Automatic ERF is Show Surprise
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ASURPRISE exhibit by ERF Ltd. at the Commercial Motor Show will be a sixwheeler fitted with an Allison fullyautomatic gearbox which will be featured in the Demonstration Park. Another departure by ERF in this chassis will be the use of a Cummins C180 turbocharged in-line six-cylinder diesel which develops 180 b.h.p. at 2,500 r.p.m. and 425 lb. ft. torque at 1,700 r.p.m.
The Allison MT41 gearbox in the chassis has six forward ratios ranging from 5.29 to 1 to I to 1. The epicyclic gear trains are driven through a torque converter and a hydraulic retarder is built into the unit. With the Allison transmission a driver can select groups of ratios suitable for particular conditions. For example, in hilly country third to fifth would probably be decided on and for main road running third to sixth would be the better group. Once the range desired is selected gear changing is automatic.
Another ERF demonstration vehicle will be a 30-ton tractive unit with a Cummins in-line engine fitted with the Jacobs engine brake. This is not an exhaust brake but has the effect of turning the engine into a compressor to give the same result. Use of the Jacobs conversion also helps slow the engine down when making upward gear changes.