Sunnytech Mini Hot Live Steam Engine Model Education Toy DIY (BJ001)

Great little engine (my first). It feels very nicely made.Simple, all metal design (one image I saw showed a glass lamp, but this one has an all metal base with a wick sticking out).It came with a spare o-ring for the boiler lid and a spare wick (60mm long).Filling the base with denatured alcohol and the boiler with demineralised water, this thing will take about a minute or two to heat, and then crank along for up to around four minutes once started.I gave the flywheel a bit of silicone spray and this thing is super smooth now (some people warn against putting lube in the piston though, so I didn't do that).The first time I ran it there was probably too much wick sticking out (maybe 7.5mm). The flame was too large and the engine overheated.I've since shortened wick which allows it to operate for longer.One thing to be conscious of is over filling the boiler. If I do this, water seems to spray out, and can drip on the lamp.Several times I've had enough water on top of the lamp-base that it touches the wick and starts to draw the alcohol out.If this happens, the flame can become too large and the cause issues (including being a potential fire hazard, but that's true of any flame and the nature of these types of models).It's a great first engine and I can highly recommend this!

The media could not be loaded. This little steam engine is very well machined and functional. It makes a nice demo for thermodynamics. I only wish there was a way to easily extract some of the power from it. I will have to try to machine a small wheel for a rubber band transmission.

I have been a fan of toy steam engines since I received a German made WILESCO engine for Christmas in 1961! This little engine by SunnyTech, a Chinese company, is very well made, with all brass parts, except for an O-ring to seal the boiler. When I first fired the engine up it ran like who-shot-john! I was rather amazed. This will make a great gift for any budding engineers that you may know, or any professional engineers, for that matter.There are some pitfalls that the buyer should be aware of:There are no instructions, at least in the one I bought has no instructions, just an exploded drawing showing how it should be put together. It is a good thing that I had experience with toy steam engines.NEVER fill the boiler more than 2/3 full.When running, it will spray some water, this is normal for a steam engine.It does vibrate when running, place it on a stable surface.The engine gets HOT when running. Take appropriate precautions.Use alcohol as a fuel. Ethel or methyl alcohol (+95%) will work best. I tried 91% Isopropyl alcohol and it works fine, although it covered the boiler with soot. So you might want to avoid that.NEVER use any petroleum derived fuel such as gasoline or Coleman fuel.The engine is designed to only run for a few minutes on one boiler of water. Blow the lamp out immediately when the boiler is low on water or you may damage the engine with excess heat.Remember, this is a toy but only for older children and adults.

Looking at the reviews, there will probably those who dislike it or love it. I think I know why. Patience. This is an excellently machined product to what looks to be a high level of quality due to tight and smooth machine tolerances. As such, this requires a break-in period like any quality mechanism. I found it to be a bit tight to run freely at first, but after a few runs, it really runs smoothly with no appreciable slop in fit. After carefully adjusting the wick shorter and shorter, I can get it to run amazingly slow and smooth for an extended run time and little spitting of water.So, if your impatient, you may be a bit disappointed at first, but after a little time and liberal use of olive oil for a lubricant, you will find it can run very well for such a small engine. Careful examination of the workmanship proves that a good deal of quality went into its construction. It appears very well balanced as well. Treat it more like a fine piece of work and not just a toy to be revved out to max RPM's and you may just be pleasantly surprised. Experiment with it. Try using different fuels sources and such. Keep it lubricated!I have other engines, including a D2, and rate this up with the best. I guess I am just a model engine nerd. So be it.

After the first run I set the unit aside, tried running it after a few days. The piston has seized and the flywheel; wont move any longer. I made sure to follow the instructions on the site. I also noticed everything started leaking especially around where the solder points are.

This thing works great. Yes, you need to lubricate it, I used 3 in one but any good light to medium viscosity lube should work. I think a previous reviewer used olive oil.I made the mistake of overfilling the boiler, which makes a mess. I’m experimenting with this, but you need better than 5mm headspace to start.I adjusted the wick down to just a few mm and used 91% isopropyl.It runs great! Lots of fun and it seems to be running much more smoothly after 15-20 heat cycles.

Great toy for adults. Works great. Use fuel alcohol (not rubbing alcohol). Not a toy for children. You must watch the water level by shutting it down and letting it cool to open the boiler to check the water level. It gets very hot (as should be obvious because you heat it with a flame and it is a steam engine).

Engine works well. Wick leaves tons of soot. Fast start time and engine runs strong for a minute or two. Fit and finish not great, parts not polished, rough edges on cut parts make assembly difficult though machined parts are made accurately. Brass dull in spots.Sunnytech®hot Air Stirling Engine Model Education Toy Electricity Power Sc02 set my expectations high, that was a beautiful, well made engine, and this one, theSunnytech® Mini Hot Live Steam Engine Brass...was not nearly as well made. However, it runs like a champ and is a thing of wonder to watch.