Good morning,
A concern about 2523 having a loss of power was brought to my attention last night. I have taken it for a test drive and verified that there are seems to be some problems. I have emailed shops to set up an appointment to have them take a look for possible causes such as an air leak or fuel issue.
One thing I did find that we can remedy in house:
For my initial drive I left all vehicle settings as I found them. My first drive up 16th St. I slowed to 13 mph. I found that both the jake brake and the fan clutch switches were in the "on" position. I turned both of these off once I was back down the hill and noticed an increase in power just on the flats. I made a second climb of 16th St. and gained 5 mph, increasing to 18 mph total. Still not as good as I remember, but a marked improvement.
The issue here appears to be the fan clutch. Speaking with Aaron and Chief Ames, they both have worked with apparatus prior that have fan clutches. They state that they can rob quite a bit of horsepower and should only be used when the apparatus is pumping, not when driving.
I will look further into the details for our apparatus as well as check with shops. Meanwhile, while driving the apparatus, make sure that the fan clutch switch is in the "off" position.
Paul Gascoigne
Interim Deputy Chief
Astoria Fire Department
503-325-2345 Ext. 2523
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