[DeTomaso] Here's a weird one

[Will Kooiman]

The mechanic's explanation was very similar to Jeffrey's.

It helps with belt life and with vibration.  I don't see how it would help
with fuel economy, though.

He said that several years ago he had 3 Mercedes in his shop with an engine
fault for excessive vibration.  He didn't know what was wrong, and he feared
the worst.  As luck would have it, Mercedes published a bulletin about the
sprag while the cars were in his shop.  He checked them, and they all had
the same failure.  He replaced the pulley, and the engine fault went away.

The point is it must work to reduce vibration.

I drove her car yesterday, and it feels like a new car.  It's weird.  It
felt like it was really getting old before the part was replaced.  Now it
feels like it has more power, and is much smoother.  Of course, it doesn't
have any more power.  It probably feels that way since everything is
smoother.

-----Original Message-----
From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com] On
Behalf Of Roland Jaeckel
Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2011 5:06 AM
To: Tomas Gunnarsson; detomaso at realbig.com
Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Here's a weird one

There is no need to disconnect to save fuel. As long it takes no load, the 
power to drive it is close to zero.

Roland

--------------------------------------------------
From: "Tomas Gunnarsson" <guson at home.se>
Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2011 11:55 AM
To: "Roland Jaeckel" <pantera874 at t-online.de>; <detomaso at realbig.com>
Subject: RE: [DeTomaso] Here's a weird one

> Thanks Roland. That explains a lot, among other things that it doesn't
> disconnect the alternator drive to save fuel. That would require a 
> different
> approach.
>
> Tomas
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Roland Jaeckel [mailto:pantera874 at t-online.de]
> Sent: den 6 november 2011 11:36
> To: Tomas Gunnarsson; detomaso at realbig.com
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Here's a weird one
>
>
> Thomas,
>
> here is a good explanation:
> http://www.litens.com/vibprod1.cfm
>
> Roland
>
> --------------------------------------------------
> From: "Tomas Gunnarsson" <guson at home.se>
> Sent: Sunday, November 06, 2011 10:55 AM
> To: <detomaso at realbig.com>
> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Here's a weird one
>
>> I can understand that an on/off clutch can do that but what I know as a
>> sprag clutch can in this application either be in:
>>
>> A: the locked position where the pulley drives the alternator
>> or
>> B: the freewheeling position where the alternator turns faster than the
>> pulley
>>
>> How do sprag clutches work according tou you?
>>
>> Tomas
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: JEFFREY COBB [mailto:zumzum at cox.net]
>> Sent: den 6 november 2011 01:17
>> To: Tomas Gunnarsson
>> Cc: JEFFREY COBB; detomaso at realbig.com
>> Subject: Re: [DeTomaso] Here's a weird one
>>
>>
>> The sprag is used in many German cars. The clutch removes most parasitic
>> drag and vibrational periods of the alternator for fuel economy reasons
>> and
>> belt life. The alternator can now keep up a higher speed.
>> On Nov 5, 2011, at 6:12 PM, Tomas Gunnarsson wrote:
>>
>>> When's a sprag on an alternator pulley supposed to be of use? To allow
>>> the
>>> alternator to keep spinning when you turn the engine off?
>>>
>>> Just asking...
>>>
>>> Tomas
>>>
>>> -----Original Message-----
>>> From: detomaso-bounces at realbig.com
>>> [mailto:detomaso-bounces at realbig.com]On Behalf Of Will Kooiman
>>> Sent: den 5 november 2011 03:32
>>> To: detomaso at realbig.com
>>> Subject: [DeTomaso] Here's a weird one
>>>
>>>
>>> My wife called me last week while she was on the way to work.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> She said she heard a crunch, the power steering went out, and all of the
>>> lights on the dash came on.  I'm assuming it was more than just the 
>>> check
>>> engine light, but I didn't see it so I can only go by what she 
>>> described.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The same thing happened to me in her car 2 years ago.  The water pump
>>> cracked badly around the bearing.  It dumped water on the ground, plus 
>>> it
>>> made the serpentine belt pop off.  $800 later ('00 Boxster-S), and it 
>>> was
>>> all better.  I figured the same thing had happened this time.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Not so.  This time it was a failed alternator clutch.  Yep - not a typo.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Her car has a sprag clutch on the alternator pulley.  A sprag is a one
>>> way
>>> ratcheting bearing.  It free wheels in one direction only.  The clutch
>>> had
>>> been locked up for who knows how long.  The failure was the inner shaft
>>> walking off of the sprag.  It eventually walked enough to make the
>>> serpentine belt pop off.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> It's a good thing it wasn't the water pump.  I wasn't looking forward to
>>> another $800 repair bill.  This time it was only $440 - not counting the
>> tow
>>> truck.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I'm going to try to talk her into a Mangusta.
>>>
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