An iron-based alloy includes, in weight percent, carbon from about 1 to about 2 percent; manganese from about 0.1 to about 1 percent; silicon from about 0.1 to about 2.5 percent; chromium from about 11 to about 19 percent; nickel up to about 8 percent; vanadium from about 0.8 to about 5 percent; molybdenum from about 11 to about 19 percent; tungsten up to about 0.5 percent; niobium from about 1 to about 4 percent; cobalt up to about 5.5 percent; boron up to about 0.5 percent; nitrogen up to about 0.5 percent, copper up to about 1.5 percent, sulfur up to about 0.3 percent, phosphorus up to about 0.3 percent, up to about 5 percent total of tantalum, titanium, hafnium and zirconium; iron from about 50 to about 70 percent; and incidental impurities. The alloy is suitable for use in elevated temperature applications such as in valve seat inserts for combustion engines.

An engine head assembly includes a valve seat insert having a valve seating surface defining a center axis, and each of an inner peripheral surface and an outer peripheral surface extending circumferentially around the valve seat center axis. The outer peripheral surface includes an upper section interference-fitted with the engine head, and a lower section. A stiffness relief channel is formed by a relief cutout in the valve seat insert, and extends radially between the lower section of the outer peripheral surface and the engine head. The stiffness relief channel permits flexing of the valve seat insert to cushion valve seating to prolong engine valve and valve seat insert service life.

An engine valve includes a stem, a head comprising an outer lip surface, a seating surface extending from the outer lip surface toward the stem, and a combustion surface extending from the outer lip surface on the opposite side of the head as compared to the seating surface. The combustion surface includes a first convex arcuate surface spaced away from the outer lip surface, at least partially forming a raised ring, and a first concave arcuate surface spaced away from the outer lip surface, at least partially forming a dimple.

An assembly-free tool for maintenance of an engine in a vehicle is described. The tool comprises a bar extending in an axial direction and having a first portion with a first end and a second portion with a second end and a housing surrounding the first portion of the bar. The bar is axially translatable in relation to the housing. The housing comprises an embedded locking structure for holding the bar in a locking position to stop the movement of the bar in the axial direction. The bar, the housing and the locking structure are retained as one unit such that they are non-detachable from each other.

A control device and a control method for a variable valve timing mechanism are provided so as to improve the accuracy of cam phase angle interpolation without using a motor rotation angle sensor. The control device for the variable valve timing mechanism includes a controller configured to detect a phase angle of a cam based on a cam signal and control the phase angle of the cam by using an electric motor. The controller is configured such that a motor torque estimation unit calculates a motor torque from a motor current based on motor characteristics, a motor rotation-angle estimation unit calculates a motor rotation angle at least based on the motor torque and an engine operating state, and a conversion unit and a feedback control unit interpolate the cam phase angle of the variable valve timing mechanism from the motor rotation angle.

A mover is attracted and is moved in an axial direction with a predetermined stroke by a magnetic force generated between a stator and the mover when a coil is energized. The stator includes: a first stator positioned at a side where a stroke start position of the mover is located, and a second stator positioned at another side where a stroke end position of the mover is located. The mover includes a tapered portion which has a diameter progressively reduced toward the second stator, and a small-diameter cylindrical portion which is shaped in a straight form and has a constant outer diameter along an entire axial extent of the small-diameter cylindrical portion. An outer wall of the small diameter cylindrical portion has the outer diameter that is equal to an outer diameter of a smallest-diameter part of the tapered portion.

A cam follower is provided. The cam follower includes a polycrystalline diamond element, including an engagement surface. The engagement surface of the polycrystalline diamond element is positioned on the cam follower for sliding engagement with an opposing engagement surface of a cam. The cam includes at least some of a diamond reactive material.

A hollow engine valve includes a shaft portion and an umbrella portion of which diameter is enlarged to form an umbrella shape to be provided on a base end of the shaft portion, a cooling material being enclosed in a hollow portion that is at least formed inside the shaft portion. The shaft portion comprises a first shaft portion in a tip end side, a second shaft portion that is provided in a base end side to have an outer diameter larger than that of the first shaft portion, and a stepped portion formed by a difference in the outer diameters between the first and second shaft portions. A wall thickness of the stepped portion is larger than that of the second shaft portion.

A reciprocating exhaust valve for a two-stroke internal combustion engine has a shaft for connection to a valve actuator, the shaft defining a reciprocation axis of the valve, the reciprocation axis defining a longitudinal direction of the valve; and a blade having: a first end having an arcuate edge, a second end connected to the shaft, two side portions, and a central portion. The blade has a first end portion adjacent the first end that includes a part of the central portion and of each of the two side portions. A width of the central portion is greater than a width of each of the side portions. In the first end portion, a thickness of the part of each of the two side portions is greater than a thickness of the part of the central portion.

When forming valve seat coats at opening portions (16a.sub.1 to 16a.sub.8) of intake ports (16) provided at a cylinder block mounting surface (12a) of a semimanufactured cylinder head (3), the nozzle of a cold spray apparatus moves along a nozzle movement path for air intake (Inp1) that is set between any two of the plurality of opening portions (16a.sub.1 to 16a.sub.8), while continuing to spray a raw material powder. When forming valve seat coats at opening portions (17a.sub.1 to 17a.sub.8) of exhaust ports (17), the nozzle moves along a nozzle movement path for air exhaust (Enp1) that is set between any two of the plurality of opening portions (17a.sub.1 to 17a.sub.8), while continuing to spray the raw material powder.