With expertise a company can clean up
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If a first-class job is to be achieved in the field of fuel-injection equipment, the highest standards of both cleanliness and skill must be attained, writes Phil Reed
• Fuel-injection equipment (FIE) reconditioning is an area where the highest standards of cleanliness and expertise are required — if a first-class job is to be achieved. Many companies are involved in this field — with the pace being set by the major manufacturers Lucas CAV and Bosch. Both these companies offer extensive ranges of exchange/reconditioned items through their respective distributor networks.
Representing the independent sector in the FIE recon sector is Pudsey, Leedsbased D C Woodhead & Partners. This company offers a range of expertise and facilities considerably in excess of that normally expected from a firm of its size. A two-tier national FIE recon service is offered for FIE service agents and operators.
D C Woodhead (DCW) started in the FIE business some 18 years ago with the UK agency for Friedmann and Maier equipment. This link with a manufacturer of FIE equipment saw DCW rapidly develop expertise in areas such as development work with engine and vehicle manufacturers. One of the company's first reengineering projects involved the London Regional Transport Quiet Fleetline.
Today DCW employs 28 people dealing with both new FIE applications, recon work and parts supply. The company offers a wide ranging specialist on-site trouble-shooting/repair facility — this being provided by DCW technicians whose remit includes both recon, new applications and repair work. Typical of the way DCW works is the technician's transport — grubby, old service vans are out, instead its technicians each have their own well-specified Maestro cars for site visits and private use.
With its Freidrnann and Maier connections, DCW has built up a wide range of FIE experience. The company operates training programmes for up to three students at a time. It also conducts user trials of new Freidrnann and Maier applications and development work. As such it is able to develop individual fuel pump codings for new applications and it carries a wide range of master pumps to be used in test and trouble-shooting roles.
This background in the FIE business has seen DCW develop a level of facility and experience which is far in excess of similar size companies. It has also seen DCW develop its own ways of working, which in total, are probaby superior to all but the majors' approach to reconditioning. The workshop where FIE reconditioning is carried out is both large, extremely clean and very uncluttered. The "dirty" area where initial stripping and cleaning is carried out is separate from the recon shop.
Al] items for repair/recon are initially colour coded to indicate the level and type of attention required. As soon as the item for reconditioning enters the system, the same skilled technician handles all stages of the processing from stripping to final testing. DCW believes this approach results in a superior product.
The DCW recon approach starts with noting the pump serial number and checking whether there are any modifications or updates pertinent to the pump. If so these are incorporated into the reconditioning process. The pump is then cleaned, drained of oil and flushed out with calibration fluid before dismantling.
The disassembled items are then washed thoroughly in a separate clean paraffin bath and then inspected. DCW sets very high standards for its paraffin baths, the contents of the "exterior" one being regularly changed and filtered while the components bath content is continuously filtered.
The company has a strictly laid down, written procedure to cover all aspects of inspection and re-assembly. These instructions, which cover several pages of typescript, are designed to provide a comprehensive set of guidelines to cover virtually every type of fuel-injection equipment and repair procedure. Combined with the skilled staff within the organisa
tion DCW believes that a consistent standard of high-quality repaired/reconditioned fuel-injection unit will result from this system.
One of the features of the DCW test procedure is its pressure testing of fuel pumps, an operation which is carried out in addition to all the usual performance testing. Pumps are plugged and compressed air at a pressure of 0.8-1.0 bar is applied to through the lube oil drain hole. The pressurised pump is then submerged in test fluid for a minimum of two minutes to see whether there are any air leaks from the pump body. The company's guidelines are extremely detailed, covering not only inspection, but also re-assembly and test procedures. As a result, DCW has been recognised by many major companies/organisations including Leyland (A rated), Multipart and British Rail. Also, the company meets MoD standards.
The company is now in the process of applying for BS 5750 Part 1 (ISO 9001 equivalent). This move is seen by Mike Woodhead as a natural extension of the company's rigorous quality policy.
D C Woodhead & Partners Turbo 65