Abstract: A floating tappet guide plate (60) is provided for an internal combustion engine having three tappets (40, 42, 44) per cylinder wherein the guide plate (60) is mounted for movement on the central tappet (40) and is shaped to cooperate with mating surfaces on the remaining tappets to prevent rotation of all three tappets. The tappet guide plate (60) is secured to the circumference of the injector tappet (40) so as to form an integral part thereof and includes opposed squared projections (64) and (66) which extend toward and approximate corresponding flat guide surfaces (50) and (51) of valve tappets (42) and (44), thus permitting the valve tappets to move freely in a vertical direction while simultaneously preventing their rotation and maintaining all three tappets substantially aligned about their central longitudinal axes.