Don’t Put A Damper On Profits

It is a well known adage that to grow the amount of business that is done with an existing customer, is easier than finding a new customer and as every UAN member can surely testify, the same is true when it comes to supplying workshops with service and repair parts.

It is for this reason that Dayco has previously drawn member’s attention to the opportunities that are made possible from the service of the front-end auxiliary drive (FEAD) system, particularly when the vehicle is in the workshop for a scheduled timing belt replacement.

The auxiliary belt in the modern vehicle comes under considerable load as it is required to drive numerous additional components such as power steering pump and air conditioning compressor, alongside the familiar alternator and water pump duo. As a result Dayco recommended best practice is to replace the auxiliary belt in line with the timing belt replacement schedule, as both components will cover the identical mileage.

The company also recommend that the other components in the FEAD system are rigorously checked at the same time and should any wear be detected in the tensioner, idler or crankshaft pulley, these too must be replaced to ensure a full and thorough system repair.

As engines are becoming lighter and more compact, effective vibration damping is becoming evermore important to ensure the vehicle manufacturer’s required engine life and the comfort of the vehicle’s occupants.

Among the internal component of the FEAD system, one of the most important is the crankshaft pulley, which in these vehicles is referred to as a torsional vibration damper (TVD) and is designed with rubber internal components, capable of absorbing and damping the crankshaft vibrations, preventing them from reaching other parts of the system.

TVDs and tensioners perform a highly important function for the correct and efficient operation of the transmission system. This function is reflected in the structural complexity of each of these components, the design and manufacture of which require significant commitment in terms of technical knowledge and research investment.

As well as being the world’s largest original equipment (OE) timing belt manufacturer, Dayco is a global leader in the research, design and manufacture of all related power transmission components, including tensioners and TVDs. Further, Dayco is one of the major four OE TVD suppliers in Europe and the only brand to also supply direct into the UK aftermarket. Its current range consists of more than 190 part numbers, which cater for the vast majority of vehicle applications.

Besides the ‘traditional’ TVD, Dayco also manufactures more complex versions called the double damping system (DDS) TVD, which is designed and fitted to more powerful and efficient units such as the Fiat Multijet 1.9/2.0 series of engines. These latest generation diesels are extremely efficient, but require a DDS TVD to operate effectively.

As can be imagined, TVD manufacture presents a number of significant technological difficulties from
the requirement to join and “merge” rubber and metal components, to the formulation of specific compounds capable of reacting immediately to the intense vibrations transmitted through the system by these types of engines.