Service intervals...will they increase

[Lessmore]

New automatic for class 8 , heavy duty trucks called the Eaton Endurant.

I was reading that he oil drain intervals have been stretched out to 750,000 miles for this transmission. I'm impressed. I don't know what the factory recommended diesel engine/ transmission service intervals are for the one ton GM, Ford, Ram trucks...but I don't think any of them approach 3/4 of a million miles for transmission oil drain service.

I realize that Class 8 trucks have more oil capacity/filter ability for their diesel engines, transmissions, but it does make me wonder if the big three one tonners will soon...or ever... approach their larger highway tractor brethren in service intervals.

[Copperhead]

Well, the transmission drain is gong to be a recommended 750K miles. It has been 500K miles for many, many years. But this Eaton trans is NOT an automatic. It is a auto shift manual transmission. It has a clutch and is a manual trans. The only difference is that a computer is engaging, disengaging the clutch and shifting the gears. Just an updated critter of what Eaton has already had on the market. And as a class 8 truck owner, will not option them when I buy a truck. For those that just are steering wheel holders and only drive down the interstate, they are fine. For those of us that have to drop and hook trailers in some interesting lots daily, and have to travel the less populated roads of the northern tier of the country, there is not way I am risking a breakdown with this nonsense in my truck.

I'll keep my Eaton 18 spd manual.

[Chuck_thehammer]

I wish Eaton made a 2 speed rear end....
like the "White" stake truck I used to drive.

for a 3/4 and 1 ton pickups 🙂

a 3.55 and 4.88 (or 4.30) would be real Nice.

[Copperhead]

There is no "class 8" CDL. There is CDL and one can get combination, doubles/triples, tanker, air brake, and Hazmat, and passenger bus endorsements. Combination and air brakes makes it a Class A CDL. Non combination, i.e. straight truck, with air brakes is a Class B CDL.

And the Eaton Road Ranger transmissions are not automatics. They are auto shift manuals transmissions, or AMT's. No torque converter like a automatic most folks think of. A computer controlled and operated clutch, either by air or electric, but the same manual trans with a stick in other applications. I find it hard to believe that Eaton would go to 750K intervals. They have been on 500K intervals for a long time. The trans fluid hasn't changed. Still a 50w synthetic as it has been for many years now.

[ShinerBock]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
Not any more. The Ford 6R140 is also used in class 6-8 F670/F750 trucks. Most people think that just because the F750 has a 7 in it then it is a class 7 only. However, some variants of the F750 have GVWR's above 33,001 lbs which makes them a class 8 heavy duty truck.

Professional truckers would laugh at you for calling an F750 a Class 8, even if it does require that level of a CDL !

And let them, it still doesn't mean they are right. There are more trucks in the Class 8 category than just line haul trucks.

Many consumers think that the number on the door is what places a truck in a certain class, but in the medium/heavy duty industry those numbers are practically useless and are just names of that that particular model. It is the actual specs and capabilities that count, not the badge number or name.

Take Peterbilt trucks for instance. Their line haul trucks(or what you would constitute as a real class 😎 have model designation of 579 and 389. Does this mean that the 579 is a class 5 and the 389 is a class 3? No, it is just a model name or number and has nothing to do with the class it is in or it's capabilities. It is only the people outside the industry who would think this.

Just like an early 2000's SRW 350/3500's were actually Class 2B trucks just like the 2500's going by their specs and ratings. Yet, people will still call them a "1-ton" or say they are a class 3 truck just because it has a "3" in its name.

[blt2ski]

theoldwizard1 wrote:

ShinerBock wrote:
Not any more. The Ford 6R140 is also used in class 6-8 F670/F750 trucks. Most people think that just because the F750 has a 7 in it then it is a class 7 only. However, some variants of the F750 have GVWR's above 33,001 lbs which makes them a class 8 heavy duty truck.

Professional truckers would laugh at you for calling an F750 a Class 8, even if it does require that level of a CDL !

As noted, ANY rig with a gvwr over 33,000 lbs is a class 8! That can be a single 20K rear axel, and a 20K front, total 40K. Tandem rears are 34,000 plus front usually a minimum of 10, usually 14-20K capacity. Assuming they have the tire capacity in width. With typically 10-12" width tires, that is only 12-15,000 lbs, plus rear capacity.

I've seen single axel tractors Like the F750 pulling double and even triple trailers, pushing those rigs to 80K+ lbs. I have to admit, the F750 was not really designed for that weight per say.

THere is NO difference in CDL for a class 7 and 8 rig. Same test etc. Not sure how or why a professional trucker would laugh at one saying an F750 wasn't a class 8 at times. On the bottom end of the GVW scale........

Marty

[brulaz]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Isn't that a servo shift? Far as I know, only Allison builds a completely automatic Class 6-8 auto and they have to have fluid changes and filters on a regular basis.
...
What kills the fluid in an auto is heat and cool cycles. Gear boxes don't have the issue nearly as much.

So the Automatic Trannys or Servo shift lack torque converters? Have always heard that an unlocked TC is what builds heat in a regular automatic.

Apparently the newer "dual-clutch" trannys also lack torque converters, and I wonder why we don't see more of those in HD applications, especially if they too have very long fluid change intervals because of less heat build up.

[theoldwizard1]

ShinerBock wrote:
Not any more. The Ford 6R140 is also used in class 6-8 F670/F750 trucks. Most people think that just because the F750 has a 7 in it then it is a class 7 only. However, some variants of the F750 have GVWR's above 33,001 lbs which makes them a class 8 heavy duty truck.

Professional truckers would laugh at you for calling an F750 a Class 8, even if it does require that level of a CDL !

[ShinerBock]

rjstractor wrote:


Well, technically you are right, but the 6R140 is not used in "real" heavy duty trucks with 1800 ft./lbs of torque and combined weights of 100,000 pounds or more. Class 8 is 33000 lbs and up, but there is a huge spread of specs and capability within that class, and the Ford is at the lower end of that class 8 spread. Having said that, the fact that the same trans as used in HD Ford pickups will stand up to usage in a 37K GVWR truck is very impressive.

It is still a real class 8 heavy duty, it is just a vocational heavy duty meant for work and hauling, not tractor heavy duty meant for towing. The 6R140 would probably have to be much larger like the Allison 4000 or 4500 to handle that kind of duty cycle.

[rjstractor]

ShinerBock wrote:
Not any more. The Ford 6R140 is also used in class 6-8 F670/F750 trucks. Most people think that just because the F750 has a 7 in it then it is a class 7 only. However, some variants of the F750 have GVWR's above 33,001 lbs which makes them a class 8 heavy duty truck. Technically it is the only automatic transmission used in light, medium, and heavy duty trucks. Allison makes transmissions for each class, but they are different.

Well, technically you are right, but the 6R140 is not used in "real" heavy duty trucks with 1800 ft./lbs of torque and combined weights of 100,000 pounds or more. Class 8 is 33000 lbs and up, but there is a huge spread of specs and capability within that class, and the Ford is at the lower end of that class 8 spread. Having said that, the fact that the same trans as used in HD Ford pickups will stand up to usage in a 37K GVWR truck is very impressive.

[ktmrfs]

well, for the allison 1000 in GM trucks the interval is nowhere near 750K miles, but is long IF you fill with Transynd. When I had mine switched to transynd the allison service shop said the 1000 used in bus's etc. they do a fluid analysis every 100K miles and usually easily go 200K or more miles between service. For a 3/4 ton truck even with heavy towing he said have a fluid analysis every 100K, likely would never need to change it again.

Personally, I just drained and filled mine again after 100K miles.

Now if filled with the original Dextron, then the service interval especially when towing is much much shorter. about every 50K miles IIRC.

[ShinerBock]

I still remember when Eaton first started making these automated transmissions. They just slapped pneumatic controls on their existing manuals instead of making a whole new design specifically for automation. We had at least three to four in our service bays on a daily basis due to x-y shifter failures and exposed electronics/harnesses.

Hopefully, with a whole new design specifically for automation, these Endurants will not have as many issues.

[Lessmore]

Here's the inside skinny on the new Eaton Endurant transmission.

Eaton Endurant transmission...how it works

[ShinerBock]

SidecarFlip wrote:
Far as I know, only Allison builds a completely automatic Class 6-8 auto and they have to have fluid changes and filters on a regular basis.

Not any more. The Ford 6R140 is also used in class 6-8 F670/F750 trucks. Most people think that just because the F750 has a 7 in it then it is a class 7 only. However, some variants of the F750 have GVWR's above 33,001 lbs which makes them a class 8 heavy duty truck. Technically it is the only automatic transmission used in light, medium, and heavy duty trucks. Allison makes transmissions for each class, but they are different.

[stickdog]

ShinerBock wrote:
The Eaton Endurant is an "automated" transmission, not an "automatic". It still has internal gears and a clutch just like a regular manual transmission and does not have planetary gears, sun gears, bands or drive clutches like an automatic transmission. Instead of manually shifting with a lever, it has what is called a pneumatic x-y shifter on top that is computer controlled to shift for you.

Thank you for the explanation. Learn something on here once in a while.