Completely custom engine from aluminum
 

My mind has been running today and wondering about an engine made completely from scratch (well, not completely but almost)

Has anyone heard of someone getting a block of billet and having at it and making themselves a custom block, custom heads, pistons, cams, etc...

Anyone have a story? Comments? 2 cents?

Most,if not all aluminum engines have iron or steel sleeves in the cylinders because aluminum is a soft metal, and the engine would not have a long service life otherwise.

I suppose I shouldn't have mentioned "from aluminium" because many parts are made from more than aluminum.

I was just getting at the notion of making a roaring beast of metal from some imagination, calculations, hand tooling, and power machining.

Yeah, it's possible. The real question is how much time, expertise, money and materials do you have to devote to the project.

https://jalopnik.com/5065896/hand+mad...s-light-of-day

Here's one of my favorites: https://crosleyautoclub.com/Mighty_Tin.html

Perhaps it might be easier to fabricate something along the lines of the Crosley Cobra engine rather than machine something out of billet aluminum...it would seem like you'd have a heck of a time with things like water jackets.

I am very familiar with a vendor who does this.

https://www.taperformance.com/prodima...e/TA_V3800.jpg

https://www.taperformance.com/prodima...ge/TA_4550.jpg

I can tell you that these guys know a LOT about engines, and had to put a LOT of work into the R & D to make some production engines. Don't forget that these pretty much *have* to be made from castings, since the coolant passages are quite difficult (impossible?) to machine. It probably took a half a million dollars in R & D to make the first block, including the casting pattern. Once you have a pattern that works, the next ones will obviously be much cheaper. Of course after the blocks are cast, there is a lot of machine work.

And that is just for the blocks...

-Bob C.

I've wanted to replicate a CRX BODY, not just the engine, from aluminum. All the above caveats, but wouldn't it be nice to be able to do that?

I am all for the idea of it - a monococque body made from one piece of aluminum would have better strength - could maybe even get 100+ mpg....

One can dream.

One can just buy a 1st gen Insight and replace the power train.

I like the CRX body a little better - nostalgia - but for sure dump the batteries & replace the power train.

I was thinking more like an inline, so the coolant passages could just be "wallowed out" sections on the side with a cover bolted on.

Just think, if a serious group of engineers/marketers (with proper funding) set out to shatter the record for efficiency of the Atkinson cycle, then mass produced engines, with kits to install them in production cars (I think I'll stop dreaming before I get myself depressed).

Could be done... Application-specific bell housing and crank shaft adapters, as well as mount kits. It would also need heater and radiator hoses, as well as A/C and power steering lines. It would need brackets to mount the A/C compressor and power steering pump in stock-ish locations, plus some kind of alternator solution (could be an engine specific unit). A wiring harness to connect the engine to the stock electrical system... You wouldn't need to use the existing engine management wiring, but it should at least let the alternator do it's job and operate any existing gauges or warning lights.

Ok, so that's a fair amount of stuff to create for any significant number of makes and models. Unless it's some kind of technological marvel that puts out more power and torque than the stock engine while managing 500 mpg, I doubt there would be a big enough market to justify the expense. Even then, it would likely be more profitable to sell or license the design to an automotive manufacturer for use in new cars.

Re: Completely custom engine from aluminum
 

I had the same idea awhile back and search for days on the internet for CNC macning companies that make engines. Because I heard from a friend awhile back that there are companies that can make any kind of motor you want. I think a engine machined from a block of 7075 aluminum would be awesome.
I'm sure you could get the block from what ever engine you want sent to a automotive CNC company and have it duplicated in aluminum. I would be sure and have a Chromoly steel girdle made for the Crank shaft valley and of course steel liners.