Unquestionably The Most Import ant Fasteners In Any Engine Are The Connecting Rod Bolts, As They Hold The Key To The Entire Rotating Assembly.
A Broken Bolt Will Lead To A Catastrophic Engine Failure. As You Can Imagine, The Most Critical Jo int Is Where The Connecting Ro ds Mate.
The Rod Bolts Must Support The Primary Tension Load s Caused By Each Rotation (or Cycle) Of The Crankshaft. When The Crank Rotates, The Big End Of The Connecting Rod Essentially Becomes Oval Shaped And The Rod Bolts Bend.
As The Crankshaft Continues To Rotate, The Rod Becomes Round Again. Wi th Alternating Tension Loads A nd Cyclic Bending Of The Bolts, It's Very Important To Insta ll Fasteners That Are Able Exe rt A Clamping Force Greater Than The Load Imposed On The Joint (tension).
In An Addition T o Utilizing A Rod Bolt With Sufficient Strength To Withstand The Tremendous Cyclic Strains Placed Upon It, It Is Absolutely Imperative That The Bolts Be Properly Tightened. The Preferred Method Of Monitoring The Correct Amount Of Tension Is Through A Stretch Guage.
This Is Far More Accurate Than A Tension Wrench Moreover Through Subsequently Checking The Rod Bolts Length At Teardowns, It Is Possible To Determine If I t Has Been Stressed Beyond Saf e Limits And Must Be Replaced.
