Abstract: A connecting rod of an internal combustion engine, that includes a large bore, and an interior bore surface. The current art uses soft metal bearing surfaces to reduce wear, and friction between the connecting rod inner diameter and the crankshaft journal surface. The soft metal bearing surface is a separate component of the engine. In this invention the large bore end interior diameter is coated with a hard material to reduce, or eliminate wear. The hard material is a metal or metal alloy applied to the inner diameter by a thermal spray method. A relatively soft polymer material can also be applied to the interior diameter surface of the con-rod bore. The relatively softer polymer acts as a first and sometimes a consumable layer, and applied over the thermal sprayed hard layer. The polymer layer is often used in conjunction with the sprayed metal layer.

Abstract: A sliding bearing surface may have at least one thermal spray coating applied to the bearing surface to form a sliding bearing lining layer. A method of forming the sliding bearing lining, the method comprising applying the thermal spray coating to the bearing surface uses a thermal spray technique.