ones and the skills to use them  people can make anything from a gold ring to a Boeing 747 scace shuttle ocean liner.... .What you make is up to you !!

To build something like a car either full sized or a model you will likely in time need to assemble a machine shop need a welder and need the skills to operate all the needed tools. 

First of all if you could give us a brief intro bio of yourself in the welcome section that would help us help you are you an engineering student ? Where do you live we are not looking for address but if we had some Idea of city state country.



probably start by getting your Ideas on paper/in the computer in the mean time build a simple steam engine with hand tools. 

Tin


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## tmuir (Sep 26, 2009)

A lathe definitely makes it easier but you can get away with one.
Have a look here at this engine that was made just using a drill and hand tools.

http://www.freewebs.com/mamodsteam/otherengines.htm


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 26, 2009)

Stephanie:
Unfortunately we have been experiencing some technical difficulties with the boards data base. One that is fixed you will find lots of info here to browse. You can see all the neat things people here have made and see photos of the home shops where these items are built and pictures of the various machine tools . Right now you can only see the proverbial tip of the iceberg. 


There are videos here that can give you a lot of machineshop basics. 
http://techtv.mit.edu/genres/24-how-to/videos/142-machine-shop-1
The machines here are larger than found in most home model building shops but the basis are the same.
Tin


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## Kermit (Sep 26, 2009)

http://www.stanleymotorcarriage.com/


I see what you are after now...nice car. flash tube boiler in those things if I recall right. Very safe. Not much chance of blowing those.


Welcome to the forums Stephanie,
Kermit


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## Tin Falcon (Sep 26, 2009)

some general auto info

Here

and here
http://www.archive.org/details/machinestoolsmet00owenrich

also here
http://books.google.com/books?id=unJqyHsD_lUC&oe=UTF-8
This may help
Tin


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## stpjokin1996 (Oct 4, 2009)

I know I was asked to put this in the welcome section, but I never do what I am told! 

I have the schematic, blue prints or whatever you want to call them for the 1903 (i think) Stanley Steamer. I have read up on how the engine works and it's pretty basic, compared to today's autos. My thought process is this...

People today steer away from the hybrid cars because they don't provide enough power. The Stanley Steamer was clocked at 150 miles per hour. (That was, of course, right before it crashed.) So it seems that that engine was pretty powerful in it's day. It was safe there was never a record of an explotion. And the model I am looking at actually had the throttle attached to the boiler, which in my mind/ idea works perfectly. I will go to the website you seggested and attempt to get a drawing of my idea for everyone to look at.
Sorry I veer off track from time to time...
So my thought process is this, if I can take that technology and apply it even to the ATVs, dune buggies etc, just slightly modified so it didn't need a down time to start up. The whole lets go green thing would be possible at least for smaller vehicles. I doubt my idea would ever make it to the regular car market, but my husband is all sorts of excited to ride in a dune buggy that can go 150 mile per hour. So I guess my ultimate goal here is to create a vehicle that can kill my husband! lol I just want to attempt to build my idea, if it doesn't work, I'll try again. If it does work I will rip the engine out of my car and put my invention in! (I have a little fiber glass car, it'll work right?)

Here is my thoughts on how to build my model. I don't have a lathe or any machine shop tools. I do have a drill, and that's about it. I would like to start with PVC piping as my connectors, ultimately I would like to use metal but I have no way to bend and form metal unless I drive my car over it. Which could be fun and entertaining in itself. 
Could I use PVC for my model, or is it just going to explode under pressure?

Thanks for listening to my babble!

Stephanie

ps whoever said 10 year project can we attempt to cut that down to 5? I don't want the body just what's under the hood!


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## Tin Falcon (Oct 4, 2009)

> I have the schematic, blue prints or whatever you want to call them for the 1903 (i think) Stanley Steamer.


An excellent starting point. 



> People today steer away from the hybrid cars because they don't provide enough power. The Stanley Steamer was clocked at 150 miles per hour.


You may be confusing power with acceleration. .Work is *force* times distance (assumes constant force). power is work /time. 
Acceleration is the change in velocity/change in time.People want to mash on the gas pedal and be pushed into there seats. that is where steam and hybrids fall short of the IC engines. 


> Could I use PVC for my model, or is it just going to explode under pressure?


 PVC is not a good idea it is not going to hold up to the heat and pressure of steam. We do not want you to kill yourself before you build the car so your husband can kill himself . I mean we do not anyone getting hurt or killed !!!!



> whoever said 10 year project can we attempt to cut that down to 5? I don't want the body just what's under the hood!


just building the boiler and engine you may be able to cut it down . Your project your pace depending on how you approach it and the help you get. 


you will need a boiler 
http://www.dangerouslaboratories.org/genboiler.html

What are you planning on using for fuel. That will determine burner design. wood propane gasoline ???

And last but not least your engine. you may want to consider modifying an engine rather than a scratch build. Maybe an old Subaru engine and replace or rebuild the heads?
You will need a way to regulate burner output as well as steam pressure /flow into the engine. 
What you must do do safely. Do your homework. 
Hope this helps 
Tin


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