Abstract: An adapter is disclosed for use in mounting an ancillary unit in an engine block which has at one end a lateral flange (10) formed with an aperture for mounting of the ancillary unit. The adapter comprises a casing (112) for mounting on the end face of the engine to overlie the 10 aperture, which casing is provided with an O-ring (130) for effecting a seal between the casing (112) and the aperture in the lateral flange of the engine. The casing has a larger diameter portion separated by a shoulder (131) from a portion of reduced diameter, a retaining sleeve (132) axially slidable over the reduced diameter portion of the casing (112) and a O-ring (130) held captive between the axial end of the retaining sleeve (132) and the shoulder (131).

Abstract: An ancillary unit drive adapter is disclosed for use in an engine block which has at one end a lateral flange formed with an aperture for mounting of the ancillary unit. The drive adapter comprises a casing (112) for mounting on the end face of the engine to overlie the aperture. A shaft (116) journalled in the casing, has a formation (122) at one end for coupling to the input shaft of the ancillary unit and a cog (120) solid with its opposite end for meshing with an engine driven gear. Faces (120a, 120b) on the opposite sides of the cog (120) serve in use as bearing surfaces to withstand axial forces acting in both directions on the drive shaft (116).

Abstract: A balancer shaft assembly for an engine comprises a housing mountable on the engine block, and rotatably supporting at least one balancer shaft (16,18; 16′,18′) connectable for rotation with the engine crankshaft. The housing is formed in two parts (12,14; 12′,14′) and defines pillar blocks (30) for journalling the or each balancer shaft (16,18; 16′,18′). A groove (28; 28′) is formed in the split plane of at least one of the two mating parts (12; 12′) of the housing, which groove (28; 28′) when the parts (12,14; 12′,14′) are mated to one another defines an oil gallery by way of which lubricant is supplied to the pillar blocks (30) supporting the or each balancer shaft (16,18; 16′,18′).

Abstract: An engine having an electronic engine control unit (ECU) is provided with a temperature management system for the ECU to prevent failure of the ECU through overheating. The temperature management system comprising means for monitoring or evaluating the temperature of the ECU to determine when the temperature of the ECU is approaching a predetermined limit and means for limiting further heating of the ECU to prevent the said limit from being exceeded.

Abstract: The invention relates to an apparatus comprising a pump unit 22 incorporating an engine driven low pressure pump for drawing fuel from a reservoir and an engine driven high pressure pump connected to supply fuel drawn by the low pressure fuel pump under pressure to a common fuel rail 18. The assembly also includes fuel filter 48 connected in the fuel flow path between the low pressure and the high pressure pump. The fuel filter comprises a fuel filter head 30 mounted directly on, or formed integrally with, the housing of the pump unit 22. The filter head 30 includes a plate 30b for mounting a filter housing 48 containing a filter element, and is formed with a first internal flow passage to enable fuel pressurised by the low pressure pump to be supplied to one side of the filter element and a second flow passage connected to the other side of the filter element to enable the filtered fuel to be supplied to the high pressure pump.

Abstract: An engine block 10 is disclosed having machined front and rear faces. Each of the front and rear faces is capable of receiving and sealing against a housing (20,40) enclosing a gear train for coupling the engine crankshaft to a camshaft of the engine. The front face is additionally capable of directly receiving and sealing against an engine front cover while the rear face is additionally capable of directly receiving and sealing against a flywheel housing. In this way, the same engine block may be selectively assembled into an engine having a front mounted or a rear mounted camshaft gear train.

Abstract: An intake system for a multi-cylinder internal combustion engine, comprises an intake manifold 18 having a plenum chamber 20 common to a plurality of engine cylinders and an intake pipe 22 opening into the plenum chamber to supply ambient air to the plenum chamber. An electric heater 26 is located within the plenum chamber 20 in the path of at least part of the air entering the plenum chamber from the intake pipe 22.

Abstract: A camshaft 10 has alignment formations at one axial end for enabling the camshaft 10 to be correctly aligned with another component during assembly. In the invention, the alignment formations comprise two bores 18 of the same diameter but different depth.

Abstract: A chill plate 30 is described for cooling an electronic control unit (ECU) 20 of an engine. The chill plate 30 comprises a housing 32 having a flat front face onto which the ECU 20 may be mounted, formed with a central pocket 36 for accommodating any components 28 protruding from the rear face of the ECU. The housing also includes flow passages 40 through which fuel may flow around at least part of the periphery of the central pocket 36 to transfer heat to the fuel from the regions of the front face 38 surrounding the pocket 36.

Abstract: The invention relates to an oil nozzle 14 mounted on an engine block 10 to direct oil towards the underside of a reciprocating piston. The oil nozzle 14 consists of an annular mounting collar 16 having a cylindrical outer surface and a tube 38 projecting generally radially from the mounting collar 16. The engine block is formed with a drilled and tapped screw threaded bore 30 that is drilled into the surface of the engine block to intersect an oil gallery 32 in the engine block 10, and with a cylindrical recess 44 that is machined in the surface of the cylinder block 10 surrounding the mouth of the bore 30 to receive and locate the mounting collar 16 of the nozzle 14. A capscrew 28 is inserted through the collar 16 into the threaded bore 30 to retain the collar within the recess, the capscrew allowing oil to flow from the oil gallery in the block into the mounting collar of the oil nozzle.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a camshaft comprises the first step of casting a blank defining a central shaft, concentric journal bearings and eccentric cam lobes, the cam nose region between the journal bearing at the driven end of the camshaft and the adjacent cam lobe being cast in the same non-circular shape as the cam lobe but with smaller dimensions. The cam nose and the cam surface of the first cam lobe are then ground. Preferably, the cam lobe surface and the cam nose are ground at the same time as one another by means of a shaped grinding wheel having a cylindrical portion for grinding the cam surface and a narrower contoured portion of larger diameter at one end for grinding the cam nose.

Abstract: An engine block is described having at one end a lateral flange 12 formed with an aperture for mounting of an ancillary unit such as a pump 16. An adapter plate 30 is mounted on the end face of the lateral flange to overlie the aperture for the ancillary unit 16, the surface of the adapter plate facing the aperture being machined to mate, when in use, with an ancillary unit 16 disposed on the other side of the flange 12 and secured to the adapter plate 30 through the aperture in the lateral flange.

Abstract: An integral cylinder block is provided having features which enhance structural stiffness, thereby reducing noise emissions. The block includes an upper portion with cylinder bores and a lower portion forming at least a part of a crankcase. At the upper and lower portions of the block, the casing has sculpted wall portions with a curved, undulate shape. At a side of the cylinder block, a closed oil cooler cavity is formed. A wall is provided to generally separate the oil cooler cavity from the water jacket defined within the block. An opening is provided in the wall, but the opening is distally located relative to a water pump outlet that provides a flow of coolant into the cavity, thereby improving the flow direction of coolant across the oil cooler. Also, an opposite side of the cylinder block includes a closed tappet cavity to accommodate pushrods.

Abstract: A method and mechanism are disclosed for coupling an accessory to an engine crankshaft. To avoid the cost of machining splines on the crankshaft 10, the 14 end of the crankshaft 10 is formed as a cylindrical spigot. A separately formed splined pressed steel sleeve 16 is then mounted on the end 14 of the crankshaft 10 with interference fit.