Thread: identifying a GM diesel engine?

My experience with both truck drivers and plant operators has been that they can stuff anything. What do you do with people who won't cherck oils or water, put masking tape over flickering warning lights, drive with power divider lock engaged until something breaks, persistently use mystery gear on thirteen speeds after being firmly told not to, use the Jake Brake as a gear shifting aid on Cummins engines and so on.

Originally Posted by Brian Hjelm

My experience with both truck drivers and plant operators has been that they can stuff anything. What do you do with people who won't cherck oils or water, put masking tape over flickering warning lights, drive with power divider lock engaged until something breaks, persistently use mystery gear on thirteen speeds after being firmly told not to, use the Jake Brake as a gear shifting aid on Cummins engines and so on.

I have to put my hand up to the occasional use of the extra gear, but the others plain stupid obviously not the ones footing the bill.

Another good trick from a driver was, after bursting a water hose on an N series Cummins, to refill with tap water, no inhibitor, and not bothering to tell anyone. Velocity corrosion hole in a sleeve, hydraulic lock, bent con-rod and broken crankshaft.

It should have been allowable practice to show the driver to an empty office, and hand him the pistol with a single bullet, except most would probably shoot themselves in the foot not the head

OK I i gota chime in here. What is the problem with the mystery gear ?
It ain't special it aint a different part No, it works in Lo range
It only had a in between ratio thats all, With the 9 speeds it didn't match up
with the splitter ratio thats all. I have worked on Road Rangers for years
have used it for years Even the Mack 9 speed Done 525.000 K's and it still was going 3 years after i sold it. Myth .............. Mark

supposedly it loads the countershaft in the gearbox up to a critical point, oil temps go through the roof, bearings and gear teeth fail, and bang.....

Originally Posted by groucho

OK I i gota chime in here. What is the problem with the mystery gear ?
It ain't special it aint a different part No, it works in Lo range
It only had a in between ratio thats all, With the 9 speeds it didn't match up
with the splitter ratio thats all. I have worked on Road Rangers for years
have used it for years Even the Mack 9 speed Done 525.000 K's and it still was going 3 years after i sold it. Myth .............. Mark

I did ask a Tech. Rep. from Eaton-Fuller this question long time ago and got a detailed technical response by fax which I no longer have and can't remember.The maker doesn't like it and considers it forbidden practice and will dishonour warranty claims made where this usage is evident.

Originally Posted by Sprint

supposedly it loads the countershaft in the gearbox up to a critical point, oil temps go through the roof, bearings and gear teeth fail, and bang.....

A RoadRanger is a twin countershaft tranmission you can't load one
more than the other. All gears are constant mesh there is no sliding gears.
All gears have 2 teeth contact. The only thing that is not ideal is the
RTOO double overdrive box. Where the box spins too fast at the rear output
burning the thrust wasers. It may be not ideal to use the extra gear
but i am to be convinced that it will damage the box. Only driver abuse will.
You don't use it every time or all day.But now and then it don't hurt......

right. Here is the guts from Eaton regarding use of "mystery" gear.

The "mystery" gear should never be used at the higher speeds and torque loading the transmission is subjected to in high range. It is not designed for high torque usage. Instead of having several teeth meshed as in the normal arrangement, when in "mystery" position, the gear has only one tooth engaged so is naturally not as strong. It is there for low range usage only where the torque loading is not as severe as in high range. Continual usage in the higher speed/torque loading of high range will lead to excessive wear and gear failure.