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Freightliner LLC has installed a prototype liquid-fueled auxiliary power unit (APU) from Xantrex Technology Inc., Issaquah, Wash. The system is designed to generate low-noise, low-emissions on-board electrical power to meet all the needs of a long-had trucker; according to Xantrex. The liquid-fueled APU incorporates fuel cell technology from Ballard Power Systems Inc. to generate up to 5 kW of 120 Va.c. power. The APU is currently fueled with a mixture of methanol and water; but the company predicted that further development will enable it to use ultra low-sulfur commercial diesel fuel. In operation, the fuel cell's d.c. power goes to a sine wave inverter/charger which inverts it to household 120 Va.c. power. The inverter/charger can provide up to 4 kW of continuous 120 Va.c. output. The a.c. output is distributed through three integrated circuits to loads both inside and outside the cab including a 2 kW heating and cooling system, a microwave oven, and various tools and work lighting. The system is backed up with a 36 Vd.c. battery.

Altering the chemical structure of vegetable oil could make the molecule more resistant to temperature changes and increase its use as a supplement to petroleum-based motor oil in engines, scientists said. A team of U.S. Dept. of Agriculture researchers have increased the temperature durability and shelf life of soybean oil by reducing the amount of double bonding in the molecule, which renders the oil more stable in changing temperature conditions. Vegetable-based oils such as soybean have been increasingly used in automotive and industrial applications, but some businesses have been slow to place it in engines because of its higher cost and unreliability at extreme temperatures. The vegetable motor oil derivative would initially cost about $2 a gallon more than conventional oil, but it would he cheaper in the long-run because it is biodegradable and does not harm the topsoil or water supplies, scientists said.

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Pickup trucks are true American icons. Also, they have earned vast amounts of money for their manufacturers while providing for both the real and perceived needs of their buyers. Pickups are volume products, averaging for the past five years, 3.1 million sales in the United States. As job-providers for many tens of thousands of automotive industry workers, pickups carry a heavy economic load.

Unlike SUVs, pickups come in only two basic sizes, compact and large. For the past few years sales of the more aggressively marketed large units have pushed awareness of the compacts into the background. It has not always been so as illustrated in the accompanying table.

Large pickups hit a record 14.5 percent of all U.S. vehicle sales in 1978, a year of economic exuberance and little incursion by the compacts. That peak was quickly followed by an economic dip and growing sales of compacts, causing low shares for both the large and total pickup categories.

In 1978, large was good, but new domestic compacts were on the horizon and gasoline prices doubled through the early 1980s. By 1986, the large-pickup share of industry had been halved.

In 1986 and 1987, compacts, pushed by new domestic models, high fuel costs, young buyers and faddishness, outsold the large variety. Quickly, in 1988, gasoline prices subsided, the youth market moved on, the fad quotient dissolved and America's big-is-better mode returned. In 1988, large pickups regained their ascendancy.

Following the 1988 crossover, compacts continued a general pattern of decline in both market share and volume. Concurrently, and more than offsetting the compact decline, sales of large pickups accelerated sharply through 1996, benefiting from relatively stable gasoline prices and decent economic growth while suffering only a moderate share loss from the relatively short-term fuel cost and economic activities. The 1997-2001 years brought only modest share gains to the large pickups.

Following the 1998 total-pickup peak of 19.1 percent of the combined car/truck industry, the total pickup market has declined as large pickups were unable to offset the again declining compacts, particularly in recent months as the large units began to lose share.

# posted by Medical Information : 2:05 AM  0 Comments

A car is a complex machine with a variety of mechanical and electrical systems. The automotive aftermarket was founded on the fact that these systems will fail from time to time and need to be repaired or replaced.

This isn't new. What is new is that vehicles continue to become more sophisticated with electronic and computer controlled engine management systems. Integrated with a vehicle's electrical and mechanical systems, these newer systems mean that vehicles today are more complex devices that require high technology to deliver the fuel economy, pollution control and performance expected by customers.

High technology replacement parts for electronic engine management systems--and other high-tech parts, like fuel injection--have become one of the industry's most crucial components.

NAPA Echlin's future lies in servicing these high-tech systems. Whoever services them will most likely get that vehicle's conventional mechanical and electrical system repairs as well. Because these systems are still so new, and because their technology is so advanced, high levels of training and technical support are essential. You also need to feel confident that the parts you sell contain the latest technology and will perform as the vehicle owner expects.

Your business has never been more dynamic or more challenging than it is now. Competition is fierce; margins are tight. You must expect more, and get it, if you want to succeed in today's marketplace. These days, you demand the best from yourself, from your team and from all of your business partners. You have to. NAPA Echlin welcomes that challenge. NAPA Echlin encourages you to insist on the best from us in every way that is important to your business success. Give us your business and NAPA Echlin will exceed your expectations.

NAPA Echlin's heritage has always been rooted in the quality of its products. Throughout its history, NAPA Echlin has designed and manufactured products with only one goal: to make them the very best. Because NAPA Echlin uses the finest materials and improves on OE specifications whenever possible, all NAPA Echlin products deliver maximum performance and reliability.

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Meritor Automotive has made its Engine Synchro Shift transmission system available for all heavy trucks and tractors with Caterpillar and Cummins engines. Previously the ESS system was only available with Detroit Diesel engines. The system is available through North American truck OEMs when spec'd with a 9- or 10-speed Meritor transmission.

Meritor has also unveiled new planetary axles - the SPRC-4808 tandem axle and the PSC-1876 steering axle - designed to meet high torque capacity demands of the heavy-duty dump truck market. The SPRC-4808 tandem axle, which replaces the SPRC-4806, is the largest torque capacity tandem planetary axle offered by Meritor. The axle features RT-380 carriers and increased torque is achieved through a larger ring gear, upgraded housings and upgraded planetary wheel-end gearing. The axle also offers standard oil pump and filter on the forward carrier and optional pump on the rear carrier to provide positive lubrication for severe operations on long grades at low speeds.

The PSC-1876 planetary front steer axle, an upgrade to its PSC-1875 axle, provides improved vehicle handling and reduced steering effort by offering a high minimum steer angle of 29 [degrees], up to 35 [degrees] is possible depending on vehicle application. The axle also features a 7 [degrees] inclined kingpin and a 3 [degrees] caster for improved steering capability both on- and off-road. The axle features Meritor's RS-160 carriers which are designed for on- and off-highway applications and increase the ability to pull high GCW requirements in severe-duty cycle applications versus normal 6 x 4 applications.

The PRC-7534 series planetary rigid axle is available as a step up from the PRC-5334 series axle. The new axle is engineered for the heavy-duty industrial lift truck market and covers a broad range of lift truck applications including large container handlers and log loaders. The axle has a capacity range of 170,000 to 245,000 lb. with a wide selection of gear ratios, load capacities, brakes and vehicle mountings for varying performance characteristics.

The axles come standard with Meritor's 17 in. wet disc brakes, which provide maximum life with minimum maintenance. The wet disc brake is also available with optional force cooling ports, which allow the use of auxiliary cooling for severe-duty cycles. Operators can spec easy-to-service wheel-speed dry disc brakes as an alternative to the wet disc brakes.

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