Patent ID: 7156079

Claim:
A diesel engine comprising: a camshaft with a cam; a fuel injection pump having a plunger having a vertically slanted axis; a tappet disposed at a lower axial end of the plunger so as to drive the plunger, the tappet including a rotor which abuts against the cam, a support portion supporting the rotor being slidable along the vertically slanted axis of the plunger, wherein the support portion has upper and lower ends extended along the vertically slanted axis of the plunger when viewed along an axis of the camshaft, and a projection projecting downward from the lower end of the support portion along the rotation direction of the camshaft or along the direction opposite to the rotation direction of the camshaft; and a slide guide portion for guiding the slide of the support portion of the tappet, the slide portion including a guide hole having upper and lower ends extended along the vertically slanted axis of the plunger when viewed along the axis of the camshaft, wherein the support portion of the tappet is inserted into the guide hole so that the upper and lower ends of the support portion are slidably fitted onto the respective upper and lower ends of the guide hole, and a guide groove formed along the lower end of the guide hole, the guide groove having an end extended alone the vertically slanted axis of the plunger when viewed along the axis of the camshaft, wherein the projection projecting from the lower end of the support portion of the tappet is inserted into the guide groove and slidably fitted onto the end of the guide groove so as to restrict rotation of the support portion.