Connecting rods and crossheads convert the rotary motion of the crankshaft into the reciprocating motion of the piston rod assembly. Hi-Tech Compressor's reconditioning service ensures that your connecting rods are straight and true.
We inspect all incoming rods for damage via non-destructive testing (NDT), identify any twists or bends, confirm that the crankshaft bearing bores are in good condition, and make sure that the crankshaft bearing bore is aligned correctly with the pin bearing bore.
If damage has resulted from bearing spinning or other catastrophic failures, the bearing bore needs to be repaired to reestablish correct dimensions in a process known as clipping and boring.
Clipping and boring is re-machining the mating surface of the connecting rod cap so that the bearing bore can be properly attached to the crankshaft. We then reassemble the connecting rod cap, tighten all fasteners to OEM specifications, and rebore to the correct diameter so that original-sized bearings can continue to be used.
Hi-Tech Compressor offers two procedures for repairing the crosshead or wrist pin bearing bore:
- Re-machine the bore and oversize it to reestablish correct bearing bore centerline to centerline dimension. This approach dictates the use of an oversize O.D. wrist pin bushing.
- Thermal spray the bore with an appropriate material, then re-machine the bore back to original OEM specifications, which allows for the use of a standard, original size bearing or bushing. We prefer this technique and our certified technicians ensure high-quality results, paying particular attention to perpendicularity, parallelism, and all other critical dimensions.