Old gears: Transmission info of yesteryear.

**Prairie Boy** · 01.02.2011

Originally Posted by OldHasBeen

Setting here tonight I happened to think, recon I could find any thing on the net about those transmissions of yesterday, and did a search and come across your post about the married-box.

I once drove a 72 KW that had one of these with a progressive overdrive, even with a 350 built to a 370 it would get down the road quite good.

I remember once running across Texas late night and early morning running along and passed a hand that asked me on the CB Radio what I was running. I told him and he said there is no way a little 370 Cumming will out run my 425 Cat. I told him, "Well, I'm nearly ready for a cup of coffee, I haven't stop since Quartzite, if your ready to stop, we will get that coffee at the next truck stop and you can take a look under my hood and decided for your self."

He took me up on it, I was kind of glad for I was a bit tired setting in that thing. Anyway he seemed quite surprised after opening my hood seeing a little 350 setting under the hood of that faded out blue KW. He said I wish my boss would get me one like this. Of course when he said that he I was thinking about what I could do across Texas if I only had a 425 Cat like his setting under my hood.

After we got back out there his headlights were slowly fading in my review mirrors, I told him I would love to slow down and run along and visit with you but with this produce you had to make time when you could, for they seemed to expect this produce in Tennessee about as soon as you got it loaded in California.

Those were the good day, I suppose they are forever gone, just memories in old truck drivers heads that will die with us.

What was the number of the button that you had in the pump on that 350???

**GRAYMATTERS** · 01.02.2011

Originally Posted by 7mouths2feed

Curious about possibly putting a 13 spd in my truck and wondering about the consequenses of running in 11 or 12th gear?
Heres my situation. DD12.7 Pre-EGR, 2.79 gears, direct 10spd. Truck is obviously set up to run 62mph for best fuel milage 1450 RPM's.

One thing you need to consider is the gear ratio for reverse.

The 10 direct has a 16.21 ratio, whereas the 13 spd has a 13.22 ratio.

The 13 spd, coupled with 2.79, would seem to be a little fast when backing. Just my 2 cents.

**TIREDOLDTRUCKER** · 01.03.2011

Remember the old Eaton 5&3 air shift. They were worse than a 2 or 3 stick.

**ironeagle2006** · 01.03.2011

I asked my dad about them HE does and still would hate them. Tired old you might love this truck he drove in the Early 70's It was a 69 KW cabover 1693 Kittycat with the pump maxed out. Trans was a 5X4 then to really make things fun for him boss had a set of 3 speed Eaton Rears in it. That thing would FLY I guess.

**OldHasBeen** · 01.03.2011

Originally Posted by Prairie Boy

What was the number of the button that you had in the pump on that 350???

No idea, it was running fine as and did not have to do no pump work.

I remember late one evening I was fixing to leave out for the west side and my pump was gone. I dreaded what the new rebuilt pump would be like, yet it was hotter than the old one. They had most of our trucks set up to run right good.

I only had to go into one pump while driving for them, and that pump was put on the 400 big cam I was driving at that time by the Cummings shop at El Paso, they nearly choke that engine to death. I stopped at Midland TX & exchanged the 55 button for 20, and added RPM shims so that it would pull 2400 out of gear instead of the 2050 they had it set. After that it run about normal.

**Fstcowtrk** · 07.30.2011

Originally Posted by GRAYMATTERS

One thing you need to consider is the gear ratio for reverse.

The 10 direct has a 16.21 ratio, whereas the 13 spd has a 13.22 ratio.

The 13 spd, coupled with 2.79, would seem to be a little fast when backing. Just my 2 cents.

Yeap , I put 3.36 rears in a truck with a 15 sp. Tall 24.5 and its killing my cluth and driveline backing up if in sand or soft ground. I should have put lower gears and a 13sp.

**mudhog** · 07.31.2011

Originally Posted by OldHasBeen

I remember a trucking company out of the Dallas area in the late 70's that run some new KW's with KT 450's with, 15 overs if I remember correctly, in the hot summer making the crossing toward sunny California I remember them complaining about their transmissions running real hot if they hammered on it during the heat of the day pegging out the temp gage. Heard some of the transmission did not hold up to it.

Always wondered what their problem was, I knew of others that run this transmission with out a problems.

Did they have coolers on them? Not many did.

**V8Lenny** · 07.31.2011

Did you ever had 12sp Eaton Twinsplitters in north-America? 4 speed main with 3 speed "splitter". Many European drivers liked it when it was still in production.

**98989** · 07.31.2011

Originally Posted by V8Lenny

Did you ever had 12sp Eaton Twinsplitters in north-America? 4 speed main with 3 speed "splitter". Many European drivers liked it when it was still in production.

i was just trying to ask this

**Powell-Peralta** · 07.31.2011

1) thanks for posting the info and keep it coming.

2) Tell me about Maxitorque; How did they get away with only using 5 gears?

3) Then tell me all about Allison.