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Volvo's power-play
Page 16
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• To coincide with the launch of its F16 flagship (see page 53) Volvo has substantially revised its F10 and F12 models, and made detail changes to all models in its range apart from the FL4.
Most important revisions are to the 10and 12-litre engines and to the gearboxes. The TD101F and TD121F are superseded by more powerful engines, while the old '50', '60' and '70' ranges of gearboxes have been replaced by new nineand 14-speed units.
Probably the most interesting of the new engines is the TD102F, which now develops 234kW (318bhp) and is badged '320'. The power is developed at 2,050rpm, while maximum torque of 1,300Nm is delivered at 1,200rpm.
Many of the features of the new 10-litre installation are shared with the F16, notably the new cooling system, but it is inside the cylinders that the TD102F is unique. This engine is fitted with an articulated piston which has a steel crown and a conventional aluminiumalloy skirt. The only connection between the two halves of the piston is the gudgeon pin, which passes through the skirt in the conventional way, and through a housing formed in a central strut which descends from the centre of the crown.
Advantages claimed for this piston (which is made by Mal*, and costs around twice as much as a conventional piston) include reduced noise and lower heat transmission. Because the steel crown expands much less than one of aluminium-alloy, the piston/ cylinder wall clearance can be smaller thus cutting noise. The virtual disconnection of the crown and skirt means that heat-flow between the two is minimised.
The TD102F develops extremely high cylinder pressures — of around 140 bar — and is claimed to be highly efficient at 44% thermal efficiency.
ENGINE MODIFICATIONS
Modifications to the 12-litre engine are similar although there is no articulated piston there yet: with production strictly limited, the new piston was first installed where most needed. The TD121F is replaced by two new engines; the TD122F which is badged as a '360' and develops 262kW (356bhp); and the TD122FS, badged as the '400' and de veloping 291kW (395bhp).
The TD122F is a slowerspeed engine than its more powerful brother, developing maximum power at 1,900 rpm instead of at 2,050rpm, but both developing their peak torques (of 1,570Nm and 1,665Nm respectively) at 1, 20Orpm.
The new engines are matched to new gearboxes. The old R and SR62 units are replaced by the new R and SR1400, while the 12-litre engines get the new R and SR1700. The new boxes are similar in construction, the principal difference being a stronger epicyclic range-change unit in the 1700 series.
The simple range-change boxes have nine speeds, with a single deep crawler gear, while the splitter boxes have 14 ratios including two crawlers. Further down the range, there is a new R1000 six-speed gearbox which replaces the old R52 and is available as an extraprice option in the FL616/617, and will be fitted to the FL7.
in addition to the powertrain changes to its F10 and F12 models, Volvo has made a number of minor changes to its cabs. The previous round headlamps have now been replaced with rectangular units while the cab suspension has been revised to give an improved ride. All parts of the cab which are particularly exposed or vulnerable to minor accident damage are now made of galvanised sheet steel.