“Crankshaft” is an important part to move a car. The piston movement in the engine is converted into rotational energy through this crankshaft, and the car can gain propulsion.
This article describes the structure of the crankshaft, the role it plays, and possible problems.
What is a crankshaft?
“Crankshaft” is one of the components that make up the engine.
The “crank” is a mechanism for converting piston movement into rotational energy.
Cranks have a long history, and their existence has already been confirmed during the Chinese Han Dynasty.
It is said that the mechanism used as a crankshaft is older than you might imagine, and dates back to the 12th and 3rd centuries.
It starts with a pumping machine constructed by the Arab scholar Al-Jazari.
Now it is used in reciprocating engines commonly used in automobiles.
What is the structure of the crankshaft?
The crankshaft is composed of the following parts.
- Crank journal: shaft supporting the shaft body
- Crank pin: Connecting part with connecting rod
- Crank arm: Connection between crank pin and crank journal
- Balance weight: A mechanism that adjusts the balance during rotation (installed on the crank arm)
The crankshaft is connected to the engine by connecting rods (connecting rods).
Role of crankshaft in engine
Next, I will explain what is happening inside the engine.
- Take fuel mixture into cylinder (intake)
- Compress the air-fuel mixture
- Ignite, burn and explode the compressed air-fuel mixture
- Exhaust gas generated during combustion
Such movements are mainly performed inside the engine.
The piston is moved using the energy of the explosion.
The connecting rod transmits the reciprocating motion of the piston to the “crankshaft” and converts it into rotational energy through the crankshaft.
A camshaft that opens and closes valves for intake and exhaust in the engine is included in the components that make up the periphery.
There are parts called “timing belt” and “timing chain” to link with the camshaft and crankshaft.
Which is the direction of rotation of the crankshaft?
The rotation direction of the engine is unified to the right (clockwise).
Can this rotation be reversed?
The answer is NO.
First, the starting point when starting from a stopped state of the engine is not the piston but the “crankshaft”.
By starting the engine by rotating the crankshaft clockwise with the starter, it is impossible to reverse the rotation.
In addition, since the process sequence of intake / compression / combustion / exhaust is reversed, there is no combustion and no reversal can occur physically.
In the past, Honda made left-turn (counterclockwise) engines for design reasons and brand-specific commitment.
However, when engine supply became common among manufacturers around the 1990s, Honda, which produces counterclockwise engines, could not supply engines to other manufacturers, and Honda could not use to adopted transmissions of other companies too.
For that reason, Honda has changed all engines developed since 1999 to clockwise designs.
Oil leaks around the crankshaft! ?
One of the causes of oil leakage is deterioration of the oil seal.
Frequent replacement of the engine oil can prevent this oil seal from deteriorating, so it is better to have the engine oil changed before it deteriorates.
Another possible reason is that the “crankshaft” itself is damaged and leaking.
Damage to the crankshaft can result in serious damage.
Also, if engine oil leaks around the crankshaft, other parts around it may break down, so it is important to check regularly and take early action.
The crankshaft is an important part of the engine
Did you understand about “Crankshaft”?
The crankshaft, as part of the engine, is an important part of running a car.
In addition to the engine of the crank, the crank is also used in various parts of daily life.
The content explained in this article is only basic knowledge about crankshafts, so if you are interested in more maniac content, it may be interesting to delve into various things and investigate think.
