December 2017
Newsletter Merry Christmas and Happy New Year We would like to wish all of our customers a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. From every member of the FAI team and board of Directors, we thank you for the continued business and loyalty throughout 2017. We are currently undergoing an exciting transformation in most areas of our business so keep up to date by following us on social media. Here are some interesting highlights from the last year:
10,000+
1,000+
250,000+
Lines of vehicle data added to cataloguing platforms each month.
New to Range products added to stock.
Average units sold per month.
1,000,000+
600+
3
Visits to catalogue.faiauto.com
New social media followers.
New product ranges added.
Range
94% Positive Overall Customer Survey Score.
Development
The area our customers feel we excelled this year.
25+ Trade exhibitions attended worldwide.
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December 2017
Newsletter Vehicle of the Month
Mercedes E-Class 2009 - 2016 The Mercedes-Benz E-Class (W212 and S212) series represents the fourth-generation of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class range of executive cars. The E-Class image suffered a downturn in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The W212 series took the E-Class’s original reputation for solid build quality and refined elegance and established it once again. It is also praised for having a differentiated design from the C-Class and S-Class models.
VOTM Web Page
VOTM Leaflet
Christmas Order Cut-Off UK Customers Order Date
Export Customers
Status Cut Off
22nd December Open
Delivery Date
4:45pm
27th December
25th December
Closed
26th December
Closed
27th December
Open
4:00pm
28th December
28th December
Open
4:00pm
29th December
29th December
Open
3:00pm
2nd January
2nd January
Open
Orders must be sent before 11th December at the very latest to ensure goods are received BEFORE Christmas. The export office will be closed from the 23rd December and will return to business as usual on the 2nd January. Any requests sent over this time will not be looked at until the 2nd January.
Business as usual
Engine of the Month The new generation RF-based MZR-CD 2.2-litre turbo diesel engine replaces the existing MZR-CD 2.0 RF and is due to totally replace RF 2007 and RF 2005 in the near future. We offer a comprehensive range of components for this popular engine; from Gaskets and Seals to the Timing Chain Kit.
EOTM Web Page
EOTM Leaflet
Mazda R2AA
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December 2017
Newsletter 2017 Season Finale ROUND 12 - Qatar
Entering the final round of the WorldSBK 2017 Season, FAI’s Brand Ambassador was ready for a fight and that’s exactly what he gave ‘em. Second in both night races, Chaz secured his goal of championship second place despite a very wobbly turn 5 in the second race. The final round kicked off with a bustle of final preparation as the sun goes down and the floodlights set the atmosphere. Chaz knew the importance of every element of the day especially as he was to start on the third row. Showing he meant business by taking second place after a series of lightning overtakes, it was clear the Welshman wasn’t backing down. Creating the gap required to ensure a podium finish, Chaz was one step further towards overall second.
“I’m happy because we achieved our main task, which was to gain some points in the fight for second position in the championship, but honestly it was a tough race...we took second place and we’re happy to get 20 points in the bag and a lot of useful data ahead of tomorrow to improve with the electronics and especially engine brake. We need to stay focused and hopefully we’ll make another couple of steps forward for Race 2.” Chaz threw himself in to the second race with a blistering start, taking the lead in turn one. He then gave us all a heart-stopping moment when he almost lost control “rodeo” style on turn five. Again, Davies preformed incredibly well throughout the final race of 2017, flying through the chequered flag in second, thus achieving his goal. “We sealed second position in the championship, which was our goal going into this round, so I’m very happy. It’s been another tough race. I probably made the best start of my career, then got my head down while keeping an eye on Sykes’ position. I nearly crashed at turn 5, it felt like a rodeo but we hung on to it. Once I saw Sykes was out, I just tried to control the gap as second place was the best we could do today. Thanks to Ducati and Aruba.it for another exciting season, I’m looking forward to 2018.” We look look forward to the 2018 season with the real possibility of Chaz obtaining a Championship win.
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December 2017
Newsletter Tech Corner: Oil Contamination Contrary to popular belief, timing chains do not “stretch” due to poor maintenance, the factory set clearances between the internal diameter of the roller and the link pins increase making the chain appear to stretch. The most common cause of wear of the pin and/or the internal diameter of the bush is degraded oil. The degradation manifests in several ways, the most common being fuel dilution and metallic or silicon (dirt) particles suspended in the oil which have built up over time. Metal Units (PPM)
Maximum Contaminant Levels Fe
Cr
Pb
Cu
Sn
Al
Ni
Si
B
Na
Diesel Engine
100
25
25
40
20
30
10
15
20
75
Petrol Engine
600
50
100
75
40
75
15
60
75
100
Transmission
500
10
50
300
20
50
20
40
20
75
Hydraulic
75
5
20
50
10
50
5
20
20
75
Differentials
750
19
100
400
30
50
10
75
10
50
Dominic Moxon Technical Director
If the fuel exceeds 5% or the number of metallic particles exceeds 100ppm (parts per million) or silicon exceeds 15ppm the oil is deemed to be hostile, no longer providing protection to the moving parts of the engine. This hostile environment actively promotes rapid wear. In turn, the chain will elongate until eventually the tensioner is at its maximum and no longer able to apply vital working tension to the chain. On a chain of 120 links, as little as 4mm “stretch” can render the chain useless. It is therefore vital that when the chain kit is replaced, the following actions must be taken: 1. Flush engine oil system before dismantling the TCK. 2. Always use the approved locking tools. 3. Remove sump and rocker cover to check for any damage. (Replace any damaged parts) 4. Remove and inspect oil pump and pick up pipe. Clean thoroughly and replace is required. 5. Check all oil galleries and oil feed holes to ensure there are no blockages. Maximum Sample 6. Refill engine with manufacturers recommended grade of oil. PPM PPM 7. Replace oil filter. An example laboratory report (results on the right) for a returned timing chain kit showed classic wear of the internal diameter of the roller bushes, which had taken the clearance/tolerances of the chain beyond the maximum permissible. This “stretch” meant that the tensioner was unable to apply working tension to the chain assembly, causing the noise the driver reported. Had the engine been thoroughly cleaned during the installation, this particular failure would have been prevented.
Fe (Iron)
100
488
Cr (Chromium)
25
36
Pb (Lead)
25
0
Cu (Copper)
40
6
Sn (Tin)
20
0
Al (Aluminium)
30
13
Ni (Nickel)
10
3
Si (Silicon)
15
58
B (Boron)
20
34
Na (Sodium)
75
38
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December 2017
Newsletter Steering & Suspension Update During the month of Novemberwe have added 32 new steering and suspension part numbers for some of the most modern vehicles on the road. Stay tuned over coming months as we are expecting hundreds of new references to range. Please consult our monthly new to range spreadsheet for more information. Below are our highlights:
SS9381
SS9291
SS9260
SS9384
SS9291 / SS9292
TOYOTA RAV 4 IV 2013-2016
Lower Wishbone Left / Right
SS9381 / SS9382
FORD TRANSIT (V347-348) 07/2006 -
Wishbone Left / Right
SS9384 / SS9385
VAUXHALL ASTRA VII (K) 2015-
Front Link Rod Left / Right
SS9260
VAUXHALL COMBO 2001-2012
Rack End
Along with the top 50 selling NEW steering and suspension items list that is available as part of our monthly New to Range file, we have also looked at our top pareto climbers from the last year. These are parts that are not necessarily new but are a selection that have jumped the most in sales over this period:
SS4963
SS6221
SS2761
SS2757
SS2761 / SS2762
Wishbone L/R
Ford Fiesta 2008-
SS6221
Front Link Rod
Ford Fiesta 2008-
SS2780 / SS2781
Front Link Rod L/R
Nissan Qashqai 2007-
SS4963 / SS4964
Wishbone Bush Front Rearward L/R
Mini one 2001-
SS2757 / SS2758
Tie Rod End L/R
Ford B Max 2012-
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December 2017
Newsletter Mercedes Steering - New to Range Mercedes have introduced some stylish new models to their range and FAI would like to announce 30 new part numbers in stock for popular Mercedes applications. Exciting parts for some of the latest models which include the highly popular Mercedes C Class, the stylish new GLE and GLS models and the convenient Mercedes V-Class/Vito.
MERCEDES VITO (W447) 2014SS9347
RACK END
SS9457
WISHBONE LEFT
SS9458
WISHBONE RIGHT
SS9459
LOWER BALL JOINT
SS9263
TIE ROD END LEFT
Exclusive to FAI
MERCEDES BENZ C CLASS (W205) 2014SS9270
WISHBONE BUSH
SS9313
CONTROL ARM BUSH
SS9314
CONTROL ARM BUSH
SS9318
CONTROL ARM BUSH
Exclusive to FAI
MERCEDES GLE CLASS (166) 2015SS9274
WISHBONE BUSH
SS9275
WISHBONE BUSH
SS9276
WISHBONE BUSH
SS9277
WISHBONE BUSH
Exclusive to FAI
For more information including the full Mercedes new to range offer, CLICK HERE for the leaflet.
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December 2017
Newsletter Featured Parts
Exclusive - TCK297VVT
Exclusive - C381 / C382
This Toyota Prius/Yaris/Vitz 1.5 Hybrid 2003> Timing Chain Kit is exclusive to FAI with the VVT hub and gaskets/seals for installation.
FAI are first in the market to offer these BMW 2.0d N47 Series 2007 - 2014 inlet and exhaust camshafts.
Exclusive - TCK42CRD-10
Top Seller - WP6558 FAI are one of few aftermarket brands to offer this popular VAG 1.4 TSI / TFSI and 2.0 TDI Water Pump. Due to the technical nature of the electro-magnetic clutch on this twin charger pump, it took considerable development time. It is now our top selling water pump and is definitely recommended for stock holding.
This Nissan Navara 2.5TD (YD25DDTi) 01/2010> common rail diesel Timing Chain Kit is exclusive to FAI and includes all the necessary parts for fitment.
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December 2017
Newsletter Viscous Vibration Dampers FAI recently introduced a range of 40+ Torsional Vibration Dampers, each using various designs depending on application requirements. FVD1035, which is used on a lot of 3.0d BMWs, is one of the latest generation viscous couplings. In this article, we summarise what viscous dampers are and why they are used. For the full article, CLICK HERE.
1. Groove
8. Inner Hub
2. PTFE Bushing
9. Inertia mass housing
3. Plastic Bushing Plate 10. Slide Bearing 4. Rubber
11. Inertia mass
5. Slide Bearing
12. Cover
6. Main Hub
13. Viscous Fluid hole
7. Propeller
14. Viscous fluid gap
A viscous damper has a sealed outer housing with a precision machined hub. Inside of the housing is an inertia ring with a viscous fluid (specialised silicone) filling the cavity. The temperature range is -40 to 300 Fahrenheit meaning it can be used in very extreme temperature conditions and it remains an excellent dissipater of heat. Heat is a by-product of damping harmonics and dissipating that heat away from the damping medium is critical for proper functioning of the damper over time.
FVD1035
As a vibration event happens it causes the outer housing and inner inertia ring to rotate independently at different speeds. The resulting shear action through the viscous fluid diminishes the vibration by transforming it to heat. Silicone has proven to be an excellent damping medium because it contributes to long damper life by exhibiting: • High energy dissipation • High tensile strength • Effective across a broad range of frequencies and RPMs. • High operating temperature range. To read the full article, please CLICK HERE.
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