Nifeliz V8 Engine Building Set, Exclusive Advanced Collector's Engine Model, Physical Science Experiment Toy for Adults, Home or Office Décor (2725 PCS, NF10287)

This NifeliZ V8 Engine is one of the most fun and complicated builds I've done. I've built lots of trains, cars, buildings and Star Wars sets. This ranks up there with the best of them. I can't wait to use it to explain V8 Engines to my grandsons. Cranking it makes the pistons go up and down as well as the valves opening and closing. It's a very well engineered piece. It's also a very difficult build but the instructions are fantastic. You'll have a real sense of accomplishment when it's complete. Unlike most of my builds I only found one thing that didn't fit just right. The top cover didn't set just right so I made a minor correction - I reversed the blue pins in step 192 and in step 371, now the top sets squarely on the red and blue pins. (see pictures 1 & 2). One other thing I changed was the gray piece used in steps 608 thru 611. Ascetically I felt the pieces should be all black. (see picture 3) Hope this is helpful - enjoy your build. NifeliZ V8 Engine - NF 10287 followup: I bought this kit a few weeks ago and have had a fun time building and then tweaking it to make it my own version. Don’t get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with this kit, I just can’t stop myself from modifying things after I’ve built them. It’s just more fun. So what I want to share is some of the functional and cosmetic modification I made to my NifeliZ V8. I have already showed 2 things in my initial review. Here are a few more: 1) The top has a back cover that is only held on in three places. Sometimes when I would accidentally pull too hard it would slip off. So I added an additional attach point that makes it a little sturdier. See Picture (1 Engine Cover) 2) The Frame structure for the gears on the front of the engine seemed like it needed a little extra support so I looked for a way to add support as well as improve cosmetics. I decided modifying pipes and locations of what I think are the fuel filters would improve the structure. One mod was very easy - I just had to remove a small yellow disc. The left side required a complete redo. It was worth it now the frame is secured to the heads on both sides and the filters are in better alignment. See Picture (2 Fuel Filters) 3) The next few things I did are strictly cosmetic to satisfy my need for balance. There are a lot of pieces that stick out and look like they should connect to something. See Pictures (3 Engine Front 1 and 4 Engine Front 2). I decided to cap them off so they would look more finished to me. There was also an elbow that looked like it should go somewhere so I added a section that looks like a pipe. See Pictures (5 Cover Off 1 and 6 Cover Off 2) 4) I add a couple of cosmetic pieces to the rear of the engine also. See Picture (7 Engine Rear) Let me emphasize there is nothing wrong with this engine. I just love kits where I can have fun making simple changes that makes it seem better to me and gives me my own unique version. Find your own little tweaks and enjoy the fun.

Sooo good! This thing is so much fun. Great quality pieces, very clear instructions, and neatly organized into manageable sections. You get a lot of bang for your buck here compared to Legos, and these are just as good. There were a couple of parts that were difficult to snap together, but what do you expect. Totally worth it. Can’t wait to get another!

This was the hardest thing I’ve ever built. But boy is it satisfying. Directions were dope and easy to follow. Real quality here to be honest.

This V8 model engine was both complex and rewarding to build. It showed excellent engineering and attention to detail that resulted in an engine that reflected a realistic operation of an internal combustion engine. The building instructions were detailed and quite clear to follow. The parts were well made and none were missing. The hand crank worked to move the pistons within the cyclinders and to rotate the camshaft that allowed the intake and exhaust valves to open and close. I highly recommend this model over such brands as MouldKing whose engineering leaves much to be desired.

In reviewing this set, it is impossible not to compare it to sets from a certain Danish toymaker (L). That may not be entirely fair to NifeliZ, but the target audience for this set is pretty clearly individuals who like the L’s technical line and want a geared/mechanical set. First off, some general observations: 1. NifeliZ clearly wants to create a premium experience. The instruction book is printed very nicely on *heavy* paper and has some nice photos showing details of the set. The set comes with some folding boxes for storing parts, like the many plastic pins used to join pieces (something L does not provide, so kudos to NifeliZ here!). There are a lot of “chromed” parts for a set this size and price. The box is relatively heavy. The parts are, with the exception of the chain pieces, solid and strong, although they have a slightly different, more glossy, finish than L that is noticeable: This isn’t good or bad, just different. Overall, it's not *quite* the premium experience you get on first impression with sets from L, but it’s close, and a big step up from L knock-offs back in the day that tended to fall apart if you looked at them. 2. Although the majority of NifeliZ’s parts are close copies of their equivalents from L, they aren’t quite the same. The have different relief patterns and curves in some cases. Many of the larger parts are different enough that if you swapped them into a set from L, it would be noticeable. That said, they have made some parts that I wish L would have, such as beams with holes for pins that alternate 90° between faces (i.e., there is a hole on the top face and the next one is on the side, alternating down the length). These greatly simplify construction with right-angle planes where you want a clean corner. 3. The design is generally decent, but not as robust as L’s sets. If L sometimes over-engineers its sets, this tends to be under-engineered, with poor support and weak connections for some assemblies. In some cases the design misses obvious opportunities to strengthen parts. But it doesn’t fall apart all the time either, so it’s better than some other L knock-offs. 4. The instructions could use some testing and work. It’s not that they are bad, but the designers often do things in sequences that cause problems down the road. A common one occurs with axle-type pins, which need to be aligned with other parts to fit together. If they are rotated, they just won’t fit. Multiple times, I found that I followed the instructions and then had to twist the pins to fit another assembly, but it would have been easier to put them in the other assembly and leave the straight pins sticking out to join things. I consider this an obvious improvement that should have been caught in testing. 5. The designers favor making large assemblies and joining them together with bunches of pins in one go. When some of them are axle-type pins, this simply doesn’t work. But in most cases, it would have been possible to build the assembly up bit by bit on the one you are attaching it to. In several cases, I had built assemblies that could not go together because of the number of pins, but if I broke them down and put them on in sections, it was easy. NifeliZ really should have caught this difficulty and designed the instructions in a way that facilitates incremental building rather than joining massive chunks. (There are cases where you need to join big chunks, but most of the cases in these instructions would not require that.) 6. My biggest complaint in the assembly was with fitting the pistons into the cylinders. The was tricky as could be, and made more complex by the issues above. I ended up transferring some parts from the cylinder assembly to the base so that I could reduce the number of pins that had to be fitted simultaneously. But the bigger problem is that the valve assemblies on the top of the engine block prevent access to the pistons while you are putting things together. I ended up removing these assemblies, fitting the cylinder assemblies over the pistons, and then putting the valve assemblies back on. That made everything MUCH easier to work with and, given the way this is built, it adds zero complexity in exchange for an easier assembly. This is such an obvious improvement in assembly that the fact that NifeliZ didn't use this sequence in the instructions suggests to me that they didn’t really test the instructions. This is a mistake I can’t imagine L would make given how carefully they test things. 7. Some of the instructions really obscure what is going on. For example, in some steps, arrows point to areas that are not visible, so you have to guess where they are telling you to put things. This is strange, because some times the instructions have you rotate assemblies for no apparent reason, but in cases where it would actually be useful, they don’t. In other cases, assemblies are shown from an angle where it is impossible to see what is going on and you just have to infer the intention. Usually not hard to do, but this could be improved substantially just by rotating the computer models they generate the graphics from to a different angle. 8. Clutch on the parts is inconsistent. Most of the time, parts are just a little bit more grippy than those from L, but some studded pieces were noticeably less grippy. In addition, I found that some, but not all, of the black axle pieces, were undersized in their cross section just enough that some gears slid freely along their length rather than clutching. One was so bad that I actually was able to put a small piece of washi tape on one face of the axle and then slide the gear on, which held it well enough, albeit still on the loose side. The inconsistency in this regard was odd since other black axles were fine. I get it that absolute consistency in manufacturing is tough, but that is what sets L apart, and if Nifelez wants to chase that premium experience, they need to Aside: Troublingly, in the particular case where I first noticed this, Nifilex should have used a gray axle one stud longer in any event: They show the axle sticking past the gear, but in fact it barely is able to reach it, and the extra stud length would have allowed them to use a half-stud barrel to help secure it, which they did on the gear next to it. They should have used the same piece for both gears and then it would have been perfect. I cannot explain a design decision that serves no obvious end and leaves a piece barely hanging on. 9. The pieces have more obvious mold marks than those from L. Structurally it makes no difference, but it’s another visual reminder that these are not sets from L. 10. One strange decision. The cylinders in this design are rectangular but the piston heads are round and enough smaller than the cylinders that they rattle around a bit. L would never have released this design. They either would have made square pistons (something they did on some older sets) or, more likely, they would have created cylindrical sleeves for the pistons out of studded parts. I think N thought it wouldn't matter because the pistons aren’t really visible with everything around them, but I know they aren't right, and it bothers me. 11. A lot of pieces that are on axles, such as the cams that active the valve covers, are pushed into place, but do not have barrels or other bushings on the axles to hold them in the right place. L would have used pieces to ensure the alignment. Is this good or bad? I’d argue that NifeliZ’ design looks cleaner, but it would be easy for parts to move over time, and then you have to tear it apart to make repairs, while L’s designs won't move. 12. Piece organization is a bit weird. Bags are numbered, as with L, but differently. L would have one bag numbered 2, and it might have a few other bags in it. NifeliZ will have five or six bags with one number, but all separate and just floating around in the box. In addition, there are unnumbered bags that you need parts from, but these parts just appear in the instructions with no instruction as to where to find them. Within a set of steps, you identify which of the bags that share the same number that you will need, by looking at a separate code. Sometimes only one bag will use a code, but other times two or three will, in which case you need them all for that section. All in all, this approach could use a little more thought and clarity. 13. This set has a lot of gears, but many of them are poorly supported. When you connect the chains that drive them, there is a lot of flex in the axles and strain on the surrounding pieces that could have been improved. The amount of lash in the system is high, and, when you turn the crank, you frequently end up with the system finding, which forces you to crank the other way in order to free the binding. It also doesn't help that the chain pieces are quite flimsy and separate readily. This leads to an overall chintzy and flimsy feel for operation of the completed piece. To be blunt, in this regard, it feels like something I would have made as a teenager just messing about with parts, not like the solid kits that L makes. It contrasts with the feel that NifeliZ is clearly going for and that, for the most part, they achieve. Is this set worth it? Overall, if you by this or any other NifeliZ set, I think you have one of two reasons. Either you want the particular subject the set has, or you want the parts for your own use. If you are buying it for the subject, I’d say you get about 80% of the overall experience and quality that you’d get from sets by L, but you are paying perhaps 30% what L charges. If you can live with the missing 20% of the experience, this is a good deal, but if you value that additional 20%, this isn’t for you. If you are buying the set for parts to include in your own creations, the issues I mentioned are, with the possible exception of the issue with black axles being manufactured too small, probably not important. Here the question if whether you want the particular parts that L doesn’t make or whether you can live with the differences from L’s sets. While you can mix and match the parts, the differences will be noticeable, although subtle. You could always save these parts for internal structures and areas nobody will see while reserving your L parts for where they will be apparent. This will allow you to save a lot of money compared to buying genuine L sets. But if you want the exact look and feel of L sets, this won't be for you. And, last but not least, this is definitely not a kit for kids. Maybe for dedicated and experienced teens, but that would be the youngest. It has challenges for adults, partially because of the poorly thought-out construction sequences I mentioned. I can see even strongly motivated kids getting frustrated and giving up when they try to fit the pistons into their cylinders. It took me about half an hour, and I only succeeded because I move parts around and took off the valve assembly ===Photos=== As to the photos, the first one has a black piece of the beam type I mentioned with holes alternating between the faces. It's a really slick piece that L should have invented. The second one shows how pieces are spaced on axles with no use of barrels to hold them in position. Note the orange actuator on the cream-colored axle: You basically have to eye-ball its position. L would have put a ton of barrels on these pieces to lock down the position of parts. The third photo shows how the round pistons fit in the square cylinders (is that any oxymoron?). It's a weird decision that falls short of what a detailed engine model should do and what I'm certain L would do if they made this same model. And, finally, the fourth photo shows details of the relief cuts in the face of a beam and how they look different from what L does (simple circular depressions around the holes). This is a unique look and I think people will either like it or hate it.

It’s exactly as pictured. The build itself is amazing. Firstly the parts are packed similarly to Lego style, individual clearly numbers packets. The assembly booklet is also similar to Lego Technique style. In all it feels as if this is a collab with Lego themselves. HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

It was a very fun engine to build; my dad enjoyed it 100%.

This is not a build for amateurs. Good news: Excellent instructions, quality parts. The parts are in numbered bags and well sorted. Bad news: There were a number of missing parts. Customer support is non-existent. I went to the Nifeliz website and was unable to locate a contact phone number. The only way I was able to finish the project was to contact Amazon. They could not find a number either. They were excellent in service however. They sent me a second kit and told me to use whatever parts I needed and then return the unused items. If you can deal with the hassle then I would recommend purchasing.