Engine Powertrain Components

Chapter 7

Instructor Name: (Your Name)

 OBJECTIVES
• Identify the engine powertrain components.

• Define the role of the piston assembly in the engine

powertrain.

• Identify trunk and articulating pistons and list their

advantages and disadvantages.
 OBJECTIVES (Cont.)
• Describe the characteristics of Monotherm™ and
Magnum Monosteel™ pistons, and identify the
reasons they are becoming the pistons of choice by
engine OEMs.

• Outline the advantages of the Mexican hat, open

combustion chamber design in modern direct-
injected, low-emissions diesel engines.
 OBJECTIVES (Cont.)
• Diagnose some typical piston failures, and determine
the causes.

• Explain how piston rings act to lubricate the cylinder

walls and seal the cylinder.

• Identify some commonly used diesel engine piston

rings, and outline the conditions that enable rings to
seal most efficiently.
 OBJECTIVES (Cont.)
• Classify piston wrist pins by type.

• Describe the role of connecting rods, and outline the

stresses to which they are subjected.

• Identify common crankshaft throw arrangements,

and match them to the appropriate cylinder block
configurations.
 OBJECTIVES (Cont.)
• Outline the forces to which a crankshaft is subjected
under normal operation.

• Describe the materials, manufacturing, and surface

hardening processes of typical heavy-duty
crankshafts.

• Outline the causes of abnormal bending and

torsional stress to which a crankshaft may be
subjected.
 OBJECTIVES (Cont.)
• Identify some typical crankshaft failures and their
causes.

• Evaluate crankshaft condition visually by precision

measuring and electromagnetic flux inspection.

• Describe some common crankshaft reconditioning

practices.
 OBJECTIVES (Cont.)
• Outline the procedure for an in-chassis, rod and main
bearing rollover.

• Measure friction bearing clearance using

Plastigage™.

• Define the term hydrodynamic suspension.

 OBJECTIVES (Cont.)
• Outline the roles played by the harmonic balancer
and flywheel assemblies.

• Describe the principle of operation of a viscous-type

harmonic balancer.

• Perform a ring gear removal and replacement on a

flywheel.
 OBJECTIVES (Cont.)
• Outline the steps required to recondition a flat or
pot-type, heavy duty flywheel.
 INTRODUCTION
This chapter addresses the group of engine
components responsible for transmitting the gas
pressures developed in engine cylinders to the engine
power takeoff mechanism, usually a flywheel.
 INTRODUCTION (Cont).
• Pistons

• Piston rings

• Wrist pins

• Connecting rods
 INTRODUCTION (Cont).
• Crankshafts

• Friction bearings

• Flywheels

• Vibration dampers
 PISTON ASSEMBLIES
• By definition, a piston is a circular plug that seals the
engine cylinder bore and reciprocates within it.

• The piston is subject to the gas pressure conditions

within the cylinder.
PISTON TERMINOLOGY
 Piston Materials
• It cannot be emphasized enough how critical it is for
a piston to transfer heat efficiently .

• In some cases, diesel engine combustion

temperatures can exceed the melting point of the
piston material.

• This only occurs a fraction of a second, but it means

that pistons play a role as a sort of heat siphon.
 Some Facts
• Combustion temperatures rise to transient spikes of
2000°C (3630°F).

• Aluminum melts at 660°C (1220°F).

• Cast iron melts at 1540°C (2800°F).

Two Basic Piston Designs Used In Current
Commercial Diesel Engines
• Trunk-type pistons are single-piece pistons
consisting of a crown and integral skirt.

• Articulating pistons were adopted by most medium-

and heavy-duty diesel engines during the 1990s and
up to 2004, usually in their high-power output
models.
 Three Categories of
Trunk-Type Pistons
• Aluminum trunk pistons

• Forged steel trunk pistons

• Composite steel trunk pistons

 Aluminum Trunk Pistons
• Until the 1990s, most commercial diesel engines
used single-piece pistons.

• The reason for using single-piece pistons in those

earlier diesel engines was primarily to minimize
piston weight.

• One of the key aluminum alloying substances was a

small percentage of silicon that considerably
toughened the aluminum.
Aluminum Trunk-Type Piston
and Ring Terminology
 Toughening Treatments
• Tin plating (tinning can also be used to repair scores
on pistons)

• Anodizing

• Chrome plating (usually of the crown)

• Squeeze cast, fiber reinforced (more than just surface

treatment, the structural integrity of the piston is
increased)
 Advantages of Aluminum Trunk Pistons

• Lightweight

• Cooler piston crown temperatures

• Quieter
 Steel Trunk Pistons
• First appeared on some versions of the Cummins ISX
in 2002.

• Have since been adopted by almost all engine OEMs

to meet 2004/2007/2010 emissions standards.

• The steel trunk piston design adopted by most diesel

engine OEMs originates from piston design specialist
Mahle.
Monotherm™
Monotherm Design and Construction
The Mahle version of the single-piece steel trunk piston
has the appearance of an aluminum trunk piston with a
large circumferential slot cut away between the pin
boss and the ring belt to reduce mass and drag.
 Monotherm Design
and Construction (Cont.)
• The skirt is designed to guide the piston over its
thrust sides, and it is recessed across the pin boss
transverse.

• Mahle claims that its pistons can sustain peak

cylinder pressures exceeding 3,500 psi (250 bar).
 Monotherm Design
and Construction (Cont.)
• The Monotherm’s micro-alloyed steel construction
provides high enough strength to permit much less
material to be used.

• The result is a tough steel piston of about the same

weight of the older aluminum trunk pistons used in
large-bore truck engines.
 Monosteel
Design and
Construction
 Monosteel Design
and Construction (Cont.)
• The Federal Mogul version of the steel trunk differs
in appearance from the Monotherm piston in that an
aperture is cut into a full skirt to reduce the mass
and contact drag.

• The aperture reduces the total skirt area by around

40% without compromising its ability to guide the
piston.
 Monosteel Design
and Construction (Cont.)
• Monosteel pistons are manufactured in two sections
that are friction welded; in this way, cast and forged
sections are joined.
Magnum Monosteel Piston
 Advantages of Steel Trunk Pistons
• Reduction of headland volume

• Thermal expansion factors

• Longevity

• Lightweight
 Composite Steel Trunk Pistons
• These are a variation of the forged steel trunk-type
pistons in that the crown and skirt sections of the
piston are manufactured separately.

• The two sections are then screwed together using a

proprietary process.

• The piston crown section is manufactured from a

high-temperature steel and then screwed into a steel
skirt assembly.
Monocomp™
 ARTICULATING PISTONS
• Articulating pistons were adopted by most medium-
and heavy-duty diesel engines during the 1990s and
up to 2004, usually in their high-power output
models.

• The use of articulating pistons in diesel engines has

all but ceased as OEMs have opted to use new
generation steel and composite steel trunk-type
pistons.
 Two Types of
Articulating Piston Assemblies
• Crosshead Pistons: Differentiated by the use of a
semi-floating wrist pin bolted to the connecting rod.

• Full Articulating Pistons: Use a full-floating wrist pin

that permits pivot on the connecting rod eye, crown,
and skirt assemblies.
Full Articulating Piston
Advantages of Articulating Pistons
• Greater longevity

• Reduced piston slap

• More durable crown assembly

• Reduced headland volume

Disadvantages of Articulating Pistons
• A major disadvantage of articulating pistons over the
aluminum trunk design is significantly increased
weight, which increases tensional loading on the
powertrain.

• They require the use of beefed-up engine cylinder

block and powertrain components, especially the
connecting rods and crankshaft.
 PISTON THRUST FACES
• As cylinder gas pressure acts on a piston, there is a
tendency for it to cock (pivot off a vertical centerline)
in the cylinder bore because it pivots on the wrist
pin.

• This action creates thrust surfaces on either side of

the piston.
COMBUSTION CHAMBER DESIGNS
• In DI diesel engines, the physical shape of the piston
crown determines what happens to gas in the
cylinder on the compression and power strokes.

• Indirect injected (IDI) diesel engines were used in a

few small bore and automotive diesel engine
applications up until 2001
 High Turbulence
• DI engines use an open combustion chamber
principle.

• In an open combustion chamber, the injector is

usually located in the cylinder head and positioned
over the piston crown.

• The shape of the piston crown therefore defines the

type of combustion chamber.
 Quiescent Dynamics
• As fuel injection pressures have increased, the need
for high-turbulence cylinder gas movement has
lessened.

• High turbulence can actually disadvantage emissions

because clusters of fuel droplets can be thrown
outside the primary flame front, ignite late, and
produce unwanted afterburn.
 Mexican Hat
• The Mexican hat piston crown design is by far the
most common, and the title perfectly describes its
shape.

• The central area of the piston crown is recessed

below the piston leading edge, forming a crater (also
known as a toroidal recess).
 Mann Type (or “M” Type)
• The Mann-type piston crown is named after the
German company that first designed it.

• It is usually used with older trunk-type pistons and

consists of a spherical recess or bowl located directly
under the injector, though not necessarily in the
center of the piston crown.
 Dished
• The dished piston crown has a slightly concave to
almost flat design that produces low turbulence
when compared with the previous types.

• You will see dished piston crowns in some current

small-bore and older IDI diesel engines using a
cylinder head located in the precombustion chamber.
 PISTON COOLING
• Shaker

• Circulation

• Spray
Spray Nozzle
Targeting
 CAUTION

• A slightly misaligned piston cooling jet can destroy an

engine by torching the piston it is supposed to cool.

• Always check the cooling jet spray window, and pay

special attention to avoid making contact with a
cooling jet when installing piston/rod assemblies.
 CAUTION (Cont.).
• Because aluminum melts at much lower
temperatures than steel, cooling of aluminum
pistons is more critical than with forged steel trunk
or articulating pistons.
 CAUTION (Cont.).
• However, a slightly misaimed piston cooling jet can
cause rapid failure, especially in some newer engines
that rely entirely on cooling jets to lubricate and cool
the piston.
 Some Facts
• The rate of heat flow is approximately three times
greater in aluminum than in cast iron.

• Therefore, aluminum will dissipate the heat to which it is

exposed much more quickly than cast irons and steels.

• The weight of aluminum is 0.097 lb. per cubic inch.

• The weight of forged steel or cast iron is 0.285 lb. per

cubic inch.
 PISTON FIT PROBLEMS
• Excessive piston-to-bore clearance results in the
piston knocking against the cylinder wall—this is
especially noticeable with aluminum trunk pistons
when the engine is cold.
 PISTON FIT PROBLEMS (Cont.)
• Too little piston clearance causes piston scoring and
scuffing (localized welding)—the film of lube oil on
the cylinder wall is scraped off.
 PISTON RINGS
1. Sealing: They are designed to seal compression and
combustion gases within the engine cylinder.

2. Lubrication: They are designed to apply and

regulate a film of lubricant to the cylinder walls.

3. Cooling: Rings provide a path for heat to be

transferred from the piston to the cylinder walls.
 RING ACTION
1. Pressure forces the ring downward into the land.

2. Forcing the ring into the land enables cylinder

pressure to get behind the ring.

3. When cylinder pressure gets behind the ring

between it and the groove wall, it gets driven
outward into the cylinder wall, creating the seal.
 Number of Rings
• Engine OEMs commonly use a three-ring
configuration of two compression rings and a single
oil control ring.

• Go back a little in time, and you might have seen a

greater number of rings. Four- and five-ring
configurations are sometimes still seen but usually in
offshore, off-highway products.
 Gas Blowby
• The top compression ring gets the greatest sealing
assist from cylinder pressures.

• Gas blowby from the top compression ring passes

downward to seal the second compression ring, and
so on.

• Gas that blows by all the rings enters the crankcase.

PISTON RING TYPES
 Compression Rings
• The primary role of compression rings is to seal
cylinder compression and combustion pressures.

• Their secondary role is to assist in managing the oil

film applied to the cylinder wall.
Compression Rings (Cont.)
 Combination Compression
and Scraper Rings
Combination compression and scraper rings are
designed both to assist in sealing combustion gases
that have blown by the ring above it and to assist in
controlling the oil film on the cylinder wall.
 Oil Control Rings
• Oil control rings are designed to control the oil film
on the cylinder wall, which has to be achieved with
some precision.

• Too much oil on the cylinder wall will end up in the

combustion chamber, while too little will result in
scoring and scuffing of the cylinder wall.
 PISTON RING GEOMETRY
• Keystone or trapezoidal rings

• Rectangular Rings

• Barrel Faced

• Inside Bevel

• Taper Faced

• Channel Section
 RING JOINT GEOMETRY
• Straight

• Stepped

• Angled
 INSTALLING
PISTON RINGS
INSTALLING PISTON RINGS (Cont.)
 TECH TIP
• Most piston rings have an upside that is often not
easy to see at a glance.

• Check the OEM instructions for installing rings, and

identify the means each uses to identify the upside
of their rings.
 Ring End Gap
• The ring end gap is checked by installing a new ring
into the cylinder bore, into the ring belt sweep, and
measuring with thickness gauges.

• The specification is usually 0.003“ to 0.004" per 1

inch of cylinder diameter (0.3–0.4 mm per 100 mm).
Ring Gap Spacing or Stagger
Ring Stagger
Ring Side Clearance
Measuring Ring Gap

Click on the image to view the video

 WRIST PINS
• The main function of wrist or piston pins is to
connect the piston assembly with the connecting rod
eye or small end.

• In the two-piece, articulating piston assembly, they

also link the crown with the skirt, allowing both the
crown and skirt to pivot independently.
 Piston Pin Retention
• All full-floating piston pins require a means of
preventing the pin from exiting the pin boss and
contacting the cylinder walls.

• Snaprings and plugs are used.

 ASSEMBLING PISTON AND RINGS
• When clamping a piston/connecting rod assembly in
a vise, use brass jaws or a generous wrapping of rags
around the connecting rod.

• The slightest nick or abrasion may cause a stress

point from which a failure could develop.
 ASSEMBLING PISTON AND RINGS
• Clean crystallized carbon

• The ring groove is correctly measured

• Ring end gap is measured by inserting the ring by

itself into the cylinder bore and measuring gap with
thickness gauges.
 Piston Thrust and Antithrust
Side Identification
The piston thrust side is that half of the piston divided
at the wrist pin pivot on the inboard side of the crank
throw during the downstroke.
CONNECTING
RODS
CRACKED RODS
(Fractured rods)
 CONNECTING ROD CONSTRUCTION
• Most rods use an I-beam section design, but round
section has also been used.

• The majority are rifle drilled from big to small ends to

carry lubricant from the crank throw up to the wrist
pin for purposes of both lubrication and cooling.
Wrist Pin Brushing Removal
Connecting Rod
Fixture
Offset Big End Caps
 TECH TIP
• One way of checking for a marginally bent conn rod
is to remove the cylinder heads and check the height
of each piston in the cylinder in its TDC position.

• In cases of a severely bent conn rod, the engine will

not rotate.
 Replacing Rods
As reconditioning of rods is not widely practiced when
rebuilding today’s diesel engines, conn rods should be
inspected according to the procedures outlined by the
manufacturer and, if rejected, replaced
 TECH TIP
• Rod sideplay must be checked after a rod cap has
been torqued to the rod.

• Cocking of the rod cap to rod fit can cause an engine

to bind and damage the crankshaft by scoring the
web cheeks.
 TECH TIP (Cont).
• In applications in which cracked rods are used, this
check is unnecessary, as a perfect rod cap to rod fit
can be assumed.

• Snapping the assembly fore and aft on the journal

should produce a clacking noise, indicating sideplay.
REMOVING AND INSTALLING PISTONS
• A piston assembly normally refers to an assembled
piston, piston rings, and connecting rod.

• This is sometimes known as a piston pack.

• Some OEMs include the cylinder liner within their

definition of piston pack.
Installing A Piston Pack

Click on the image to view the video

CRANKSHAFTS AND BEARINGS
 CRANKSHAFTS AND BEARINGS
• Hydrodynamic Suspension

• Crankshaft Forces

• Bending Forces

• Torsional Forces
CRANKSHAFT CONSTRUCTION
 Journal Surface Hardening Methods
• Flame hardening

• Nitriding

• Induction hardening
Removing the Crankshaft
from the Cylinder Block
 CRANKSHAFT FAILURES
• A certain small percentage of crankshaft failures will
result from manufacturing and design problems.

• Design problems are usually revealed shortly after an

engine series is introduced.

• These problems are quickly remedied by the OEM

because they do not wish to have an engine tagged
with a basic engineering fault likely to produce
failures.
 Bending Failures
• Main bearing bores are misaligned.

• Main bearings fail or become irregularly worn.

• Main caps are broken or loose.

• Standard specification main bearing shells are

installed where an oversize is required.
 Bending Failures (Cont.)
• Flywheel housing is eccentrically (relative to the
crankshaft) positioned on the cylinder block.

• Crankshaft is not properly supported either out of

the engine before installation or while replacing main
bearings in-chassis.
 Torsional Failures
• Loose, damaged, or defective vibration damper or
flywheel assembly.

• Unbalanced engine-driven components:

o Fan pulleys and couplings
o Fan assembly
o Idler components
o Compressors
o Power takeoffs (PTOs)
 Torsional Failures (Cont.)
• Engine overspeed

• Unbalanced cylinder loading

• Defective engine mounts

 Spun Bearing(s)/Bearing Seizure
• Misaligned bearing shell oil hole.

• Improper bearing-to-journal clearance.

• Sludged lubricating oil causing restrictions in oil

passages.

• Contaminated engine oil. Fuel or coolant in lube oil

will destroy its lubricity.
 Etched Main Bearings
• Etched main bearings are caused by the chemical
action of contaminated engine lubricant.

• Chemical contamination of engine oil by fuel,

coolant, or sulfur compounds can result in high-
acidity levels that can corrode all metals.
 CRANKSHAFT INSPECTION
• Most truck and bus engine OEMs recommended that
a crankshaft be magnetic flux tested at every out-of
chassis overhaul.

• Essentially, this process requires that the component

to be tested be magnetized and then coated with
minute iron filings.
 TECH TIP
• Most small cracks observed when magnetic flux
testing crankshafts are harmless

• Beware of fillet cracks and cracks extending into oil

holes.
 Visual Inspection
• Evidence of failures in these locations require the
replacement of the crankshaft.

• The consequence of not doing so could be total

destruction of the engine.
 Crankshaft Measuring Practices
• Journal out of roundness: 0.025–0.050 mm (0.001"–
0.002")

• Journal taper: 0.0375 mm (0.0015")

• Bent crankshaft: Check in V-blocks with a dial

indicator while smoothly rotating by hand.

• Out-of service (OOS) specifications differ widely due

to differing crankshaft materials and lengths.
 Polishing Crankshafts
The objective of polishing a crankshaft is to remove
minor main and throw journal scratches, scores, and
nicks from a crankshaft that has been measured and
gauged to be within the OEM specifications.
 Reconditioning Crankshafts
• Grinding to an undersized dimension.

• Metallizing surface followed by grinding to the

original size.

• Chroming surface to the original size.

• Submerged arc welding buildup followed by grinding

to the original size
ROD AND MAIN BEARINGS
 CONSTRUCTION AND DESIGN
Two basic designs are used in current applications:

1. Concentric Wall: Uniform wall thickness

2. Eccentric Wall: Wall thickness is greater at the

crown than at the parting faces; also known as
deltawall bearings
Materials
BEARING CLEARANCE
Locating Plastigage
Using Plastigage
 TECH TIP
• Always ensure that all Plastigage residue is removed
from a bearing after measuring.

• Use a mild solvent—never an abrasive object to

perform this.
 CRANKSHAFT ENDPLAY
• One of the main bearings is usually flanged to define
crank endplay.

• Endplay specifications would typically be in the 0.2

mm to 0.3 mm (0.008"–0.012") range.
BEARING RETENTION
Bearing Retention
 Bearing Rollover
• For many novice truck technicians, their first
experience of engine work will be performing what is
known as an in-chassis bearing rollover.

• This is a simple procedure, but one that can be

messy, especially on a hot engine that may drip oil
for hours.
 TECH TIP
• When resistance to rotating the engine is
experienced during a bearing rollover, it may help to
loosen the fan belts.

• Just remember to reset the fan belt tension when

the bearing rollover is completed.
VIBRATION DAMPERS
Vibration Damper Construction
 Replacing
Viscous Vibration
Dampers
 CAUTION
• Recommend that a viscous-type vibration damper be
replaced at engine overhaul regardless of its external
appearance.

• Explain that this is an OEM recommendation. If the

customer declines, he or she has made the decision,
not the technician.

• A failed vibration damper can cause crankshaft

failure.
 FLYWHEELS
• To store kinetic energy

• To provide a mounting for engine output

• To provide a means of rotating the engine by

cranking motor during startup
FLYWHEELS
(Cont.)
 RING GEAR REPLACEMENT
1. Flywheel ring gear: Gear must be assembled against
shoulder (A) of flywheel.

2. Maximum temperature of gear before shrinking:

315°C (599°F) (2) Flywheel.

3. Apply thread sealant to bolts and torque to 300 ±

30 N•m (220 ± 22 lb.-ft.)
RECONDITIONING
AND
INSPECTING
FLYWHEELS
 RECONDITIONING AND
INSPECTING FLYWHEELS (Cont.)
• Face warpage

• Heat checks

• Scoring
 RECONDITIONING AND
INSPECTING FLYWHEELS (Cont.)

• Intermediate drive lug alignment and integrity

• Axial and radial runout using dial indicators, straight

edges, and thickness gauges
 SUMMARY
• For purposes of study, the engine powertrain
comprises those engine components responsible for
delivering the power developed in the engine
cylinders to the power takeoff mechanism, usually a
flywheel.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Aluminum trunk-type pistons were widely used in
medium-and large-bore diesel engines until the late
1980s because of their light weight and ability to
transfer heat rapidly .

• They are still used today, but mostly in light duty

diesel engines.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Aluminum alloy trunk-type pistons used in diesel
engines support the top compression ring with an Ni-
Resist insert. They are also cam ground and tapered
due to the way they expand in operation.

• Two-piece, articulating piston assemblies replaced

aluminum trunk pistons and until recently were the
favored piston design by engine OEMs.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Articulating pistons usually consist of a forged steel
crown and aluminum alloy skirt.

• The two pieces are coupled to the wrist pin, which

affords each some independent movement.

• Today, diesel engine OEMs favor forged or composite

steel trunk pistons in their high-output engines.

• The Mahle versions of these are known as Monotherm

and Monocomp pistons, while the Federal Mogul version
is known as a Monosteel piston.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Steel trunk pistons use high-strength alloy steels and
reduced skirt contact area to reduce mass and piston
drag.

• The Mexican hat piston crown, open combustion

chamber is the most common in today’s low
emission, direct-injected diesel engines.

• Engine oil is used to help cool pistons in three ways:

shaker, circulation, and spray jet methods.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Piston rings seal when cylinder pressure acts on the
exposed sectional area of the ring, which first forces
it down into the land and then gets behind it to load
the ring face into the cylinder wall.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• This means that the efficiency with which piston
rings seal a cylinder increases proportionally with
cylinder pressure.

• Gases that manage to pass by the piston rings enter

the crankcase, and are known as blowby gases.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• The keystone ring design is commonly used for the
top compression ring in today’s highway diesel
engines.

• Oil control rings are designed to apply a film of oil to

the cylinder wall on the upstroke of the piston and
“scrape” it on the downstroke.

• All the piston rings play a role in controlling the oil

film on the cylinder.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Full-floating wrist pins have a bearing surface with
both the piston boss and the connecting rod eye.

• Crosshead pistons articulate, but have a semi-

floating wrist pin that bolts directly to the rod small
end.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Full-floating wrist pins are retained in the piston boss
by snap rings.

• DDC two-stroke cycle engines use press fit caps to

seal the pin boss between the piston pin and the air
box.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Connecting rods are subjected to compressional and
tensional loads in normal service operation.

• Most connecting rods will survive the life of the

engine, but they should be dimensionally and crack
inspected at each overhaul.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Crankshafts must be designed to withstand
considerable bending and torsional stress.

• Most medium- and large-bore highway diesel

engines use induction-hardened crankshafts.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Engine OEMs often do not approve of reconditioning
failed crankshafts; however, the practice is
widespread despite the risk of a subsequent failure.

• Friction bearings used in crankshaft throw and main

journals are retained by crush.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• Vibration dampers consist of a drive member, drive
medium, and inertia ring.

• The viscous-type damper is the most commonly used

on today’s truck and bus diesels.

• The hollow drive ring bolted directly to the

crankshaft and suspended in gelled silicone is the
inertia ring.
 SUMMARY (Cont.)
• The shearing action of the silicone drive medium
between the drive ring and the inertia ring affects
the damping.

• The flywheel stores kinetic energy in the form of

inertia to help smooth out the power pulses
delivered to the engine powertrain.

• Flywheels are categorized by size and shape by the

SAE.