According to Horton Inc., when Transit Mix Concrete Co., of Colorado Springs, had recurring problems with on/off fan drives on its cement mixers, it found a solution in Horton’s DM Advantage two-speed reman fan drive. The fleet has gone from experiencing regular fan drive breakdowns to smooth operating, Horton added.
“We have 11 Mack CV513 Granite Bridge Formula cement mixers, and their engines were overheating every three to six months,” says Ed McPherson Jr., vice president of maintenance and operations, Transit Mix Concrete Co. “That put us in a pinch. When this occurred, it was always when the drum was full of concrete. You can’t leave concrete sitting in a drum or it will harden. We had to dump concrete, and our customers waiting for delivery would be unhappy. This caused significant frustration because our trucks were new and the failure shouldn’t have happened.”
When Horton learned of the problem, a representative recommended the company’s DM Advantage two-speed fan drive. Transit Mix has switched seven of the 11 vehicles in its fleet and will convert the remainder when their current fan drives fail. Previously, Transit Mix tried a competing two-speed electric fan drive, which worked for a short time and then failed.
Horton said the reman fan drive is remanufactured with genuine Horton parts and engineering, and is ideal for applications with little or no ram air. Engineered for efficient engine cooling for vocational and on- and off-highway vehicles, DM Advantage two-speed fan drives alternate between eddy current, low-speed and spring-actuated cooling. In eddy current, using permanent magnets, the two-speed fan drives turn the fan at a lower speed – approximately 500 RPM. Eddy current operation is ideal for low-end cooling requirements, such as air conditioning, hydraulics and intake air. In addition, the fan drives are drop-in replacements for many existing on/off and multispeed fan drives, according to Horton.
The company said the two-speed fan drives improve fuel savings and engine performance, reduce noise, increase available horsepower for auxiliary systems, minimize radiator abrasion from dust and debris, improve air conditioning performance and increase fan drive, tensioner and belt life. DM Advantage two-speed reman fan drives pass rigorous testing and carry Horton’s warranty for high reliability and long life, the maker added.
