Two blows for power
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• Two new diesel turbochargers have been announced this month for the popular fleets vans from Ford and Mercedes-Benz.
Omicron Engineering of Mulbarton, Norwich now offers a turbocharger conversion for the Mercedes-Benz 207D, 307D, and 507D vans and chassis cabs, for £1,695 plus VAT fitted, or for £1,420 plus VAT as a kit.
TB Turbos of Lancaster has stolen some of Ford's thunder by announcing a turbocharger conversion kit for the Transit DI diesel engine before the multinational giant does so. The Ford Escort and the Fiesta car-derived-vans have a turbo-charged kit for the MI diesel engine; both the Transit and the CDV turbocharger cost £995 plus VAT fitted, or £745 plus VAT as a kit.
The Omicron Engineering conversion is a Swedish Turbocharger Technics (STT) kit which fits the 53kW (71hp),
137Nin (1011bft) four-cylinder Mercedes-Benz OM 616 1D1 diesel engine. The power of the turbocharged unit is increased to 70kW (94hp), and the torque is increased to 190Nm (140lbft). Omicron will replace the Mercedes one-year warranty with its own guarantee, and it will supply a one-year guarantee on all equipment supplied irrespectiv of the age of the vehicle.
TB Turbos uses a Garrett/ A1Research T2 wastegated turbo for the CDV 1.6 litre, 40kW (53hp), 95Nrn (70Ibft) IDI diesel engine conversion, which takes the power up 53kW (72hp). The 2.5 litre, 50kW (67hp), 143Nm (105Ibft) IDI diesel engine fitted to the Ford Transit gets a Garrett/ AlResearch T25 turbocharger which takes the power to 70kW (95hp).
Guaranteed
All the turbo installations an covered by TB Turbo's guarantee, and an insurance policy to cover major driveline components is also available at extra cost.
Both companies hope to sell their new vehicle conversions to segments of the market where power is very important like Ambulances, PSV, and fast delivery work. Omicron can fit the kit itself in two days at its Norwich base, or arrange for fitting at Mertrucks of Nottingham which has shown sufficient interest to convert the first UK vehicle — a 207D van — as a prototype.
TB Turbos can also fit its kit in Lancaster, but it too is hoping to attract dealer interest, and can supply a kit which can be fitted in half-a-day la a competent mechanic. LJ The relatively low power of the Ford Transit 2.5 litre, 50kW (67hp) DI diesel engine, compared with units like the VW LT 2.4 litre, 76kW (102hp) turbocharged 11)I diesel, has put it at a disadvantage in markets like the emergency services, deregulated PSV services, and fast motorway delivery work, where high diesel power is important.
Ford's turbocharged version of the 2.5 litre DI engine is thought to be officially planned for 1991, along with the '1990 range' of commercial vehicles, which might be too late to prevent its market segment share from slipping away.
Ford has not denied that its Special Vehicles Operation (SVO) is working with an aftermarket turbocharger specialist to provide a stop-gap solution.