Different signal processing technique performances are compared to each other with regard to separating the mean and fluctuating velocity components of a simulated one-dimensional unsteady velocity signal comparable to signals observed in internal combustion engines. A simulation signal with known mean and fluctuating components was generated using experimental data and generic turbulence spectral information. The simulation signal was generated based on observations on the measured velocity data obtained using LDV in a motored Briggs-and-Stratton engine at about 600 RPM. Experimental data was used as a guide to shape the simulated signal mean velocity variation; fluctuating velocity variations with specified spectrum and standard deviation was used to mimic the turbulence. Cyclic variations were added both to the mean and the fluctuating velocity signals to simulate prescribed cyclic variations. The simulated signal was introduced as input to the following algorithms: ensemble averaging; high-pass filtering; Proper-Orthogonal Decomposition (POD); Wavelet Decomposition (WD) and Wavelet Decomposition/Principal Component Analysis (WD/PCA). The results were analyzed to determine the best method in correctly separating the mean and the fluctuating velocity information, indicating that the WD/PCA performs better compared to other techniques.