PRECISELY REPOSITIONABLE BEARING CAP

摘要

A bearing cap (10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510) made from sintered powder metal has integrally formed tapered bosses (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540) surrounding its bolt holes (26, 126, 226, 326, 426, 526) which extend into counterbores (L) in the engine bearing bulkhead structure (B) and produce plastic conformance between the bosses (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540) and the bulkhead (B) when the boss (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540) is seated in the counterbore (L). The bearing cap (10, 110, 210, 310, 410, 510) can then be removed from the bulkhead (B) for installation of the crankshaft and reinstalled in the identical preformed position. The bosses (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540) are tapered, a moat (44, 144, 244, 344, 444, 544) surrounds each boss (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540), and the boss (40, 140, 240, 340, 440, 540) may be provided with axial splines (160, 460) and/or be oblong (540) in the axial direction. Voids (V1-V4) may also be formed in the planar surfaces of the feet (T, 22, 522) which abut the bulkhead (B).