Abstract: A system and method for detecting and correcting power imbalance between cylinder banks of an internal combustion engine utilizes, in one embodiment, temperature sensors at the exhaust manifolds for each cylinder bank. A differential temperature value .DELTA. is generated and used to determine which cylinder requires modification of its operating conditions to equalize the power output between the opposing banks. In one embodiment, the sign of the value .DELTA. is used to determine which cylinder bank has the highest exhaust temperature, and the value .DELTA. is provided as a multiplier to engine operating algorithms implemented by the engine control computer to derate the subject cylinder bank. In another embodiment, the value .DELTA. is used to uprate the bank having the lower exhaust temperature, indicative of a lower power output.

Abstract: A unitized fuel supply assembly is disclosed including an in-line reciprocating cam driven pump (14) for supplying fuel to an accumulator (12) from which fuel is directed to a plurality of engine cylinders by means of a distributor (16) mounted on the unitized assembly. Dual pump control valves (20) provide fail safe electronic control over the effective pump displacement. One or more injection control valves mounted on the distributor are provided to control injection timing and quantity. The accumulator (12) contains a labyrinth of interconnected chambers (36) which are shaped and positioned to produce a minimum overall package size while providing for easy manufacture.

Abstract: An improved fuel injector for providing precise control over injection timing, quantity and rate shape is provided which includes a fuel pressure balancing device for balancing the fuel pressure forces acting on a needle valve element while the element is in both the closed and open positions thereby permitting an actuator to more precisely and predictably control the movement of the needle valve element. The fuel pressure balancing device includes a cavity formed in the needle valve element and pressure balancing surfaces formed on the needle valve element and positioned in the cavity. The actuator may be a piezoelectric actuator for compressing actuating fluid in an actuating fluid circuit which includes a fluid chamber positioned adjacent a needle valve element and fluidically separate from a fuel supply circuit for supplying high pressure fuel for injection. Actuating fluid pressure in the chamber acts on the needle valve element to initiate injection.

Abstract: An engine system with a gear train to provide engine timing is disclosed. A technique to minimize backlash and noise caused by the gear train is included. An anti-backlash gear assembly useful to reduce backlash in the gear train is also disclosed. One disclosed gear assembly has at least two gear wheels with the circular thickness of the teeth of one gear wheel being less than the circular thickness of the other gear wheel. A gear assembly is also disclosed that has a bias torque of at least about 100 foot-pounds. A device carried on an anti-lash gear assembly to generally align teeth of the assembly for installation is also provided.

Abstract: A fuel injector for effectively preventing excessive loading of a component mounted internal to the injector is provided which includes a one-piece retainer having first and second connector portions for permitting two independent loads to be applied to different internal components of the injector. The second connector portion includes threads for engaging a nozzle assembly to impart a compressive force on the nozzle assembly. The first connector portion also includes threads for engaging an outer barrel for placing a first compressive load on a load sensitive internal component, such as a center tube of an injection control valve. In this manner, the second compressive force can be set at a minimum level independent from the first compressive force to permit the size of the center tube to be minimized thereby reducing the overall size of the injector.

Abstract: An engine includes a gear train to provide engine timing. There is a technique for minimizing the backlash and noise caused by the gear train. There is also an anti-backlash gear assembly useful to reduce backlash in the gear train. One gear assembly has at least two gear wheels with the circular thickness of the teeth of one gear wheel being less than the circular thickness of the other gear wheel. There is also a gear assembly having a bias torque of at least about 100 foot-pounds. There is also a device carried on an anti-lash gear assembly to generally align teeth of the assembly for installation.

Abstract: A system and method for detecting a misfire condition for a cylinder of an internal combustion engine is based upon the firing times for each cylinder and a comparison of firing times between successive cylinders in the engine firing sequence. A differential firing time parameter represents the result of this comparison and is used a passive test to determine whether a particular cylinder is misfiring. Cylinders identified in the passive test are subjected to an active test in which the cylinder is overfueled by increasing amounts for each engine cycle after commencement of the active misfire test. The change in differential firing parameter for the identified resulting from the overfueling is compared to an active test threshold value indicative of an expected change for a healthy cylinder. A cylinder falling outside this active threshold value is determined to be a bad cylinder.

Abstract: A system for controlling fueling of an internal combustion engine includes a receiver associated with the vehicle, such as a GPS, GLONASS or LORAN-C receiver, operable to receive radio signals relating to vehicle location, a fueling system responsive to fueling signals to provide fuel to the engine and a control computer with a memory having a number of different engine fueling maps stored therein. The control computer is responsive to the radio signals to determine therefrom a geographical position of the vehicle, retrieve an appropriate one of the number of engine fueling maps from memory which corresponds to the geographical location of the vehicle, and provide the fueling signals according to the appropriate one of the number of engine fueling maps.

Abstract: A replaceable cylinder liner for an internal combustion engine having a liner stop positioned within a cylinder cavity at a point intermediate the extremes of travel of a piston disposed for reciprocating travel within the cylinder cavity. The liner includes a hollow cylinder body having an inner end portion and an outer end portion. The liner further includes a liner support for axially supporting the hollow cylindrical body within the cylinder cavity with the liner support including a liner stop engaging surface for engaging the liner stop when the liner is placed within the cylinder cavity. Formed in an outside surface of the outer end portion between the end boss and liner support is an annular recess extending over substantially an entire length of the outer end portion to form a liner coolant passage when the liner is positioned in the cylinder cavity.

Abstract: The present invention provides an internal combustion engine drive train actuating assembly which includes a dual overhead cam shaft arrangement wherein a pair of cam shafts is supported in the head section of the engine. One cam shaft is positioned to actuate the intake and exhaust valves. The other cam shaft is dedicated to actuating only the unit fuel injectors and is positioned relative to the injector actuating rocker levers to contact only these rocker levers during engine operation. The rocker lever-contacting lobes on the dedicated injector-actuating cam shaft are dimensionally wider than has heretofore been possible, which allows the high fuel injection pressures required to achieve optimum fuel economy and emissions while minimizing hertz stresses on the cam shaft.

Abstract: An improved method and system for automatically continuously replacing an engine's used lubricating oil with fresh lubricating oil throughout operation based on engine operating conditions is disclosed. The present system includes an lube oil replacement pump system operable in a replacement mode for injecting small amounts of used lube oil into the engine's fuel system and directing controlled quantities of fresh oil into the engine's lube oil system to replace the removed oil. The process periodically determines an engine operating severity value, i.e. fuel consumption value, for an interval of engine operation and calculates a base line quantity of oil for injection based on the current fuel consumption of the engine during the current interval. The lube oil replacement pump may also be operated in a makeup mode for adding quantities of fresh oil to the engine lube oil sump to compensate for oil consumed by the engine.

Abstract: A method and apparatus for controlling engine speed during power take-off (PTO) operation. A technique is disclosed which enables accelerator pedal over-ride of PTO operation, wherein PTO operation is resumed when the accelerator pedal induced engine speed value decreases to a preset PTO engine speed. Also, a high-speed governor is employed to limit accelerator pedal-based engine speed during PTO over-ride operation to thereby limit maximum engine speed. In accordance with the invention, the operator of a vehicle can thus accelerate the engine, via actuation of the accelerator pedal, to engine speeds in excess of the preset PTO engine speed without disengaging PTO operation.

Abstract: A system and method for engine parameter trending in which the engine control module (ECM) periodically stores to non-volatile memory various engine operating parameters over the life of the engine. The system is configurable such that a variable number of samples of a variable number of engine parameters can be stored. In addition to storing each engine parameter, each write to non-volatile memory is also time stamped. This data is used to track the health of the engine over its life cycle. Such data can be useful in providing decreased down time due to increased troubleshooting ability. The system includes a variable number of calibratable predetermined trigger points available so that the data is always logged under the same operating conditions. All triggers must be satisfied for a specified time in order to ensure consistent engine operating conditions when each data set is taken.

Abstract: An internal combustion engine system is disclosed which includes an engine crankshaft with a plurality of crankshaft webs. A reference ring is mounted to one of the crankshaft webs to rotate therewith. The ring encircles the crankshaft and has a number of angularly spaced indicators. A sensor is located proximate to the ring and detects the indicators to provide a sensor signal corresponding to a rotational characteristic of the crankshaft. The ring may be comprised of more than one piece to facilitate installation and removal without disassembly of the crankshaft. The indicators may be provided by defining a number of peripheral teeth for detection by the sensor.

Abstract: The present invention provides a knock sensing system for an internal combustion engine which utilizes only a single knock sensor associated with one of the engine cylinders. Operation of the engine is controlled such that the cylinder which is equipped with a knock sensor will be the first cylinder to experience combustion knock as compared to the remaining engine cylinders. This can be done by various methods, such as advancing the ignition timing on the designated cylinder. The knock sensor is then monitored by the engine control module in order to sense premature detonation on the designated cylinder, knowing that it is highly unlikely that knocking will occur on the other engine cylinders if knocking is not occurring on the designated cylinder. When knocking is sensed, appropriate action, such as shutting down the engine, may be taken by the engine control module. The knock sensor is preferably mounted to a capscrew which couples the intake manifold to the cylinder head.

Abstract: An exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) manifold received within an intake manifold. The EGR manifold includes a plurality of holes for delivery of recirculated exhaust gas within the flowpath of the intake manifold. Both linear and round shapes are contemplated for the EGR manifold.

Abstract: A fuel filter constructed and arranged for fuel-water separation which is designed with an integral fuel pump includes a unitary housing designed with a fuel filter cavity for receipt of a fuel filter cartridge, and a pump receptacle cavity for receipt of a fuel pump. A separating wall is disposed between the fuel filter cavity and the fuel pump cavity and this wall defines a flow passageway for fuel flow communication between the fuel pump and the fuel filter. Included as part of the fuel filter assembly is a lid designed to attach over the fuel filter cavity of the unitary housing and a lid designed to attach over the pump receptacle cavity of the unitary housing. The combining of the fuel filter cartridge and the cooperating fuel pump within the same unitary casting provides design efficiencies and economies.

Abstract: A system for controlling internal combustion engine performance in accordance with driver behavior includes a vehicle control computer operable to receive a plurality of vehicle operating parameter signals and control engine fueling based thereon. In accordance with an operational status, or an operational state determined over a predefined time interval, of one or more of the vehicle operating parameter signals, the system is operable to control available engine performance. Both the operational status and operational state of the various vehicle operating parameters are the result of the manner in which the driver operates the vehicle. The control system of the present invention is thus operable to reward/penalize driver performance by correspondingly adding/subtracting available engine performance in the form of available engine output power and/or available vehicle speed.

Abstract: A fuel injector for periodically injecting fuel pulses of a variable quantity on a cycle to cycle basis as a function of the pressure of fuel supplied to the injector from a source of fuel and at a constant time during each cycle is set forth including an injector body containing a central bore and an injection orifice at the lower end of the body and a reciprocating plunger assembly including an upper plunger section and a lower plunger section serially mounted within the central bore to define a variable volume metering chamber located between the lower plunger section and the lower end of the injector body containing the injection orifice. The variable volume metering chamber communicates during a portion of each injector cycle with the source of fuel.

Abstract: A combustion face insert is provided for connection to a bottom wall of an aluminum cylinder head adjacent a combustion chamber in an internal combustion engine which includes an insert body formed of a material having a predetermined hardness. The insert body includes a lower surface facing the combustion chamber and extending radially outwardly to form an outer peripheral extent having a predetermined size necessary to cause the lower surface to be positioned for engagement with an annular combustion seal to effectively seal the combustion chamber. This design allows a greater power density to be achieved in a heavy duty diesel engine utilizing an aluminum cylinder head, increases the thermal fatigue resistance of the valve bridge area and increases the resistance of an aluminum cylinder head to indentation by the combustion seal of the head gasket during deflection of the aluminum cylinder head.