Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

David Charles Klemstine

Qigui Wang

Jianghuai Yang

William A Berry

Guirong Cao

Anil Kumar Sachdev

Christopher K Clarke

Steven L Burkholder

Wayne Groleau

An automobile vehicle crankshaft including a crankshaft casting of a nodular iron. The crankshaft casting includes multiple main journals coaxially aligned on a common crankshaft casting axis. Multiple crankpin journals are fixedly connected to the main journals by individual webs. Multiple lightening holes have individual ones of the multiple lightening holes integrally formed within individual ones of the crankpin journals during casting. A bubble space is located proximate to a mid-portion of selected ones of the multiple lightening holes of the crankpin journals. The bubble space locally increases a passage size of the selected ones of the multiple lightening holes and reduces a mass of the individual ones of the crankpin journals.

Lightweight nodular iron crankshaft for heavy duty engine

A crankshaft for an internal combustion engine is provided. The crankshaft comprises at least four main journals aligned on a crankshaft axis of rotation defining a centerline. The crankshaft further comprises at least three pin journals. Each pin journal is disposed about a respective pin journal axis and positioned between the main journals. Each of the pin journals is joined to a pair of crank arms. Each pair of crank arms is joined to a respective main journal. Each of the main journals, pin journals, and crank arms is made of a first metallic material. Each crank arm has an over-molded counterweight metallurgically bonded thereto. Each counterweight is disposed opposite a respective pin journal relative to the centerline for balance and stability. Each counterweight is made of a second metallic material. The crankshaft has a weight ratio of the second metallic material to the first metallic material of between 0.20 to 0.50.

System and method of making a crankshaft with alternate materials

An intake manifold assembly for mounting to a cylinder head and configured to deliver combustion air thereto comprises a centrally positioned zip tube having an opening for receipt of combustion air from a throttle body. First and second flow runners extend from the centrally positioned zip tube to terminate at a common intake manifold plenum for delivery of combustion air thereto. A centrally located access opening is defined between the first and second flow runners.

Intake manifold

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Lake Orion, MI, United States of America

David Charles Klemstine