Abstract: An air management device for a filter assembly includes a top portion, a bottom portion, a plurality of frame members that connect the top portion to the bottom portion so as to define an inner cavity, and an air management valve. The air management valve includes a base portion, an intake valve, and an exhaust valve. The base portion is provided at the bottom portion. The intake valve extends into the inner cavity from the base portion towards the top portion. The intake valve includes an elongated opening that extends along a longitudinal length of the in-take valve. The exhaust valve extends into the inner cavity from the base portion towards the top portion. The intake valve is configured to intake air through the elongated opening and the amount of air introduced through the elongated opening varies based on a fluid level present within the air management device.

Abstract: A filter assembly including a filter media sized for positioning within an air induction system, the filter media possessing a first side and a second side substantially opposite the first side. The filter assembly includes a layer of sound absorbing foam positioned adjacent one of the first side of the filter media and the second side of the filter media, the sound absorbing foam including a plurality of perforations therein, the plurality of perforations permitting air to flow through the filter media and the layer of sound absorbing foam.

Abstract: A filter assembly including a filter media sized for positioning within an air induction system, the filter media possessing a first side and a second side substantially opposite the first side. The filter assembly includes a layer of sound absorbing foam positioned adjacent one of the first side of the filter media and the second side of the filter media, the sound absorbing foam including a plurality of perforations therein, the plurality of perforations permitting air to flow through the filter media and the layer of sound absorbing foam.

Abstract: An oil pressure regulator includes a chamber that extends between an oil supply line and an oil bypass line. The chamber extends from a closed end of the chamber to an open end of the chamber. The regulator includes a plunger that is positioned within the chamber. The plunger is movable within the chamber between a first position preventing oil flow from the oil supply line to the oil bypass line, and a second position allowing oil flow from the oil supply line to the oil bypass line. Also, the regulator includes a compression spring that is positioned within the chamber between the plunger and the closed end. When the plunger is in the first position, the compression spring is in an uncompressed state, and when the plunger is in the second position, the compression spring is in a compressed state.

Abstract: An oil pressure regulator includes a chamber that extends between an oil supply line and an oil bypass line. The chamber extends from a closed end of the chamber to an open end of the chamber. The regulator includes a plunger that is positioned within the chamber. The plunger is movable within the chamber between a first position preventing oil flow from the oil supply line to the oil bypass line, and a second position allowing oil flow from the oil supply line to the oil bypass line. Also, the regulator includes a compression spring that is positioned within the chamber between the plunger and the closed end. When the plunger is in the first position, the compression spring is in an uncompressed state, and when the plunger is in the second position, the compression spring is in a compressed state.

Abstract: This disclosure provides crankshaft damper and tone wheel assembly having a low noise characteristic. The crankshaft damper and tone wheel assembly can provides both damping of vibrations excited in a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine and an indication of the rotational speed or position of the crankshaft. The crankshaft damper including a hub portion and a ring-shaped portion connected to the hub portion by plural spokes, and the ring-shaped portion has an inner circumference that surrounds an area including the hub portion and the plural spokes. The tone wheel includes an annular-shaped portion connected to the crankshaft damper and having an inner diameter, an outer diameter, plural teeth arranged at an equal pitch along the outer diameter, and a same rotational axis as the crankshaft damper.

Abstract: One embodiment is a fuel system for an internal combustion engine including a fuel pump having a fuel pump gear operable to drive the fuel pump to pressurize fuel. The fuel pump gear is offset relative to engine top dead center by a predetermined angle to reduce a sound or noise. The offset can be determined by selecting the minimum sound produced over a range of offsets or operating conditions.

Abstract: One embodiment is a fuel system for an internal combustion engine including a fuel pump having a fuel pump gear operable to drive the fuel pump to pressurize fuel. The fuel pump gear is offset relative to engine top dead center by a predetermined angle to reduce a sound or noise. The offset can be determined by selecting the minimum sound produced over a range of offsets or operating conditions.

Abstract: An improved engine gear drive train arrangement is provided which effectively minimizes the crankshaft torsional vibrations at the location of the gear train, for engines with a front gear train. A flywheel is resiliently connected to the rear end portion of the crankshaft so as to resiliently connect a driven unit to the crankshaft. An extra inertial device is connected to the front end portion of the crankshaft and includes an inertia so selected as to cause a nodal point of the first torsional vibration mode of the crankshaft to be located in the vicinity of the crank gear to minimize the amplitude of torsional deflection of the crankshaft at the crank gear. Also, the device for resiliently connecting the flywheel to the rear end portion of the crankshaft may include resilient members positioned in cavities formed by engaging rings.

Abstract: An apparatus and method for altering the acoustic signature of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. Several techniques for altering the acoustic signature of an engine are shown, including time-varying, disabling or cutout of individual cylinders of an engine in a random fashion in order to reduce the periodic characteristics of the exhaust noise of the engine. Alternate embodiments include offsetting crank pins to transform an even firing engine into an uneven firing engine, inhibiting the fueling of individual cylinders, and inhibiting the ignition signals provided to individual cylinders. A combination of the above techniques may also be implemented in order to disperse the exhaust noise energy present over a wide frequency range, making acoustic detection of the exhaust signature difficult. Cylinder cutout schemes are implemented over a single or multiple engine cycle to disperse exhaust noise pulses over time and randomize measurable spectral noise composition.

Abstract: A method and device for providing a time-varying minimum engine speed setting are disclosed. A first embodiment of the device includes programming within an electronic engine control module for variably supplying fuel to an engine via variable activation periods for the fuel injectors of a fuel injected engine. In another embodiment a rotating cam provides a positionally time-varying mechanism stop against which the throttle linkage is positioned when released by the operator. In another embodiment of the invention, a solenoid provides a minimum engine speed setting which varies between two different positions. The two different positions are produced by a solenoid, which is activated and deactivated at random to produce a pseudo-random variation in minimum engine speed. Pulse-width activation of the solenoid provides variable positioning of the solenoid actuator between the two end stop positions of the solenoid actuator.