Identifying bolts

[Pr3ssure]

So I've got a pile of what I think is bolts from some sort of Diesel engine. I can't remember what my neighbor said they were exactly from. Anyway I'm wondering if anyone knows how to identify them. I saw a post on reddit with some very similar ones and someone said something about the amount of lines on them, like 6 lines means a number 8 bolt. Not sure what any of that means really. There are 12 raised lines and 13 indented ones, not sure if you count the raised or lowered ones. On the head it says CAT | F-C | R | AVS.

Also, I heated one and quenched it in water. It hardened to what I would call pretty well, a file wouldn't bite and it made the typical file on hard steel sound. This isn't that bolt, this is a fresh one.

Edit: Realized they meant lines on the bolt head. So disregard that. Can't find anything about a bolt with this style head either.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

From my time in the USCG as an Engineman, I think the bolts marked CAT are from a Caterpillar. You might want to google caterpillar bolts.

[Pr3ssure]

Yeah, there's a registered trademark logo under the CAT so I'm quite positive that's what it means, I've tried googling it but it just takes me to there site with a list of 2700 bolts. I couldn't put in any variation of what I could think of to find anything in this style. I'm guessing the head just locks into a pre cut hole in the same shape or something and you tighten the nut. I'm gonna try to flatten one out and make a blade out of it. I think I might also try and make some punches and chisels as well. It's definitely tougher to forge than mild steel so I'd say it's high carbon. Might try to anneal it before forging.

[swedefiddle]

Good Morning,

They look like Connecting Rod Bolts. They are made to stretch and absorb vibrations, typically grade 8 or better. Generally Grade 8 is like 4140 or better.

They will make good Tools for you, Pr3ssure. Don't expect to replace them for free again.

Neil

 

[Pr3ssure]

Awesome, I appreciate the info. Luckily there's a whole stack of them, my neighbor who works for a drilling company brings home random stuff like that. As well as an 8 or 9 foot long fan shaft, about 3 or 4 inches around. He said there's stuff like that and the bolts he can get all the time that are just gonna get thrown away.

[ThomasPowers]

High Carbon is correlated with brittleness, Medium Carbon with Toughness. I would prefer that critical bolts on massive machinery were TOUGH and not Brittle.  People often assume that tough steels must be good for blades; however having lots of carbon to form carbides really helps with edge retention so while bearing steels often make good knives, bolts do not.

[Pr3ssure]

Makes perfect sense, I'm probably just gonna have my hand at trying to make some punches and chisels. Probably think of some other useful things I could do with it.

Also, I found almost the same bolt on the caterpillar website, except it was 18" mine are about 13". You were right Swedefiddle, connecting rod bolts. No info on metal used or anything but I've got enough to know what they can and can't do. Appreciate all the help.

[ThomasPowers]

Punches and drifts, especially drifts!