Brian Builds the Kerzel Hit and Miss I.C.

[Brian Rupnow]

Surprise--Surprise!!!! I am tearing down the Kerzel engine and removing the brass main bearings to replace them with roller bearings. As I carefully marked and dismantled everything and made notes to help reassemble all the parts correctly, I got a surprise. Remember how the crankshaft was made from 3/8" diameter stock, with 7/16" sleeves loctited over it in the bearing area.--Well today when I got it stripped down to the crankshaft, I see that one side of the crank has been behaving the way I expected and rotating in the brass bushing. BUT--On the timing gear side, the sleeve had frozen inside the brass bushing, and the steel crankshaft was rotating inside the steel sleeve which was supposed to be loctited to it!!! Thanks to my oilers, it has at least had a good supply of oil all the time it was running and there is only a minor bit of galling on the crankshaft on that side. These little engines keep surprising me in the strangest ways----

 

[NickG]

Brian,

That's working really well now and the bearings can only improve it further. As you say, I don't think you can really go any further without making the flywheels heavier or rather than heavier, bigger so there's a higher moment of inertia. But then again, as you illuded to, is the 3/4" bore big enough to power larger flywheels. :bow:

Nick

 

[Wrist Pin]

What a long, strange trip it's been!
I have just finished this thread from start to finish. It has taken me a week chewing it up in stolen minutes here and there. I am utterly amazed at what I have read and seen on video!

Brian
I can't thank you enough for letting us follow you on this journey. If the engine ran right from the start, so much information would not have been posted. I felt your pain as you can up on disappointments and rejoiced as you overcame them. So many others had such great suggestions.

Personally, I never thought I would try building an IC engine from scratch. The valves were something I just didn't want to try. Now, after reading this, it is something I wouldn't be afraid to tackle. There is one of these in my future now.

To everyone
I am so glad I found this site and this thread. The combined knowledge and the willingness to help is commendable. I have no hesitation to tackle any engine now. Knowing that there is a vast reservoir of guidance I can tap into is very comforting. Although fishing season is beginning and I will be out of the shop until fall, I will be back, asking questions and seeking wisdom, as I build these wonderful little machines that have all of us so entranced.
Jim

 

[bearcar1]

How's that roller bearing addition working out Brian? I imagine that you have been busy with 'real' work and have not had much opportunity to tinker with the Kerzel.

BC1
Jim

 

[Brian Rupnow]

The Kerzel is running just wonderful!!! The roller bearings did help a lot. I start it up every 2 or 3 days just to listen to it. I have been toying with the thought of machining a steel ring to press over the existing flywheels to give it just a little more revolving mass to carry it further between "hits", but it runs so darn good I really hate to mess with it. As far as "real" work is concerned, I seem to be in another drought, and its not just me. I know a few other folks who do what I do professionally, and they are all very slow too.

 

[bearcar1]

That is so cool! Thanks Brian. The Kerzel sure does seem to be enjoying those new bearings. ;D

BC1
Jim

 

[simister]

Good point, Metal Butcher---I've got a brand new 1/2" ball nose end mill I've never used yet!!!

Brian, did you use the ball nose when you made the base plate? I am not quite sure how to machine that radius.

John

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Simister--I don't know what you are talking about. The baseplate is just a rectangular piece of aluminum plate.

 

[simister]

Brian, I have just found your modified drawing of the baseplate and that has answered my queries. I have decided to build this engine. I am just reading and ingesting all the information before I start.

Your posts on the building of this engine are going to be a great help - thanks,

John

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Simister--I wish you all the luck in the world. As you can see from my build thread, the Kerzel pretty near kicked my butt. It was my second i.c. engine, the Webster being my first.---Brian

 

[simister]

Brian, It worries me when you say it near kicked your butt. I am very new to this and I don't want to take anything on that could be beyond my capabilities.

Is it an engine you would suggest after the Webster or something else?

John

 

[Brian Rupnow]

Simister---It is exactly the engine you should build next. Remember--It was six years ago when I built this engine, and my engine building skills were brand new too. If you got your Webster to run, then you should proceed with the Kerzel.

 

[simister]

Thanks Brian,

The Kerzel it is.

John

 

[simon_rowley]

Hi Brian,

I have just spend an interesting few hours reading your HIMEM thread "Brian Builds the Kerzel Hit and Miss I.C.". It must be a distant memory now but hopefully a good one.

I do voluntary work for local schools and museums such as Blist Hill, Ironbridge in the English Midlands. A regular session I hold is "Build a Steam Engine" which is popular with the kids (including those not so young in years!) in the hope that some of them will go on to become engineers. I find it sad that my country that produced the likes or Watt, Stephenson and Brunel now has such a chronic shortage of real engineers.

I would like to move on from steam engines and the Kerzel Hit and Miss Engine seems a good option. To that end I need to produce around 20 engine part sets that just bolt together and, with a bit of tweaking, work - which is of course what you eventually achieved.

Do you think this is realistic?

If so, would you be able to let me have the last/latest drawings that incorporate your considerable build learning and improvements on David Kerzel's original drawings? Also your 3D CAD files which will save me time setting up the CNC machines and potentially castings.

All the best

Simon

 

[xpylonracer]

Hi Simon

The Kerzel engine plans were available FOC from this forum I think, simple job to make the 3D drawings and CAD/CAM files to suit the machines you intend to use for machining.

xpylonracer

 

[Brian Rupnow]

I sent Simon all of my cad files this afternoon.---Brian