Suncoast V

[conway]

On my 2003 LB7, I got a Code P0777. I use this to tow a 5 ton gooseneck trailer. The original tranny went bad about 10/01/07. The Suncoast V tranny was installed on 12/10/07. Filter & fluid was changed less than 10,000 miles ago when truck reached 100,000. It is now at 108,000 and the tranny was installed at 78,863. Approx 30,000 miles since it was installed. Truck does not and never had been ‘chipped’. My mechanic spoke to Suncoast and was told that the P0777 is a bad code to get and it signifies that the clutches are going. Suncoast stated that they have ‘upgraded’ the clutches. It appears that I will have to find a transmission shop to tear apart and replace the clutches. I will have to see if I can find a shop on this island to do the work or if I will have to ship it off island. Any suggestions that I may not be aware of?

[THEFERMANATOR]

Call SUNCOAST yourself as they are VERY helpful in working with you if it is inded a parts failure of that kind. Also they can probably help you find a shop to do the work.

[Kennedy]

It's unfortunate that you are located where you are. I must say that Allison failures with "unchipped" trucks are few and far between. Failures of built Suncoast transmissions with an "unchipped" truck are even less common. They can be hurt, but we are talking race applications and severe punishment.

I'm still pondering this one, but the first thing that I would probably do is test the converter and male sure that it is doing it's job.

What fluid are you using?

The Alto clutches in your trans have served me well in both my 2002 and 2005 trucks with no issues whatsoever.


Essentially, 70k on a stock trans followed by 30k on a VERY well built one tells me there is something else wrong.

Have you pulled teh pan to see what is there for debris?

Does the truck run and drive at all?

Have you tried clearing the code to see what it takes to cause it to reoccur?

[SoTxPollock]

When you say your original transmission went bad at around 78,000 miles. What symptoms did it exhibit to make you think it was going bad or was it your mechanic saying it went bad. Without being chipped I have a hard time understanding why it would have gone bad that quickly. If you tow constantly I'd suggest fluid changes every 50,000 and use of synthetic fluid. Are you running really high temperatures on the transmission for long periods of time? Man I've towed 15 to 20 thousand pounds with my stock allison and it still performs flawlessly with 170,000 miles on it. It just boggles my mind to think you can hurt a Suncoast V with just the things you have listed on your sig. for that truck. If you were running 700 or 800 horsepower, petal to the metal all the time in stop and go traffic, well maybe, but still not likely. Those transmissions have taken some real abuse and lived over here. Any metal in the pan? Do you change the spin on filter often? Are you using a genuine Allison filter or some cheap immitation that has small holes in it to restrict the fluid flow? I agree with Kennedy, somethings wrong. I'd drop the pan and make sure the suction filter is firmly seated and sealed so its not sucking air in with the fluid. If you can't find Transcend Fluid, use Mobil 1 full synthetic fluid meetng and exceeding dexron requirements for your application.
For what that transmissions costs you better bet I'd be calling Suncoast and looking for answers from them. They've got a reputation to protect. Thats in your favor. They will want to help you solve your problem.

[conway]

I do use Transynd. When the original tranny went out, it just stopped going into gear. It was in neutral. The local dealership said the tranny was shot and to fix it would cost at least $5,000. Soooooooo, I opted to get the Suncoast V. In speaking to the Suncoast people (a tech), he indicated that the Code P0777 was for the clutches going out and stated that they have upgraded the clutches.

John Kennedy was emailed me and suggested a course of action. Basically, doing a little more investigation with a Tech II. I am proceeding with that and will let the forum know the outcome.

[Kennedy]

The P0777 used to be a sign of major issues, but lately there have been some new issues arising with speed sensors not reading properly etc. and causing this.

I wonder if the original trans was even actually bad or just minor electrical.