CHAPTER 13

Pistons, Rings, and Connecting Rods

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CONNECTING RODS
Connecting rods are usually made of forged or cast steel. Some racing rods are made of forged aluminum (see Figure 13.67). Forged rods are stronger than cast rods, but casting has been improved to the point that some late-model passenger car engines use cast rods because they cost less. Rods are generally made in an I-beam shape for strength. The big end of each rod is precisely ground to achieve perfect oil clearance and crush on the rod bearings when the rod and bearing inserts are installed on the crank journal. Rod caps are not interchangeable. If they are interchanged, the oil clearances of the bearings can vary greatly and the crank might not even be able to turn.

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FIGURE 13.67 A piston-and-rod assembly from a top-fuel dragster uses an aluminum spacer at each end of the piston pin. (Courtesy of Tim Gilles)

On a V-type engine, if the rods and caps were not numbered during disassembly, try to match them up as closely as possible by looking to see if the chamfers on the edge of the bore line up.

type of retaining ring coming out under the tremendous loads experienced on the piston assemblies in a 6000-horsepower engine.

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Full-floating pins often fit snugly in the piston when cold. To remove the piston pin easily, first heat the piston in hot water.

Direction of Piston on Connecting Rod

Be sure to keep track of the direction the connecting rod faces in relation to the top of the piston. Pistons have a notch on the side of the piston head that faces the front of the engine (Figure 13.68).

Rod bolts usually have slightly enlarged shanks to hold them tight in the rod (Figure 13.69). The cap has precise holes that line up with this enlarged area of the bolt to prevent misalignment of the rod and cap when they are assembled. The notches cut in the rod for the bearing locating lugs usually face each other when correctly installed (Figure 13.70). Incorrect installation of the rod cap can cause uneven bearing wear (Figure 13.71).

NOTE
Overtorque of rod bolts can cause them to fail during deceleration when the load is on the bolt instead of on the rod (Figure 13.72).

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A good way to keep track of piston/connecting rod direction during piston replacement is to put the piston notch to the right and then mark the side of the rod cap that is facing up with a felt marker or electric engraver. This will make it easy to install the new pistons properly. On a V-type engine, half the numbers will be up and half will be down.

Sintered Powder-Forged Fractured Rods

Some newer connecting rods are powder forged. Iron powder, graphite, and copper are precast in molds that are close to what the final rod will look like. The mixture is heated to sinter the mixture together. Then they are forged in a forging press.