June 2021

W hile Coronavirus may not have directly affected clutch and transmisison systems, there has been an effect on the market that could mean a new revenue stream for garages. David Eszenyi, Commercial Director at Ivor Searle observed: “The surge in home delivery to support online sales, which according to the ONS grew by 46% in 2020, has created strong growth in demand for LCV transmissions. Alongside fleets, a large number of these light vans are run by owner operators and are typically older vehicles that are being placed under a demanding workload. At Ivor Searle, we have seen this translate into unprecidented demand from workshops for our remanufactured gearboxes to replace failed LCV units. Our range reflects the latest trends in the UK’s vehicle parc and offers over 90% coverage. Workshops are also supplied with pre-installation guidelines and model-specific instructions where required.” As we have seen, the increase in the number of LCVs on UK roads has led to a rise in demand for service and repair, and subsequently the replacement of key components. According to Jon Roughley, Global Marketing Director at First Line Ltd, there are a number of benefits if worn dual mass flywheels (DMFs) are replaced with Borg & Beck 34 AFTERMARKET JUNE 2021 CLUTCH AND TRANSMISSION www.aftermarketonline.net Everything you need to know about working with clutch and transmission systems in order to capture more work going forward DOUBLE-DE-CLUTCH, DOUBLE THE MONEY? single mass flywheel (SMF) kits: “Despite being a good design concept, the cost of subsequent DMF replacements can be an issue once the vehicle is out of its initial manufacturer’s warranty. The SMF Replacement Clutch Kit allows the worn DMF and its associated clutch components to be replaced with a traditional solid flywheel and clutch kit. This has been made possible by the development of the long travel damper, which uses advanced vibration clutch damper technology to create dampers capable of up to 40° of torsional movement, making them comparable with the movement typical of an equivalent DMF. It is also a less expensive option than the equivalent DMF clutch kit, which then makes any subsequent replacements cheaper still as only the core clutch kit components require changing.” Cost-effective For those who prefer to stick with the DMF as originally fitted, Craig Calvin, Training manager at ZF Aftermarket says its clutch kits with DMF and XTend offer garages a good option: “The SACHS clutch kit with DMF and XTend ensures optimum transmission reliability of the engine torque to the transmission as well as the longest possible service life of every single clutch component. The clutch kit with DMF and Xtend is also available as a clutch kit with Above: Oil change with MEYLE

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