A viscous clutch head may be replaced by selecting a viscous clutch head and a mount adapter. The viscous clutch head and the mount adapter may be selected from a group of universal modular fan drives and from a group of mount adapters. The mount adapter of a threaded type or a flange and bolt type
A viscous clutch head may be replaced by selecting a viscous clutch head and a mount adapter. The viscous clutch head and the mount adapter may be selected from a group of universal modular fan drives and from a group of mount adapters. The mount adapter of a threaded type or a flange and bolt type may be selected. Depending on the viscous clutch head to be replaced, a fan adapter and/or a pilot adapter may also be selected from a group of fan adapters and from a group of pilot adapters. Accordingly, a range of models of viscous fan clutch systems may be replaced by using a limited number of parts. These parts may be stored on a tool cart. As different models of viscous fan clutch systems may be replaced using a limited number of parts, the in-stock inventory of replacement parts may be reduced.
대표청구항▼
1. A kit for replacing a plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives, comprising: a plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives, each of said plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives including a viscous fluid and for serving as a substitute for a plurality of differently co
1. A kit for replacing a plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives, comprising: a plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives, each of said plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives including a viscous fluid and for serving as a substitute for a plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives, each of said plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives including a receiving nut; anda plurality of mount adapters, for connecting each one of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives to a particular engine block mount of a plurality of engine block mount configurations, the plurality of mount adapters comprising: a first subset of the plurality of mount adapters for threaded attachment to a subset of threaded type engine block mounts of the plurality of engine block mount configurations, anda second subset of the plurality of mount adapters for bolt attachment to a subset of flange and bolt type engine block mounts of the plurality of engine block mount configurations, whereineach mount adapter of the second subset comprises a first end section comprising a bore, anda second end section opposite the first end section and comprising a threaded region for threading into the receiving nut of one of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives, wherein the first end section comprises at least one of a) a plurality of spaced-apart slots extending radially inward from a circular edge of the first end section, and b) a plurality of apertures arranged radially around the bore; andeach mount adapter of the first subset comprises: a first end section comprising at least a first portion of a first threaded region for threading into the receiving nut of one of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives;a second threaded region, wherein the first threaded region is coaxial with the second threaded region , anda central section between the first end section and the second end section, the central section having a wider diameter than both a diameter of the first end section and a diameter of the second end section;wherein each fan drive of the plurality of universal modular fan drives is threaded for compatibility with at least one of the first subset of the plurality of mount adapters and at least one of the second subset of the plurality of mount adapters such that each fan drive may be mounted to either a flange and bolt type engine block mount or a threaded type engine block mount. 2. The kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives comprises: a first group of fan drives of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives having a maximum outer diameter between approximately 200 mm and approximately 300 mm for serving as substitute for at least a portion of a first group of the plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives; anda second group of fan drives of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives having a maximum outer diameter between approximately 100 mm and approximately 200 mm for serving as substitute for at least a portion of a second group of the plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives, wherein the second group is different than the first group. 3. The kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the plurality of mount adapters comprises at least fifty-one differently configured mount adapters. 4. The kit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising a plurality of pilot adapters, each of the pilot adapters being adapted to align one of the mount adapters of the second subset of the plurality of mount adapters to a mounting position on a particular flange and bolt type engine block mount of the plurality of engine block mount configurations by adapting a diameter of the respective mount adapter to a diameter of the mounting position. 5. The kit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the plurality of pilot adapters comprises at least sixteen differently configured pilot adapters. 6. The kit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising at least one fan adapter which adapts a pilot and bolt pattern of one of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives to a fan blade hub. 7. The kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein each of the plurality of mount adapters is adapted to mate directly to at least one of the plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives. 8. A kit for replacing a plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives, comprising: a plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives (UMVFDs), each of said UMVFDs including a viscous fluid and being adapted to serve as a substitute for a plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives, each of said plurality of UMVFD s including a receiving nut; and,a plurality of supplies of mount adapters, wherein each of the supplies of mount adapters contain one or more mount adapters,each of the supplies of mount adapters contain mount adapters configured differently relative to the mount adapters in each of the other supplies of mount adapters in the plurality of supplies of mount adapters, wherein in each of the supplies of mount adapters, the mount adapters therein are configured to connect each one of the plurality of UMVFDS to an engine block mount from which one of the plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives to be substituted is to be removed,each mount adapter in the plurality of supplies of mount adapters includes a threaded end for threading into the receiving nut of one of the plurality of UMVFDs,each mount adapter in a first supply of the plurality of supplies of mount adapters comprises a second threaded end coaxial with the threaded end of the first supply of the plurality of supplies of mount adapters for threading to a subset of threaded type engine block mounts of a plurality of engine block mount configurations, andeach mount adapter in a second supply of the plurality of supplies of mount adapters comprises a bore end coaxial with the threaded end of the second supply of the plurality of supplies of mount adapters for threading to a subset of bolt and flange type engine block mounts of the plurality of engine block mount configurations, wherein the bore end comprises at least one of a) a plurality of spaced-apart slots extending radially inward from a circular edge of the bore end, and b) a plurality of apertures arranged radially around the bore. 9. The kit as claimed in claim 8, further comprising at least one fan adapter which adapts a pilot and bolt pattern of one of the (UMVFDs) to a fan blade hub. 10. The kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the plurality of UMVFDs comprises at least one UMVFD having a first configuration and at least one UMVFD having a second configuration, wherein the first configuration is different from the second configuration. 11. A system for replacing a plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives comprising: a plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives, each of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives including a viscous fluid and being adapted to serve as a substitute for a plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives, each of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives including a receiving nut; anda plurality of mount adapters, each mount adapter of the plurality of mount adapters being differently configured relative to each of the other mount adapters of the plurality of mount adapters, and further being adapted to connect each one of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives to a particular engine block mount of a plurality of engine block mount configurations, wherein each mount adapter of the plurality of mount adapters includes a threaded end for threading into the receiving nut of one of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives,a first subset of the plurality of mount adapters comprises a second threaded end for threaded attachment to a subset of threaded type engine block mounts of the plurality of engine block mount configurations, wherein the second threaded end is coaxial with the threaded end of the first subset of the plurality of mount adapters, anda second subset of the plurality of mount adapters comprises a bore end for bolt attachment to a subset of flame and bolt type engine block mounts of the plurality of engine block mount configurations, wherein the bore end is coaxial with the threaded end of the second subset of the plurality of mount adapters, whereinthe bore end comprises at least one of a) a plurality of spaced-apart slots extending radially inward from a circular edge of the bore end, and b) a plurality of apertures arranged radially around the bore; anda tool cart, comprising a plurality of trays, each tray in the plurality of trays configured to store a corresponding one of the plurality of supplies of mount adapters, anda plurality of shelves, each shelf in the plurality of shelves configured to hold at least one of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives. 12. The system of claim 11, wherein the plurality of shelves is disposed below the plurality of trays. 13. The kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first group of fan drives comprises: a first fan drive subgroup for serving as substitute for a first portion of the first group of the plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives; anda second fan drive subgroup for serving as substitute for a second portion of the first group of the plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives;wherein the first fan drive subgroup comprises a large maximum fluid volume of the viscous fluid, and the second fan drive subgroup comprises a small maximum fluid volume of the viscous fluid, wherein the large maximum fluid volume is larger than the small maximum fluid volume. 14. The kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first group of fan drives comprises: a first fan drive subgroup for serving as substitute for a first portion of the first group of the plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives; anda second fan drive subgroup for serving as substitute for a second portion of the first group of the plurality of differently configured viscous fan drives;wherein the first fan drive subgroup comprises designs encompassing a first range of viscosity of the viscous fluid; andwherein the second fan drive subgroup comprises designs encompassing a second range of viscosity of the viscous fluid, wherein the first range is different than the second range. 15. The kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the central section comprises an angular exterior edge in the shape of an equilateral polygon. 16. The kit as claimed in claim 1, wherein each mount adapter of the second subset of the plurality of mount adapters comprises: a central section between the first end section and the second end section;wherein a diameter of the first end section is greater than a diameter of other sections of the respective mount adapter. 17. The kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein the first end section comprises at least one of a) a plurality of spaced-apart slots extending radially inward from a circular edge of the first end section, and b) a plurality of apertures arranged radially around the bore. 18. The kit as claimed in claim 8, wherein each mount adapter of the first subset of the plurality of mount adapters comprises: a central section between the first end section and the second end section, the central section having a wider diameter than both a diameter of the first end section and a diameter of the second end section;wherein the central section comprises an angular exterior edge in the shape of an equilateral polygon. 19. The system of claim 11, further comprising a holding cradle for holding a selected universal modular viscous fan drive of the plurality of universal modular viscous fan drives during assembly, the holding cradle being provided on a work surface of the tool cart.
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Domis, David, Mechanic's tool and parts utility cart.
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