Hydraulic lifter assembly

A lifter assembly for an internal combustion engine, comprising:

• an elongate sleeve having an upper radial wall portion, said upper radial wall portion being provided with an oil feed hole through which oil enters said lifter assembly, and an oil bleed hole through which oil exits said lifter assembly, said oil feed hole and said oil bleed hole extending through said upper radial wall portion;
• an elongate lifter body reciprocatingly disposed within said sleeve, said lifter body being hollow and closed at one end thereof;
• a plunger reciprocatingly disposed within said lifter body, said plunger having an internal cavity;
• a low pressure oil reservoir at least partially defined by said plunger internal cavity, said low pressure oil reservoir in at least periodic fluid communication with said oil feed hole, whereby oil from said oil feed hole is received into said low pressure oil reservoir;
• a high pressure oil reservoir at least partially defined by said plunger and said lifter body closed end, said low pressure oil reservoir and said high pressure oil reservoir in one-way fluid communication, whereby oil is received into said high pressure reservoir from said low pressure oil reservoir;
• a cap reciprocatingly disposed within said sleeve, said cap being engaged with said plunger;
• a first seal located between an outer circumferential surface of said lifter body and an inner circumferential surface of said sleeve, said first seal located between said oil feed hole and one end of said sleeve, and a second seal located between an outer circumferential surface of said cap and said sleeve inner circumferential surface, said second seal located between said oil bleed hole and the other end of said sleeve, whereby oil is precluded from exiting said lifter assembly through the ends of said sleeve.