Guy Builds 3D Printed Subaru EJ20 Boxer Engine That Works

Well, it doesn't have spark ignition, compression, or reliability on its side. But it's cool, right, this 3D printed Subaru engine model?

Eric Harrel is the fellow responsible for this creation. You might have heard of him because his previous creations have gotten attention in the geeky community we all belong to. For the sake of it, we are also including a few other videos he's published, including one of a transer case and working differential.

While we have no idea what uses these 3D printed models might have, we do appreciate all the work that's gone into making them. He used different colored plastics to match how en engine might look, for example.

We can only presume that the models are accurate on the inside as well, since the pistons of the EJ20 can be seen moving smoothly in their four respective sleeves.

Everything is made to 1/3 scale, so if the guy ever decides to build an Impreza around the 2-liter engine, it would be around 1.4 meters or 4 and a half feet long. Of course, there's little chance of that ever happening, since a 3D printed seat is less interesting than moving cylinders.

Even though the boxer engine sounds more complex and thus trickier to build than its inline counterparts, Subaru has been making it for 50 years. Considering how popular 3D printed engines have become, we're surprised Subaru didn't make one themselves for the anniversary.

You can find the CAD blueprints for pretty much anything on the web. We've even seen one guy building a 3D printed jet engine to sit on his desk. There are also applications in the real automotive industry, such as parts rapid prototyping and even design.