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BMC EA 3•5-TON-GROSS DIESEL VAN
Page 71
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Test by R.D. Cater, AM InstBE SQUARE DEAL" is the advertising an which BMC uses for its EA van, I after a recent test of a diesel-engined del I felt that this phrase could certainly be faulted under the new Trade -;criotions Act. An operator seeking a y practical vehicle to serve him faithy and economically through years of nd-the-houses or middle-distance rney work should find the EA a very :able choice.
)uring a recent test of this diesellined 274 Cu. ft. 102in. wheelbase del all my previous impressions when ting the petrol-engined vehicle (CM just 30 1968), were confirmed. Conling increases in the price of fuel make use of diesel engines in light vehicles even more attractive proposition than ierto. For when the relative consumpis of two similar vehicles vary to the ant that the diesel gives an almost Ttical figure when laden at a steady mph to that obtained with the petrollined version in unladen condition at same speed, then users must surely < very seriously indeed at the specificaiof fleet replacements.
)uring the test the vehicle proved to
very easily handled, extremely ,nomical and manoeuvrable, As with
previous vehicle the seating was ellent but mirror equipment was poorly :d and the high degree of body drum ved tiring.
he EA van is the first of a new genera1 of BMC models which has had to s through the rigorous proving trials -ently being applied to all the corny's products. One of the many rching tests completed was: 1,000 yements made of the steering from lock ock on a concrete floor with the front fully laden and the vehicle stationary. mother, to test the durability of clutch
transmission components, test icle engine-speeds were set at 1,500 and continuous starts were made ply by letting the clutch go with a bang. Ise treatments were dished out until tething failed when necessary alterais or beefing up of components were ie. And the full programme has to be cessfully completed before the model unched on to the market.
his sort of development has resulted an extremely robust and serviceable unit, which is precisely what operators need. Frills have been cut to the bone, a further advantage when considering operating costs, the body design being made up from flat panels in all the vulnerable areas. A sensibly conceived front end cuts the swept circle to only 22in. more than the turning circle.
The first impression one gets when driving the EA is one of complete solidness. It is a feeling that in the past I have received only from heavy custom-built machines: although it is not an easily
described impression, I find that if something feels right, then it quite often is right. At the very least it is a fact that drivers will accept and therefore return much more economical results with a machine that conveys feelings of reliability, comfort and positive control.
Initial acceleration from 0 to 20 mph was faster with the diesel-engined vehicle than it was with the petrol, but as is to be expected subsequent times were slightly slower. But so slight are the differences that without a stop watch they would not be noticed. The final drive ratio of 4.585 to 1 and the flexibility of the power unit permitted one to trickle along at speeds as low as 15 mph in top gear. Harsh acceleration from this speed in top gear did produce some grumbling from the transmission but results adequate for fatigue-free progress in heavy traffic conditions were possible.
Gear changing was near perfect. Although the lever is remote from the gearbox, its travel is shorter than with many direct-mounted types and selection is positive and light into all ratios. A light clutch pressure and a sensitive throttle control, coupled with very accurate directional control through cam and peg steering gear went to make handling the EA a pleasant experience.
Braking is by a divided hydraulic system through two-leading-shoe units on the front axle and duo-servo units on the rear axle. There is no power assistance provided but the tests carried out showed that maximum retardations in the order of 92 per cent can be obtained. Fade test results showed a reduction of some 26 per cent, which still gave a result well in excess of MoT requirements. Particular mention must be made of the handbrake. For the first time in my experience of BMC light vehicles, this is a substantial and securely mounted unit. It is in fact so powerful that Ministry requirements for service braking-when a vehicle is in service-can easily be met by it. Several stops in quick succession all gave figures of 53 per cent using a Tapley meter.
All too often one sees a vehicle of this class which simply cannot be parked on a very steep hill even when everything is freshly adjusted. What chance this allows for safe operation during the remainder of a service period is food for thought. But the EA will climb 1 in 3 and its handbrake would in all probability hold on the same gradient even 6,000 miles after it was last adjusted and that is just how it should be.
Although the EA is rated for 30cwt payloads, its unladen weight in diesel form as tested is over 2 torts without the driver, so that operators wishing to take advantage of the 34tons plated limit to run without an operator's licence (when these are introduced) will have to keep their payloads down to about 1 ton 8cwt. However, the van's capacity is its greatest quality. The slab-sided, straight-backed design with squared-off wheel arches provides the maximum usable space. And careful thought in the design of the hangings for the rear doors has resulted in a loading aperture which almost matches the clear internal width of the body. Ample space around the seats makes access from the driving seat
:ly into the load space a simple isition, and there being no protuces to trip over other than the gear and the handbrake sticking through Dor. The nearside seat folds forwards ig that side of the cab almost clear le driver to enter or leave through ?.arside door.
truments are few and nicely situated. :wo-spoke steering wheel does not them when running straight ahead, rocker-type switches control the s and the running lights. The light h has two positions—side and —in the normal manner. Screen and washer equipment is first class. Nashers are operated by a rubber button through two double jets. I one press of the button sufficient et the screen adequately for the s to remove the heaviest deposits 3d dirt. And such is the positioning of the wipers that the screen is cleared almost right up to the offside pillar and the driver can always see where he is going.
From a maintenance point of view, although I was assured by [WC personnel that access was adequate. I thought that the need to remove some 14 bolts in order to really get at the engine was a bit much. I can visualize only half that number being put back when something goes wrong--as it surely will---on the roadside some dark and rainy night, and when the interior will soon become draughty and noisy. Certainly one can get at the fuel injection equipment through the hatch, but other simple jobs like leaking hoses, fan belt replacement and a water pump change—all in my opinion can be roadside repairs—are made unnecessarily complicated by the bonnet design.
My one complaint about the machine on the road is the high degree of body noise which stems from vibration of the panelling. The unlicensed 3.5 ton goods vehicle may well be used on journeywork in the not-too-distant future and the EA's noise level—it matches that of many machines of bygone days—is far too high. This is a great pity for basically the vehicle is not noisy. Amplification of engine noise and thunder reminiscent of stage effects, caused by flexing panels combine to produce a cacophony of sounds that proves wearing at the end of a long day.
Mirror equipment fitted as standard is, to my mind, a poor choice—so is its siting and fitting. The driver has to turn his head through 45deg to see each mirror which could with distinct advantage be mounted forward of the screen pillars so that they are viewed through the screen and not through the side windows. In their present position they are likely to be used as grab handles: with their flimsy mountings they will not stand that sort of treatment for very long.
During the test it became necessary to change a wheel. The resulting demonstration of the difficulty experienced with the totally inadequate jack supplied with the van was sufficient to cause notes to be made in BMC designer L. V. Poole's notebook. I know it is a case of cost and weight but whatever happened to the Jackall system?
Manoeuvrability and general handling of the EA under all conditions is impeccable. It goes exactly where you point it with no deviation whatever. Starts made on the 1 in 6.5 gradient of Bison Hill were simplicity itself. First gear starts were accomplished with the engine barely exceeding tick over speeds, but despite this the vehicle would not move off in second gear. Reverse starts presented equally little difficulty.
Much of the working day of a machine such as this is taken up with the driver humping goods on and off. The working floor height of the EA is ideal for a person of normal stature such as myself. Laden floor height at the rear is 27.1 tin, and when unladen this rises only to 29.5in. The clear interior height of 68in. is sufficient for a man to work in comfort for a long enough period to clear an average cargo and the provision of interior rails prevents cargo being bumped against the outer panelling.
The de luxe version of the 274 cu. ft. 350 EA van as tested costs £1,080.