RC10Talk - The Net's Largest Vintage R/C Community

It's kinda of hard to classify this thread as far as which section to put it in, so I guess I'll put it here.
This is where I'm getting the idea from: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3Bh_N1dRjg

A solenoid engine powered RC car.

Except I don't have a lot of fancy tools, so I'm taking a simpler approach. I'm thinking a 3D printed crankshaft(mostly to test the concept), with a metal crankpin, with 3D printed connecting rods(again mostly for proof of concept), and 3D printed timing cam lobes. 1/2" diameter pistons and cylinder, acrylic tube cylinder, magnetized pistons, home wound solenoids, ball bearing supported crankshaft. Variable resistor speed control.
Plus the 3D printed parts will mean ease of construction, and no worry about metal on metal seizing.
All in a 90 degree V-twin design. I'm also thinking some kind of pneumatic scavenging system, combined with a very precisely dialed in cam, to allow it to "idle" really low and have power throughout 360 degrees of crankshaft motion. It may end up needing some sort of clutch system, depending on if I can make it take off from 0 RPM or not.

My plan at the moment is to refine the design to the point where I can install it in a 1/10 scale buggy(mid engined, sticking out of the body ) and be competitive with the conventional racers at the track.
I know that's asking for a lot, but I would definitely love to try. Plus, Indy RC World doesn't have any stipulations for the Future Champions class or the Run What You Brung class, other than "electric". And this is definitely electric.

That's really sweet. I love DIY projects.
Will it have enough torque to move the weight of a car efficiently?

I don't know. I don't have any parts to make it yet, I have to wrap up my other projects first.
One of the big advantages I see in this design, is that I can actually adjust things with it. Want more torque? Swap out the crankshaft for one with longer stroke! Same thing for higher max RPM and such, just needs a shorter stroke.
I have no benchmark for how strong these solenoids will be that I will make. I'm not sure how different turn counts will affect it, or wire diameter. First I need to actually make a solenoid engine that actually works, then I can try to install it in a 1:10 scale RC car(probably just whatever happens to be on Ebay).

I think the ideal application of this concept would be in a scale crawler. I think where it would lack is getting to a high enough rpm to produce power efficiently enough for a race car, but that really isn't a concern on a crawler. Plus, the capability of gear shifting and the advantage of a more scale powerplant in a crawler would be even better. Something like a bruiser or a more modern equivalent, or even a scale buggy like a scorpion or similar might be fun.

True true, we'll see once I build it.
Some of the better made ones can hit 3200 RPM or more, like this one, a V12!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXIl0RlTom4
Someone has made MEGA versions! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7CudQaT5lI
Here's a small, very simple, and rather slow solenoid engine car, but I think I can do better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncwp4VNuJ4g
Here's a really cool solenoid engine tracked crawler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH30aKDwJE0

When I build it, it might have such gobs of torque that I can gear it way high and cook everyone at the track!
A crawler probably would be a better application for it. Rock crawlin' BUGGY! I want to end up with the cylinders sticking out of the middle of the buggy body.
Whatever it ends up going into, it will be absolutely one of a kind and VERY different! Plus it'll sound very different!
Another bonus is that this design is so simple and rugged, I can pump ridiculous voltage through it! Seriously though, I might go as high as 48V!
If it blows up, I can make new parts for cheap.
I'm thinking belt drive at the moment.


What do you mean by shiftable gears? I was not aware such a system existed!

JTSpeedDemon wrote: ↑Thu Dec 05, 2019 2:38 pm True true, we'll see once I build it.
Some of the better made ones can hit 3200 RPM or more, like this one, a V12!: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IXIl0RlTom4
Someone has made MEGA versions! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E7CudQaT5lI
Here's a small, very simple, and rather slow solenoid engine car, but I think I can do better: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ncwp4VNuJ4g
Here's a really cool solenoid engine tracked crawler: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PH30aKDwJE0

When I build it, it might have such gobs of torque that I can gear it way high and cook everyone at the track!
A crawler probably would be a better application for it. Rock crawlin' BUGGY! I want to end up with the cylinders sticking out of the middle of the buggy body.
Whatever it ends up going into, it will be absolutely one of a kind and VERY different! Plus it'll sound very different!
Another bonus is that this design is so simple and rugged, I can pump ridiculous voltage through it! Seriously though, I might go as high as 48V!
If it blows up, I can make new parts for cheap.
I'm thinking belt drive at the moment.


What do you mean by shiftable gears? I was not aware such a system existed!

The bruiser has a transmission that shifts, along with I believe the RC4wd trailfinder, Tamiya hi-lift, Tamiya semis, and I'm sure others.