3 pedal eaton/fuller 10 speed autoshift

[wawrd1]

Anyone running a 3 pedal Eaton/Fuller 10 speed auto shift out there that wants to share their experience? I'm looking at at 2005 IH that has this transmission. I'm very good at gear jammin as I have done it a long time but I have never driven and auto in a class 8. Looking at up grading the current truck to one with a sleeper and auto so the Misses can also do a little driving and napping.

Thanks in advance for reply's!

[CDR]

KNR,

 

I have one in my 01 Century and like it! Although I have not driven an Ultrashift (2 pedal). You will only use the clutch to start and stop, truck will do the rest. I like being able to creep (using the clutch for minute movement), harder to do with the 2 pedalers unless you cover the brake. Might want to check pedal pressure to see if it's not to hard for the wife's use. Other than that they are pretty much bullet proof for our use, and very easy to drive.

 

My 2 cents

 

Curt

[SIBERNUT]

I love an Ultrashift, BUT- I'm real happy with my A/S considering the bucks. Once you get used to it, it's easy to just use the buttons for a more manual feel. No problems other than once in a great while it gets 'confused" going from F to R. Works itself out in a couple minutes. The other problem was the VERY hard clutch in my truck, and I finally got that whipped (!!) for $ 200 (on HD resource guide).

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

I have the precursor to it, the Rockwell 10sp. Basically I clutch it to get rolling and float the rest. Bobtailing start in 4th, with the camper I start in 3rd on flat ground or even 2nd on an uphill. It's a pretty easy trans to get used to. After your in high range you can roll as slow as 10-15mph in 6th, making it easy to get into parking lots or slow traffic. Don't know what engine you have, ours is paired with the old Cummins M11.

[CDR]

Went from a Freedomline to Autoshift. (Long story) On mine, I can push the clutch to the floor with my hand / arm from the ground. Wife drives it just fine.

BillB;

 

Some came with the EZ clutch, some did not. Depending on how the truck was specd.

 

Curt

[wawrd1]

Trying to answer a few of the questions here, the truck is 2002 Emission standard Cummins ISM 425HP / 1550 FT/LB/TQ. the build sheet on this truck says 15.50" Eaton solo 1552 easy pedal auto adjust with 1700FT/LB capacity.

[rickeieio]

Our '01 has the Eaton three pedal. I like it. Same basic tranny as my '00 Mack, but with a T handle rather than the stick. It took me a long time to really accept the auto function, but this past summer, going to Alaska and back, I left it auto mode nearly the whole trip. It worked fine.

 

I'd buy another one in a heart beat.

 

Issues thus far have been: wire going to the x-y sifter corroded internally, power module failed, o-rings in the splitter box needed replacing. The last one could be an issue in a manual too.

[mr. cob]

Anyone running a 3 pedal Eaton/Fuller 10 speed auto shift out there that wants to share their experience? I'm looking at at 2005 IH that has this transmission. I'm very good at gear jammin as I have done it a long time but I have never driven and auto in a class 8. Looking at up grading the current truck to one with a sleeper and auto so the Misses can also do a little driving and napping.

Thanks in advance for reply's!

Howdy KNR,

 

I have a three pedal Eaton-Fuller, auto shift coupled to a 12.7 DD-60 430-470hp engine with a 3.55-1 rear axle, in my Freightliner Columbia, I like the fact that you can ease the clutch in and out as your backing up. The only thing I don't like is it sometimes will take up to 10 or 15 seconds to engage a gear if you shift to neutral while waiting for a stop light to change, I learned quick to leave it in gear when waiting for a light to change, the clutch on my truck is rather stiff but not to the point of being a pain to use. The only other thing I don't like is the split between 9th and 10th gear but I think thats pretty much the same for all 10 speed transmissions. On some long steep grades 9th gear is a tad to low and 10th is a tad to high to drive in the speed range I want to be driving at.

 

Dave

[lappir]

I have the push button 3 pedal auto in my truck. It works very well but not perfectly. I do not have the EZ clutch either, it's quite stiff. I think I would like a T handle better for doing the manual gear selection and possibly skipping a gear on occasion. I can do it most of the time with a quick double tap on the button. It's always when I am just doing it for practice but when I feel I need it, I get about 9 of 10.

 

I usually sit in neutral at lights in Florida. I just remember to make sure both the brakes and the clutch brake are activated when I select the drive or manual mode. If I've been sitting for a while it usually not an issue but if the light was shorter than expected, sometimes it takes a second or two to come together. Mashing both pedals fixes it pretty quick.

 

Finally, it took me quite a while to figure out, you need to not a feather on the go pedal. The easier you try to be the rougher the shifts will feel and more often at a RPM that you do not prefer. If I am on the interstate and have just stopped in a rest area for a minute or so leaving the truck running. Leaving I get up to 15 or 20 mph and hit the cruise resume and let it go. The truck is the smoothest there. I have found in town I can do almost the same thing by just mashing the go pedal after the truck is rolling along.

 

I don't have as many miles behind me as some here and I am still learning.

 

Rod

[wawrd1]

Our '01 has the Eaton three pedal. I like it. Same basic tranny as my '00 Mack, but with a T handle rather than the stick. It took me a long time to really accept the auto function, but this past summer, going to Alaska and back, I left it auto mode nearly the whole trip. It worked fine.

 

I'd buy another one in a heart beat.

 

Issues thus far have been: wire going to the x-y sifter corroded internally, power module failed, o-rings in the splitter box needed replacing. The last one could be an issue in a manual too.

At what point did you have your issues? (mileage on the truck). The truck i am looking at has 450,000 on the clock and the ecm. It came out of the ideal lease program and had 1 driver in it. The second owner was a grain farmer that was very persnickety about his equipment.It was used to go from the field to the bin and from the bin to the terminal. I'm being told the truck was traded in on a newer day cab to gain load capacity over the road. The truck looks very well taken care of.

[wawrd1]

Howdy KNR,

 

I have a three pedal Eaton-Fuller, auto shift coupled to a 12.7 DD-60 430-470hp engine with a 3.55-1 rear axle, in my Freightliner Columbia, I like the fact that you can ease the clutch in and out as your backing up. The only thing I don't like is it sometimes will take up to 10 or 15 seconds to engage a gear if you shift to neutral while waiting for a stop light to change, I learned quick to leave it in gear when waiting for a light to change, the clutch on my truck is rather stiff but not to the point of being a pain to use. The only other thing I don't like is the split between 9th and 10th gear but I think thats pretty much the same for all 10 speed transmissions. On some long steep grades 9th gear is a tad to low and 10th is a tad to high to drive in the speed range I want to be driving at.

 

Dave

Can you elaborate on the split between 9th and 10th?? It seems your truck and the one I'm looking at are very close on specs. I'm pulling with a 10 speed with a stick now and the 9 - 10 split seems good for this truck but I have far less power. I was thinking the new truck would take most hills in OD with near double the torque and 125 more ponies.

[rickeieio]

At what point did you have your issues? (mileage on the truck). The truck i am looking at has 450,000 on the clock and the ecm. It came out of the ideal lease program and had 1 driver in it. The second owner was a grain farmer that was very persnickety about his equipment.It was used to go from the field to the bin and from the bin to the terminal. I'm being told the truck was traded in on a newer day cab to gain load capacity over the road. The truck looks very well taken care of.

Our issues all came right at 700k. But I would think electrical issues are more a function of time rather than miles.

 

As to the problem of having to wait for it to engage gears, it will not engage a gear from stopped unless it senses the input shaft being at or near zero rpm. Depress the clutch pedal fully to engage the clutch brake and you'll be instantly gratified. If I remember correctly, Paul & Paula had this issue a few months ago, and it ended up being a clutch brake problem.

[Ronbo]

If it is taking a long time to engage at a stop you need to adjust/replace the clutch brake. I love my autistic.

[phoenix2013]

No need for feathering the accelerator is not obvious at first, the computer does an amazing job of matching the RPMs on it own and does not need any help, you can skip gear by double tapping the button and the thing will actually use a Jake to lower the RPMs to the speed it needs. It was my first HDT and it came with Autoshift, the learning curve was very short, I ferried a truck with a 10 speed manual, I got it done by I sucked at it for 3,000 miles.

[Bob86ZZ4]

I have a three pedal Gen. 2 autoshift. The Gen 2 has a control panel mounted somewhere on the dash and a separate digital readout for the gear it's in. The Gen 1 has a floor mounted control with that T handle. I'm only 29k lbs. without my trailer (enclosed car hauler) and less than 39k with the trailer. I think it might be nice to be able to skip shift but I've never been able to figure out how to do that. If it's in say 4th gear and I'm accelerating can I push the "up" button twice and the next shift it will go to 6? I would think the biggest disadvantage to the auto shift would be when bobtailing. Since you can only start out from a stop in 1, 2, or 3. The other thing I don't like as much about the a/s is sometimes when it engages in the next up gear and the computer re-applies the throttle it'll really dig in. It's kind of hard for me to make that smooth. It's much smoother when I have the trailer. I would guess it would be even a harder engage if bobtailing? I've often wondered if there is some software programming that would make it smoother? Is there a program based on the weight of the veh? I'm pretty sure it would be smoother at 80k lbs. with the shift program in it now.

[TreyandSusan]

Same experience as Henry (Phoenix). We are very happy with the Autoshift (Gen1). Bob - I start out in 4th when bobtailing - I know of others who start in 5th when bobtailing. The learning curve was very quick - the computer does a great job of knowing when to shift. The computer works great with the cruise and jake making driving a pleasure and not very complicated.

We did have to get a new clutch old one was just worn out. We replaced it with an Easy Pedal clutch. It was much better but still stiffer than a regular manual automobile. Not near as sweet as Dave Matsons air assisted clutch or RandyAs engineered version. My wife has no problem with the clutch. Depending on the height-challenged stature of the driver there could be a minor issue engaging the clutch brake (clutch pedal all the way to the floor to get in initial starting gear). I know of one whose stature made it difficult to adjust the seat far enough which made it a little bit of a challenge to engage the clutch brake. They now have a newer truck with an I-shift and that driver has no problem reaching the pedals.

[Ronbo]

To start out in 4th or skip shift put the shifter in

H(old) and push up button twice just hold the go peddle steady and let the computer modulate the throttle.

[TreyandSusan]

For us to start if 4th (or 5th) when Bobtailing.

Depress Clutch - Move shifter to Drive (D) - toggle up arrow to 4th (or 5th) - release clutch to go.

The computer will remember the starting gear so that when it automatically shifts down it will only shift down to that starting gear.

At least this is how it works in our 2001 Gen 1 Volvo

 

Autoshift RoadRanger Driver instructions

See page 3 for startup procedure

See page for for basic definitions (Selecting Startup gear, Skip Shifting, etc)

See page 6 for Drive Mode information (says - Available starting gears depend on transmission/ECU combinations)

See page 7 for Manual Mode Information

[mr. cob]

Can you elaborate on the split between 9th and 10th?? It seems your truck and the one I'm looking at are very close on specs. I'm pulling with a 10 speed with a stick now and the 9 - 10 split seems good for this truck but I have far less power. I was thinking the new truck would take most hills in OD with near double the torque and 125 more ponies.

Howdy KNR,

 

I should have paid more attention to tach when driving so I could give an accurate number, but on my truck it seems like the rpm to road speed change from 9th to 10 gear is larger then that between all the other shift points. Hope that made some sense. For example, 65mph in 9th gear needs 2,000 engine rpm, 65mph in 10th gear needs 1,350 rpm thats a 650 rpm difference in engine speed for the same amount of road speed. All of the other gears seem to be about 400 rpm different for the same road speed. Next time I drive the truck I'll pay close attention and get real numbers but these numbers are very close to being the actual numbers.

 

I will have the clutch brake checked the next time I have my truck worked on to see if it has worn to the point of needing replacement, it works but perhaps it should work better.

 

When bobtailing, I start out in 3rd, I wish I could start out in a higher gear. The shifter on my truck looks like a large turn signal lever on the right side of the steering wheel. On the far right end of the lever its more like a paddle is a switch that has four positions, Reverse, Neutral, Drive and Low. On the top of the lever part of the paddle is a switch that slides, it has two positions, Manual and Auto. The transmission defaults to start in 2nd gear when you select DRIVE, however you let the clutch out you can pull the paddle UP and it will shift into 3rd but no matter how many times you pull the paddle up after it has shifted to 3rd it won't shift up another gear. I have NOT tried pulling the paddle up quickly more then once, perhaps that will allow starts in 4th when bobtailing.

 

Dave

[Jack Mayer]

You want the Easy Pedal - so that is a good thing.

 

What gear to start in depends on your torque and weight. On my 1999 Volvo ISM with my 23K trailer with 1450 torque and 3.9 rear I needed to start in 2nd, although 3rd was possible. I used 4th for bobtail as 5th was a little hard on the clutch.

 

Once going you simply drive these things like a car. You can manually shift all you want - it won't let you do stupid things.

 

Problems can come at any miles. Typical is the X/Y replacement and corrosion. In 10 years, though, I never had a SINGLE issue with my autoshift.

 

My choice of trans would be: IShift, New Ultra (latest Plus), Autoshift, Ultra, Freedomline, Manual (13 preferred, but Super 10 is great in our application). JMO...others will vary.

[adept99]

We have a Gen I 2001 770 autoshift truck with a D12 engine. Generally pretty happy with the combination.

 

The transmission is really just a "normal" transmission with some extra sensors, application specific wiring, and an X-Y shift box. On the Gen I version, the original installation routed the wiring in such a way as to nearly guarentee failure due to heat. Replacing the X-Y box and the wiring harness can run from $1400 to nearly $4000 depending on the specific repair. Luckily, our truck had been upgraded prior to our purchase. A good visual clue is to look at the top of the transmission and if you can tell that there is very little in the way of heavy wiring harness touching the transmission, chances are that the repair has been made. A local dealer should be able to tell you from the VIN number if any Volvo dealer did that work.

 

The issue with slow engagement when stopped or shifting from forward to reverse is almost assuredly the result of the clutch brake not stopping the input shaft. The most common cause is not depressing the clutch pedal completely. If you're sure you're doing that, then if you have a mechanical clutch linkage setup, it is possible to adjust the clutch brake squeeze. If you have a Hydraulic linkage system, it cannot be adjusted directly. Skipping over a lot of detail here, if you have a SOLO self adjusting clutch, it has likely stopped working and that is what is causing the lack of clutch brake squeeze. You can correct that for some period of time by installing a slightly thicker 2 piece clutch brake disk. Stock disk is .380 thick, you will need something in the neighborhood of .400. That will fix the issue, assuming you engage the brake AND the clutch brake fully before you shift. Keep in mind that this is not your Dad's '56 buick.

 

Be careful on steep hills when starting from a stop. If you are not going fast enough to coast a bit while the truck makes a shift, it can slow to a point below it's expected shift RPM and will 1) go into neutral, or 2) try to downshift and fail, or 3) try to complete the shift, fail, and possibly break an axle, or lastly 4) get confused and just stop and let you try to figure out what to do with a truck on a hill with no transmission function. Better to select a gear, place the tranny in Hold mode and make a safe ascent.

 

Other than those few issues, it's a great setup. Wife can drive. Jake brake & cruise-o-matic work well together. We really like it.

[mr. cob]

For us to start if 4th (or 5th) when Bobtailing.

Depress Clutch - Move shifter to Drive (D) - toggle up arrow to 4th (or 5th) - release clutch to go.

The computer will remember the starting gear so that when it automatically shifts down it will only shift down to that starting gear.

At least this is how it works in our 2001 Gen 1 Volvo

 

Autoshift RoadRanger Driver instructions

See page 3 for startup procedure

See page for for basic definitions (Selecting Startup gear, Skip Shifting, etc)

See page 6 for Drive Mode information (Available starting gears depend on transmission/ECU combinations)

See page 7 for Manual Mode Information

Howdy Trey,

 

THANKS for posting that manual, I thought I had read everything there was on this transmission but I had not run across that manual and it explains things I was not aware of. Next time I drive my truck I am going to see if some of those instructions work on my truck. That said I was told by my Freightliner employed friend who helped me do a lot of work on my truck that the ECM and how its programed will determine how the transmission shifts or can be shifted.

 

Dave

[Alie&Jim's Carrilite]

Any idea if the Eaton Easy Pedal can be installed in the older Rockwell transmissions?

[TreyandSusan]

... that the ECM and how its programed will determine how the transmission shifts or can be shifted.

 

Yep, that's pretty much what the manual says. Transmission model and ECM

Here are two more documents for folks

Older Gen 1 Autoshift Drivers Manual (page 10 says starting gears can be 1-5- again based on specific model or programming and as Jack also stated the appropriate load being carried)

Autoshift Troubleshooting Guide

[Bob86ZZ4]

My Gen 2 will default to start in 2nd. You can push the up or down button before moving the truck and it will then always start up in 1st or 3rd depending what you pushed. Until you shut it all down, then it reverts to 2nd gear starting. I'm pretty sure that's what the manual said too, but it's a lot of work for me to get to the manual and search through it right now. I don't think it made any mention of how the ecm or what-not was programmed. I did have to move my camper yesterday so I tried to push the up button to get it to start out in a higher gear and it would only go up to 3. As I thought. So, anybody with a Gen 2 that will start from a stop in 4 or higher? Back to the o/p for a minute. I think if everything else about that truck you're looking at is good for you I wouldn't worry about the autoshift trans. The minor complaints about it don't seem to be a deal breaker to me.