10 speed vs 13 speed

You've got it.

It amazes me how many guys complain because they don't know how to shift a super 10.

 

It all depends on what you're doing.....OTR and pulling 80k up and down grades, you can't beat a 13....Those half gears were a great improvement over the 9 or 10, kept your rpm's, speed, and pyro steadier, plus a lot easier on the drive train....Local work pulling light loads I used to run a Mack with a straight 5.....

 

You can get just as good fuel economy with a 10 as a 13, you'll just lose a little more speed on the hills in order to stay in the engine's sweet spot. In exchange, you get a less expensive, lighter, & more robust transmission.

That said, I'd change to a 13 1od in a heartbeat if offered the choice, but I'd rather have gearing letting me run in direct drive & you just can't find a 13spd with < 2.80 gears..

 

But I bet you love a 13! (More on this below.)

Yeah, it was awesome to only have to move the button from 35 mph up.

Yep, with funky shift pattern, 4 on the bottom, 5 on the top.

Internally, it's a modified 13/18, and the shifts feel like it. Only 3 gears in the main instead of 5, a range shift controlled by the shifter's gate position, and a bigger ratio spread on the splitter. The split shift takes just a tad longer, but other than that, they feel very similar.

13/18's would have come apart just as often as the Super 10's if guys were range shifting them when they came out of 7th coming down ramps. Because all the idiots kicking the Super 10's stick to neutral after a downshift or two were effectively doing just that.

I went from a 13 to 10 one time, just too good a deal to pass up. I didn't miss the gears going up with all the torque we have nowadays, but I dang sure missed those splits when it was time to hang on the jake falling off a grade. Ended up coming down slower because the next gear was just too tall, whereas a 13/18 split would be just right.

 

Actually, I do love a 13 speed. Just hate the Super 10. Never could get the hang of splitting all the gears, but splitting the high range came naturally.

 

Pretty much any truck you look at with 10spd is only gonna have the driveline rated for 1650 ft/lbs and the engine is probably gonna be rated as such. They do make a 10spd with a higher torque rating, but I've yet to run across a truck with one in it. 13/18 speeds on the other hand can be commonly found in 1650 and 1850 ratings, pretty much a coin toss. If it was a fleet truck, probably 1650, if o/o spec, probably 1850. Higher ratings exist but are much more rare.

Depending on what part of the country you're located in and what kind of weights you are pulling, it may be nice having that extra torque assuming the engine is rated at the higher spec.

A 10 speed direct with tall rear gears is a pretty darn fuel efficient setup and is why most fleets use them. 10 speeds are also much more forgiving and put up with abuse better than a 13/18 speed will, which is of course another reason why most fleets run 10s.

I'd go for something with a 13 in it, especially since you're buying and driving it and you've got the option to be picky.

 

Back in my company days I ran a super 10, thought it was a good setup, but since I've had my own I'll keep my 13

 

.

Not to beat a dead dog . . .
Eaton Fuller 9 Spds
are actually 13 Spds

Conversion kits upgrade the value
of the truck to $3000

Cummins warranty allow 50 Hp bump

So
Fleet 9 Spd
450 Hp
3.55 Rear Ratio

=
13 Spd
500 Hp
Under $35k
+ Warranty
> 350 k miles

Peace ~

...

 

I was under the impression that not all 9 speeds can be converted. The ones that can be converted come out of the factory as 13 speeds but have the splitter blocked out, making them a 9 speed. Then there are 9 speeds that come from the factory as 9 speeds and cannot be converted. At least that's my understanding, am I wrong?

Reason I ask is because a friend of mine has a 1995 FL with 9 speed, he tells me it cannot be converted to 13.

 

I believe that's correct, although it's been a while since I've been in service manuals poking around. The 9 speeds (non-convertible) are about 4 inches shorter, as the aux section doesn't need the room for the splitter, whereas any of the 9's with a RTOC or RTLOC are 13's and match them in length.