allison question

[downard1]

I saw a thread on here from allisonman I think, and I had a question. Not necessarily RV related, but I don't know where else to turn. I have a '97 Ford dump truck running a machanical injected 8.3 cummins that currently has a 600 series tranny. I'd like to switch over to a 3060 but not sure what all needs to be done. If I get the tranny with the computer, I've been told I'd only need to add a throttle position sensor. Is this correct or not. I have a 3060 in another dump truck and like the lock up it has. The 600 series just seems to slush away through the torque converter until you get to the final gears for lockup. As I'm usually under pretty good loads, this tends to heat the tranny fluid and I fear it won't last too long, plus the 3060 holds almost twice as much fluid.
Thanks in advance.
Jim

 

[dbarton291]

RE: allison question

downard1 - 8/21/2009 4:57 PM

I saw a thread on here from allisonman I think, and I had a question. Not necessarily RV related, but I don't know where else to turn. I have a '97 Ford dump truck running a machanical injected 8.3 cummins that currently has a 600 series tranny. I'd like to switch over to a 3060 but not sure what all needs to be done. If I get the tranny with the computer, I've been told I'd only need to add a throttle position sensor. Is this correct or not. I have a 3060 in another dump truck and like the lock up it has. The 600 series just seems to slush away through the torque converter until you get to the final gears for lockup. As I'm usually under pretty good loads, this tends to heat the tranny fluid and I fear it won't last too long, plus the 3060 holds almost twice as much fluid.
Thanks in advance.
Jim

You'll need the throttle position sensor, the electronic shift selector and a wiring harness. You'll also have to change the driveline watching its angles carefully due to increased driveline speed with the MD. Plus, you'll need a different set of adaptation hardware to connect the torque converter to the engine. Because the MD has overdrives as its two top gears and the MT is 1:1, you may also have to change the axle ratio.

Then, you'll need a wiring schematic to do the wiring. You also have to make sure you get a computer with a calibration in it to match the engine you have and make sure it's not a cal for an emergency vehicle.

It can be done, but this is not an easy, or a cheap swap.

Just out of curiosity, what is the gross combined weight of the vehicle plus load?

 

[downard1]

Re: allison question

GVW of the truck is only 54,000 #. I have a Freightliner FL-106 running the MD3060 behind a Series 50 DD. I've been reasearching the allisons and the new world trannies are supposed to have stand alone computers, I was pretty sure I needed the TPS. The tranny I'm looking at is a pull out of an existing truck and will have the complete tranny, shifter tower, and computer. Both the old and new allison bolt to No. 2 bellhousings, so I'm looking at finding the proper flywheel. The yard has several tranny's available, so if I'm lucky, they will have one pulled from an 8.3 cummins. I've already run the numbers on the gear ratio I'll need to run, the 8.3 has such a wide rpm range I can get by with a single ratio rear axle. My other truck the the Series 50 DD couldn't be made to work properly with a single ratio, so I had to pull the pumpkin from the housing and install a two speed axle. The wide ratio 3560 would have been a better tranny behind the DD as it's a 2100 rpm motor. I already know I'll be visiting Williams Detroit Diesel for the reprogramming of the tranny. I had to have my Freightliner tranny reprogrammed even after a modest ratio change of the rear end.

 

[dbarton291]

Re: allison question

Good. That sounds like you have available to you most of what you need. Don't forget to get a wiring harness and the right flexplates with the other hard parts. The flywheel comes with the tranny. Also make sure you don't mix a WTEC II transmission with a WTEC III ECU, etc. Good luck. Sounds like an interesting project.

Oh, and watch your drivetrain angles. The WT will cause an increase in driveline speed. Dana has an online driveline acceleration calculator called Dana Expert. I think it's www2.dana.com/expert

 

[downard1]

Re: allison question

Well, things have changed a little. A friend sold me a complete cab and chassis Chevrolet (Isuzu) with a blown Cat 3126 and Allison MD3060P. The truck is complete, with all ecu's wiring harnesses, etc. I can even use the Eaton 22,000 # rear axle as the ratio is a 5.57:1 which will work perfect in my truck. The tranny was working perfect when the motor went south. It has a crack in one of the cylinders and as the Cat doesn't use liners, the block is now junk. Where do you suppose I could find a wiring schematic to wire this into my existing truck. It looks like all I'm going to need now is the TPS and flywheel/flexplate. Williams DD in Columbus, OH says the TPS is going to run me $750 and to reprogram the truck is going to run $3000-$5000. Sounds steep doesn't it. I really need pointed in the right direction for the TPS and wiring schematic and any help there would be much appreciated.

 

[AMSOIL DEALER]

Re: allison question

I might be able to help.

Wiring is actually basic for a stand alone application, and there is a cable operated TPS that you attach to the existing throttle and adjust the counts.

I have the diagrams available, let me know if you still need this information and I will email it over to you.
Need to compare the engine RPM's of each engine, the Allison torque convertors change by application.

Thanks,

Bud