Evaluation of Fractured Connecting Rod Bolts

This presentation details the evaluation of fractured bolts for connecting rods from diesel engines. The evaluation was done for a company whose business includes a unit that rebuilds several different diesel engines for trucks by many manufacturers. Since many of the claims were from a large customer, it was important to determine the root cause of the failures to keep the customer from finding another source for the work. The metallurgical evaluation determined that the failures were due to improper cleaning before the fasteners were heat treated.