Overhead cam shaft type V-engine cylinder block

Claim 1

In an overhead camshaft type V-engine having V-shaped cylinders equipped with an overhead camshaft drive by a timing chain disposed and arranged on either side of said cylinders at a right angle to a crankshaft, the improvement comprising: a cylinder block; a timing chain passage in said cylinder block, said passage housing said timing chain for chain movement in a plane of said chain, said passage including a spacing on each side of a pair of runs of said chain, and in said plane, said spacing on each side of a pair of runs of said chain being substantially the same; said block further including a wall at least partially bounding said spacings and intersecting said plane, said wall having symmetrical wall openings therethrough symmetrically disposed on opposite sides of said chain and its plane, and opening into a respective substantially same spacing; a plurality of chain guide means, each mounted in a respective substantially same spacing; and tensioning means resiliently biasing one of said chain guide means toward and against a run of said chain to place the chain in tension, at least a portion of said tensioning means being mounted in one of said symmetrical wall openings adjacent to the respective run, the symmetry of said symmetrical wall openings enabling said tensioning means to be positioned adjacent to either run, whereby said cylinder block may be used for diametrically opposite cylinders.