Purple Trans!

[More Power]

http://www.thedieselpage.com/reviews/atstrans02.jpg

Must go faster! :D

MP

[MIKE MOG]

Why is it purple?
Mike

[madmatt]

ATS!!!!!!!!

[More Power]

Yup ATS... I went through Kennedy to get this one. JK's been beating on Allisons as long or longer than others, and I figured he would know what would work best for Lil Red.

If it bangs through the gears and doesn't defuel, it ought to shave quite a chunk off the ET all by itself. Hope to get it installed in a week or thereabouts.

Took Lil Red out on a 150 mile run today. There's a stretch of highway south of here that goes from 3300' to 7200' elevation with some nice smooth twisties. Little traffic, nice weather and a good ride..... Need bigger sway bars. smile.gif

MP

[JD Diesel]

Needs yellow racing strips. :eek:

[madmatt]

the tranny or the truck :D ????????

[JD Diesel]

I think some 3" strips on the trans should do it.. :eek: :rolleyes:

[tanker]

More Power, Will Lil Red show up in SLC in September? :rolleyes: It would be a nice addition to the Rendezvous. ;)
I'm sure MJ would love to drive it down! :D

[More Power]

Tanker, Yes, it'll be there. Planning to trailer it down. Just need to figure out how to get it and our travel trailer to SLC, along with the people who want to go. May have to get a PSD to tow the TT. :D

Spoke with the guys at ATS yesterday. Was told their tests showed a second faster with just a trans swap - due to quicker shifts...

Should be in next week. Picking up the trans/transfer case gasket and fluid today.

MP

[xwing]

Does the ATS tranny swap stop the defueling on shifts, or is it an aftermarket computer box or flash that stops the defueling?

[More Power]

It's a combination of better torque handling capability of the ATS trans and their separate "Co-Pilot" electronic trans control system - that'll be installed at the time the trans goes in.

The Co-Pilot allows the driver to select "on the fly" the level of shift firmness and TC lockup control.

I'm told it'll bang through the gears with little or no defueling, and a 2500HD truck will be approximately 1-sec quicker in the 1/4, without changing any fueling mods. ;)

MP

[More Power]

Got it in! Took about 5 hours. Added 2 gallons of Dextron III before starting. Got a P0700 after the first start due to low fluid. Required a total of about 22 quarts. A P0700 locks out reverse, so needed to cycle the ignition to get reverse once getting the fluid level right. Reset the code using the Predator, then drove it for a few miles. Seems to be OK. Shifts a little different that the original, but I assume the adaptive learn is still calculating.... Will install the Co-Pilot this weekend. :D

MP

[mtomac]

With a 125 Edge Juice I went from 14.3 with a stock tranny to 13.6 with the ATS trans w/copilot with no other upgrades

[More Power]

Thanks Michael, Even .7 seconds is a big improvement at that performance level. What's your perception of how it shifts while at the track and on the street?

MP

[More Power]

It's been raining so much here that I haven't had a good opportunity to test the new trans with JK's big VanAaken program till today. :D

Dodging rain clouds, I took the truck out for some prelim trans testing in 2WD this morning. To my relief, the ATS doesn't produce the "stutter" the original Allison did when pushed hard. With big power and a factory trans, the engine would blow through the trans and engine rev limiter, then the TCM would torque manage the engine to reduce power/rpm. Even though it didn't limp, the stutter killed power/acceleration.

However, the ATS bangs through the gears with the Duramax producing more than 500 hp. No stutter.... no shift delay... :cool:

I should mention that the trans build was to John's specs. There are several different ATS options available from mild to wild, and I needed an objective opinion about what this particular truck needed from someone who's been there - done that. When dialed back for daily type driving, it shifts mildly, but with everything dialed up, it performs with authority. smile.gif

MP

[mtomac]

the ATS trans shifts great on and off the track

[motovet]

Looking good Jim. I figured in time you would need more holding power. Next might be some lift pumps....n20...and? That will definately be one fast truck!

[More Power]

I was hoping the stock trans would hold the power. In fact, Allison engineers suggested it might in this truck. And it can, up to a point.

I could stack an E/A at 150 plus a lower Predator power increase with no "stutter" during a launch/acceleration. But, the VanAaken is whole nuther animal.

It definitely needs nitrous to help clear up the smoke. :D

I'll have it at the Pull-Off next month... for show-n-tell...

MP

[G. Gearloose]

Pardon the detour, but MP,...
You mentioned sway bars..Have you installed uerathane bushings on the stock bar yet? I found the difference quite dramatic. Can you stuff an old Tahoe bar in the rear?

[Jim Brzozowski]

Hey MP, Sam Memolo was doing a piece on installation of an ATS in his DMAX on the Speed Channel Sunday Morning, but I had to leave in the first part of it for church, so don't know how he came out. Interesting how they redid the clutches with all of the friction material and no slots, and yet it shifts smooth on the street. Well Good luck at the Pull-Offs this week. Hope someone takes a video camera and gets some runs back on the web site. Can't wait to see those Dmaxes do it again.

[LTChip]

What do you guys think of the co-pilot running with the stock tranny? Worth it?

[More Power]

The instructions included with the Co-Pilot actually recommend its use with a stock tranny as well, and suggests it'll add torque capacity to an undamaged transmission. If the tranny has been hurt by several slip/limp events, the glazed clutch plates might not allow the CP to help as much. So, it's best to add the CP before that happens. smile.gif

MP

[Kennedy]

I would say that the minimum upgrade should include torque converter, and clutches. The Copilot itself doesn't seem to do a lot in 5th gear. A higher psi main pressure also helps.

[LTChip]

Thanks. If one had to upgrade incrementally, would the torque converter be the first thing to upgrade? Then clutches, then copilot?

[More Power]

Pulled & replaced the ATS Allison on Tuesday to correct a fluid leak. It had what appeared to be at first blush a front input shaft seal leak that would drip 6-10 drops off the bellhousing after driving 10-20 miles. With input from ATS, JK, DmaxMaverick, an Allison engineer, Steve Overcash and our local GMC diesel tech I learned that the most likely cause was because one or more of the bolts located behind the torque converter wasn't sealing.

Since resealing the twelve related bolts (just to make sure I didn't miss one), the trans is now leak free (at least after a 30 mile run).

Not a lot of fun pulling the trans, but this did provide an opportunity to learn more about dealing with ATF leaks. I'll be working up a story about all this before long showing the part numbers for the related seals along with the procedure.

Jim

[Kennedy]

After fixing your "gusher" on the side of the road, I figured I'd leave the light work to you. :D Sound like it was handled well!


That reminds me, I was supposed to send you something...

[More Power]

Clamps....? smile.gif

Amazing how quickly one can lose a couple of gallons of ATF after a cooling line comes loose. :rolleyes:

Jim