Automotive industry demands products that work under extreme conditions. The development of components for internal combustion engines is an action to improve this product, so that it reaches the required life with acceptable levels of wear and respecting the legal operating limits, such as values of emission pollutants. In view of these requirements, it is necessary to study components considered critical, which are known to influence the performance of the engine. So, within this universe the tribology of the intake valve and valve seat insert is an important set, that must receive attention to its wear and consequently its influence on the engine degradation, in the emission of pollutants and performance related to the operational maintenance requirements and life of the product. The aim of this work is to evaluate the behavior of the tribological intake pair, valve and valve seat insert, submitted to dynamometer and vehicular tests (real operating conditions), regarding the level and type of wear occurred in the pair. Correlating the results obtained with legal and operational performance requirements of a Diesel cycle engine, as well as the characterization of the wear type occurred in the tribological pair, with the related literature.