Planning 1200 Mile Recovery MN to NC

[turnkey]

Easy thing to do is, take said truck to a semi shop ...have them give it a once over, and change all fluids and filters....Safety check and follow TM for road trip...This might take 2 days over all ...but a great way to start a trip...safe and sure...Best on the trip...Post pics if you can ...Great trip plan.

 

[lakeydna]

Turn her south and drive. Anything that happens can be bought on the way. I've driven 12 from WI to Devon, AB. Worst thing that happened is an air drier froze in Feb. Never trust the fuel gauge and drive by mileage, I fill every 350 mi. It's a nice drive going slow and checking out the scenery. Good luck.

 

[KaiserM109]

... change all fluids and filters....

I found out the hardway, before I even got home that the transmission oil is not necessarily suitable for US use. Some units in Iraq or Afganastan apparently put 15W40 oil in that big Allison for desert use and it will kill the transmission in cold weather. $75 worth of transmission fluit is a lot cheaper than $500 to $700 for a pull-out transmission.

When I had to replace mine, I talked to an engineer at Allison. They used to endorse GM products because of a corporate relationship, but he told me that any quality Transmission Fluid is okay. Mine blew out the low gear pack in -20 degree weather after 1800 miles of driving and 16 miles from its parking spot. If it had broken down a hundred miles earlier, I would have sold it on the spot for scrap.

The good lord only knows what they put in engines and differentials!

 

[bigbe5678]

Good Luck God Speed Great advice about taking it ti semi shop

 

[KaiserM109]

See http://www.steelsoldiers.com/showthread.php?129928-Batteries-were-dead-made-it-home/page2

 

[telemanipulators]

I double checked with the insurance company, they insured it based on the VIN number, and it came up on their computer as an AM General, so they promised me they know what it is and I am covered.

 

[telemanipulators]

Thanks for the battery advice, they are only a few months old, but I will bring a spare set with anyway.

 

[Andrmorr]

Thanks for the battery advice, they are only a few months old, but I will bring a spare set with anyway.

Remember to take 2 sets of jumper cables so if you need a jump,
the 1st set you connect your spare batteries together for 24v,
the 2nd set is to connect them to your truck for the jump.

 

[1 Patriot-of-many]

I found out the hardway, before I even got home that the transmission oil is not necessarily suitable for US use. Some units in Iraq or Afganastan apparently put 15W40 oil in that big Allison for desert use and it will kill the transmission in cold weather. $75 worth of transmission fluit is a lot cheaper than $500 to $700 for a pull-out transmission.

When I had to replace mine, I talked to an engineer at Allison. They used to endorse GM products because of a corporate relationship, but he told me that any quality Transmission Fluid is okay. Mine blew out the low gear pack in -20 degree weather after 1800 miles of driving and 16 miles from its parking spot. If it had broken down a hundred miles earlier, I would have sold it on the spot for scrap.

The good lord only knows what they put in engines and differentials!

It calls for oil in the TM. Also in colder weather it tells you warm the trans up before driving. 15W40 is the best all round oil by the Tm's, 10 degrees to 110 degrees.

 

[KaiserM109]

It calls for oil in the TM. Also in colder weather it tells you warm the trans up before driving. 15W40 is the best all round oil by the Tm's, 10 degrees to 110 degrees.

When the transmission died, it had been idling for over 30 min. I called Allison and asked for advice and he said "Get that $%&# government %&*@ out and put in any good ATF." That little episode cost me $975, including a $375 towing bill and I had to spend $175 on tools, mostly a chain hoist. It also took my son and me a total of about 50 hr. to do the work (we're not the fastest mechanics in the world), and a few mildly pinched fingers (I always baptize my projects with a little blood).

After all that, I'm gonna believe the man from the company who built the transmission. Three years in the Army taught me that the TMs and FMs are often full of brown, sticky stuff. Also, it was well below zero when it died. "10 degrees to 110 degrees" won't cut it in most of the US and a guy from Zimmerman, MN knows that, I'm sure.

 

[Andrmorr]

I found out the hardway, before I even got home that the transmission oil is not necessarily suitable for US use. Some units in Iraq or Afganastan apparently put 15W40 oil in that big Allison for desert use and it will kill the transmission in cold weather. $75 worth of transmission fluit is a lot cheaper than $500 to $700 for a pull-out transmission.

When I had to replace mine, I talked to an engineer at Allison. They used to endorse GM products because of a corporate relationship, but he told me that any quality Transmission Fluid is okay. Mine blew out the low gear pack in -20 degree weather after 1800 miles of driving and 16 miles from its parking spot. If it had broken down a hundred miles earlier, I would have sold it on the spot for scrap.

The good lord only knows what they put in engines and differentials!

The TM does say that 15w40 is rated for 10-110f and you said it was -20 when you had the failure...the -20 was probably the biggest reason for the fail...-20 will honey up most anything ...that's where synthetics really shine and DON'T thicken up anywhere near as much as dino...

 

[maccus]

The most important thing to take with you by far is a lot of money. I recovered a M1070 HET from Ft. McCoy, WI to the southern Black Hills in the dead of winter. When we were coming into Sioux, Falls, SD the Detroit blew an injector. Just the bill from the Detroit Company shop was $2200. That did not cover having to wait in a motel for 3 days for the part to come in. We also had a M936A2 that we were recovering. As it was very cold -30 at night we left the wrecker running at night. It jelled up and stopped running and then the batteries died. After getting an outfit to come over and start the wrecker we gave him $250. I then found out that the #1 fuel we had been buying was not #1 cause you cannot sell the old type #1 anymore cause it does not meet the low sulfur specs. If the pump says #1 it probably is #2 with an additive. Anyway to do the recovery and take care of the equipment bills and food and lodging for 3 people for 5 days total was a bundle.

My point is money is something that is the most important. Hopefully you will not have this kind of bad luck. Having recovered 26 trucks/trailers from McCoy this is the only disaster recovery.............but it can happen. I was recovering the two trucks for a contractor and he did not even flinch when I presented him with the bills.

 

[Tow4]

You can go a long way with a lot of cash and high limit credit card!

 

[Baradium]

I then found out that the #1 fuel we had been buying was not #1 cause you cannot sell the old type #1 anymore cause it does not meet the low sulfur specs. If the pump says #1 it probably is #2 with an additive. Anyway to do the recovery and take care of the equipment bills and food and lodging for 3 people for 5 days total was a bundle.

You can get #1 diesel still, but it wouldn't surprise me at all if stations in that area tried to skimp out becuase it costs more and they can get more profit by charging #1 price for treated #2.

The labled #1 we get in AK won't gel untreated at -50F. I did a little experiment and filled a clear bottle with diesel one winter and just left it in the bed of my truck and checked on it periodically. -50 was the coldest temperature where I actually looked at it. I do think that our #1 diesel is closer to jet fuel than what you used to get down there for #1 though.