A look at GMs new 10 speed transmission

media.gm.com

Article thanks to Jason Cannon and hardworkingtrucks.com. Links provided:

May, 2016  General Motors plans to roll out a new 10-speed automatic transmission in its 2017 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1. Designed for rear-wheel-drive applications, the transmission will be available in eight yet-to-be-named vehicles by 2018.

Earlier this month, Ford announced select trim levels F-150 would get a 10-speed transmission, so the trail is already blazed to drop the new trans into select members of Chevy and GMC’s pickup lineup.

GM says its new 10-speed is an all-new design – and the first-ever application in a car – with a wider, 7.39 overall gear ratio spread, that enables the ZL1’s supercharged engine to remain at optimal engine speeds during upshifts.

“With world-class shift times on par with the world’s best dual-clutch transmissions and the refinement that comes only from a true automatic, the 10-speed delivers incomparable performance on and off the track,” says Dan Nicholson, vice-president, GM Global Propulsion Systems. “It also leverages the experience of our other multispeed transmissions to deliver that performance with greater efficiency as its use expands into other vehicles.”

The wider overall ratio enables a lower numerical top gear ratio – an attribute that reduces engine speed on the highway, which contributes to greater fuel efficiency than a comparable eight-speed transmission. Improvements in spin loss complement the optimized gearing, further enhancing efficiency.

The 10-speed is approximately the same size as the six- and eight-speed transmissions, minimizing changes to vehicle interfaces.

Testing has shown faster upshift times than the Porsche PDK dual-clutch transmission. In fact, the 1-2 upshift is 36-percent quicker than the PDK, while the 2-3 and 3-4 upshifts are 27-percent and 26-percent quicker, respectively.

Thanks to only two non-applied clutches – the same number as the eight-speed – as well as other design features, the 10-speed automatic has lower friction that contributes to greater fuel efficiency over GM’s six- and eight-speed automatics. New ultra-low viscosity transmission fluid also reduces friction, while an internal thermal bypass allows the transmission to warm up faster – attributes that enhance fuel efficiency

It is the latest transmission to use an all-new, GM-developed control system, with performance calibrations tailored specifically for different vehicles.

Architectural features and packaging

Thousands of hours of computer-aided engineering analyses were made during the development of the Hydra-Matic 10-speed transmission, resulting in a design envelope comparable to the eight-speed automatic.

A one-piece aluminum case with an integral bell housing helps reduce weight and enhance powertrain stiffness, while a unique 260mm, integral turbine clutch torque converter design reduces complexity and helps make the converter thinner, which contributes to the transmission’s packaging.

The 10-speed has four simple gearsets and six clutches: two brake clutches and four rotating clutches – one more clutch than the eight-speed, despite having two more forward gears.

A unique triple-clutch assembly in the middle of the 10-speed’s architecture is a primary enabler for packaging 10-speed content in the same space as GM’s six- and eight-speed transmissions.

The 10-speed also features a variable-displacement vane pump, which optimizes transmission fluid pressure, based on speed and load, to enhance efficiency.

7.39 ratio spread and faster upshifts

The new 10-speed’s performance and efficiency are due primarily to its wider 7.39 overall gear ratio spread, which GM says enhances off-the-line performance with a more aggressive first gear ratio than the company’s eight-speed automatic. Smaller steps between the gears also help the engine maintain the optimal speed for maximum power at almost all speeds, especially when exiting a corner on a track.

Adaptive shift controls such as Performance Algorithm Shifting and Driver Shift Control enhance performance driving. Performance Algorithm Shifting (PAS) monitors how assertively the driver is using engine output to determine at what engine speed to upshift or downshift. Driver Shift Control allows the driver to shift the transmission via the steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Electronic safeguards prevent over-revving if the wrong gear position is selected, but relies on the driver to make upshifts or downshifts.

Gear changes are mainly executed with clutch-to-clutch action, where an on-coming clutch is engaged and an off-going clutch is released in a precise manner to achieve the ratio change. Certain key shifts, however, are made with a freewheeling action, such as 3-1 downshifts, where a plate clutch is actively disengaged while a mechanical freewheeler clutch automatically engages with optimum synchronization.

The torque converter is 260mm in diameter and features a lock-up clutch. It also uses electronic controlled capacity clutch (ECCC) technology, which employs a small, regulated amount of slip to dampen out engine pulses for a smoother running drivetrain, especially during shifting.

Reduced spin losses and new transmission fluid

Friction-reducing design features, including all-new ultra-low viscosity transmission fluid, internal thermal bypass, minimal number of non-applied clutches and other lower mechanical spin losses, contribute to the 10-speed’s effect on improved vehicle efficiency.

The low-viscosity fluid helps reduce fraction across the full temperature operating range, which enhances fuel efficiency. Additionally, the internal thermal bypass allows the transmission to warm up faster to its optimal operating temperature, further contributing to fuel efficiency.

GM control system

Shift time quickness and responsiveness are accomplished by leveraging the base transmission hardware in concert with GM exclusively developed algorithms, software and calibrations. An externally mounted electronic control module executes millions of controls instructions every second.

- See more at: http://www.hardworkingtrucks.com

Ex-Military Trucks Find Duties with Civilian Operators

en.wikipedia.org

Article thanks to Tom Berg and truckinginfo.com. Links provided:

A stout, go-anywhere truck for tough, off-road work can be had for not a lot of money.

May, 2016  Need a stout go-anywhere truck for off-road work, and for not a lot of money? An ex-military 6x6 might be just the ticket. It is for Bob Eggar, who runs The Pumpkin Patch, a produce farm on an island in the Columbia River, near Portland, Oregon. Here, mud is an enemy.

That complicates the task of getting crops out of the fields, but a team of former U.S. Army vehicles can handle it. Two were purchased through the GovPlanet arm of IronPlanet, the worldwide auction service, for under $5,000 apiece. An older a 2-1/2-ton cargo truck – a Vietnam-era “deuce and a half” -- cost Eggar only $2,500.

“They offered me another one for the same price,” he said of that dealer, “and to this day I wish I had taken it.” His latest trucks came from Joint Base Lewis-McChord (formerly the Army’s Fort Lewis and McChord Air Force Base, near Tacoma, Washington).

“We farm 55 acres, and have a lot of equipment. My son just turned 18, he likes equipment, and he found the web site,” Eggers said, explaining how he happened to buy the 5-tonners through GovPlanet.com.

In war zones, like Iraq and Afghanistan, soldiers ran these trucks day and night and they got ragged, so were often scrapped. However, trucks kept Stateside usually see light duty, and though they’ve been kept for 20 years or more, they have low miles and hours by the time the military decides to replace them.

IronPlanet executives say they recently heard that many were to be scrapped, and convinced the Pentagon to auction them instead. Then they set up GovPlanet. Civilians have bought hundreds of trucks and much construction equipment, like motor graders and bulldozers, at a fraction of new-equipment prices.

Eggar said he bought the deuce-and-a-half, an M35A1, 20 years ago; it has a turbocharged multi-fuel engine with 5-speed synchromesh manual transmission and a 2-speed transfer case.

He acquired a pair of 5-tonners, a truck and a tractor in the M939 series, in the last two years. The ‘939s originally had heavy, naturally aspirated Cummins NHC-240 diesels with similar manual transmissions and TCs, but the Army upgraded them in the early 1990s with Cummins turbocharged ISC-240 diesels and Allison automatics.

“They work well for us because we can harvest our winter crops,” he said. “Sometimes the weather can get kind of sour on us, but they go well through mud” with their all-wheel-drive setups. “We’ve had no problems whatsoever -- no grief yet. We did put a clutch in the deuce-and-a-half.

"They don’t do road trips because they’re so heavy, and we can’t get enough produce on to make it worthwhile.” For road work The Pumpkin Patch has commercial-style trucks.

A 2-1/2-ton cargo truck’s empty weight is about 13,000 pounds, according to Wikipedia. The stated capacity of American military trucks is for off-road operation; on roads a 2-1/2-ton truck can carry 5 tons. Its top speed is about 50 mph, though GIs have driven them faster (says this ex-soldier).

The M939 series includes sub-models for various duties: A straight cargo truck like Eggar’s is designated M923, and weighs 21,600 pounds, and an M931 tractor weighs 22,089 pounds. The tractor’s on-road fifth-wheel rating is 15,000 pounds and it can pull a semitrailer weighing up to 37,000 pounds.

Though Eggar’s trucks don’t have them, Eaton central tire inflation systems went on some of the upgraded M939s. (CTIS is now made by Dana Spicer, which continues to sell it mostly for military use, but some have gone on civilian concrete mixer trucks.) Upgraded M35-series 2.5-ton trucks got Caterpillar 3116 diesels with Allison automatics.

All trucks retained their air-over-hydraulic drum brakes during the upgrading. Because of stability problems with the 5-tonners, the Army had limited road speed to 40 mph, and some got anti-lock braking systems as a remedy. Some trucks had power steering, and with the automatic transmissions were rather easy to drive. 

Aside from GovPlanet, “trader” publications carry listings for ex-military trucks like these, with asking prices from $3,500 to $7,500 and more. That’s because the government has been selling obsolete and no-longer-needed vehicles for many years. “Army surplus” became part of our language after World War II, and older folks recall cranes, excavators and water tanks mounted on deuce-and-a-half chassis.

Frugal commercial operators like Bob Eggar and private enthusiasts who often belong to the Military Vehicle Preservation Association (www.mvpa.org) buy such trucks singularly and in groups. Parts are readily available from specialists who run print and on-line ads. Maybe it’s time to “join up.”

http://www.truckinginfo.com/channel/equipment/article/story/2016/05/ex-military

The Perfect Pets - My Hummingbirds

At our back deck in Draper, 2011

I’ve been feeding hummingbirds since about 2009 after we bought a house in Draper, Utah. The house had a covered front porch with a great view and we spent a lot of time in the summer months sitting outside. Since we were so close to the feeder, the hummingbirds got used to seeing us and would fly right up to the feeder to use it, even if I was standing right next to it. I actually got one to perch on my finger to feed as I held it up close. They provided a lot of entertainment for us during those years, the neighbors would be amazed as they talked to us and saw the birds flying around our heads.

In 2013 we decided to downsize, sold the house in Draper, and bought a double-wide mobile home in a 55 and older restricted mobile home park in Taylorsville. We bought in September and the following spring I put out a feeder under our covered deck and have been maintaining it every year since. After replacing the old deck last August I’ve been spending more time on it this summer and the current “charm” of hummingbirds have been getting more used to being around me.

Taylorsville, 2016

I make up large batches of sugar water for the feeder and keep it in the refrigerator to replenish, the birds seem to love it when I dump out the leftover warm stuff and refill with cold.

There are mature trees very close to the deck and they hang out on the branches and come quickly when they see me change out the feeder.

In fact, this year when the feeder has been getting low and warm after a couple days, I’ve had a male come flying up to within two feet of my face as I was sitting there and hover in and out for a few moments. It’s happened at least half a dozen times and seems like it’s being impatient with me for not changing out the feeder! I’m not sure if it’s the same bird every time, it looks the same size and color.

This week, a few days ago, I came home from work and noticed that the feeder was almost empty as I checked on it. I had a few things to do first, but after awhile went out to get the feeder, deciding to clean it out well with soap and water before refilling. That took some time to do in the kitchen, after getting it refilled and walking towards the front screen door, I saw a male hovering outside the window and looking in towards me with a couple others flying around. I opened the door and went out, flipped the feeder over right side up to fill the reservoir. As I held it for a moment before intending to hang it up, a female flew right up, landed on the perch and started drinking up, as I was holding it about chest high in my hand!

Pretty amazing birds, I never get tired of watching them, and it doesn’t take much effort to keep them happy! You just have to clean and replenish on a regular schedule to keep their food bacteria free so you don’t kill them. I make sure and change it every three days or less. If you decide to buy a feeder, look for one that is easy to take apart and clean. Some are very difficult to get a brush into. The formula to make sugar water is simple, 4 parts water to one part sugar, mix and bring to a boil for a minute or two. Store in the refrigerator.

A note about bees: The new wide one shown above that I bought from Lowes seems to attract a lot of bees and wasps. I discovered that the "necter" is too close to the openings and the bees can reach it. The older narrow one next to it is what I revert to when the bees start taking over. The liquid is further away and the bees give up after awhile, but it is harder to clean.

Click the following link for more info:  “Keep your hummingbird feeder so clean, that you would drink from it yourself. You don’t like to drink from a dirty glass, neither do I … and for me, it could be fatal.” ~Rita Rufous Sweetwater

CB chatter amuses, irritates drivers

123rf.com

Article thanks to Jim Sweeney and the RoadPro Family of Brands. Links provided:

There’s something about an open mic and the open road that brings out the crazy in some people.

While it was originally developed as a safety and communications tool for truckers, CB radio was long ago adopted by people – some drivers, some not – for other purposes, including advertising, singing, preaching, arguing and politicking.

While most drivers still rely on their CBs for traffic, weather and radar checks, the often-irritating, non-relevant chatter means many of them keep it turned down or only turn it on when they need it.

But amidst all that chatter, there are a few gems. We asked RoadPro Pro Driver Council members for the most memorable conversations they’ve heard on the CB. Tom Kyrk recounts an argument between two drivers outside Amarillo, Texas.

“One driver was cussing another driver out and calling him various names. The first driver said, ‘Don’t call me that. Call me a moon cricket.’ There was nothing but silence on the radio. Someone asked what the heck is a moon cricket? His reply, ‘I have no idea, but I like the sound of it and that’s what I want to be called.’ Needless to say, it got everyone else laughing and shut the jerk up.”

There was another time when Kyrk’s ride-along got an earful:

“A teacher friend of mine was riding the truck. One day, a few drivers got into a fight on the CB. Next began a routine that would have made George Carlin proud. It was not the F word, it was the MF word. For about 10 minutes straight. They would not go more than 3 words without using MF. It was used as a noun, verb, adjective, pronoun, and I even believe as a color (still not sure how they pulled that off). At first, we were a bit offended. After a minute or two, we were laughing so hard at the absurdity of it. To this day, we still laugh about it. She even ended up taking notes; she was working in an inner city school district at the time and found their use of it impressive in that all the ways it had been used in that conversation were grammatically correct. Evidently, it became a joke at their staff meetings as to how many ways it could it be used in a sentence.”

As a female driver, Joanne Fatta is in a minority and frequently hears chatter from drivers who assume she is a man.

“So the guys on CB were chatting it up about a hot female in a four-wheeler. Trucker calls me on CB to tell me this driver was coming my way. So, once this trucker gets to my driver's window he realizes I'm a lady driver and apologizes for his ‘check this female out’ comment. Then I have one trucker pass me, see I'm female, call to his buddy behind him, tell him about me being female, then his buddy gives me a stare as he passes me. Funny stuff. Normal male behavior.” 

Pro Driver Council member Maggie Riessen said the funniest thing she heard was a trucker and scale operator arguing over which direction to go on a weigh scale.

“The craziest thing I heard was a driver telling ‘did you hear about . . .’ jokes for hours nonstop until I turned my radio off,” said Fred Weatherspoon.

The CB airwaves will always attract people looking for an audience, but drivers who keep their ears on for safety reason can only hope the funny stuff keeps coming through as well.

http://www.roadprobrands.com/

My Up Close and Personal Moment With a Skunk

dog-answers.com

Last Saturday, I was walking over to a shed to get the weed-eater out so I could trim the front grass. As I approached the shed with the key for the padlock in my hand, I heard some rustling in the undergrowth of the low cover plant plants next to the shed.

I could see the leaves move as something was there and walked right up to see what was going on, thinking there were Quail with their young rooting around in the cover. Being next to the Jordan River Parkway that runs north and south through the Salt Lake valley right over the fence, there is an amazing array of wildlife around. After moving here in 2013, we had quite a battle with two female raccoons that got under the trailer, wintered over, and had their young under the trailer in the spring.

I walked right up to where the leaves were moving, not more than a couple feet away and looked down, almost standing over whatever was making the noise. All of a sudden the tail of a skunk rose up out of the cover as it turned and aimed directly at me! I think my heart stopped and didn’t have time to consider whether to jump, run or deflect as I slowly stepped backwards trying not to move suddenly. I thought I was a gonner for sure, but it held it’s fire as I kept backing up. After getting far enough away, I thanked it by throwing some boards towards it to get him to go away. I’ve never been sprayed by a skunk and have no desire to find out what it’s like. That was one close call! From now on, I'll investigate from a distance.