Mazda Motor Corporation

Masanori Sato

Kazuo Isayama

Hirofumi Ohshima

An internal combustion engine having a reinforced cylinder block, a skirt portion integrally formed therewith at a lower portion thereof, a plurality of bearings received therein, a crank shaft journaled in the bearings, a plurality of bearing caps secured to the bearings, and front and rear covers formed at front and rear portions of the cylinder block, respectively, and having respective openings through which the crank shaft extends. In order to reinforce the cylinder block, a reinforcing member is secured to a lower surface of the skirt portion of the cylinder block and to a lower surface of the rear cover. At least two first bolts for fastening the reinforcing member to the lower surface of the rear cover are provided on opposite sides of the rear cover while at least two second bolts for fastening the reinforcing member to a bearing cap for a rearmost bearing of the bearings are placed within a pitch of the first bolts in a direction transversely of the cylinder block.

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Hiroshima, Japan

Masanori Sato