Friddle: In what year did JASPER start remanufacturing light-duty transmissions?

Check our blog next Friday for the answer and another Friddle.

Last Week’s Friddle: Is the Porsche Boxster a rear or mid-engine roadster?

Last Week’s Friddle Answer: mid-engine

Last Week’s Friddle Contest Winner: Fred

Friddle: Is the Porsche Boxster a rear or mid-engine roadster?

Check our blog next Friday for the answer and another Friddle.

Last Week’s Friddle: What automotive brand was the first to offer a production           sedan with a turbocharged diesel?

Last Week’s Friddle Answer: Mercedes Benz

Last Week’s Friddle Contest Winner: Matthew

Friddle: What automotive brand was the first to offer a production sedan                         with a turbocharged diesel?

Check our blog next Friday for the answer and another Friddle.

Last Week’s Friddle: Some transmissions require a MLPS. What does the                   acronym MLPS stand for?

Last Week’s Friddle Answer: Manual Lever Position Sensor

Last Week’s Friddle Contest Winner: Vincent Vallango

Jasper Engines & Transmissions, the nation’s leader in remanufactured drivetrain products, has incorporated automated data acquisition into its gas engine live-run testing program.

The test stands at the Jasper, Indiana, facility are being fitted with computers running a JASPER-written automated test program (using software from National Instruments). Over time, this conversion will occur on live-run test stands at the Crawford County and Willow Springs, Missouri, facilities.

While computer-assisted programs have been used to monitor live-run testing in the past, it was the role of the operator to check the gauges and write down the correct numbers. But the operators are expected to test a predetermined number of engines each day. “The operator prepares one engine for testing while another is being tested on the stand,” says Jacob Adams, JASPER Corporate Engineer. “This can lead to missing that critical engine temperature (145 degrees Fahrenheit) where we need to get our measurements. It only takes a couple degrees for the values to drastically change.”

Once the operator has the test stand ready, the engine is started and run at 1,400 rpm. From the moment the engine starts, the automated data acquisition system monitors critical readings and takes a data snapshot once engine temperature reaches 145 degrees. This can be from as little as five minutes for small 4-cylinder engines, to as-long-as 15 minutes for big-block V8s. “The data acquisition program collects readings on oil temperature, oil pressure, water temperature, vacuum and correct rpm range,” says Adams. “Once the live-run test is complete, the engine is shut down and the system can acquire compression data.”

The automated data acquisition program can shut down an engine during a test should readings exceed pre-determined parameters. “The system is always watching the temperatures and pressures,” says Adams. “So if it sees a spike in water temperature, or a loss of oil pressure, it immediately shuts down the engine, reducing potential damage. The program will also alert the operator as to the reason for the engine shutdown.”

The automated program gives JASPER a good standardization process to all of the live-run test stands. “In the past, using the manual gauges, we could not obtain repeatable results from different gauges on different stands, added Adams. “Borderline engines that would pass live-run testing are now being rejected on the stand, thereby reducing the chance of a customer warranty issue.”

For more information on the remanufactured gas engines of Jasper Engines & Transmissions, please call 1-800-827-7455.

Friddle: Some transmissions require a MLPS. What does the acronym MLPS stand for?

Check our blog next Friday for the answer and another Friddle.

Last Week’s Friddle: The Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, can travel short distances on what type of rechargeable battery alone?

Last Week’s Friddle Answer: lithium ion

Last Week’s Friddle Contest Winner: Ray Kowalchuk - Plymouth Meeting, PA

Once again, this Holiday Season, JASPER has jam-packed the December calendar with activities to bring Christmas cheer upon its Associates and local community.

Last Friday, JASPER kicked off the Christmas Season with the inaugural lighting of its Nativity scene. Every year JASPER Associates volunteer to set up the lights and life-size Nativity, built by Associates, on the front lawn of our corporate headquarters. It has been a company tradition since 1994.

Tomorrow, as part of our Christmas Celebration, our local movie theatre has been reserved, exclusively, for JASPER Associates and their immediate families. Associates, spouse/guest and children are invited to “Movie Morning”, with complimentary popcorn and drinks. Santa Claus will also be present to visit with the children before the movies begin.

A trusted source has informed us that Santa will be checking his lists, by phone, with the kiddos of JASPER Associates during “Santa Call Night” next week.

Next Wednesday, JASPER Associates will be treated to a catered Christmas luncheon, where cash prizes will be given away. The following week, Associates are encouraged to participate in “Food Day,” an event in which JASPER Associates share their culinary skills with fellow Associates.

JASPER and its Associates also participate in the Giving Tree. This program provides children in need, ages 12 and under, with clothing and toys. JASPER Associates can select a gift tag, which provides the child’s gender, age and wish list. Our Associates purchase and wrap the gifts for distribution on December 15^th. JASPER also donates a Walmart gift card to the family of each child in the program.

We hope you take time to enjoy the holidays with family and friends. Have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

Jasper Engines & Transmissions offers several benefits when it comes to remanufacturing the Bosch VP44 injection pump.

This pump was found on 1998 - 2002 Cummins B Series engines, which were used in Dodge Ram pickups, Freightliner medium-duty trucks and numerous industrial applications. The design was prone to failure for many reasons.

JASPER uses steel inserts in the advance cylinder bore in place of the original brass insert, eliminating severe wear issues.

In the early-style pump housing, there was a steel piston, which ran through a brass advance cylinder bore. “The brass bore saw severe wear from the use of ultra-low-sulfur fuel and the different metallurgical factors of the two pieces,” says TJ Abrams, JASPER Diesel Quality Group Leader. “JASPER only uses steel inserts in this advance cylinder bore, to eliminate wear and allow the piston to move freely.”

JASPER verifies the date code on the PSG, and reflashes the electronic controller, eliminating limited key cycle concerns.

Another common issue involved the electronic pressure sensor glowplug controller (PSG) on top of the pump. “Early-model PSG’s had a limited number of key cycles,” noted Abrams. “JASPER verifies the date code on the side of the PSG, to eliminate this concern, and will reflash the PSG to the latest calibrations.”

A thicker, metal-plated diaphragm is installed to help eliminate low fuel pressure problems within the pump.

Perhaps the most common failure on the VP44 is the “216″ code (fuel timing error), and the runnability problems that go with it, due to supply pump issues and low fuel pressure to the injection pump. “The pump diaphragm can crack inside the pump, causing excessive wear on the housing,” says Abrams. “JASPER installs the later-style diaphragm, which is metal-plated and is thicker than the original, to help eliminate these types of failures.” Abrams added, “On each VP44 replacement, JASPER recommends that the fuel supply pump is also replaced in the vehicle to help eliminate that failure.”

As an authorized Bosch Service Dealer, JASPER uses state-of-the-art calibration equipment. The Bosch 815 test stand, used in our fuel room, is constantly updated with the latest software,” says Abrams. These updated components, along with JASPER’s up-to-date electronic calibrations, will help keep a vehicle running at peak performance, and meeting the latest emission standards.

For more information on JASPER’s diesel engine fuel system components, please call our sales team at 1-800-827-7455.

Friddle: The Chevrolet Volt, a plug-in hybrid electric vehicle, can travel short distances on what type of rechargeable battery alone?

Check our blog next Friday for the answer and another Friddle.

Last Week’s Friddle: Which German automotive engineer/designer was born on this day in 1844?

Last Week’s Friddle Answer: Karl Benz

Last Week’s Friddle Contest Winner: Mike