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Article: Connecting rods that crack by design. (Ford Motor Co. )
- Article from:
- Mechanical Engineering-CIME
- Article date:
- February 1, 1991
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1991 American Society of Mechanical Engineers. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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Ford Motor Co. (Dearborn Mich.) uses crankshaft-to-piston connecting rods wit large cracks in them. Ford engineers know all about it. The cracked rods are installed in the modular 4.6-liter V-8 engines that power the 1991 Lincoln Town Car, 1992 Ford Crown Victoria, and 1992 Mercury Grand Marquis models. But far from necessitating major model recalls, the automaker has patented the connecting rod cracking procedure. Indeed, Ford engineers designed the powder-metal-forged rods to crack on purpose. That's because the innovative fracturing process saves machining steps and provides more precise crankshaft bearing geometry than does conventional hot forging, a procedure in ...