DIY aluminum pistons out of melted drink cans, spoons etc.

Grab some G54 merch here - www.en.garage54.ru/
We've already tried wood, steel, plastic, and this time we're throwing the kitchen sink at homemade piston project number four.
For business inquiries: [e-mail]

[@Hjominbonrun]

what is amazing is the titles of these videos. Never clickbait, not even once.

[@terasestHammasratas]

one could argue, that the april 1st videos were a bit clickbaity, but I agree with you

[@jcdenton166]

@@terasestHammasratas I wonder why..

[@terasestHammasratas]

@@jcdenton166 me too...

[@mashedpotatoes5323]

Their drift channel is pure clickbait nonsense for smooth brains that like to look at boobie

[@guily6669]

Hell yeah, it could even be a car made fully out of paper and they would nail it 😁😎

[@DarkestVampire92]

I live for the day where they assemble their home-made components into an entire car. They've basically built every piece of a car by themselves at this point.

[@gamepassgamer3755]

The real goal here

[@sddirt6840]

That's everyday russia

[@herbhero9881]

LADA

[@JMdDesign]

True story 😁

[@Wreckedftfoxy]

its possible to make an engine yourself

[@paulg444]

I love this channel, right after it stalls, and he knows there is big trouble , he guns it onto the highway !!!.. The guy is a legend in the field of "destructive testing" !!

[@GhostRyderFPV]

Wanted to Hire: Mechanic, certified on Lada platforms, engines, suspensions, etc. Other duties may include: Melting aluminum to cast pistons, swap carburetors with a fuel injector, install razor discs as wheels, weld rebar into orbs, ...you know, typical mechanic shit.

[@paradiselost9946]

i would have continued my apprenticeship. bit shite, just doing oil changes and rebuilds on below award wages.

[@Thunderstormworld]

You mean looking for a Master mechanic like me, do everything that ordinary mechanics can't do.

[@magyaradam]

​@paradiselost9946 what are the award wages for that?

[@paradiselost9946]

@@magyaradam who knows but roughly 4.50/hr seemed a bit ripe... about 170 after tax. not enough to live on. 2001. not 1974... changed a bit now. still... apprentice hundred years ago did it for free...

[@1NIGHTMAREGAMER]

i would love to see copper pistons or brass

[@krazykyle393]

Yesss

[@NGPCO.]

I agree!

[@SwapBlogRU]

Are they less prone to heat expansion?

[@bradleytrott6735]

Or would like to see how long electrical solder would last

[@ShikyoGryfyn]

Maybe carbon fiber as well

[@petej.8676]

When your out driving i find myself looking at the backdrop scenery....the buildings...people..trying to see your world..i find it very interesting ..it draws me in...✌️

[@99domini99]

I've lived in Bulgaria for two weeks, these countries definitely give off a nice vibe if you ask me. The people there were very nice as well. It feels much more like "living" there compared to the Western countries. Lots of small shops instead of huge supermarkets, lots of privately owned hobby shops. Even though a lot of areas are quite run down, it does give me a comfy feeling.

[@mickmcgood6543]

@@99domini99 That's a cool comment. I find myself in the remote Solomon Islands complaining about the stuff I can't buy. That attitude might help.

[@99domini99]

@@mickmcgood6543 I definitely think it will! In my short experience, these Eastern counties have a much bigger “we’re in this together” attitude compared to the fairly selfish attitude in Western countries. Finances there aren’t great, people help each other and there is a strong feeling of community. If you buy something in a shop there, instead of feeding a mega corporation you feel more like you just helped the small shop owner afford a living. Prices are fair and equal. The country ain’t great and the government is corrupt, so we’re in for it together. A town feels like a community instead of a bunch of individuals who happen to live near each other. While life there isn’t great, they make the best of what they got. The power of those people there is something us Westeners could learn something from. No matter how crap things are, build something beautiful from it. I’m sad that my ties with the Bulgarian family I stayed with were cut, I’d love to live there again for some time. If any of the family I stayed with reads this, I hope you’re doing well!

[@markchapman2585]

Wife, I'll be ready in 10 min. One Garage 54 video later. Awesome video guys you guy are smart. Love your work well done 👏

[@aliwilliams9184]

Gotta love these blokes, no clicobait title & they get to the point straight away without any delays.

[@asafgl4281]

I think the problem is that you didn't drill 1.5mm holes in the groove of the oil ring, that need to let the oil spraying go through the piston wall to the cylinder wall , so there was no oil at the ring system, just left over of spraying at the side of cylinder close to oil pan...

[@SinsBird]

The reason why they failed was that the top of the piston was way too wide and it seized in the bore when heated up.

[@asafgl4281]

@@SinsBird true, but also what i have mentioned

[@jckrieger]

You also need some extra clearance on the pin axis of the piston so it doesn't bind when it tilts during each cycle.

[@luvincste]

they said they were going to 🤷‍♂

[@asafgl4281]

@@luvincste they said but didn't execute

[@keeperofthegood]

You know, you guys are close, so very close. If it was metal expansion, do it again with different machining. 150ish grams weight difference could be an issue. If there is a higher risk of cylinder to wall contact, use more oil passages or larger oil passages. So very close guys, keep going :D

[@henkipenki3127]

If you have watched "the worlds fastest Indian" he made his own pistons from old pistons. 2 of Ford and 1 of Chevy was his recipe.

[@timjohnun4297]

I suspect the shape is the problem. Regular pistons I believe, are machined at operating temperature, which makes them slightly oval in shape at room temps. The reason being is that they will expand further in one direction than the other as they warm up, due to the amount of metal around the pin hole. They are also normally slightly barrel shaped. If these guys could replicate that I think their pistons may work. Well, when I say "Work"...I mean work for a bit longer than they did lol

[@timjohnun4297]

Edit: They are cam ground oval shaped below the bottom ring land, but I think machining them while they are hot could produce the same result. Difficult to do but not as difficult as cam grinding them lol. The gudgeon pin holes are usually offset slightly towards the passenger side of the car, too, to keep the piston straight in the bore, counteracting the tendency for the piston to want to tip over that way due to the angle of the connecting rod at the top of the power stroke

[@guily6669]

I wish they were properly centered and had the same weight too.

[@user-jb9nb7gz7o]

@@henkipenki3127 where is vid

[@-A-Hybrid-Skunk-Productions-]

This was an epic video. I'm very very impressed at how long these Garage 54 Special Pistons lasted. Super super impressive. And the abuse those Ladas go through. Wow. Talk about a whole "Lada" quality. I get the feeling a whole lot better quality than many vehicles built in the states.

[@LeapFrog_Radio]

That last sentence is laughable

[@-A-Hybrid-Skunk-Productions-]

@@LeapFrog_Radio I'm going by my experience. All the new vehicles in the states is pretty much junk, you get a lil fender bender or the engine or transmission goes out, you might as well scrap your perfectly good car and get another one no matter how good your car with the bad motor or transmission or small fender bender is. I prefer the old school classic car. They friggin last forever and they are easier and cheaper to fix. I have a 1991 Chevrolet Geo Metro Lsi, original 3 cylinder motor. It's worn slap out but it never failed to start and take me wherever I wanted to go. Original transmission worn out and was replaced with a couple defective transmissions but the third one I got worked perfectly. I have plans to get the convertible top and hardware replaced and get my windshield replaced. When to motor goes out fully if there is no block damage that can't be fixed, I will have to motor rebuilt, and of I can't have the motor rebuilt I'll get a used or remanufactured one. Oh and as an added bonus even though my motor is worn slap out I still get good fuel millage for the worness of the engine.

[@lastcent5140]

unfortunately its also a case of survivor bias

[@-A-Hybrid-Skunk-Productions-]

@@lastcent5140 Survivor Bias? I am afraid I don't understand what you mean. Can you, elaborate, please?

[@lastcent5140]

@@-A-Hybrid-Skunk-Productions- I mean that anything old that you see getting around still probably makes all old things seem great, but its just that they had good quality builds that didnt break, and ones that didnt were already scrapped. applies to stuff like aircons, fridges, cars, you name it

[@TheMrDarius]

I love watching you guys machine the aluminum.

[@GhostRyderFPV]

Imagine the kid who changed your oil last time using a lathe and milling machine lol

[@TheMrDarius]

@@GhostRyderFPV hey I never said anything about it being great I just love watching it lol

[@eamh2002]

These guys will save their whole city from the parts shortage some clowns have made :) Keep it going, cheers from Finland 💪

[@serpent213]

Wisdom and skills will become valuable again. 🙂

[@twoeightythreez]

I admire how they managed not to mix up which was which after removing the cans 😂 This channel always entertains! I second notion to build an entire Lada out of homemade parts

[@Colorado_Native]

"It runs! That's quite nice." Gotta love it.

[@TrueBlueEG8]

I love how the lads get it done, men in sheds rule the world.

[@Jamespennington71]

Can we all just mention how great the editing on this video was during the piston melting montage? It was beat matched awesomely!

[@Choochinc]

Clearances on the top were too tight and with thermal expansion they were seizing in the bores. Crazy that it still held together though. Especially given the very simple casting methods. Shave a tiny bit off the top area circumference and it would work fine.

[@kasuraga]

I can't remember, but aren't pistons machined with a certain amount of taper because of this?

[@dominpl]

Yes. They could do it eaisly on lathe, don't know why the didn't.

[@timjohnun4297]

@@kasuraga Yes, they are generally widest at the point just below the oil ring. Above and below has a slight taper. They are also machined slightly oval shaped, because of the amount of metal around the pin hole. This could be replicated by machining them at operating temperature, rather than room temperature

[@simontist]

​​​@@timjohnun4297 at operating temperature wouldn't the whole thing just be equally bigger? In actual operation the temperature is not uniform (hotter at the top)... This would be hard to replicate..

[@anonymously241]

Pistons are not perfectly round

[@BinneReitsma]

Cooling is one of the most important things, keep everything as hot as possible for as long as possible so everything will settle as nicely as possible.

[@christophermarshall5765]

The pistons needed to be a few thou smaller near the crown, slightly wider ring grooves, & polished.

[@SinsBird]

Up to 20 thou (0.5 mm) smaller.

[@christophermarshall5765]

@@SinsBird exactly.

[@carwashadamcooper1538]

not only, also they must be heat treated to align the crystallin structure of the aluminum. it will help immensely with thermal expansion.

[@sgottoboni]

Custom pistons did very well. 107% success. It still ran.

[@davekauffman8727]

Vlad, your crew are very talented machinists with excellent engineering qualities, hats off to all of you!

[@rfiskillingussoftly6568]

I can't believe the piston damaged the cylinder! Lol Great video guys!

[@SwapBlogRU]

IKR)

[@robertwest3093]

A couple more thousandths of an inch clearance and you may have pulled this off without a hitch. This is a total win! To cast aluminum ingots out of various types of aluminum and then machine them on old equipment and nothing blew apart is definitely a win.

[@Thunderstormworld]

Also note pistons isn't perfectly round, they are very slightly oval where the gudgeon pins ( conrod pins) is it's diameter is less for expansion of the metal. Note too that the holes for the conrod pins isn't center but a fraction off center for the power stroke. This is why there is damage in those areas of the piston.

[@nagyandras8857]

When i was a kid we did this with some bike engine. Got 2 broke pistons for reference. To have a cone shape , the piston we created has been heated up and kept warm , while on the lathe. And when it cools down , you will get the perfect shape. Give it a go.

[@honda2363]

My kind of video! Love this channel! Never clickbait!

[@whitesapphire5865]

I'm impressed by how long the marker pen lasted - You could still read it when the pistons were removed! Now.... How about making pistons out of the aluminium from medical grade walking sticks and Zimmer frames? That is a particular good grade of alloy, and is harder than common junk stuff.

[@brandonzilka1274]

Praying for the expansion families tonight that they would be able to enjoy the blessings of the outdoors in this region as I have.

[@nigelcarren]

All those cans and not one gram of sugar! RESPECT. You folks have a CRAZY skill set! 👍🏆🇬🇧

[@ArvineHarry]

Pistons are designed to be slightly less diameter across the piston pin than 90 degrees from piston pin, reason for this, with heat the area around the piston pin expands more hence the sticking when hot...the exact diameter is factored into how much expansion for how thick the material and for temperature it will endure so the piston becomes circular when at operating temperature... Factory spec calls procedure " cam ground"

[@laharl2k]

you should try phosphorous bronze, like the one used to make bushings. Also to get better clearances i guess you could preheat the piston to about 100°C while machining it so that youll get those clearances even even the engine is hot

[@jasonpeace1991]

You don't need to heat it up just look up the thermal expansion and calculate it Or if you really don't want to do math measure them at 100c machining them at 100c would be a nasty way to go

[@laharl2k]

@@jasonpeace1991 but these are 4 difference materials. They are different aluminium alloys. The one made from the rim parts most likely contains a lot of silicon which is used to reduce themal expansion, thats why that one was the one that didnt cave in once cooled. You dont have a number for these materials, youd have to measure it yourself.

[@joshuagibson2520]

I hope I wake up tomorrow being a hack daddy deluxe. Just like my hero Vlad.

[@twoeightythreez]

I would love to see these guys cast a Lada based V-8 block (use old recycled aluminum to keep weight down)! You could make the molds out of cut down Lada 4cyl blocks! Use all Lada 4cyl parts like cams , heads, and pistons. Yeah you may have to make a crank shaft but thats well within your capabilities. Perhaps you could simply machine lada rods to share a (modified) crank journal and then u could possibly keep the stock crank, too! Allow yourself ONE cheat (just acquire a standard V-8 distributor and adapt it so you wont have ignition issues) Then burn rubber :)

[@SonicBoone56]

One of the best Garage 54 videos yet.

[@GHOOGLEMALE]

Brilliant, simply brilliant - and such engineering skills on that lathe

[@christinenevistiuk7906]

Really like this episode. When you make your own parts that work or don’t work . Is just great !!!!!

[@miztatone918]

Honestly they held up better than expected, I'd machine them down a tad smaller for better clearance or taper them by grinding them down

[@SG-wp6sg]

It had to be a clearance issue, the one from an old piston received damage too i suppose. Nice experiment, it shows if u play with the mix like adding scrap magesium and nickel to the cans they could be effective

[@SinsBird]

It was.

[@XxTWMLxX]

Is it just me, or does anyone else wanna buy one of the pistons for decor. Would be cool to see these kinds of things on the merch store after experiments.

[@pidscalnybrad]

Keep up the good work guys, big fan of your channel over here in Ontario Canada

[@johnwilson1794]

Pistons need to be cam ground, that is smaller diameter at the top near the crown and larger at the skirt to allow for expansion.

[@arnoldm889]

ceramic pistons would be cool

[@gabrieljordan9977]

That a good one since ceramic is very heat resistance so very little to no expansion

[@jeremypike9153]

Keith Black makes hypuertectic pistons that took some figuring out when they were introduced. They expanded more than the OE aluminum pistons. Racers found the same results as garage 54 the extra expansion created seizure issues.

[@shrapnut7612]

I think the big rev. at the end of it's run, helped to "self-clearance" the piston/cylinder conflict.... for a second

[@Mprikiman]

Amazing things happen in a shop in Siberia! Always a pleasure watching you guys, god be with you and Russia.

[@JETHO321]

I know you boys have the worlds finest titanium over there.

[@ericdeven1296]

What if you get the pistons up to 4 or 5 hundred degrees before machining? That way they will be round at running temp.

[@craigr6186]

You guys are super imaginative !

[@Athiril]

I’ve thought about this as a concept so many times. This should be close to billet pistons since it’s cast as a full cylinder and machined away yes? Maybe more clearance would help, especially with the steel pistons since steel expands less. In any case you could be able to use a very slight angled guided line on a lathe to get the slight conical shape needed? (Perhaps like straight at the crown and taper slightly from the start of the rings) Also maybe you need deeper grooves for the piston rings? The expansion could be pinching them wider and seizing that way. It looks like this is very very close to succeeding

[@theobster]

Somehow missed this one? Brilliant as usual! I think your machinist could make set of Lada pistons with his eyes closed now😂😂😂 Hello from a Brit who rides a Voskhod 2 motorcycle 👍🏼👍🏼

[@nwjnwj2]

most pistons i know has their diameter at the top of the piston to the last oil control ring before the pin is slightly smaller than at the skirt of the piston and my guess is that being the top of the piston facing the combustion chamber would experience more thermal expansion than the skirt which is oiled cooled

[@Boycott_Wendys]

Would love to see you guys try gasoline as coolant

[@TheHitmanAgent]

12:59 Knock Knock Who's there? MY PISTONS ARE SEIZING UP!! 😄

[@nicholasagnew2792]

Turning off a main road and immediately being in what appears to be Borat's home town...I do not envy you guys over there.

[@yanghu3592]

As someone mentioned in the comments, the top of the pistons may not have been lubricated properly, leading to expansion and overheating at the top piston only. I suggest attempting the process again and ensuring that the oil drain holes are aligned with the ring grooves.

[@yanghu3592]

Any materials will expand and start changing properties with increased heat. To prevent the heat, you may try to keep thinner the piston structure also allows more engine oil to travel through the back of the pistons. I wish I can work in your shop to get this project done. I believe we can build something from soda cans to make it last 5000 miles. Maybe the whole block is made of soda cans.

[@sonnyfarris6146]

Those pistons like the one that came out of my Rubicon that recently blew up

[@laurataylor824]

I absolutely love this experiment , great work guys , I love your channel

[@crazygeorgelincoln]

Nice to see them testing ideas on public roads again.

[@ruslanmustaev8170]

Back to 1995 I made a piston for old Suzuki moped from track's pistons. The successful attempt was number 3, in first two I didn't heat up the mould and pistons were porous. The most difficult was to find a metal to make piston rings.

[@CraftMine1000]

Swapping the one made from cans may make it not cease, due to the shrinkage the can piston experienced during casting I belive it's mixture has the most thermal expansion

[@jimbofaulty]

Melt them down again and make them undersize but with standard rings

[@38911bytefree]

Amazing job and fabrication as usual !!!!!

[@ZoneKei]

Wow, that took an absolute beating. Nice work haha

[@jamesprice3403]

Please re visit using only alloy wheels then set the compound on the lathe to make the cone shape and make it match the OEM specs

[@antonisautos8704]

This was basically down to the thermal expansion. If they were undersized by maybe 3 or 4 thousandths then it may have ran a lot longer.

[@jwalster9412]

I wonder how they would do im the long run if they took all of the comments and suggestions. Would the pistons last?

[@antonisautos8704]

@j Walster probably seeing as most pistons are made of aluminum. So Ling as the alloy has the right properties and it doesn't weigh too much and it's machined correctly it should be fine. They got close. If they reduced the weight a bit, got the geometry a bit better when it comes to the overall size and taper, had a bit more precision in the measurements then I dont see why they couldn't make it work well. With what they have 1 or 2 more iterations would probably yield success.

[@sinchrotron]

There are no 3 or 4 thousands in Russia :)

[@ogunsanyaolusegun3051]

Great Machinist

[@joshuagibson2520]

Lol. Mediocre at best.

[@psychosis7325]

Should try Tungsten with no rings. Expansion is so low you could have them near press fit and then heat the oil like a F1 to expand block so they can move and should hold compression, or least for a few laps till the piston eats the bore.

[@ddiablolll]

You guys probably know this but Pistons are machined oval by .003" inches are shaved off total. This machining is done on the sides of the piston because the adjacent cylinders will make the Piston get hotter in that area and expand more.

[@brandontreat4198]

Another Awesome Video Vlad and Team! I'd like to see a video of 1 engine running on 4 different fuel types at once. Like, Gasoline in cylinder 1, Diesel in cylinder 2, Propane in cylinder 3, and something crazy in cylinder 4! lol. What do you think? Please keep the great vids coming!

[@nuttyDesignAndFab]

yeah so very clearly aluminum alloys are tailored for casting vs rolling. also when an engine is starting to seize, higher RPMs will mess it up faster as most of the heat in the engine is caused by piston and piston ring sliding friction on the walls, so revving causes way more heat.

[@digitalchaos1980]

I wanna see some tempered glass pistons! 😁

[@shrapnut7612]

I think there was some "piston slap," due to the extra weight of the pistons, maybe thats why the damage was on to, but most likely the heat on the sharp edge of the piston and the low quality aluminium, it just started to crumble.

[@MonteD1]

I don't know why I had this video recommended to me, but I'm glad it was.

[@brandonyork4430]

Love they show all hard work behind sene

[@remissiveslave]

It's amazing what you guys come up with

[@patrickedwards3853]

G'Day from Australia. Try some high MPA cast concrete pistons.make two piece moulds with ring grooves ,pins etc ..once poured,place under a press to compress the concrete and let it cure under pressure.

[@robertwest3093]

I gotta admit, Lada makes some seriously stout connecting rods.

[@emkovskyyy119]

I would love to see 4 pistons and an engine block from aluminum mixed with spoons and rims on a longer distance

[@Sheikhalberti]

These guys are the best!!!❤❤❤❤🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[@MattyEngland]

Great video as always

[@johncrnkovic9369]

Love your channel, Thank You

[@lilmike2710]

There seemed to have been a happy place while warming up. From cold to hot there was that perfect temp wherin the engine had some pep

[@andrebol6032]

Maybe trying to quench the pistons after the cut would help in durability and heat resistance. Great job

[@abecahill8831]

Love all your vids

[@stempo1]

Great channel, Id love to work in that shop.

[@busyguy7479]

as always you guys think of ways to have fun good honest fun ,clever ideas that could be made useful if you had a better alloy metal. im guessing the manufactured pistons are of an aluminum alloy. anyway good job kudos to you guys.

[@Workerbee-zy5nx]

Here is a tough one...ceramic pistons..👍🤠

[@jakhazardzn9862]

I remember the wooden pistons in your years ago video :)

[@ranou79]

to use aluminium pistons, you have to decrease the pistons diameter due to heat expansion of stock aluminium like old 20's-60's pistons with high clearance ;)

[@ILOVEBACONBOY2018]

Love these videos

[@Tmanstomp100]

I loved this video, I wanna see you guys try again maybe bore out the cylinders a little bit and add a lil more tolerance, I think this would work quite nicely

[@tomtheplummer7322]

Racing pistons...😂

[@johnnyblue4799]

I wonder if the piston wrists were actually offset, or right in the middle. Also it probably didn't help that the pistons were machined cylindrical instead of the usual slightly oval shape (different dilatation along the piston wrist and across). This should be continued with a set of better machined pistons. If Burt Munro did it, so should G54.

[@henkipenki3127]

He made his own pistons from old pistons. 2 of Ford and 1 of Chevy :)

[@johnnyblue4799]

@@henkipenki3127 Particular model years I remember.

[@gageburns2263]

I'd love to see some pistons made out of 3D printed metal 🤔

[@watahyahknow]

original and aftermarket pistons (those made proffesionally) have a light taper to them as the top of the piston expands a little more than the skirt , you can machine that intoo homemade pistones the factory made pistons allso are slightly oval as the wristpin causes the piston to expand a little more in that direction that would be a little harder to do at a home machineshop would be interested to find a way to forge billet aluminium to machine pistons out of , those should be stronger and have the insides mostly shaped before machining , probably need a hydraulic press for that with a ram that goes down and up hydraulicly and a mould that allows the inner mould to be pulled out of the billet the way i see the forging to be done is first cast a round puck , then heat the puck carefully untill its like chewing gum / toothpaste drop that in the mould and squeese it intoo the shape the pistons are allso heattreated heated up to near melting and quenched in water

[@big6red389]

Very cool video to tight on the tolerances for them pistons although i wonder if the oil caused some of the problems since its tighter tolerances and especially sense its cold it would seem a 0w20 or 5w 20 would work better for oil

[@thomasluggiero3413]

wow! You guys can make anything

[@krASHExxx]

You all are awesome. Hope you're safe

[@fedup8212]

Another great video 😄