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Watching This See-Through Engine Work in Slow-Motion Is Mesmerizing

Photo credit: TRODesigns - YouTube
Photo credit: TRODesigns - YouTube

Because internal combustion engines operate under such high pressures, it's tough to get their inner workings on camera. Usually the whole process is shrouded by thick metals to contain all of that explosive energy and turn it into propulsion. As great as diagrams, explainers, and simulations are, nothing beats seeing the real thing if you want to get a good idea of what's going on inside of a working engine block.

The TROdesigns YouTube channel decided it wanted to show off the combustion process of a four-stroke engine on camera, so it developed an acrylic block with a clear, see-through cylinder based on a Honda motorcycle engine. After assembling the motor and running a compression test, the host fires it up so we can witness the system in action.

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Thanks to the magic of slow-motion 4K cameras, we can see the exact moment of combustion inside the cylinder as the spark plug ignites the gasoline, pushing the cylinder down and causing the engine to spin. Even if you're not an obsessive engineering type or even mechanically inclined, this is cool to watch.

Of course, this isn't the first time we've seen someone attempt to build a see-through engine. If you want to see what the combustion process looks like from the perspective of a clear cylinder head, head on over here to watch this video of an engine with an acrylic cylinder head.

via Motor1

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