Walking Beam Stirling Engine Kit

Assembly Tips:

Keep all bearing points a little loose to

minimize friction

Check for friction after tightening the screw

connectors they can sometimes twist when
tightened and bind the parts.

The diaphragm should not be being stretched

or compressed significantly, adjust it's
connecting rod so that this doesn't happen.

The candle flame should be about 1 cm away

from the base of the displacer cylinder.

Do not use intense heat sources such as

propane, butane etc, as these will damage the
engine.

Running the engine

Oil all of the bearing points regularly with a light machine
oil.
Fill the cooling jacket with cold water
Light the tea light candle and place it underneath the
displacer cylinder.
Wait around a minute for the engine to heat up.
Turn the flywheel counter clockwise to start the engine.
If everything has gone to plan, it should be running!
If not, check all of the bearing points for excess friction.
Try adjust the diaphragm, small adjustments in the tension
of the rubber diaphragm can make a big difference to the
operation of the engine.
Check that the displacer is being pulled up and down
correctly. When the beam is at it's highest point there
should be on a very small amount of slack in the wire ( 3 6mm). If it's being pulled tight, or there's a lot of slack in
the nylon wire, make adjustments to it.

Wire parts assembly

Assemble the main connecting rod and crankshaft as shown below. The brass connectors should have small sections of
heat-shrink tubing on either side.

1.) Cut around the templates and tape

2.) Pierce through all of the bearing

3.) Cut out the internal sections first. The

them to the corrugated cardboard.

points(marked +) using a drawing pin.

Widen the holes using the 100mm bearing
bar.

slots should be matched to the thickness of

the cardboard you are using.

4.) Cut out all of the pieces.

5.) Assemble the middle plate, baseplate,

6.) Check that the middle plate rests

and side pieces as shown

100mm (4) from the base plate.

7.) Glue the first diaphragm support piece

8.) Fit the displacer cylinder into place as

9.) Glue the second diaphragm support

into place. It should be level with the top of

the cut out in the side pieces.

shown.

piece in place, about 18 mm (1) above

the first one.

10.) Glue the diaphragm holder into

place as shown.

11.) Pierce two holes for the bolts

that hold the bearing bracket in place.
Bolt one of the bearing brackets in
place using a M4 x12 bolt, washer
and nut.

12.) Fit the crankshaft in place.

Thread it through the small holes, not
the larger holes. Bolt the other bearing
bracket into place.

13.) Screw one of the brass connectors

14.) Remove the flywheels and connector

15.) Fit the diaphragm over the diaphragm

onto a piece of 45mm bearing bar. Push the from the bearing bar and fix them into place holder. It should not be stretched tight.
flywheel against the brass connector and
glue the two together. Repeat for the other
flywheel.

as shown.

16.) Glue the two beam support piece in

17.) Glue the other beam piece on as

18.) Widen the centre hole, so the beam

place as shown.

shown.

will move freely.

19.) Cut two small 5mm ( ) pieces of spacer

material. Push the beam bearing bar through the
side pieces and through the walking beam, with
the small spacer piece either side of the beam..

20.) Fit main connecting rod into the beam.

There should be spacer material either side.

21.) Connect the other end of the main

connecting rod into the crankshaft as shown.

22.) Cut the diaphragm connecting rod down to

size and fix it into the brass connector on the
main con rod.

23.) Fit the displacer con rod into place in the

same way as the main con rod.

24.) Tie the displacer wire to the displacer con

rod.

The nylon wire needs to be tied so that in moves the displacer up and down. Once you've tied the nylon wire on and got the movement reasonably
close, it's easier to make small adjustments by bending the steel connecting rod so that it becomes longer or shorter.