Patent ID: 8359741

Claim:
A method of manufacturing a bearing cap comprising: selecting an as cast pair of bearing caps, each bearing cap defining a semi-cylindrical bearing bore and an outer surface: assembling each bearing cap into a first fixture, the first fixture having a mandrel that is received in each semi-cylindrical bearing bore; clamping the bearing caps into the first fixture with clamps that engage the outer surfaces of the bearing caps and wherein the clamping step further includes the step of securing a clamping element to the mandrel with a link that is disposed between the pair of bearing caps; machining a pair of bolt shoulder portions of each bearing cap after clamping the bearing caps onto the first fixture; drilling a bolt hole in each bolt shoulder portion of each bearing cap after the step of clamping the bearing caps onto the first fixture; removing the bearing caps from the first fixture; and machining the bearing bore after drilling the bolt holes with the bearing caps being located based upon the location of the bolt holes to form the finished bearing caps.