Powerplant 1

Crankshaft and Connecting Rods

Crankshaft

 The crankshaft is the backbone of a

reciprocating engine. Its main purpose is to
transform the reciprocating motion of the
pistons and connecting rods into rotary
motion to turn a propeller.
 A typical crankshaft has one or more cranks,
or throws, located at specified points along
its length.
 Since crankshafts must withstand high stress,
they are generally forged from a strong alloy
such as chromium-nickel molybdenum steel.
Crankshaft

 A typical crankshaft can have as few as one throw or as

many as eight and varies depending on the number of
cylinders and engine type.
 The parts of the crankshaft include the main bearing
journal, the crankpin, and the crank cheek. In addition,
although they are not true parts of the crankshaft,
counterweights and dampers are often installed on many
crankshafts to reduce engine vibration.
 All crankshafts consist of a main bearing
journal, one or more crankpins, and several
crank cheeks.
Main bearing journal

 The main bearing journals, or main journals, represent the

centerline of a crankshaft and support the crankshaft as it
rotates in the main bearings.
 All crankshafts require at least two main journals to
support the crankshaft, absorb the operational loads, and
transmit stress from the crankshaft to the crankcase.
Crankpin

 Crankpins, or connecting-rod bearing journals, serve as

attachment points for the connecting rods. Most crankpins
are forged directly into a crankshaft and are offset from
the main bearing journal.
 This offset design means that any force applied to a
crankpin in a direction other than parallel to the
crankshaft center line causes the crankshaft to rotate.
Crankpin

 To reduce total crankshaft weight, crankpins are usually

hollow. This hollow construction also provides a passage
for lubricating oil. In addition, a hollow crankpin serves as
a collection chamber for sludge, dirt, carbon deposits, and
other foreign material.
 On opposed engines, the number of crankpins must
correspond with an engine's cylinder arrangement.
Crank cheek

 Two crank cheeks, or crank arms, are required to connect

the crankpin to the crankshaft. In some designs, the cheek
extends beyond the journal to form a counterweight that
helps balance the crankshaft.
 In addition, most crank cheeks have drilled passage ways
that allow oil to flow from the main journal to the
crankpin.
Crankshaft Balance

 Excessive engine vibration can cause metal structures to

become fatigued and fail or wear excessively. In some
instances, excessive vibration is caused by an unbalanced
crankshaft. Therefore, to prevent unwanted vibration,
most crankshafts are balanced both statically and
dynamically.
Static balance

 A crankshaft is statically balanced when the weight of an

entire crankshaft assembly is balanced around its axis of
rotation.
 To test a crankshaft for static balance, the outside main
journals are placed on two knife edge balancing blocks. If
the shaft tends to rotate toward any one position during
the test, it is out of static balance.
Dynamic balance

 Once a crankshaft is statically balanced it must be

dynamically balanced.
 Dynamic balance refers to the balancing of the centrifugal
forces created by a rotating crankshaft and the impact
forces created by an engine's power impulses.
 The most common means of dynamically balancing a
crankshaft is through the use of dynamic dampers.
Dynamic damper

 A dynamic damper is a weight

which is fastened to a crankshaft's
crank cheek assembly in such a
way that it is free to move back
and forth in a small arc. Some
crankshafts utilize two or more of
these assemblies, each being
attached to a different crank
cheek.
Dynamic damper

 Each time a cylinder fires, a pulse is transmitted into the

crankshaft that causes it to flex. When the engine is
running, the crankshaft receives hundreds of these pulses
each minute and flexes, or vibrates, constantly.
 To help minimize these vibrations, the dynamic damper
oscillates, or swings, each time the crankshaft receives a
pulse from a firing cylinder. These oscillations are
opposite the crankshaft vibrations and, therefore, absorb
some of the force produced by the power impulse.
Crankshaft types

 The type of crankshaft used on a particular engine depends

on the number and arrangement of an engine's cylinders.
 The most common types of crankshafts are the single-throw,
two-throw, four-throw, and six-throw crankshafts.
 The simplest crankshaft is the single-throw or 360 degree
crankshaft used on single-row radial engines.
 As its name implies, a single-throw crankshaft consists of a
single crankpin with two main journals that support the
crankshaft in the crankcase.
With a one-piece, single-throw crankshaft, the entire
crankshaft is cast as one solid piece.
Connecting rods

 The connecting rod is the link which

transmits the force exerted on a piston to a
crankshaft. Most connecting rods are made
of a durable steel alloy; however, aluminum
can be used with low horsepower engines.
 One end of a connecting rod connects to the
crankshaft and is called the crankpin end,
while the other end connects to the piston
and is called the piston end.
 The three types of connecting rod assemblies
you should be familiar with are the plain-
type, the master-and-articulated-rod type,
and the fork-and-blade type.
Plain connecting rod

 Plain connecting rods are used in

opposed and in-line engines. The
piston end of a plain connecting
rod is fitted with a bronze bushing
to accommodate the piston pin.
 The crankpin end, on the other
hand, is usually fitted with a two-
piece bearing and cap which is
held on the end of the rod by
bolts or studs.
Master and articulated rod

 The master-and-articulated rod assembly is commonly used

in radial engines. With this type of assembly, one piston in
each row of cylinders is connected to the crankshaft by a
master rod.
 The remaining pistons are connected to the master rod by
articulated rods.
 Therefore, in a nine cylinder engine there is one master rod
and eight articulating rods, while a double row 18 cylinder
engine has two master rods and 16 articulating rods.
Master and articulated rod

 The master rod serves as the only connecting link between

all the pistons and the crankpin.
 The small end, or piston end of a master rod, contains a
plain bearing called a piston pin bearing which receives
the piston pin.
 The crankpin end of a master rod contains the crankpin
bearing, sometimes called a master rod bearing.
A set of flange holes are machined around the crankpin
end of a master rod to provide an attachment point for
the articulated rods.
Each articulated rod is hinged to the master rod by a
knuckle pin. Some knuckle pins are pressed into the
master rod so they do not rotate in the flange holes.
Since the flange holes on a master rod encircle the
center of the crankpin, the crankpin is the only
portion of a master rod assembly that travels in a
true circle as the crankshaft rotates. The
remaining knuckle pins travel in an elliptical path.
Fork and blade rod

 The fork-and-blade rod assembly is

used primarily in V-type engines and
consists of a fork connecting rod and
a blade connecting rod.
 The forked rod is split at the crankpin
end to allow space for the blade rod
to fit between the prongs. The fork-
and-blade assembly is then fastened
to a crankpin with a two-piece
bearing.