This was originally posted on the DTT site at:
http://www.dieseltrans.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=34
If you have comments or questions that you would like Bill Kondolay to address, post on the DTT site.
DTT Customer Service - DTT excels again in the customer service department.
On Oct 1, I was climbing the 6 percent grade with hairpin curves out of the Grand Ronde River canyon on my way to a visit to the Hells Canyon area with the 11,000 lb fifth wheel. The speeds were between 20 and 40 mph. I had stopped twice to cool the transmission when temperatures in the exit line got over 230. The high temperatures caused by operation in nonlockup at relatively low speeds in 3rd gear. The next set of curves I noticed the temperature gauge flying past 320 and hitting the peg. I pulled over at the next wide spot several hundred yards up the road, lifted the hood, and smoke was boiling out. Fortunately there was no fire. I continued to idle the rig in neutral until things cooled off. I unhooked the pickup and found I was still mobil but with 3rd gear start. This failure was at the top of the grade on a seldom traveled state route, 50 miles S.of Asotin, WA, 50 miles N. of Enterprise, OR, and the cell phone was not getting a signal.
I headed for home about 11:00 AM, 225 miles. When I got a cell phone signal, I called my neighbor and arranged to borrow his 94 diesel Ford with a fifth wheel hitch. I got back to the trailer that night with the Ford at 8:00 PM and stayed the night on the shoulder of the road. The morning of Oct 2 I hooked up the Ford and pulled the trailer home. There sure is a difference between 160 HP and 294 HP! The mileage was also much lower with the Ford.
Oct 3 I called DTT and talked with Shanti and Bill. It turned out that a scheduled racing engagement in Texas the following week fell through and Shanti made an appointment for me one week later on Oct 10. I changed the transmission fluid and filter as recommended by Bill before the trip to Abbotsford, BC. The AMSOIL transmission fluid was darker than the engine oil when I change it and there was 1/32-1/16 inch of black sludge in the pan. The temp gauge in the outlet line had quit working and I found the sensing element hanging loose. The high temperatures had melted the plastic portion holding the element to the brass thread fitting. The blue paint on the torque converter was discolored. Bill diagnosed failure of the forward clutch pack and welding of the clutch elements which gave me reverse, 3rd, and OD (TC lockup worked but no 1st or 2nd gears).
I drove the 325 miles to Abbotsford, BC on Oct 9 and checked into the Best Western a couple of miles from Bill's shop. I had put 600 miles on a failed transmission with 3rd gear starts, but I was driving like I had an egg on the accelerator pedal.
I arrived at Bill's shop at 8:00 AM on the 10th. As I was there on a day that Bill was originally scheduled to be gone, I was the only rig there. During the day, up to three people including Bill were working simultaneously on the transmission. The transmission was installed by 2:00 PM. This left enough time for the installation of the DTT Smart Controller that I had not intended on buying prior to the trip. During the day I got an introductory course in the care, feeding, and failures of transmissions. Discussions with Bill, the opportunity to examine transmission parts, make some measurements, and do some simplified engineering calculations led me to a decision. The result was that I requested that they install the DTT Smart Controller. (A discussion of what I learned and how not to abuse a transmission is the subject of a separate posting:
http://www.dieseltrans.com/phpBB/vie....php?p=102#102
The fully DTT equipped rig; a new torque converter, all the latest updates and the Smart Controller; was ready for me to leave at 5:00 PM. I made it home a little after midnight. I am learning the differences in driving with the Smart Controller. (My initial observations with the Smart Controller are in still another separate posting:
http://www.dieseltrans.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?p=99#99
The DTT warranty is 12 months labor and 24 months/unlimited mileage on parts. When we looked at my record, I had the DTT torque converter, DTT valve body, and DTT upgrade kit done 14 months and 15,000 miles previously. I was unaware that a "complete rebuild" also includes replacing all seals (not just the seals included in the upgrade kit). The failure to replace all seals when the transmission was open at 56,000 miles was probably a contributing factor combined with my abuse for my transmission failure. Despite my failure to replace all the seals on a 56,000 mile transmission, Bill and DTT stood by their work and I paid only for labor and the additional transmission upgrades that were not available 14 months ago (the billet shaft, hub, and piston and the Smart Controller).
My thanks to Shanti, Bill and crew for fitting me in the schedule, doing in one day what would normally be scheduled for two days to complete, and taking the time to educate and explain things to me. Extraordinary customer service.
Linear Mode
