Viscous Fan Clutch Boosts Tractor HP

Viscous Fan Clutch Boosts Tractor HP TRACTORS Accessories 1-4-3 Some of the first farm tractors equipped with new-style "viscous" fan clutches are producing up to 10% more hp on 5 to 10% less fuel. The new Duro Drive fuel saver and power booster costs about $210 and is designed for do-it-yourself installation. "It'll fit most diesel tractors, and a few gas models, with only a few minor modifications which most farmers can handle themselves," says Derrell Jones, sales manager for White Tractor Parts and Equip. Co., Blue Springs, Mo., national distributor of Schwitzer viscous fan clutches. "They've been extremely popular with over-the-road truckers and we're just now introducing them to the farm market. We think farmers will be just as anxious to cash in on this opportunity to boost fuel and horsepower efficiency of tractors, trucks and stationary engines, such as those used for irrigation," says Jones. The new device automatically adjusts fan speed to engine cooling requirements. Jones notes that speed of a standard truck or tractor fan is controlled entirely by speed of the engine and bears no relationship to coolant temperature or cooling requirements of the engine. The fan is apt to run when not needed, thus over-cooling the engine and wasting horsepower and fuel, causing needless wear on belts and generating unnecessary noise. Not so with the Duro Drive viscous fan clutch. It's a fluid coupling, controlled by a thermal unit which is sensitive to the temperature of air flowing from the radiator core. Thus, when the air is cold, the fan rotates at minimum or idling speed. As the air warms up, the thermal control admits more fluid into the coupling, increasing speed of the fan. Changes in fan speed are related directly to changes in air temperature and not to engine speed, as is the case with conventional fan drives. "Operation of the viscous fan clutch is similar to that of an automatic transmission," explains Jones. "The temperature when fan speed changes, and fan speed, can be preset to the cooling needs of the particular type of engine on which it is mounted. This is accomplished by utilizing different viscosities of the silicone fluid and calibrating the temperature control for various applications. The unit must not be used with modulating shutters but will operate with snap action or no shutters," says Jones. Models are available to fit tractors factory-equipped with 22 1/2 or 24 in. fans, with a model for 20 in. fans to be introduced soon. For more details, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, White Tractor Parts and Equip. Co., Highway 40W, Box 206, Blue Springs, Mo. 64015 (ph. 816 229-3411).

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