Description: The connecting rod connect the
piston to the crankshaft. The rods are made from dropf-forged, heat-treated
steel to provide the required strength. Each end of the rod is bored, with the smaller top bore connecting to the
piston pin(wrist
pin)in the
piston. The large bore end of the rod is split in half and bolted to allow the rod to be attached to the crankshaft. Some diesel
engine connecting rods are drilled down the center to allow
oil to travel up from the crankshaft and into the
piston pin and
piston for lubrication.
A variation found in V-type engines that affects the connecting rods is to position the cylinders in the left and right banks directly opposite each other instead of staggered(most common configuration). This arrangement requires that the connecting rods of two opposing cylinders share the same main journal
bearing on the crankshaft. To allow this configuration, one of the connecting rods must be split or forked around the other.