Connecting rod for an engine and method of making thereof

Abstract

A method to modify the geometry of a connecting rod of an internal combustion engine includes providing a connecting rod having a crankshaft bore at a first end, wherein the first end has a bearing cap and a bottom end portion of the connecting rod, mating the bearing cap with the bottom end portion of the connecting rod to form the crankshaft bore of the connecting rod, machining a width upset portion of the bottom end portion to reduce a width of the bottom end portion of the connecting rod, machining a width upset portion of the bearing cap to reduce a portion of a width of the bearing cap, and reducing the width of the bottom end portion of the connecting rod and the portion of the width of the bearing cap to a width smaller than a cylinder bore of the internal combustion engine.

1 . A method to modify the geometry of a connecting rod of an internal combustion engine, the method comprising:
 providing a connecting rod comprising a crankshaft bore at a first end, wherein the first end comprises a bearing cap and a bottom end portion of the connecting rod;   mating the bearing cap with the bottom end portion of the connecting rod at a mating surface to form the crankshaft bore of the connecting rod;   machining a width upset portion of the bottom end portion to reduce a width of the bottom end portion of the connecting rod;   machining a width upset portion of the bearing cap to reduce a portion of a width of the bearing cap;   reducing the width of the bottom end portion of the connecting rod and the portion of the width of the bearing cap to a width smaller than a cylinder bore of the internal combustion engine,   wherein the width upset portion of the connecting rod and the width upset portion of the bearing cap are machined together while fastened together by bolts such that the width of the connecting rod and the width of the bearing cap at the mating surface are identical.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 disassembling the bearing cap from the bottom end portion of the connecting rod;   re-assembling the bearing cap to the bottom end portion of the connecting rod; and   finish machining the crankshaft bore of the re-assembled connecting rod.   
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1 , further comprising rough machining the crankshaft bore of the connecting rod while the bearing cap is mated to the bottom end portion of the connecting rod. 
     
     
         4 . A connecting rod of an internal combustion engine, the connecting rod comprising:
 a small end portion to be connected to a piston of the engine;   a large end portion to be connected to a crankshaft of the engine; and   a rod portion extending between the small end portion and the large end portion in a longitudinal direction;   wherein the large end portion of the connecting rod comprises:
 a bearing cap and a bottom end portion of the connecting rod mated at a mating surface; 
 upset portions extending in a width direction perpendicular to the longitudinal direction; 
   wherein upset portions of the bottom end portion of the connecting rod are machined to a width less than a diameter of a cylinder bore of the engine; and   wherein a portion of upset portions of the bearing cap are machined to a width less than the diameter of the cylinder bore of the engine,   wherein the upset portion of the connecting rod and the upset portion of the bearing cap are machined together while fastened together by bolts such that the width of the connecting rod and the width of the bearing cap at the mating surface are identical.   
     
     
         5 . The connecting rod of  claim 4 , wherein the upset portions of the bearing cap are machined to the same width as upset portions of the bottom end portion of the connecting rod. 
     
     
         6 . The connecting rod of  claim 4 , wherein a width of the upset portions at an upper part of the bearing cap is smaller than a width of the upset portions at a lower part of the bearing cap.