Modernizing Early A rmstrong-Saurers
Page 48
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WHEN the Dual-Turbulence oil W engine was introduced, some 18 months ago, by Armstrong-Saurer Commercial Vehicles, Ltd., Great West Road, Brentford, the situation that has now arisen was not anticipated. Nevertheless, it is a natural outcome of the development represented by the supersession of the earlier design of power unit.
Realizing that the latest design marked a big advance, certain owners of Armstrong-Sa,urer lorries, with a considerable mileage to their credit, wished to take advantage of the improved power unit and approached the maker with a view to having the new features incorporated in their old-type engines. This operation presents no material difficulties, and the company is now extensively engaged in executing conversions of this nature.
Work Involved in Converting.
The operation consists of replacing the complete cylinder head and valve gear, the pistons, the cylinder liners and the injection pipe lines, whilst a new water manifold is fitted. At the same time, the engine is given a complete overhaul. It would obviously be shortsighted policy to effect alterations which diminished bearing loading and so forth, without putting the bearings in new 'condition so that the full benefits might be reaped. The same applies to the injection pump, and, of course —although possibly to a lesser degree —to practically every component of the engine. ,
Chief among the gains resulting from the conversion are large economies in fuel and oil consumption, an increase -of power amounting to about 20 per cent, and a considerable reduction of maintenance costs, : which, of course, meaus,trcinble-free r■pan4Ag.. We,under:, stand that.the.mior 441!1fiC314. 444PPrr infrction, troubles experienced with the origfri'al '1341-Turbulence Models liaVe been entirely overcome.
13;,10'
This four-cylindered oil engine is one of many that have been converted from the earlier design to incorporate the DualTurbulence system.
With regard to the reduced maintenance needed by the Dual-Turbulence type, the improvement mainly concerns the head. In the past, cases of warping and cracking, caused by local overheating, were sometimes experienced. Failures of this description have now been completely eliminated. Certain operators, we are informed, have felt a little anxiety about having power units with such a large number of valves (there are four per cylinder), but the reassuring statement is made that there are practically no cases of trouble from this cause on record.
The operation of converting a sixcylindered unit occupies approximately 10 days, and a rough inclusive figure for the cost is £200. This does not cover any other work on the chassis. For the sake of comparison, a thorough overhaul, without conversion, would cost about £125.
In the majority of cases owners bring in their machines, for engine convepion, after about 60,000 miles; that , is. bet! an overhaul wonid normally be due. It is usually possible, if there be no' operations to effect 'on the other patsf-of-the-chassis, to 'install—a
vice unit for use while the conversion is being made.
It is pointed out that even if the chassis be very old a. conversion may be worth while, and two instances were quoted to us, when we recently visited the company's London works. They both concerned Dauntless models, which, late in life, had had the newtype heads, etc., fitted. Subsequently, when their mileages had each reached the 250,000 mark, and the whole of the rest of the chassis were practically. worn out, new chassis, without engines, were supplied and the existing converted power units were installed in them.
14 Hours Non-stop.
An incident related to us in demonstration of the reliable and cool run ning of the converted engines concerns a showman's Armstrong-Saurer. At Hampstead Heath fair, last Whit
Mondayi the engine, running a dynamo for working a merry-go-round, lighting, etc., ran continuously from 9 a.m. to 11 and, when shut down Aftef this long stretch at heayy so .cool that the hand could be retsmaon the Mitt without discomfOtt.