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# OAR Box 1830 Prepped byOllie Stewart



### Document

Number: 

# 169 ) IV-C-136 Docket Number: 

# A-87-1 1

Printed 11/13/20087:21:00AM Sheet 169of 232J. /

A\ UNITE D STATE S ENVIRONMENTA LPROTECTIO N AGENC Y t^W£ ? AN N ARBOR . MICHIGA N 4810 5 \ / R_. 

### B-87-/ (!

OC T211988 OFFIC E O F AI R AN D .RADIATIO N

Mr . Kell yBrown , Executiv e Enginee r Noise , Emissions , Fue l Econom yPlannin g For d Moto r Compan y Th e America nRoa d Dearborn , M I 4812 1

Dea r Mr . Brown : Thi s lette r i s intende d t o summariz e th e result s o f ou r meetin g earlie r today . A t tha t meetin g w e describe d fo r yo u th e result s o f ou r recen t effort s t o appl you r simplifie d onboar d refulein g contro l concept s t o a For d Tauru s fue l tank . W e ha d undertake nthi s tas k i na nattemp t t o resolv e issue s whic hyo u ha d raise d i na nearlie r presentatio nt o u s an d other s documentin g Ford' s inabilit yt o successfull yappl ythi s approac ht o eithe r a For d Tauru s o r a F-25 0 light-dut ytruck . I nyou r presentation , t o EP Ao f .Septembe r 26 , 1988 , ther e wer e thre e ke yissue s whic hemerged . A s experience d o nyou r system , thes e wer e poo r fil l qualit y(i.e. , frequen t prematur e shutoff s an d fue l spitback) , th e inabilit yt o obtai na liqui d sea l ove r a wid e rang e o f fil l condition s an d th e failur e o f you r tes t valv e t o functio nproperl ydurin g a rollove r test . Ou r wor k sinc e tha t time , a s presente d t o yo u today , Ha s full y resolve d al l o f thos e issues . Th e firs t tw o issue s concer nth e basi c applicabilit yo f th e simplifie d refuelin g concep t t o For d vehicles . Beginnin g les s tha ntw o week s ago , ou r staf f ha s adapte d th e sam e hardwar e use d fo r th e Genera l Motor s demonstratio ntan k t o a For d Tauru s system . I nou r presentatio nw e describe dou r developmen t progra man d gav e yo u copie s o f th e tes t dat a w e hav e generated . W e include d detaile d description s o f th e severa l hardwar e variation s whic hw e evaluate d an dou r conclusio ntha t th e basi c syste ma s use d o nth e Genera l Motor s tan k als o demonstrate d full ysuccessfu l performanc e o nth e Tauru s tank . Ou r hardwar e ha s n o spitbac k o r prematur e shutof f problems , an d develop s a liqui d sea l ove r th e ful l rang e o f fil l condition s specifie d i nou r draf t tes t procedures . Overal l emission s ar e nea r zer o fo r mos t tests . W e als o showe d yo u ou r hardwar e an d offere d t o allo wyo u t o perfor ma refuelin g tes t yourselve s (whic hyo u decline d t o do , indicatin g tha t yo u di d no t doub t it s performance) . . . • ..'^o^ 0

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I nour discussion s yo u wer e unabl e t o explai nwhyFor dha s had suc hdifficult ybuildin g a properl yperformin g syste mo n eithe r o f you r tw o vehicles . Yo u wer e als o unabl e t o suppl yu s wit hengineerin g dat a o nyou r system , suc ha s th e pressur e dro p trace s w e showe d yo u fo r ou r tank , caniste r andfillpip e sensors . Thi s make s i t impossibl e fo r u s t o full ydiagnos e you r difficulties . However , a s w e offere da t ou r meeting , i f yo u provid e you r syste mfo r u s t o evaluate , w e woul db e willin g t o diagnos e i t fo r you . Th e result s o f ou r testin g sho wclearl ytha t th e simpl e refuelin g contro l concep t i s readil yadaptabl e t o you r vehicles . I t ha s take nu s les s tha ntw o week s t o develo p a full yfunctionin g system , whic hyo u hav e personall yseen . A t our meeting , yo u identifie dn o proble marea s or issue s whic hi n anywa yindicat e tha t th e sam e coul dno t b e don e fo r th e vehicl e whic hyo u hav e developed . I naddition , i nyou r developmen t proces s For d overlooke d som e keyconcerns , whic hw e raise d i nou r Septembe r 29 , 198 8 lette r t o Mr . Buist . Yo u indicate d todaytha t thes e hav e stil l no t bee naddressed . I t is , therefore , n o longe r appropriat e fo r For dt o mak e representation s tha t thi s concep t ha s difficultie s whe nuse do n For d products . Wit hthe informatio nwhic hFor dno wha s available , i t woul d b e a gros s misrepresentatio nt o s o contend . Th e las t issu e concern s th e prope r functionin g o f th e vapo r contro l valv e durin g rollover . I nyou r Septembe r 2 6 presentatio nyo u showe d a vide o tap e o f a rollove r tes t o na hand modifie d valve . Thi s tes t showe dtha t th e valv e di dno t sea l properl yan d leake dsubstantiall ydurin g rollove r testing . A t tha t meetin g w e indicate dt o yo u ou r belie f tha t you r tes t wa s highl ymisleading , sinc e th e valv e ha dno t bee n designe d fo r rollove r function , andw e hadclea r assurance s fro mthe valv e supplie r tha t thi s functio ni s a relativel yeas y tas k fo r a productio ndesig nvalve . Sinc e you r presentatio nw e hav e me t agai nwit hyou r valv e supplie r an

d bee nassure dtha t th e relativel ymodes t increas e i norfic e siz e use d fo r ou r valve s compare dt o you r productio n valv e doe s no t presen t anysignifican t sealin g problems . The y hav e als o informe d u s tha t th e valv e whic hyo u teste dha da defectiv e seal , and tha t For d ha s decline dth e opportunit yt o tes t a replacement . Th e valv e had bee nleak checke db yth e vendo r usin g a standar d For dtest , bu t w e d o no t believ e tha t suc ha tes t adequatel yevaluate s th e valv e performance . Rollove r test s performe dt o qualif yth e EPAprototyp e valve s hav e bee ndesigne d t o exercis e th e ful l valv e closur e mechanis m i na fashio nwhic hi s probabl ymor e rigorou s tha na FMVS S 30 1



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"test . W e hav e also.ha d the valv e supplie r repea t th e rollove r testin g whic hthe yperforme d o nth e prototyp e valve s the y produce d fo r EPA . W e personall ywitnesse dth e test s andca n onc e agai nstat e tha t th e tw o valve s produce dfo r EPA , whic h ar e themselve s onl yfirs t attempt s a t ful l rollove r protection , easil yme t th e sam e specification s a s you r stoc k valve . Thus , onc e again , w e d o no t believ e the fact s justif y continuatio no f Ford' s curren t positio no nrollove r protection . Base d upo npresen t knowledge , the presentatio ni n you r vide o tap e i s highl ymisleadin g andw e believ e tha t i t woul d b e unconscionabl e fo r For d t o continu e it s use . I therefor e hop e tha t yo u wil l mak e n o furthe r us e o f tha t presentation . I nsummary , ou r wor k i nth e perio dsinc e you r Septembe r 26 , 198 8 presentatio nha s resolve d th e issue s whic hyo u raise d abou t th e workabilit yan dsafet yo f ou r simpl e syste mconcept . I f yo u desir e anyfurthe r information , o r wis ht o discus s thes e matter s further , pleas e fee l fre e t o contac t me again .

Sincerel yyours ,

••""" " y

f/rJ Charle s L . Gray , Jr . Directo r ' Emissio nContro l Technolog yDivisio n

c c . Do nBuis t Dic k Wilso n Docke t A-87-1 1 6499W