Pump Eliminates Need To Idle Semi-Tractor Engines

Pump Eliminates Need To Idle Semi-Tractor Engines MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Pumps 28-6-39 f you drive a semi-tractor, you probably keep the engine running whenever you drive to a location and are waiting to load or unload a shipment. That keeps the cab warm in winter and avoids difficult restarts of a hot engine. Over-the-road trucker Robert Jordan of Juneau, Wis., says his new Orbit engine heat transfer system provides two to four hours of free heat after the engine has been shut down, or can be used to cool off a hot engine in summer. The system uses a 12-volt pump to circulate hot engine coolant into both the cab and bunk heater cores, just as if the engine and water pump were still running. Two thermostats are used, one in the cab and one in the bunk, to control interior blower fan use. The system shuts down automatically once engine coolant temperature falls to 80 degrees. "It provides up to four hours of heat depending on the temperature outside," says Jordan. "It takes advantage of the fact that a semi tractor's engine typically weighs more than three tons, so there's a lot of heat available in it. I use it on my own truck and never idle the engine at all. The only time the engine runs is when the wheels are turning. "The average truck on the road today spends as much time idling as it does driving. It uses 1 1/2 gal. of fuel for every hour the engine is idling. In a year, that amounts to about 2,000 gallons. "Another benefit is that you aren't using any fossil fuels to keep the cab or bunk comfortable. I believe the time is coming when truckers will be allowed to run their engine only when their truck is moving." The magnetically-driven pump installs in line with the engine cooling system. As you drive down the road the pump is free wheeling. "The only time the pump motor and pump drive are magnetically connected is when the pump is electrified," says Jordan. The system has the added benefit of engine cool down during hot months, he says. "I have a summer switch connected to a 150-degree engine temperature switch that will shut off the pump automatically once the engine block cools to 150 degrees," he notes. The basic system, which includes the pump, toggle switch, fuse, and instructions, sells for $300 plus S&H. Also available are optional 80 and 160-degree temperature switches which sell for $60 apiece. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Robert Jordan, N5112 Hwy. A, Juneau, Wis. 53039 (ph 920 386-2957; email: robert@idle free.net; website www.idlefree.net).

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