Anyone experiance with ERF trucks?

I sometimes have to drive an old ERF artic unit at work for shunting duties and a lot of things confuse me about it, the gearstick alone looks impossible to utilise, I keep it in first gear as trying to shift up just doesnt happen the way I want it, im confused why ERF is now MAN(?) yet the build quality of this ERF seems way better than newer MAN trucks, why is this? but my main query about this truck is the clutch, I always thought it was broken but the clutch “jumps” near the bite point, kindof hard to explain but its as though its broken but I was told it isint and thats the way they are built, as in a certain point when u raise the clutch it jolts in a strange manner, Im not sure what ERF model it is but its made of fibreglass rather than metal, looks a bit like this:

truck-photos.net.s3.amazonaws.com/186.jpg

has no bed in the back as the back is just the back of the cab itself.

Sounds like its got an Eaton twin splitter box in it. Probably why it doesn’t change the way you’d expect. ERFs do have a very sharp bite point on the clutch. I believe it has something to do with the clutch having a ceramic faced plate.

As a shunting vehicle there is a good chance that while manoeuvring it the air pressure drops below the level at which air is supplied for assistance to operate the clutch pedal. This will make the pedal very hard to push down and control which will make it seem extremely fierce in operation - it will seem to jump. So don’t try moving it until ALL the air tanks have built up to maximum. IIRC air 4 is the one for the clutch servo.

ahh…an eaton twin splitter, you should feel privileged that’s a real truck drivers truck, google it and you will see how the gear change works. every noobie should be FORCED to spend a day driving with that gearbox :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

Mans truck.

In my young twenties I was forced to learn these with no one to guide me. All the old hand “heroes” hated them and went quiet when asked to drive one. As a result all the poor ERFs lay in the yard with no one to drive them whilst the old buggers who worked for Christian Salvensen waited for the Volvo F12s or FLs or Merc powerliners

Now, the EC! I’ve had dubious pleasure of making musical tunes on both an E10 (very ancient) and an EC. Clutch is sharp on ERFs anyway. Seen many a fully loaded ERF hopping whilst pulling away. You need good air pressure to use the gearbox and clutch properly. Unlike modern trucks that bleep if the air is too low and divorce you from electronic selection of the auto gears, these old girls will allow you to try but will make a fool out of you and you’ll have a heavy left foot and be playing musical notes.

An ERF like you drive most likely has the twin splitter gearbox. I’ll do my best to run through it, but be warned its years since I last clapped eyes on one. Your best bet is YouTubing. If you know about regular splitters forgive me for teaching Grandma to ■■■■ eggs.

The twin splitter has a gearstick with 4 forward gear positions. There is no range changer. A give away to a twin splitter is the switch on the gear stick. On the gearstick there should be a single small steel switch that moves horizontally. This small switch is really an air valve that controls the splits by pneumatics. There are 3 positions to the switch. Unlike a “splitter” gearbox say on a manual DAF, that has only 2 positions for the switch, a “twin splitter” has 3 splits for every one of the 4 gears. Twin splitter is a confusing name on first glance for a box with 3 split positions, but this is British engineering! If you remember we also built the reliant robin 3 wheeled pig around this time you shouldn’t be surprised by what you’re about to discover on your adventure with this beast.

If you don’t know what a split is, again google it. But think this. For every full gear, a split is like a refinement of that gear. So 1st gear has 1st,2nd and 3rd splits. The 3 splits are like a little gear box within each gear.

Clutch is for stopping and starting on those. Box is not designed for use of the clutch once you’re going. Just change on way up using the three splits for the 4 gear positions. Don’t ask me what I used to use for starting. Depended on the weight. It was before the days of “use every gear due wear and tear/fuel” rubbish. Trucks then required judgement. I used to start lowish gear, mid split for so and so weights, or 3rd split to make it complicated but that was after being really familiar. Never once used 1/1st split for example. You’ll get the gist, just ■■■■ about with it in the yard and have fun playing about.

Anyway. Once you get going and need to change up. There’s 2 different bits to this. Firstly, changing through splits is a doddle. You just flick the switch, come off the gas then re apply the gas and “hey presto”, you’re in the next split. Now, changing the actual full gears (there’s 4 forward gear positions). Don’t force it through the gate as if it were a normal manual truck (or car for that matter actually). You have to feed into neutral, then nurse it into the gate and feel for it taking if you know what I mean. It’s like you’re inviting the gears to sync.

Going down slightly harder when changing full gears, into neutral, match the revs, drop it in and off you go…theoretically :smiley: . Again, nurse it into the gate with gentle pressure. You’ll feel when it takes. With the splits, flick the switch, off the gas completely, reapply the gas and it engages.

A good tip when first starting on these for going down the range when changing full gears. Whilst in neutral, blip the revs beyond what you need to rev match. When the revs start to decay, apply GENTLE pressure into the gate for the next gear. When the revs match, it’ll slot in. It’s a slower method but gets you going. When you get familiar, you’ll not need to look at the rev counter, you’ll just give it the right blip, listen to the sound and know the revs are right. It’s actually like playing an instrument. Each box is different depending on wear and tear. If you push the stick with force, it’ll grind, guaranteed. Good luck!

Fun motor once it clicks but it’s ■■■■ for stop start stuff and in traffic. Which is why we no longer have them!! Where it was great was in runs and accelerating and decelerating, so quick, like a wobbly racing car…sort of :smiley:

I used to love seeing the 3 brightly colored little air pipes coming down from the twin splitter switch. Proper Heath Robinson stuff.

Has someone over adjusted the clutch recently ? This can cause it to almost stall immediately .

The EC doesn’the resemble a MAN because ERF were owned by Western Star when the EC was built. It was when MAN took over and the ECS/ECX came out that ERF were well and truly screwed. I read some magazine people offended ERF with their reviews of one of the new models.
Freight Dog I had the Eaton gearstick you described in a Foden Alpha but it wasn’t a twin splitter. Just a standard 12 speed range/splitter all on one switch. It was never as nice to use as the Fodens fitted with the Daf stick and the stick was uncomfortable to rest your arm on. :blush:

Don’t forget this ERF will have a ‘clutch brake’ which slows down the cogs for clean up-shifts. This is operated by a switch at the bottom the clutch pedal travel. So when starting off, depress the clutch to the floor to engage your starting off gear. After that do not fully depress the clutch for any gear changes, especially if changing down. However, if you want a fast up-shift when climbing hills, you can depress the pedal briefly to the floor for the change. :wink: Robert

weewulliewinkie:
ahh…an eaton twin splitter, you should feel privileged that’s a real truck drivers truck, google it and you will see how the gear change works. every noobie should be FORCED to spend a day driving with that gearbox :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

No they should learn to drive on them, sort out the drivers from the steerers :smiley: .
At least then they would appreciate how little skill is involved in driving a car-like modern automatic truck. Maybe would make for better class of drivers , who knows.

robroy:

weewulliewinkie:
ahh…an eaton twin splitter, you should feel privileged that’s a real truck drivers truck, google it and you will see how the gear change works. every noobie should be FORCED to spend a day driving with that gearbox :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

No they should learn to drive on them, sort out the drivers from the steerers :smiley: .
At least then they would appreciate how little skill is involved in driving a car-like modern automatic truck. Maybe would make for better class of drivers , who knows.

It would certainly make for a class of driver who, of necessity, would have to ‘plan their drive’ on approach to junctions, hills, roundabouts and other hazards. Robert

robroy:

weewulliewinkie:
ahh…an eaton twin splitter, you should feel privileged that’s a real truck drivers truck, google it and you will see how the gear change works. every noobie should be FORCED to spend a day driving with that gearbox :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

No they should learn to drive on them, sort out the drivers from the steerers :smiley: .
At least then they would appreciate how little skill is involved in driving a car-like modern automatic truck. Maybe would make for better class of drivers , who knows.

Your will offend someone and make them feel inferior or even cause a riot ! Good idea though .

cav551:
As a shunting vehicle there is a good chance that while manoeuvring it the air pressure drops below the level at which air is supplied for assistance to operate the clutch pedal. This will make the pedal very hard to push down and control which will make it seem extremely fierce in operation - it will seem to jump. So don’t try moving it until ALL the air tanks have built up to maximum. IIRC air 4 is the one for the clutch servo.

Depending on what mood the multicircuit 4 way valve is in on the day when loss of air happens sometimes the gears / drive will be lost first and they won’t return until the clutch gets air again usually about 8 bar .

weewulliewinkie:
ahh…an eaton twin splitter, you should feel privileged that’s a real truck drivers truck, google it and you will see how the gear change works. every noobie should be FORCED to spend a day driving with that gearbox :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

X2 real wagons

I’ve driven a few KV’s, does that count?

taz1972:

weewulliewinkie:
ahh…an eaton twin splitter, you should feel privileged that’s a real truck drivers truck, google it and you will see how the gear change works. every noobie should be FORCED to spend a day driving with that gearbox :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

X2 real wagons

was handed the keys to a ERF with twin splitter box not long after I passed my test and told “off you go to London”.
I played every tune known to man on that box. after a week of name that tune I got the hang of it and it became my favorite truck and still is, would love to have a drive in one again.

I’ll swop ya :wink: good wagon them with eaton twin splitter ,good times :grimacing:

robert1952:
Don’t forget this ERF will have a ‘clutch brake’ which slows down the cogs for clean up-shifts. This is operated by a switch at the bottom the clutch pedal travel. So when starting off, depress the clutch to the floor to engage your starting off gear. After that do not fully depress the clutch for any gear changes, especially if changing down. However, if you want a fast up-shift when climbing hills, you can depress the pedal briefly to the floor for the change. :wink: Robert

With me working on Twin splitters in Seddon Atkinson Strato from my old memory they never have clutch brakes on them like the Eaton Road ranger had with a Lipe roll away clutch?
Cheers Welly

Welly Bobby:

robert1952:
Don’t forget this ERF will have a ‘clutch brake’ which slows down the cogs for clean up-shifts. This is operated by a switch at the bottom the clutch pedal travel. So when starting off, depress the clutch to the floor to engage your starting off gear. After that do not fully depress the clutch for any gear changes, especially if changing down. However, if you want a fast up-shift when climbing hills, you can depress the pedal briefly to the floor for the change. :wink: Robert

With me working on Twin splitters in Seddon Atkinson Strato from my old memory they never have clutch brakes on them like the Eaton Road ranger had with a Lipe roll away clutch?
Cheers Welly

Your right they don’t ,Robert is referring to the up shift brake built in to the bottom of the gearbox which looks very much like a motorbike clutch and is operated by air to slow the box for a few seconds whilst a gear is engaged when the pedal is bottomed to open the switch . The twin splitter usually has the same clutch as a synchromesh box .

Punchy Dan:

Welly Bobby:

robert1952:
Don’t forget this ERF will have a ‘clutch brake’ which slows down the cogs for clean up-shifts. This is operated by a switch at the bottom the clutch pedal travel. So when starting off, depress the clutch to the floor to engage your starting off gear. After that do not fully depress the clutch for any gear changes, especially if changing down. However, if you want a fast up-shift when climbing hills, you can depress the pedal briefly to the floor for the change. :wink: Robert

With me working on Twin splitters in Seddon Atkinson Strato from my old memory they never have clutch brakes on them like the Eaton Road ranger had with a Lipe roll away clutch?
Cheers Welly

Your right they don’t ,Robert is referring to the up shift brake built in to the bottom of the gearbox which looks very much like a motorbike clutch and is operated by air to slow the box for a few seconds whilst a gear is engaged when the pedal is bottomed to open the switch . The twin splitter usually has the same clutch as a synchromesh box .

Cheers Dan, now I remember with what your saying. Love twin splitters but never liked the 1st time I did the rear snap ring changes in the gear gear boxes. But after that had then in many bits.

with the twin splitter i used to cheat by knocking the stick out of gear as i flicked the button.As quick as you could move your hand it would change gear.Ideal for the traffic light grand prix. :smiley: