How Long will my 3D Printed Gas Engine Run Before Blowing up?

In this video, I demonstrate my mini 3d printed gas engine running. In the last video, I was able to make my 3d printed gas powered engine to run. But today, I decided to try and see how long my miniature 3d printed gas powered engine will run for.
This video also helps explain how an engine works as well as how a carburetor works and how a cars sparking ignition system.

[@CamdenBowen]

I may have been wrong about the 2 stroke thing oops. Thank you for letting me know, I was always under the assumption that they were more necessary given the working principal but I suppose not. I've learned plenty from both video research and also reading comments!

[@Silverbolt-mq3pr]

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[@neglectfulsausage7689]

Here's what you need to do. Start taking apart 2 stroke engines, and dimension them into CAD files and then make 3D printed versions. Cut the sprues off, or keep them, for the next bit. You use sand casting and form around the engine parts. Then melt out the 3D print using an oven and a pan. Now you can pour molten steel into the mold and make a new engine part. Make sure its castable steel type. Problem solved for life.

[@neglectfulsausage7689]

Run the calculations on joules per pound between gas and batteries. gas is hugely effective. Now consider building a powerplant that runs on gas for a drone with electric engines. The gasoline power plant will provide 10x the range of any battery based drone (or 10x flight time for loiter). Its really insane that people still worship battery drones.

[@dieselgeezer18]

You don't need an expansion chamber for a 2 stroke to run. They are there for the extra power and efficiency, but 2strokes can be designed to run acceptably well even without them

[@tomclanys]

Yes, I ran a 50cc 2 stroke scooter/moped without one, with just a muffler and that powerhouse easily went to 80km/h, with a CVT of course

[@Scotty-vs4lf]

@@tomclanys ew cvt

[@tomclanys]

@@Scotty-vs4lf with just 4 gears you won't go past 60-65. I never had enough money for a TZR 50 to race to 100km/h.

[@hyper796]

yes, and with some bad expansion chambers and luck they can even cause an engine to run worse

[@uszaru6791]

@@Scotty-vs4lf yes, but did YOU ever go 80kmph in a FREAKING 50CC??? this guy did a miracle

[@RoccosStuff]

This could act as a video application to Relativity Space. They're 3D printing rocket engines. You're 3D printing gas engines. A match made in heaven.

[@soundspark]

Perhaps great for quickly prototyping alternative fuel engines.

[@mastermnd22]

Rocket science vs gas engine. Nothing close to similar

[@paxon57]

Same thing right :v

[@thecrazyinsanity]

they are a whole lot more similar than you think @@mastermnd22

[@NatCo-Supremacist]

@@mastermnd22 the science behind engines is generally the same, they are pretty similar, the difference is in the application

[@Vaasref]

Time to get into resin printing, no issues of water tightness, tighter tolerances, high temperature resins, metal casting wax resins when the design is validated. But if you want to stay on FDM, you can also learn to lost PLA cast. Building and first experiments with that technique could be a video in and of itself, and a good teaser for what you will be able to do when replacing plastic parts that are somewhat proven already.

[@CamStLouis]

I can't recommend lost PLA casting due to the thermal expansion and ashing of the mold. Use a casting-specific filament, like PolyCast, which prints just like PLA yet leaves flawless mold cavities.

[@ericlotze7724]

@@CamStLouisAlso some post-casting machining for tight tolerances might need to be done, right?

[@ericlotze7724]

I was geeking out / writing up what i found out about this a while back though, so if brainstorming is needed i can help!

[@benaguilar1787]

A problem with resin is its brittleness compared to FDM. In this application the failure of a resin part could be much more explosive than FDM, with the potential for some scary shrapnel.

[@Vaasref]

​@@benaguilar1787 The same way FDM is not just PLA, PETG or ABS, there are a lot of resins out there if need be. And while most FDM 3D printer probably couldn't print the most common of exotic materials, the range of material a regular LCD resin printer will probably be able to print the weirdest resins. But I wager that a slab of even the most basic resin will work for such simple a small displacement ICE. Basic resins are brittle, and shatter easily for detailed minis and such, but once you are in the centimeter thickness it is way tough enough. I once tried to resin print a FMD print-in-place fidget toy (the popular concentric ring one). It was a pain to get the semi cured resin between close parts but even those 4-5mm thick rings took a lot of beating and prying without breaking even with some deep gouges on the sides that would make for great stress points. The outer ring is even flexible enough once cured to slip out with a bit of physical persuasion. I mean look at Integza's resin printed cylinder, the head is fastened to nuts that are holding onto few mm of material, even if we don't know which resin he used it still shows it is possible. Plus what Integza did was drop-in-place replacement of a cylinder. Camden can easily use a threaded rod to keep the engine squeezed and tight and then no way it a tiny explosion would be able to catastrophically destroy the engine. He might even get away with thin watercooled cylinder walls in resin as he can easily support the walls as resin printer love intricate designs and if he is concerned by safety, he can always bulk up the outside walls nuclear plant style. Oh and Camden if you read that, think about using wedging dovetails to attach parts of your engine instead of only using screw, it's probably my artisan gunsmithing schooling talking but I think it would be very cool to see that unusual fastening method applied here.

[@devakadex9588]

"No f**king compression" that line hits deep 😂 aspecially when you own a Datsun

[@Will-ke3cn]

I wonder if you could use lost pla casting to make the most critical parts out of metal. Polymaker makes a filament called polycast which is designed specifically for invesment casting. It would require you to melt the metal which can be sketchy. All you really need to make a furnace is a torch or 2, a metal trash can with a lid, and some ceramic fiber insulation. I love this project so much! Keep up the great work

[@thezombieking52]

The whole point is a 3d printed plastic motor. If he casted parts out of metal he'd just be making a normal motor. And don't say it's technically 3d printed because he used a 3d printed part for the mold

[@invadervim9037]

There's a filament called BASF that has powdered steel suspended on it. After printing you debind and sinter the part, which burns away the pla and solidifies the steel powder into a solid piece. Though you'll need a forge to go upwards of 600c in a controlled manner.

[@jaredvaz2450]

at the end he said hes waiting if any company who 3d prints metal is available to sponsor? him@@thezombieking52

[@FriedTendi]

​@@invadervim9037you also have to scale up the parts because they will shrink in that process

[@invadervim9037]

@galizena2016 you do, there is a considerable shrinkage but it's a consistent percentage you can account for. I can't recall the exact number though

[@martin09091989]

A two stroke doesn't need a resonant exhaust! You can build one that runs very easily, you just don't get much power out of it!

[@FilosophicalPharmer]

I’m so glad to see others “flip the bird” to inanimate objects when they’re chunked in the trash! 😂🤣😅👍🏼

[@Skullkid16945]

I love how resourceful you are. Finding parts you needed in strange ways. The brass pipe, and the hint at the end for a 3D printed metal company.

[@cold_zene9876]

I think to run it better maybe add one more cam for the intake, increase a little compression and put the carburetor closer to the intake cams because I think the engine struggles to get the air-fuel mixture in the cylinder, for the rest to me it looks ok, maybe heat up the alcohol for it to evaporate more so the mixture is better Edit:it does have some mistakes, so, read the comment section were we discuss about them

[@someguy9175]

you mentioned warming the alcohol, would it be a stupid idea to use it to cool the engine? like what he did in the video but have it go to the intake instead of back into the reservoir.

[@demartobey1770]

@@someguy9175this is a good idea

[@cold_zene9876]

@@someguy9175 that's a great idea! I think it should work, the only problem if it runs for long periods of time or at high power rates, because alcohol evaporates at a lower temperature than water, and if the temperature exceed the boiling point the engine is gonna heat up really quick for lack of coolant circulation. It's good only for short runs like he does

[@birubilenciavt5971]

@@someguy9175 thats actually a pretty clever move

[@NeoIsrafil]

Yah... that might work, or possibly water-meth injection. You can often get that to work and keep temps way down...

[@creativusme]

Absolutely wonderful! I think I will build it myself, keep it up!

[@CamdenBowen]

Thank you!

[@westonhood3705]

@@CamdenBowen Have you posted the files for this most recent iteration? I'd love to give it a try!! I want to see if I can get the water cooling to work. 😆

[@ozzymandius666]

@@CamdenBowen I've seen tricks where 3d printed parts are electroplated with metal, maybe that would help?

[@creativusme]

@@ozzymandius666 I don’t think so, because the electroplated part is really thin (like alluminium foil) it can be used to get the metal look but it is not really resistant, and it is also really hard to do

[@ozzymandius666]

@@creativusme The thickness of the electroplating is a function of time. People have made things and disolved the pla with a solvent.

[@skaterboi69]

Damn, im impressed with how long you got it to run, good job!

[@felixthecleaner8843]

Aw man - that was awesome! Loved it - and the idea too.

[@Impossible_Fishy]

It would be so cool seeing what you could make with a full machine shop. Nice video man

[@3dartstudio007]

Notes on 2 stroke exhaust expansion chambers in my past. I had several 2 stroke trail bikes in the 80's. I took the exhaust completely off of one, still rode just had less power (super loud). I put the exhaust off a 70cc bike on a 50cc bike, still worked (just had no way to attach it to bike). I put a 90cc pipe on a 125cc bike, still ran good, but I had no way to mount to try a ride. Point is, unless you're race tuning a 2 stroke for maximum high performance at a certain RPM range, the actual chamber simply existing is more important than the hard math numbers. Hope this helps

[@marcusnatale8505]

TGood job on working on that engine for a long time and not giving up even when problems keep occurring. You did a good job keep it up😊

[@MarkHahn]

Ahh it was cool to see it run just for a few sec. Either way, it DID work and you proved a concept. Very cool!

[@newmonengineering]

Few options 1)resin printing, they have ceramic like material for higher temps. 2) electro plate the part, usually copper and nickel 3) make a mold and cast aluminum. The hard part with casting is you will need to finish it up, this may pose issues without a machine shop. 4) go for 2 cycle anyway. You don't need it to have an expansion exhaust, they can run without them of build one anyway and don't worry about the calculations. You could make it adjustable in length if you wanted to! I like the engine, very creative

[@guard13007]

This is amazing. Please continue if at all possible.

[@torstonvodesil6709]

Hope you get to continue this adventure but either way your content is sick and I’ll be there next time!

[@kingwarking1295]

You're making some great progress!! Ive been following this since you started and im confident you're gonna get it running perfectly next time. But im thinking the reason it isnt running properly is a fuel issue. Try covering the intake a bit with your hand and see if that improves it. If it improves than you know it wants more fuel. If it gets worse than you'll want less fuel. And also if covering the intake helps throw an air filter on your intake and that might just add enough restriction to make it run better.

[@THEadrian85]

You should look at a Taurozzi Pendulum Engine, it is basically a curved piston engine, it has less wear than a normal engine, can be made as a two stroke, real life versions of the engine used very little oil.

[@Stewi1014]

AWWWWW man. He uploaded! Really love your stuff man. Good vibes and so relatable to us average tinkerers. That and your humor is so incredibly on point. Love it.

[@CamdenBowen]

Thank you so much!

[@CaseyW491]

I'm only 5 mins in and really impressed. Nice work.

[@michaelterrill4950]

You could try adjusting the carb. If you adjust the low speed jet and then the high speed jet you should see a bit of improvement. Keep on trying and you'll get it eventually. As a small engine mechanic I didn't think this would work at all but I'm pleasantly surprised with your results

[@Sstone89]

There is a filament that is impregnated with metal, you heat the print up and it becomes solid. Integza made a rocket with it.

[@Bigsativa]

Oh really? What’s it called

[@Sstone89]

@@Bigsativa Virtual Foundry

[@Bigsativa]

@@Sstone89 my p80 builds boutta go crazy

[@jjmelo]

Loving this videos. Pointless but amazing feats of engineering.

[@jimsworthow531]

new inventions and breakthroughs happen because of experiments like yours; Most great inventions stem from a previous design; keep up the effort; take care.

[@jimsworthow531]

i rebuild 2 stroke chainsaws and off road 2 stroke quads and motor bikes; i have learned that a 2 stroke will run well without even having any header or chamber after the outlet port. It improves many parameters, but getting a prototype running, there is no need to worry about a properly sized expansion chamber.

[@kylefessenden3111]

For clearer prints with that transparent filament, slow your print speed way down, keep part cooling turned off, and set your slicer to slightly over extrude. This makes everything closer to solid so there's no air pockets between the layers and between the infill and walls. This should also work for making your head more water tight so you can have the water cooling for the engine

[@pneumantic6297]

You can line with epoxy in order to prevent liquid from going through your prints. Its a pretty popular way of doing it. Some do it so they can make things like mugs

[@merrident910]

New sub! I love how you don’t have the $10k+ machines. You have everything I have in my garage making it more relatable 👍🏽😎

[@CamdenBowen]

Thank you! I like to believe if I can make these using a regular FDM printer, then anyone can

[@PCBWay]

This is so GOOD!👍👍

[@spressono]

Something to consider if you want to steer away from metal parts AND not buy a new SLA 3d printer: PLA tends to be quite porous which leads to lots of leaking and sweating through relatively solid walls, SLA parts tend to not have these issues. What you can do is buy some 3d printer resin and some sponge brushes and coat a PLA part in the resin, then let it cure under UV light. They might come out tacky but if you give them a good wipe down with some isopropyl alcohol after the correct cure time it should be ok. I'd recommend doing a few layers considering what it is you're trying to achieve. You'd have to take this into consideration when dealing with tolerances but I haven't personally measured the offset of a few layers of resin.

[@ryanyoung8288]

I have some similar experiments to do that I really need metal for but can't afford at the moment. Might give this a shot

[@alwinforslund9289]

You do not need a expansion chamber for a twostroke engine to work, they increase power and efficiency. But one thing you probably would need is some sort of a reedvalve on the intake, it makes it way easier to design than having thw piston controling the ports👍 keep up the good work man😀

[@rexxx927]

or better yet rotary valve

[@darkknight983offical5]

i have ben waiting for this for so long

[@Brickydude2]

Nice! I knew the first version was ingesting water into the combustion chamber when water came out the exhaust. Still great! Love it.

[@ncrshane1919]

I wonder if you could make metal valves with fender washers? Thread both ends of your valve stem and use nuts to secure a fender washer onto it. You would have to modify the valve seats from a conical style to being a flat seal, it wouldn't make for great efficiency, but it could work. The other thing is you could try a flathead design, having the valvetrain in the block would greatly simplify the head and would likely make it far easier to make a cooling system flow through the head without leaking into the cylinder. Lastly I would say to consider using the fuel as coolant, it would help it vaporize better in the chamber while taking heat away from the plastic, and definitely try to tune that carburetor since lean air fuel mixtures will create higher cylinder temps.

[@bradley9856]

very cool, if you want waterproof 3D prints try printing with ABS, and using acetone vapor to smooth the walls so they're water tight

[@dominikvarholik7519]

KZbin did me dirty it didnt show me that u made a new video.Great vid.

[@yiannimigias4024]

Dude that's incredible that you got it to run for even that long!

[@Mrshotshell]

You need more alcohol than gas for the same amount of air (around 9:1 vs 14.7:1 air:fuel) so if the carburetor isn't tuned it's going to run really lean. And you could try sealing the water jackets by either lightly melting and smoothing the surface of the prints or coat it with a thin layer of epoxy.

[@qwertyzxaszc6323]

Good job man. I'll keep an eye out for your next try. Great videos.

[@CamdenBowen]

Thanks bro

[@therichboy1012]

You’ve done an amazing job

[@ThatRandomMan1]

AWESOME, great work brother. 🤔 i'm glad you did it The first person to make a real 3d printed engine. That's an accomplishment right there

[@elitorrez4480]

i really love this series

[@waynerowlinson6177]

I probably shouldn't have enjoyed this video as much as I did. Thanks!

[@userwastaken3069]

It's still stunning that the future could be different just because you decided to make creative content on youtube, You probably inspired someone to try and make some plastic engines that are reliable!

[@Engineman_show]

Such an awesome project 👌

[@omdevs]

This is amazing!

[@tomdaduckman]

THE MADLAD IS BACK!

[@ScorpionCA]

now that I see this is potentially possible you have inspired me to 3d print an inline 4 and make the most badass RC car of all time

[@TSK-vu5th]

I'm trying to make something like this for myself, and this video really inspired me to do that, so thank you Camden. Also, if you decease the stroke a bit you will have a lot less stress on the bottom end, which can help with making it less break-prone to you can focus on things that can be tuned out of the engine. I switched from 40mm stroke to 30mm on my air powered design, and it helped reduce the torque on the crankshaft and increased the revs and power. just make sure to decease the open space in the cylinder at TDC because you will lose some compression with a shorter stroke.

[@teezo6574]

you're doing somthing right, i seen the thumbnail. and soon as i seen it i clicked on it, amazing video

[@CamdenBowen]

Thank you!

[@kratos_6.9]

It's Very Cool Man. Hope You Succeed.

[@Nixqy]

Banger, as usual

[@breme818]

Sad to see this might not be continued but making it run for 10 whole seconds is something I never would of imagined! W vid fr

[@CamdenBowen]

It definitely will be continued, it just needs some work!

[@breme818]

@@CamdenBowen WWWW

[@gabrielv.4358]

Incredible!

[@ThantiK]

I can't say I disagree with other users calling you a legend. This is good shit.

[@scorcher46]

Awesome video

[@unsafevelocities5687]

I know you're working with the limits of consumer-grade 3d prints, but videos like this really show the amount of engineering required so that millions of engines coming off production lines start up every day, multiple times a day, for years. So much so an engine failing is a big event for most people. Something something perfected technology, something something end of an era.

[@drexter469]

I was waiting for this episode and I want an episode in which you make the same type of engine, only 3d printed from metal

[@Leo99929]

The water jacket is a solid idea. leaky 3D prints in a known issue. There's lots of remedies including: use a resin printer (higher temp resistance too), use resin/silicone/jbweld to seal them, rub the surfaces with alcohol to melt it together. Which is why you should pick the fuel carefully to be compatible with the 3D print material, or coat the 3D prints to protect them from the fuel.

[@Motofumes159]

Absolutely awesome mate! Don’t care that it only ran for a couple of seconds… the fact that it even ran in the first place and that it’s 3d printed is remarkable I don’t wanna be that guy but it would be really interesting to maybe see a 2 stroke But still good job!

[@ntmccauley362]

man i love these

[@longbow1997]

Love your videos on these engines. You might have already looked into this but have you read the "plastic automotive engine" wiki page and about Matti Holtzberg and his company Polimotor? He used metal inserts for everything that touches the combustion flame, like the brass pipe you used but also for the bottom of the head and top of the piston, and a standard crankshaft but a large part of the engine was made from fibre reinforced polymers. He actually raced with these engines and more recently tried 3d printing a version. I don't think it will be the future of ICE but it could help you get a bit further with yours. Maybe a soda can could be used for a thin cylinder wall with other cans for piston head and combustion chamber.

[@andrewanderson8803]

I think you may be able to make a cylinder sleeve out of concentric nylon. Nylon has very good tensile strength and may even hold up to combustion. Worth a try!

[@guts60]

My experience with transparent filaments is that you have to do a lot of sanding and cleaning to get it clear. Start with your high grit (I’d start around 60) and move down to 300-200 grit. Meanwhile, you wash the plastic with a wet rag, dish scrubber, or brass/steel wool

[@CamdenBowen]

I did that in my shock absorber video, but I also printed the walls as one solid layer too which helped tremendously. Having too thick walls leads to discrepancies inside the walls I find

[@guts60]

@@CamdenBowen Makes sense. I don’t do much printing in general, and so usually do it to make smaller things for fun that I then assemble. What little transparent pieces I do make are thin and are easy to get clear, lol

[@wilurbean]

This series is god tier

[@dannyandrews8930]

I really admire your enthusiasm, and that you keep trying now matter what. "James Dyson, apparently started life like this. He made 5000 Dyson vacuum cleaners before he reased the first one for sale, so you might have to fail 5000 times before you get it to work.

[@Andyyy982]

There's a lot you could improve on, make your fuel lines shorter. Mount your fuel tank higher than your carb so it's gravity-fed. You also want your drill to disengage effectively because it isn't. You could switch to hand cranking it's possible with lawnmowers and even earlier vehicles that run at higher compression. Also, you could easily seat the valves to the head by doing some fine lapping. Your material is soft enough that it would take you a few minutes. You could use copper pipes from a plumbing store as coolant pipes press them into your block and head once it's assembled. It'll also discourage your head from flexing and prevent any compression leakage. You might also benefit from a fine lubricant to decrease wear on the cylinder and also reduce heat because of reduced friction. That should get you closer to a minute. Your carb could use a choke to richen the fuel mixture till it's running. If you're struggling with getting to it in time you can use a bicycle break line and brake to control the throttle from a distance. I'd also recommend sealing the head with an automotive silicone sealant because that'll help everything. Your timing is crucial, spend a bunch of time getting it dialed in, you could check it with a timing light. You were close to getting it started but your fuelling definitely wasn't right, you realistically just need to block off the carb partially at startup with a piece of wood. So you can pull it away once it's running. These are just my down-and-dirty tips. I'm sure people have mentioned some of what I've said. I've got so many more suggestions but I'm typing on a phone and this is long-winded enough 😂

[@stuntvist]

You could get valve seat sized thick wall brass tubing and melt it into the plastic (just push on the brass piece with a cheap soldering iron you don't care about) then cut some sort of valve seat looking thing into it using a drill or something and lap whatever valve disc looking thingy you make on it and it should seal. For the water jackets, just get some more cheap brass or copper tubing and make the jackets the same diameter and run separate ones through the block and head using one of those cheap garden pool/well pumps or something. Also coat the inside of the roof of the combustion chamber and piston with jb as a layer of insulation between the heat and plastic. And run the carb as rich as it possibly can if you're using any sort of alcohol, as latent heat of vaporization is pretty powerful with just normal petrol alone, but ethanol pulls 125 C from the environment around it to vaporize so it would heavily help in cooling the engine down. Also make the intake trumpet longer and mount the carb straight to the head as that would help push peak torque down thus peak power lower, maybe try some milder cam profiles as well. Oh, and get a lazer tach. Stick some white reflective tape on the flywheel somewhere and point the lazer at it, divide the number given by 2 and you got whatever rpm the engine is running at.

[@balajoo7844]

This is soooooooo cooooooooool please do work on this moreeee

[@James02876]

There are small size cans of soda that have fairly straight aluminum sides. You could probably cut the top and bottom parts off with a Dremel and get a nice smooth cylinder bore for very cheap.

[@eldril1009]

very nice!

[@alaskandonut]

Amazing!!!!

[@gazzer883]

Keep it up!

[@2fast2kart]

Yes!!! 3D printed engine video!!

[@WilliamKKidd]

You look like you're cosplaying as Vinny from Vinesauce

[@CamdenBowen]

I should stream bootleg mario games including 7 grand dad

[@WilliamKKidd]

@@CamdenBowen I LOVE YOU 😂

[@CamdenBowen]

@@WilliamKKidd Terminal 7 is a classic too

[@rangedayryan1057]

You should have your piston and cylinder head combustion chamber coated with a high temperature powder coat. It would act as a pretty good barrier to the flame front and heat of combustion. I'd bet that would allow the thing to run long enough to heat the cylinder sleeve to the point that it melts the block. Cool project!

[@storminmormin14]

I’ve seen waterproofing of PLA parts using various clear coat sprays to fill the gaps. Maybe that would be a good way to retain water. I think the impressive parts of this are where you don’t compromise on material and can get it to work with the bare minimum.

[@kierancarter3693]

Great job

[@CamdenBowen]

Thanks!

[@theLyzhendricks]

Lettttssss gooooo i cant wait forr more progreesss it can only get better with experience

[@rinner2801]

Impressive!

[@ARockyRock]

lol I was looking at you putting that new water cooled head on and saying to myself the whole time, "where's the head gasket"

[@theLyzhendricks]

Dude watercooling is such a good idea i aint even think about that to keep the plastic from melting

[@HerederosDeFangio]

if you want to take this build further up, you should find: 1. a prebuilt piston that suits your needs 2. a set of valves that also suit your specifications along with some valve seals and guides 3. 3d print your engine block and head in metal or CNC it out of alluminium

[@theworkshopwhisperer.5902]

Have you heard of a KZbinr called Integza? He has a similar problem but it's 3D printing rockets. I can't remember how he did it but he was able to make ceramic parts on a resin printer. He was also able to make metal parts with a composite metal filament. You bake filament just leaving the metal. The ceramic and metal parts performed really well after some fine tuning and lasted much longer than that plastic alternatives.

[@louisgreen558]

as a garden machinery mechanic [2 stroke engines] i run alot of engines without mufflers on them when looking if the piston is scared they will quite happly run without them and considering how simple they are you should really try making one it would be a extremely interesting project

[@bobtheyeti109]

You should try to make a 3d printed steam engine next Btw this is freaking sick dude

[@NetworkOverflow]

This is really cool and interesting. I think it has value as an educational tool, and could be an affordable way for people without the equipment for metalworking to learn about engines. However, I also want to recognize that as an actual engine to be used in a machine, it's kind of a waste of time. Engines are made out of metal for a reason - it's a very strong material that can withstand the huge forces that an engine undergoes during normal operation, it can be repaired as needed in such a way that the seams of the repair are actually stronger than the original material itself, and it can be recycled for continued use. Trying to build a working plastic engine is counterproductive because the material is not properly suited to the task, so any improvements you make will always be attempts at making it able to compete with metal ones - it will never outperform a metal one. On top of that, even if we were able to design a plastic engine that can handle worthwhile loads and runs for a reasonable amount of time compared to its cost, we would only be serving to pollute the earth more for no real benefit. Prices are temporary, and economies are a social construct. The environment is something that exists outside human influence, and will hopefully continue to do so long after we're gone

[@Rebar77_real]

The intake port design of the GT5 sounds like it could work better than a reed ported case, probably. Best luck figuring it out! There's a dude that made an entire GT5 jug/head out of jb weld and got it to run shortly so you should be good if the filament holds up, heh heh. GT5's are those bicycle engine kit motors btw. (ChargerMiles007 Homemade JB WELD ENGINE, for a look)

[@bmint]

Better luck next time 😂❤ this was actually awesome.. can you use a more heat resistant 3d printer ink?

[@CamdenBowen]

I don't think there's much more I can use for the 3d printer. I am looking towards other options however!

[@XKloosyvv]

Fancy seeing you slide into my algorithm

[@lameboysmtb6705]

I got an add for jbweld during this video and it feels fitting

[@coconut_in_a_suit975]

Don’t give up on it man! It’s all in dialing the timing and afr. Give it a little more gas and go from there

[@timrattenbury4768]

definitely needs more fuel/bigger jet ,all my experience is with small 2 stokes or cars so im not 100% if that experience carry's over to a pla engine but that definitely sounds like lean or weak spark to me ,also have you considered coating the internals of the air intake prints and an epoxy to reduce leaks? Brilliant to see it run 8 seconds longer!

[@ProlificInvention]

Been following this, excellent project. I think it would be neat if you 3d printed an external combustion engine-namely the Sterling engine of the design similar to NASA/DOE designed and tested version produced by a company called MTI in the late 1970s-early 80's. It is actually an improved Siemans design from the 1960s, utilizing compressed hydrogen as a working fluid for heat transfer in an engine similar in design to a piston engine except it's a closed loop system. I've always found that particular engine to be amazing considering they were able to get similar power outputs to a stock Chevy celebrity, but with higher efficiency, similar power, and lower emissions. They also run at a lower rpm

[@Thehotglueguy]

hey camden! if you ever get the engine running well you should make a 3d printed genreator with 3d printed motors. that would be sick!

[@mrnlce7939]

This looks like a job for PCB Way. Shoot them an e-mail with a proposal and and see. If you don't ask you don't get. Great video. Keep up the good work.

[@mrnlce7939]

Sorry I think it's supposed to be JLB PCB.

[@zaccb1566]

Making a variable resonator is the solution, like how a trombone changes pitch. It won't be perfect for your engine, but it will be better than nothing. Even just taking a straight pipe and changing its length will help tune in a harmonic resonance. It works very much like making an antenna for a radio. You want the harmonic standing wave to be the same as the engine pulse, or basically you want the length of time it takes for the air to make a complete lap of the exhaust pipe exactly the same time as your TDC to BDC timing. Adjusting the length of the resonator is exactly the same as lashing timing for valves.