Shop Line - Engine Builder Magazine

Main Navigation

Advertisement
Social Connect
Resources
Our Brand Family
Engine Builder Magazine
Content for engine professionals and enthusiasts
Commentary

Shop Line

Engine Builder
By Engine Builder

The AERA Technical Committee offers the following information regarding the piston oil clearance on 1992-2004 Mitsubishi 4D34 and 6D34 diesel engines. Engine builders have reported occasional piston to cylinder wall scuffing shortly after rebuilding these engines. The engines have failed pistons in multiple cylinders at the skirt’s largest diameter.

Related Articles

AERA is aware of at least three revisions to the recommended piston-to-cylinder wall clearance for these engines. The current, recommended standard is .0045?-.0060? (.114-.152 mm) for all engines, with a note to err toward the high-end specification. The significant thing about this revised piston clearance is the minimum specification was the former maximum clearance required. Failure to adhere to this additional clearance may allow piston scuffing to occur.

At the time of this publication, AERA was unable to locate an aftermarket piston source for these engines. It’s been reported that there is no instructional piston fitting information accompanying new pistons from Mitsubishi.

I’ve heard a lot about the benefits of fractured rods in automotive engines. Are there any fractured rods available for Caterpillar diesel engines that you’ve heard?

There is a new fractured rod available for 1989-2005 Caterpillar C7, 3114, 3116 and 3126 engines from Caterpillar dealers as a replacement part.

Caterpillar claims the new fractured connecting rod is a product improvement and offers many advantages which include:

  • Being able to accept higher loads directly because of the clearly matched joint surfaces.

  • The fractured surface of the connecting rod and cap allows easier assembly of the rod and cap.

  • Eliminates the need for a locating dowel.

  • Eliminates fretting on the joint surfaces.

  • Improves the quality of the machining process because of reduced machining steps and a controlled machining process.

  • The machining process is further enhanced by the fracture machine, which incorporates automatic insertion of the connecting rod bolts and fastening equipment for the connecting rod bolts. This eliminates mismatch of connecting rod and cap components.


This fractured rod, p/n 213-3193, can be used as a replacement for the engines shown in Figure 1, above, and can be intermixed with earlier style rods within an engine. There is one important difference when using the new rod: it requires a different tightening procedure and torque value than the previous rod (p/n 2W-9128).

For information on receiving all of AERA’s regular monthly technical bulletins and other association services and benefits, call toll free 888-326-2372 or send an e-mail to [email protected]

You May Also Like

SBI Gala
Commentary

Passion Runs Deep

Having had the distinct opportunity to view this industry from my chair as editor of Engine Builder has certainly opened my eyes to a lot of great things this industry has going for it. However, my favorite thing about it – hands down – is the passion. Whether it’s passion for covering the industry (as

Greg Jones
By Greg Jones

Having had the distinct opportunity to view this industry from my chair as editor of Engine Builder has certainly opened my eyes to a lot of great things this industry has going for it. However, my favorite thing about it – hands down – is the passion.

Whether it’s passion for covering the industry (as we do), or passion for manufacturing components (as so many of our partners do), or passion for creating horsepower and engines (as all of our readers do) – there’s certainly no lack of passion here. That all said, where I’ve seen the most passion for what our industry is all about is on the track. That’s where the proverbial rubber meets the road, and where the manufacturing, the engines, the cars, and the people all come together to earn a longed-for result.

Read Full Article

More Commentary Posts
PRI 2021: What a Show

First things first – Happy New Year to you all. I sincerely hope you got to be with friends and family during the holidays and that you all had a safe and fun end to 2021. We’ve now officially welcomed 2022, and as the holidays have quickly come and gone, as they always do, I

By Greg Jones
New Year’s Resolution

It’s crazy to think that 2021 is coming to a close. The days and weeks in a year always feel long, but the months and the year itself, absolutely fly by. It’s strange how that always is the case. There’s no stopping Father Time as they say! All we can do is forge ahead and

By Greg Jones
Not Your Father’s Engine Builder

I’ve actually lost track of how long it’s been since people started claiming print was dead. It’s been a while! Now, I understand the ‘print is dead’ claim might be different for newspapers than it is for magazines, but I can tell you this – the content landscape has certainly been shifting. Related Articles –

By Greg Jones
Experience Always Wins

Formula 1 racing often tells smaller stories within each individual race; the final stretches of the Russian Grand Prix proved in my eyes that experience always wins.

By Greg Jones

Other Posts

Protect Yourself as a Small Business

This month’s column is for all those folks in automotive performance with a small business, as well as those looking to get into this segment of the industry. Automotive performance is this gray area that comes with risks and rewards as well as customers who don’t know what they don’t know. If you’re not careful,

By Nate Bush
April Has Been Good to Me

Two years ago this month, I was promoted to editor of this fine publication and brand we call Engine Builder. After having been in the managing editor role for the five years prior, I got my chance to run the ship, as they say, when Doug Kaufman accepted an editorial director role within Babcox Media

By Greg Jones
The EPA and Hot Rod Culture

This is kind of a gray area for me. Obviously, being a passionate car guy who’s willing to throw turbochargers on anything and really enjoys performance, it creates this internal conflict between wanting to be somebody who participates in a greener view of the future and the well-being of my passion, career and industry. Related

By Nate Bush
One Year of COVID

As we all know, March 2021 marks a full year since the Coronavirus began altering what we used to know as ‘normal life.’ I don’t think any of us will forget March 2020 when we began hearing that this then foreign flu strain was starting to make the rounds in the U.S. I remember we

By Greg Jones