adept99

Here's the promised update. Turns out several folks were headed down the right path. Reverse sensor, but not quite what you think. And contrary to several of the closely held opinions, the sensor proper was not the culprit. First, remember that the transmission emptied itself of oil due to a cracked line going to/from the oil cooler. That resulted in several pieces seizing together, most notably the bell housing to the motor. Second, there were some issues with the EZ pedal clutch and the hydraulic linkage. It works, but with greatly reduced pedal throw. With all of the hardware back in place, the transmission would still not stay in reverse. If you will recall, the mob consensus was that the reverse sensor had failed. It was checked on 3 separate occasions. Passed every time. Failed sensor did not show up on Failure Tree analysis. Replacement sensor test did not correct the problem. On the last test, the tech was checking connections, and decided to check the actual wire. It failed, wasn't clear if it was burned due to overheat issue or crushed due to seized up issue. Replaced wire, problem solved. I have to give these folks credit. This was a tough repair. Even without me bird-dogging them it would have been tough. They kept at it, solved the problems, didn't kill me with labor charges even though some of the diagnostic labor hours were well past their estimated hours. Precision Diesel Repair in Shepherdsville, KY - check 'em out

One thing I did notice was when raising one side or the other with a Lippert level-up system, it is possible to raise the high side far enough (having passed the "tire off the ground" point) that the system will respond with with an error message to the effect of "out of range" Don't ask how I know The simplest way to avoid/correct this bit of foolishness is to block the opposite side jacks with something similar to 6X6 blocks. When you're jacking without the blocking, the off side tires and springs will compress somewhat, effectively increasing the angle. The blocks make the offside rigid and the angle won't increase and you can get your "side of interest" to jack up or down without the old "out of range" message. I should also point out that in some cases, multiple, but thinner, blocking works better, allowing you to "walk" up to the height you need. Remember, the issue is not power, it's the controller sensing a wildly out of level situation and is trying to keep you from bending something.

Does this require a driver's license upgrade? Should I re-register in South Dakota? Do I need to keep a couple of cases of Dr Pepper on board? (onboard)

You folks are amazing - thanks for the quick response. Stopped by the shop this morning and they had gotten to roughly the same conclusion that all the above had reached. Mechanical issue in the transmission proper, such as an issue in the shift tower. Both are being checked as I write this. Looking for high friction/roughness in the shift fingers etc. Alternatively, looking for electrical issues and operation at the XY box. Going (if needed) to purchase a new box, try it, and if it doesn't work, return it. Eliminates a LOT of troubleshooting hours. Stay tuned Paul

Closing in on a transmission issue on our truck where the autoshift won't stay in reverse. Rickeieio Pope said he thought he remembered someone else having this problem but didn't remember how it got resolved. For more detail on what's going on, read the other thread. In esseesse, tranny lost all it's oil, got hot, & burned up. New clutch,transmission, etc. Down to thinking it's the shift tower or the XY box. If you remember the "Pops out of reverse" issue or who posted it or how they fixed it, PLEASE post it or send me a PM. More big money down the river in the early afternoon. Thanks in advance Paul & Paula

Geez Shorty, I couldn't keep track of the sticks just reading about 'em, let alone driving one of those beasts. Paula says tell Miss Judy howdy

Desertminer; The transmissions in our trucks tend to be generic. You'll find the same transmission in Volvo, Freightliner, Pete, KW, etc. When you order a new truck, you specify what engine, tranny, rear end, etc you want, based on the expected use for the truck. A truck spec'd for Rocky Mt dry freight is wildly different from an East coast rig hauling hogs. Consequently, the various components can be mixed and matched to (by and large) to suit the need. The two piece clutch brake disk is more or less the same thing as a one piece disk, the difference being that you don't have to pull the transmission to install it. They are widely available for Roadranger style transmissions which includes eaton-fuller transmissions.

Well, time for an update. Looks like the 1st estimate was close but a little shy mostly due to things you couldn't see until the transmission was out and on the ground. After a few phone calls for clarification, going back with a Reman transmission, turned flywheel, EZ-clutch, new throw out bearing and clutch brake disk, new shift forks, and new sensors. The clutch brake is a one piece, the shift forks are showing some wear, and the sensors are a change on the old/new wiring harness. Also replacing the Rear main oil seal and the transmission oil cooler and lines. Transmission oil cooler was the likely culprit of the vanishing oil due to a crack in the line right at the entry to the cooler. And boy, new tranny sho do shine!!! Boys claim they will be done by close of business tomorrow. More, but not much, I hope, to follow after the shakedown cruises. Paul & Paula

Man, I was gonna make some sort of snarky comment on this thread, you know, for Phil and all. After reading most of it again, I think not. Dogs have been insulted, the king of all unmarked car states (Kentucky) is forced to defend it's honor (they don't order unmarked cars, they just steal ...uh, confiscate, vehicles involved in various crimes) and the personal attacks. Wow..just wow.

Scrap; Looked into air assist. It's not exactly cheap, and the shop isn't real familiar with them. Your install plan sounds good but I'd bet you're not planning a vacation to come down and supervise. DW isn't gonna drive the ol' Draggin regardless, so I think I'll let this one pass. Already waiting on the "I told you so" comment. As far as cause and effect, it looks like the culprit is gonna be the trans cooler and associated lines. It's located near the rear of the transmission and hangs below the general plane of the frame of the truck. Has two SS braided lines going in and out. Best guess until it comes out is that it has a rust pin hole somewhere in that component.

Hey Scrap; Truck currently has hydraulic linkage and a Solo clutch. Not fond of either one. What kind of changes need to be made to make the air assist install? Right now the shop is going back with an EZ clutch and manual adjust linkage. Which of those parts need to be changed to get to the air assist configuration? Anything or is this just a small add on like the link you sent appears to show.

Chuck; Try this http://www.eaton.com/EN/rr/ProductsServices/ProductsbyCategory/Clutches/MT-Clutches/Easy-Pedal/index.htm

If you do the ether trick, make sure you continue to crank the engine until the ether is completely dissipated or you could get one of those dreaded blowback belches that, no kidding, could damage your engine. Or you Or your truck

You didn't let the DW see you do that did you???

Alie & Jim - Thanks for the info, I'll let the shop know.