Motor oil in Allison tranny

[Blacktruck-1]

Just as a point of interest the company I work for maintains a large fleet of Navistar medium trucks. Mostly DT466E/Allison combos. They use motor oil exclusively in these trannys. Yes what goes in the engine goes in the tranny! They've been doing it for years with full factory approval and no ill effects.

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Onyx Black '01 cc D/A LS 2wd Have order # Since 02/19

[SteveO]

Blacktruck-1,

I'm going out on a limb in saying I do not recommend motor oil (C4) in our trucks.. Just about every fleet that I know of uses C4 in there Allison automatics, but I truely do not like using it..

Ok, with that said. I just learned (over the past week or so) that Allison is rethinking the approval of C4 in there transmissions.. I will get you more info soon..

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2001 Chevrolet 2500HD 4x4 Crew Cab LT, LB7-Duramax Diesel/Allison 1000 Series, Autometer Boost/EGT Gauges, Husky Floor liners, Vent Shades, Driving it!!
2001 Z06 Corvette> I wish!
The Diesel Page member #330

[Blacktruck-1]

SteveO---I have no intention of using motor oil in my Allison. If any thing I will go synthetic. I think the reasons the fleets use it is mostly an economic issue. With the abuse these units take (not my truck attitude) they hold up pretty well but I was surprised at the crossover application given the original purpose of the lubricants, viscosity differences etc. I can say from personal experience that these units are very durable as I have had enough water in the thing to the point that when the temp reached boiling point the resulting steam displaced the oil in the converter and the truck would not move untill the tranny temp dropped below boiling! The soultion? Change the oil and drive it till the water boiled off. This happened two years in a row and the tranny is still going strong (545 Allison).

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Onyx Black '01 cc D/A LS 2wd Have order # Since 02/19

[SteveO]

Blacktruck-1,

The AT500s are very durable units..

I don't see many of the fleets around here (who have AT500, MT600s) use C4, most use ATF.. Most of the fleets >>and when I say fleets, I mean Transit buses, Trash trucks, Cement mixers,<< but they use larger MD3000, HD4000 Ht700 etc etc.. I hate the stuff..
If the vehicle has a leak of anykind they always blame the trans first then the engine and most of the time it's the engine with the leaks, but with both using the same fluids it's hard to find the problems...

Speaking of Water>>>
Don't let it get in an electronic transmission.. You will be replacing lots of solenoids..
I know from experience...
We just had to rebuild an MD3060 because the truck had a 500 Gal water tank which they filled from a fire hydrant, they would over fill it onto the top of the transmission flooding the vent.. Not much got in at one time, but over a two year period the amount added up.. This truck was driven very little in that 2 years so the water never had a chance to boil off...


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2001 Chevrolet 2500HD 4x4 Crew Cab LT, LB7-Duramax Diesel/Allison 1000 Series, Autometer Boost/EGT Gauges, Husky Floor liners, Vent Shades, Driving it!!
2001 Z06 Corvette> I wish!
The Diesel Page member #330

[turbo Al]

All of our Firetrucks and District equipment use ATF and yes leak detection is easy. Motor oil is SOMETHING I would keep in mind when I am 60 miles from nowhere and tear out a line on the trans. What wt are they using (15wt 40wt)? When/if my truck ever gets here it will be my first (ever) automatic and that has some really serious downsides in the "BUSH"
STEVEO: Can the Allison be push started? if so how fast do you need to go?
Turbo Al Member #750

[SteveO]

Turbo Al,

15w-40 is normally regarded as C4 which is what most fleets use..

No you can not push start an 1000/2000-2400 Series Allison equipped vehicle..



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2001 Chevrolet 2500HD 4x4 Crew Cab LT, LB7-Duramax Diesel/Allison 1000 Series, Autometer Boost/EGT Gauges, Husky Floor liners, Vent Shades, Driving it!!
2001 Z06 Corvette> I wish!
The Diesel Page member #330

[turbo Al]

Thanks for the reply SteveO. If it don't start that's going to be one $$$$$$ tow http://www.62-65-dieselpage.com/ubb/smile.gif
Has only happened once so far in 10 years up there and it was my bud's http://www.62-65-dieselpage.com/ubb/smile.gifFord http://www.62-65-dieselpage.com/ubb/smile.gif
Turbo AL

[Black Dog]

My brother used to work at the school bus garage (15 years ago), and he swears that they could extend the life of the Allison automatics indefinitely by switching from ATF to motor oil when they started to slip.

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Tim
'01 GMC 2500HD, regular cab, Duramax/Allison