Smithsonian Motor-Works

by Smithsonian

Product Features

• Watch the spark plugs fire
• Watch the valves open and close
• See how the pistons fire
• Watch the belts and fan turn
• Detailed instructions

Product Details

• Product Dimensions: 15 x 3 x 12 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• ASIN: B00200JX4W
• Item model number: 49013
• Manufacturer recommended age: 8 - 15 years
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #7,774 in Toys & Games (See Top 100 in Toys & Games)
• Average Customer Review: 2.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (38 customer reviews)
• Discontinued by manufacturer: Yes

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Build a real working battery powered 4-cylinder model engine with real lights and sound. Watch the spark plugs fire and the valves open and close. See how the pistons fire and watch the belts and fan turn. Detailed instructions are included.

Product Description

The Smithsonian Motor Works. Build a real working battery powered 4 Cylinder Model Engine with Real Lights and Sounds. Watch the Spark Plugs Fire and the Valves Open and Close. See how the Pistons Fire with the Correct Timing and Watch the Belts and Fan turn. Includes, Over 100 parts that screw together easily, and detailed instructions.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

41 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful model, puzzling flaws, May 8, 2010

By 

Dan P. Ellis "nathandaddy" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Smithsonian Motor-Works (Toy)

After reading the reviews, I ordered this with some trepidation, but I really wanted an educational model of an engine. I built it with my 8 year old son in a few hours, although I ended up doing more of the work. I found the pieces to be pretty good, and the process of screwing the screws into the plastic was a good compromise between ease of assembly and robustness of the resulting joins (but having a good-quality screwdriver of the right, small, size makes a big difference). The directions were adequate but a bit hard to follow at some points - it certainly helps if you have some idea how a real engine works so you can see what it's trying to do.

The puzzling part is that when we got it running, it was clear that the valve opening and spark firing made no sense. As reported elsewhere, it turned out we needed to resolder the wires to the electric motor in the opposite polarity to make the engine spin in the correct direction (fan spins clockwise when viewed from in front). That made the valve sequence more plausible, but I had to rotate the distributor cap far beyond the suggested range to make the spark plugs fire at close to the correct time. And after reversing the electric motor wires, the firing order became 1-2-4-3 (instead of the expected 1-3-4-2). However, this is a valid firing sequence, and it appears to be consistent with the cam assembly specified in the instructions. Perhaps the model was designed for a non-north-American firing order, but then someone decided to reverse the electric motor to get the "expected" firing order (at the cost of many other aspects)?

On balance, I still think the model is really good, and I probably learned more as a result of trying to puzzle out why it wasn't behaving the way I expected. However, I worry that kids all over the country will build it as specified, then spend ages trying to make sense of a model that, until modified, doesn't properly reflect 4-stroke operation.

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Full scale Engine Builder, March 18, 2010

By 

P. A. S. Lust "Ford_Doctor" (Santa Barbara, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

= Durability:2.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:4.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:5.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Smithsonian Motor-Works (Toy)

My daughter needed this for a school project and I build full scale engines for a living. This was fun....BUT not for an EIGHT YEAR OLD to do! Predrilling many holes and tapping the casting for the screws was time consuming(really help overall quality). Using a hardened tip phillips screwdriver is A MUST! Also, using different types of lubricants really helped. Leave out the head gasket and you can see the funtioning motor much better, better lighting too.
Camshaft and rocker illustrations and the assembly directions don't agree. (I also write some auto-tech literature). Obviously written by someone who is non automotive technical.
Make sure mating surfaces are sanded smooth and lubricated. Bundle the wiring and paint some of the colored parts... it makes it look much nicer. GOOD LUCK!!!!

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars How to fix it, January 29, 2011

By 

SEMC - See all my reviews

= Durability:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Fun:3.0 out of 5 stars  = Educational:4.0 out of 5 stars 

This review is from: Smithsonian Motor-Works (Toy)

I'm not going to take the time to repeat all these valid complaints. There is a lot of talk here about what is wrong with the engine but not a whole lot on how to fix the problems. It's great that motor-heads are pointing out the technical problems and we thank them for it. But the common person wants straight to the point answers! That is what I will focus on here.

Lets start with the correct firing order for the US, 1-3-4-2 instead of 1-2-4-3.
You need to move the cams. Note that the "-" next to the letter is the direction the line on the cam will face. The directions call it a groove...it isn't a groove. While assembling this you will have the gear on the shaft in your left hand. Note I put some periods in there for spacing since Amazon doesn't allow multiple spaces.

(GEAR) -H -B .. D- C- .. F- -E .. G- -A (OPEN END OF SHAFT)

If you hold the rod flat side up:
H points away from you
B points towards you
D points up
C points down
F points down
E points up
G points towards you
A points away from you

Some cams are the same as the others so it is possible to move some letters around and still have the same result. However that is how I did it.

Correct the spark plug order so it fires when it is supposed to do it:
#1 plug goes to #1 cylinder.
#2 plug goes to #3 cylinder.
#3 plug goes to #2 cylinder.
#4 plug goes to #4 cylinder.

Fix the motor rotation (if needed).
As stated in previous posts you might need to reverse the wires on the motor. Do not remove the motor from the housing. Plug in the motor and look at the gear on it. If it spins counter-clockwise then it is good. If it spins clockwise then you need to reverse the wires. It will require soldering.