Interchangeable Lubricating Oil Pump For Use With Two Engines Having Different Lubrication Requirements And Method of Manufacturing Same

Abstract

An interchangeable lubricating oil pump for use with two internal combustion engines having different lubrication requirements includes a pump housing and a drive shaft rotatably supported in an opening through the pump housing. A first end of the drive shaft provides a drive gear mounting location. First and second idler gear mounting locations of the pump housing are positioned a common distance from the drive gear mounting location. The interchangeable lubricating oil pump also includes a set of interchangeable gears including a small interchangeable gear and a large interchangeable gear. A first configuration for a first internal combustion engine having a first lubrication requirement includes the large interchangeable gear mounted at the drive gear mounting location and the small interchangeable gear mounted at the first idler gear mounting location. A second configuration for a second internal combustion engine having a second lubrication requirement includes the small interchangeable gear mounted at the drive gear mounting location and the large interchangeable gear mounted at the second idler gear mounting location.

1 . An interchangeable lubricating oil pump for use with two internal combustion engines having different lubrication requirements, comprising:
 a pump housing;   a drive shaft rotatably supported in an opening through the pump housing, a first end of the drive shaft providing a drive gear mounting location;   a first idler gear mounting location of the pump housing positioned a common distance from the drive gear mounting location;   a second idler gear mounting location of the pump housing positioned the common distance from the drive gear mounting location; and   a set of interchangeable gears including a small interchangeable gear and a large interchangeable gear;   wherein a first configuration for a first internal combustion engine having a first lubrication requirement includes the large interchangeable gear mounted at the drive gear mounting location and the small interchangeable gear mounted at the first idler gear mounting location;   wherein a second configuration for a second internal combustion engine having a second lubrication requirement includes the small interchangeable gear mounted at the drive gear mounting location and the large interchangeable gear mounted at the second idler gear mounting location.   
     
     
         2 . The interchangeable lubricating oil pump of  claim 1 , further including a first lubrication passage terminating at the first idler gear mounting location and a second lubrication passage terminating at the second idler gear mounting location. 
     
     
         3 . The interchangeable lubricating oil pump of  claim 2 , further including a plug positioned within one of the first lubrication passage and the second lubrication passage. 
     
     
         4 . The interchangeable lubricating oil pump of  claim 3 , wherein the plug is positioned within the second lubrication passage for the first configuration and the first lubrication passage for the second configuration. 
     
     
         5 . The interchangeable lubricating oil pump of  claim 1 , wherein the small interchangeable gear and the large interchangeable gear include a common mounting geometry. 
     
     
         6 . The interchangeable lubricating oil pump of  claim 5 , further including a stub shaft mounted to exactly one of the first idler gear mounting location and the second idler gear mounting location. 
     
     
         7 . Two internal combustion engines having different lubrication requirements, comprising:
 a first internal combustion engine having a first lubrication requirement;   a second internal combustion engine having a second lubrication requirement;   first and second interchangeable lubricating oil pumps being identical and interchangeable and each including a pump housing having a drive gear mounting location, a first idler gear mounting location, and a second idler gear mounting location; and   first and second sets of interchangeable gears being identical and interchangeable and each including a small interchangeable gear and a large interchangeable gear;   wherein the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump is installed on the first internal combustion engine and has a first configuration wherein the large interchangeable gear of the first set of interchangeable gears is mounted at the drive gear mounting location and the small interchangeable gear of the first set of interchangeable gears is mounted at the first idler gear mounting location;   wherein the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump is installed on the second internal combustion engine and has a second configuration wherein the small interchangeable gear of the second set of interchangeable gears is mounted at the drive gear mounting location and the large interchangeable gear of the second set of interchangeable gears is mounted at the second idler gear mounting location.   
     
     
         8 . The two internal combustion engines of  claim 7 , wherein the first idler gear mounting location and the second idler gear mounting location are positioned a common distance from the drive gear mounting location for each of the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump and the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump. 
     
     
         9 . The two internal combustion engines of  claim 8 , wherein each of the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump and the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump includes a first lubrication passage terminating at the first idler gear mounting location and a second lubrication passage terminating at the second idler gear mounting location. 
     
     
         10 . The two internal combustion engines of  claim 9 , further including a first plug positioned within the second lubrication passage of the first internal combustion engine and a second plug positioned within the first lubrication passage of the second internal combustion engine. 
     
     
         11 . The two internal combustion engines of  claim 7 , wherein the small interchangeable gear and the large interchangeable gear of each of the first set of interchangeable gears and the second set of interchangeable gears include a common mounting geometry. 
     
     
         12 . The two internal combustion engines of  claim 11 , wherein the common mounting geometry includes a cylindrical surface. 
     
     
         13 . A method of manufacturing two internal combustion engines having different lubrication requirements, comprising the steps of:
 installing a first interchangeable lubricating oil pump on a first internal combustion engine having a first lubrication requirement; and   installing a second interchangeable lubricating oil pump on a second internal combustion engine having a second lubrication requirement;   wherein installing the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump includes mounting a first large interchangeable gear at a drive gear mounting location of the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump, and mounting a first small interchangeable gear at a first idler gear mounting location of the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump;   wherein installing the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump includes mounting a second small interchangeable gear at a drive gear mounting location of the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump, and mounting a second large interchangeable gear at a second idler gear mounting location of the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein installing the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump further includes plugging a second lubrication passage terminating at a second idler gear mounting location of the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump, and wherein installing the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump further includes plugging a first lubrication passage terminating at a first idler gear mounting location of the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein installing the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump further includes press fitting the first large interchangeable gear at the drive gear mounting location of the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump, and wherein installing the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump further includes press fitting the second small interchangeable gear at the drive gear mounting location of the second lubricating oil pump. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein installing the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump further includes assembling the first small interchangeable gear with a first stub shaft, and wherein installing the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump further includes assembling the second large interchangeable gear with a second stub shaft. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein installing the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump further includes fastening the first stub shaft at the first idler gear mounting location of the first interchangeable lubricating oil pump, and wherein installing the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump further includes fastening the second stub shaft at the second idler gear mounting location of the second interchangeable lubricating oil pump.