Fizzy Drink V4 Engine Tray

Fizzy Drink holder in a style of V4 engine. When you turn the main gear, camshaft shakes the cans in a style of firing order of the engine. Figure out the timing of the camshaft yourself, set your own firing order and see how tricky it is to build an engine.

Engine block includes holes to hold drink straws including optionable cooling compartment in the middle for ice and handle. (can be glued to the engine as option) Ideal for fun parties with your petrol-headed friends or as education toy of how a camshaft operates.

Sized for 250ml small soda cans.

Disclaimer: The real engine operates differently and this is not an exact replica of combustion engine! This one has a camshaft in a place of normal engine crankshaft…

This model represents the situation where you need to set up correct timing of the engine and respect firing order and how tricky it is to set things up properly.

Building instructions:

1. There are two thin incomplete rings that have cut in a loop. Insert these into the middle of the engine block bottom crank case. Its sort of main bearing housing. There are another two smallest circular bearing-looking parts with square opening which fits into the main bearing rings.

    

    

2. With knife or sandpaper soften the edges of square shaped shafts (2x) just a few touches, no need to sand too much.

   Insert the shaft into the gear with square opening so its fitted fully in, you can also secure this only part with a small tiny drop of CA glue but not mandatory as parts are made tight so you might need force to stuck them together. A small hammer will help a lot.

    

3. Before doing this step it is good to insert cam lobes in and out several times on the shaft to wear it out a bit as tolerances are very tight.

   
   Insert the gear with shaft assembly into the engine block from side where there are 3 holes for gears. While doing so progressively add cam lobes on the shaft. The cam lobes on one shaft needs to face opposite dirrection so "180 degree timing".

    

4. Repreat the same process for the other shaft. After that secure the shafts ends on the opposite side of block with end-bearings.
5. Insert the third main gear between shafts but don't secure it fully with pin yet, just slightly so you can test positions of left and right camshaft and set the correct timing and use this third gear as lock when setting this up.
6. You can figure out the timing and firing order of the engine by yourself as you like it or follow the steps in 7.
   
   Notes: 
   Please be aware that cam lobes are big enough that they can collide with each other so you will need to retard timing to prevent this situation.
   Consider that this is a V shaped engine, and include this into the cam lobe position as “pistons” are under 50 degree angle.
7. To have equal firing order of 4 cans “pistons” you need to position cam lobes in 90 degree subsequent positions. However because V shaped engine adds 50 degree into this you need to set Left front lobe against Right back lobe under 45 degree angle.

8. When camshafts are set, secure the orientation of camshafts by inserting third gear. Secure the third gear in place by holding pin. This is pretty tight fit so feel free to use hammer or similar. There should be 0,5mm space left so gear is still free to rotate:
    

9. With a tiny drop of CA glue, secure the mini handle in the third main gear so you can spin the engine.

10. Insert fizzy drink / soda cans and test the engine to see how it operates.

     

    If the assembly is very tight, give it a few spins to ease up. Also a tiny micro drop of oil on the main bearing in the middle of the engine helps a lot.

     

Optional upgrade: Engine block can be used just as holder as is. It includes 6 holes to hold straws. But you can upgrade it with sidewalls to create ice bucket compartment between "cylinders" to cool your fizzy drinks, including holder so you can easily take it with you anywhere :)

Just glue together big handle with triangles side walls. There are small pins which helps you to guide the glue process. After finished, glue the whole thing between V shaped space in the engine block. Use proper amount of glue here as it holds the weight of whole engine and also to make compartment water-tight so your ice does not leak everywhere :-)