Patent ID: 7228832

Claim:
An internal combustion engine, comprising: an engine housing; a crankshaft, connecting rod, and piston assembly disposed within said engine housing, said piston reciprocatable within a cylinder bore to define a variable volume combustion chamber; an oil sump disposed within said engine housing and containing oil; a camshaft rotatably supported within said engine housing in timed driven relationship with said crankshaft at opposite ends of said camshaft within first and second bearings carried by said engine housing, said camshaft translatable axially between first and second positions, said camshaft further comprising: at least one cam lobe periodically engaging a valve; and at least one auxiliary valve actuator axially spaced from said cam lobe, said auxiliary valve actuator engaging said valve in said first camshaft position and not engaging said valve in said second camshaft position; and an oil pump in fluid communication with said oil sump, oil pressure generated by said oil pump acting upon at least a portion of said camshaft to translate said camshaft from said first position to said second position at high engine speeds, said oil pressure insufficient at low engine speeds to translate said camshaft from said first position to said second position; and said camshaft further comprising a longitudinal bore therethrough, said bore fluidly communicating said first and second bearings with one another, said oil pump pumping oil from said first bearing to said second bearing through said bore.