Gm Global Technolgoy Operations, Inc.

Thomas M Briolat

Dale Edward Murrish

Mark D Griffin

A crankshaft for a V-type engine including crankshaft counterweights which are angularly aligned with respect to the crank arms and sized to reduce the weight of the crankshaft and facilitate lubrication of the crankshaft main journals supported in the main bearings.

Crankshaft counterweights

A crankshaft for a V-type engine comprises an intermediate main journal which is rotatably supported in a main bearing, a primary crankpin, a pair of crankarms, and a second crankpin. The intermediate main journal has a primary boundary plane extending between the longitudinal axis of the intermediate main journal and the outer surface of the intermediate main journal. The intermediate main journal also has a secondary boundary plane extending between the longitudinal axis of the intermediate main journal to the outer surface of the intermediate main journal. A main cross passage extends through the intermediate main journal. The main cross passage is contained in a radial plane of the intermediate main journal. The main cross passage is oriented with respect to the primary and secondary crankpins so that the ends of the main cross passage are between the sides of the primary and secondary boundary planes which face the primary crankpin. A primary connecting passages extends from the main cross passage through the one crankarm to the outer surface of the primary crankpin.

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Troy, MI, United States of America

Thomas M Briolat