Fuel Nozzle Innovations Take the Pressure Off Customers

There are several drivers of improvements in life. Some involve statutes and regulations which mandate actions. Others involve product innovation. In the case of the motoring public in the United States, there are examples of both.

The Bureau of Transportation Statistics estimates that around 25.5 million people over the age of five have disabilities that limit travel. Additional statistics show that only 60.4 percent of people with disabilities drive vehicles, compared to nearly 92 percent of people who do not have disabilities.

 

ADA and Gas Stations

Those numbers perhaps help explain why when the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) arrived in 1990, it noted that people with disabilities may find it "difficult or impossible to use the controls, hose, or nozzle of a self-serve gas pump." As a result, the ADA began requiring self-serve gas stations to provide equal access to their customers with disabilities:

• Provide refueling assistance upon the request of an individual with a disability. A service station or convenience store is not required to provide such service at any time that it is operating on a remote control basis with a single employee, but is encouraged to do so, if feasible.

• Let patrons know (e.g., through appropriate signs) that customers with disabilities can obtain refueling assistance by either honking or otherwise signaling an employee.

In 2012, additional requirements were enacted regarding the operable parts of fuel pumps, making them accessible to motorists with disabilities who want to pump their own fuel. An article published on the Access Advocates web site commented that "Right now, complaints drive compliance at gas stations."

Innovation and ADA Compliance

Innovation can also drive change. Husky Corporation has developed two new features for fuel nozzles that can make it easier to dispense fuel into vehicles. One is called EZ Lever, which essentially is new two-piece design rather than the previously utilized one-piece design. The EZ Lever is ADA compliant, as it requires approximately half the force of conventional levers in order to open the nozzle to dispense fuel. This is a short video that explains the logic behind EZ Lever.

In addition, Husky engineers redesigned the poppet skirt in a way that helps control the flow of fuel through the nozzle with greater ease. The innovation is called a Tilt Poppet, the effect of which permits a precise amount of fuel to be dispensed into vehicles very easily. Here is a video that shows how the Tilt Poppet functions.

These innovations, whether utilized separately or in combination on a given fuel nozzle application, effectively make the fueling process easier for everyone. They also help fuel marketers improve the user experience at their locations. Contact Husky Corporation at 800-325-3558 or go to www.Husky.com to learn more about these and other product developments which are designed to put customers first.

Enhanced Conventional Fuel Nozzle Makes Its Mark

Among the many fueling nozzles available from Husky Corporation is a light weight option that is loaded with features many customers will find attractive. The Eco Nozzle is an enhanced conventional nozzle with a shut-off mechanism that stops fueling when the spout leaves the fill pipe or gets out of the tank. The Econ Nozzle is engineered with a unique internal interlock device that requires just a light amount of force to engage when customers begin fueling.

The mechanics of interlock nozzles, along with standard and pressure-actived nozzles, are explained in this Husky Corporation Technical Bulletin https://www.husky.com/technical-information/pressure-activatedinterlock-nozzles/.  Interlock nozzles from Husky (including the Eco Nozzle) feature a bellow or boot on the spout. It must be pushed back before squeezing the lever will open the main poppet valve and allow fuel to flow. If the bellow or boot is not pushed back, the nozzle will exhibit a limp/dead lever condition.  A key feature of the Eco Nozzle is that the design requires the lightest insertion force of any safety interlock operated nozzle.

Other features make the Eco Nozzle easy to use for fueling customers. A two-piece lever is ADA compliant and requires half the force to open compared to a regular nozzle. And a unique Tilt Poppet regulates the fuel flow more smoothly than in other nozzles, making precise 'to-the-penny' dispensing simple every time.

Another important feature of the Eco Nozzle is that it is compliant with California Air Resources Board regulations for drips, spills and liquid retention. Husky calls this a characteristic of a Drip Less spout design. Contact Husky Corporation at 800-325-3558 to get more information.

Experts Say Cleaning the Upper Engine Could Prevent Costly Repairs

Improving engine performance doesn't always have to be time consuming or expensive. There are steps mechanics and repair professionals can take first that can rule out costly repairs. Husky Corporation's S.U.R.&R., which provides affordable products that solve problems in the automotive repair market, offers a solution for engines knocks. The S.U.R.&R. FIC903 Intake Cleaner system in combination with Sea Foam Motor Treatment can provide critical maintenance which would make a pricey and time-consuming engine overhaul unnecessary.

This topic was tackled recently by 4WD Mechanix Magazine during an in-depth look at a problem with a Jeep inline six engine, which was presenting noises that sounded like a serious engine knock. But the initial diagnosis suggested other possibilities. S.U.R.&R. posted an article about this review on the company web site as well which can be found at https://surrauto.com/when-an-engine-knocks-turn-to-s-u-r-r-and-sea-foam-first/

‘The time saved and pinpoint diagnostics separate ‘parts changers’ from real techs. S.U.R.&R. tools offer exceptional value, quickly paying for themselves!”, Moses Ludel of 4WD Mechanix Magazine. “In most instances it would be wise to attempt these tuning measures first. If the knock remains, there is more serious trouble.”

The article also contains a detailed video on the steps involved. Contact S.U.R.&R to learn more and to get pricing information at 1-800-390- 3996 or at info@surrauto.com.

How to Precisely Dispense Fuel

There is now a great way to get the exact amount of fuel you want in your vehicle.

Husky Corporation engineers have developed an enhancement for the fuel nozzle’s poppet valve, which in combination with the lever, controls the flow of fuel through the nozzle. The innovation is called a 'tilt-poppet' will be included in all Husky nozzle products. This short video shows how it works.

“The previous poppet skirt operated by opening or closing the entire poppet valve seal at the same time. That situation made it difficult to start and stop fueling at the desired level,” said Husky Engineering Manager Zach Holcomb.

So Husky Engineers focused on re-designing the poppet skirt, and came up with an innovation called the Tilt Poppet; a poppet skirt that is angled on one surface. The effect of this modification is that when the fuel lever is engaged, one side of the poppet valve seal moves before the other. Fuel therefore flows through the nozzle in a much more measured way; fueling can be started and stopped very smoothly for precise manual dispensing. A slimmed-down poppet skirt design also reduces the amount of back-pressure experienced when starting and stopping the fueling process.

“Having the angled poppet skirt allows the flow to ease through on one side of the poppet valve and dispense to the penny much more easily,” Holcomb said.

In the video, the flow of fuel was being controlled at a rate of just 0.048 gallons per minute (or 0.182 liters/minute) which resulted in one penny's worth of fuel being dispensed every four to five seconds.

“We know that many customers want to spend an exact amount when fueling their vehicles. There are also applications around the world where full-service fuel attendants must put only the exact amount of fuel requested into customer tanks. The Tilt Poppet is ideal for those situations,” said Husky Corporation Executive Vice President Brad Baker. “We think the Tilt Poppet will make the fueling experience more pleasant for everyone thanks to its smooth and easy operation.”

The Husky Tilt Poppet will be an included feature of all the company’s fuel nozzle designs. Contact Husky at 800-325-3558 to learn more.

Husky 5885 P/V Vent Cleared for Use in California E-85 Storage Tanks

The largest U.S. state by population and vehicle count has a growing number of fueling outlets which offer E-85, which is a term for high-level ethanol-gasoline blends containing 51 to 83 percent ethanol. The fuel can be used in Flexible Fuel Vehicles (FFV) as an alternative to gasoline.

A recent California news article reported the state has 1.5 million FFV on the road but only 190 fueling stations that dispense E-85. There are more than 3,300 fueling stations across the country where E-85 is available. The fuel produces fewer harmful emissions than gasoline, is less expensive than gasoline, but does not deliver as much fuel efficiency. The article stated E-85 “is experiencing a resurgence in California, with sales volumes more than tripling in the last five years.”

To address the growing market Husky Corporation’s 5885 Pressure/Vacuum (P/V) Vent received approval from the California Air Resources Board (CARB) for use in the storage of E-85. The 5885 Pressure/Vacuum (P/V) Vent is designated in CARB Executive Orders VR-101-R and VR-102-S as being E-85 compatible. The vent incorporates three separate valves to control over-pressure and vacuum conditions that arise in storage tanks.

“This approval makes the Husky 5885 P/V vent an outstanding and cost-effective option for fuel dispensing outlets planning to make E-85 available to their customers,” said Tim Schroeder, Product Design Engineer at Husky Corporation.

The 5885 is constructed from materials that are 100 percent compatible for use with E-85. This is important, because certain materials commonly used with gasoline may be incompatible with high-level ethanol blends, causing them to degrade and contaminate the fuel. "Metals that have been shown to degrade over time in the presence of high-level alcohol blends include brass, lead, zinc and lead-based solder. Nonmetallic materials that degrade when in contact with ethanol include natural rubber, polyurethane, cork gasket material, leather, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) polyamides, and certain thermoplastic or thermoset polymers," noted an article in Ethanol Producer magazine.

In a letter to Husky Corporation, CARB noted the 5885 P/V vent “has been tested to the latest UL 2583 standard which include E-85 compatibility and was also certified for use with E-85 fuels by the California State Fire Marshal.”

Schroeder noted that the 5885 is certified to less than one third of the CARB EVR Standard CP-201, that allows installation of a maximum of three P/V vents, which reduces installation time. This video shows the installation process of Husky P/V vents and explains some key aspects.

More information about the Husky 5885 P/V vent can be located at https://www.husky.com/husky/pressurevacuum-vents/pv-vent-5885/ or by calling Husky Corporation at 800-325-3558.

In a Word: Husky!

Husky Corporation invited sales representatives to its Pacific, MO headquarters recently for a series of one-on-one sessions about the company's product line and what differentiates those products from others on the market. There were four, two-day sessions held over two weeks for reps from all Husky's brands who sell on behalf of the company. Husky is actually a family of companies that serves customers in the petroleum dispensing and automotive service industries.

The Husky Sales Summit agenda featured peer-driven interactive sessions that included product sales training, new product pipeline/updates, Quality tools discussions, Engineering, collaborative new idea generation and tours of the company's U.S. based manufacturing operations. The sessions were attended by nearly 100 people who take the word about the company's product line straight to customers themselves. There is a 'photo gallery' of more pictures on the Husky Corporation Facebook page if you want to check it out.

We also took the opportunity to ask for a quick comment from each of the reps that sums up what Husky Corporation means to them. And when we had finished, we were amazed at the variety of answers. Here's a sample.

Thanks so much to all the distributors and reps for not only stepping in front of a camera to offer their thoughts, but also for taking their extremely valuable time to visit Husky and see first-hand what inspired those comments in the first place! Husky wouldn't be where it is today without the support of our partners, employees and customers!

Husky was founded in 1947 with headquarters and production facilities in the metro St. Louis area at Pacific, Missouri. The company offers General Fueling Products including a complete line of dispensing nozzles, swivels, Safe-T-Breaks®, hoses and related accessories for fuel delivery systems. Husky Corporation operating divisions include BJE Oil and Lube products, Hewitt Aviation Fueling Products, S.U.R.&R. fluid line repair solutions, and Oil Baron Oil and Grease Stain Remover. Additionally, the company offers Benecor DEF Dispensing and Storage systems, Enevo Logistics Optimization systems and Roman Seliger Liquid Loading Arms.

Brake Line Repair Solutions - A Third Party Perspective About S.U.R.&.R.

Trust is a critical, yet elusive, characteristic. It must be earned and demonstrated over time.

Vehicle repair professionals have a lot riding on the tools and repair solutions they use in order to build customer trust. Husky Corporation's S.U.R.&R. understands this fundamental fact and strives to make sure customers can trust the solutions we provide. But it's one thing for S.U.R.&R. to say our products deliver great value. It's another to hear about the actual value experienced professionals receive day in and day out.

Rick Muscoplat writes and owns a terrific blog for vehicle service professionals that offers extremely practical advise about tools and methods that can really help make jobs go more smoothly. Recently, Rick  wrote a series of blogs about brake line repair. We'll share the links to those blogs here so you can click them and get a feel for the depth and quality he brings to the topics.

http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/fix-rusted-brake-lines/
http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/best-brake-line-flare-tool/
http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/make-a-double-inverted-brake-line-flare-part-1/
http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/make-a-double-inverted-brake-line-flare-part-2/
http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/how-to-make-a-double-inverted-brake-line-flare-part-3/

S.U.R.&R. is grateful Rick thought so highly of the PFT 409 Pistol Grip Flaring Tool, which he described as "Cream of the crop. It made quick work out of replacing 6 brake lines and 12 flares. This is absolutely pro grade."

In another blog, he discussed the value of high quality brake line tubing that can be easily manipulated to address situations which inevitably come up in the service bay. "I like S.U.R&R because it bends easily without kinking and is much easier to flare than steel brake line. It costs a bit more than the copper/nickel other brands you can find online, but it’s also a much better product. The cheap stuff is made with thinner walls so it kinks easily. Find S.U.R&R UltraBEND® Flexible Brake Line Tubing at at many national retailers and most commercial parts stores and tool distributors."

We encourage vehicle service professionals who deal with brake line issues to check out the links to the articles above. Then visit the S.U.R.&R. website or call our team for more information on the solutions we have available that will improve your business.

And thanks so much to Rick Muscoplat for his thoughtful blogs about brake line repair. Check out his blog often for other great and practical tips at  http://ricksfreeautorepairadvice.com/