Country Coach Owners Forum

Yahoo Message Number: 29764 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/29764)

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Maybe I missed this in the forum, but I just noticed that Allison has discontinued the Gold filters in favor of their new Extended filters. See
http://www.allisontransmission.com/servlet/DownloadOnDemand?ApplicationID=155&Do (http://www.allisontransmission.com/servlet/DownloadOnDemand?ApplicationID=155&Do) wnloadID=5

Also now has different recommendations for replacement intervals.

Mike

Yahoo Message Number: 29765 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/29765)

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Not sure what happened, but that backslash in the middle of the word "Download" shouldn't be there. Everything should also be on one line.

Mike

Mike Cebula wrote:

Yahoo Message Number: 29770 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/29770)

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Hi Mike,

Thanks for the alert (re. http://www.allisontransmission.com/servlet/ (http://www.allisontransmission.com/servlet/) DownloadOnDemand?ApplicationID=155&DownloadID=5).

My transmission s/n is 65102xxxxx and filled with Dextron III.
Just had the filters changed with 16 qts of fluid.
The old filter set was 29540493 at $83 in 2003, the new installed was 29545776 (2 inch and called short) at $58.87 in 2007. Now per pp.6 & 14, it's still 25,000 between changes but the period has ben reduced from 2 years to 1 year for non-syn fluid.
Note: I went 4 years but changed at 25000 miles on advice of a Allison engineer because the climate is low humidity, low rainfall, mild winters(32 deg F lows) and relativity hot. The service person (Brumit Diesel - Santa Maria California), who does nothing but Allison transmission service and overhauls, chewed me out for going longer than 2 years - said the fuild breaks down after that time, but was surprised that the old fluid drained was not darkened. Perhaps keeping the fluid between 180 and 200 deg F or within 10 deg F of the engine coolant, driving not over 55 mph, and slow accel/deccel has helped.

Observations: The new filter set was $24 less (4 years later), why? Are they less durable but with better filter qualities requiring replacement after one year?

Fred Kovol

Yahoo Message Number: 29772 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/29772)

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Hi Fred and Mike:

This was the principal discussion at the Allison Seminar at Jekyll. My own synical, jaded view is Allison is really pushing synthetic lubricants. Gary Adams was the presenter. He scolded everyone willing to admit to using Dextron III or its equivalent. Note filter change intervals for synthetic are same for both old (Gold Series) and new (High Capacity) filters.

Also note GM did not license the Dextron III brand after Jan 1, 2007. Gary emphatically stated that Dextron VI SHOULD NOT be used in 3000 and 4000 transmissions as it will result in premature seal failure. The Service Information Letter wasn't quite as clear on this to my reading. If you do not want to change to synthetic, Gary said you can use fluid marketed as ATF, Destron III equivalent (also referred to as Schedule I TES 389) in lieu of synthetic. Do not let anyone put Dextron VI in your transmission.

Bob Amory

2002 Allure 30760

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Yahoo Message Number: 29776 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/29776)

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I have known Gary for many years. He is now retired, but does seminars and teaching on a part time basis. He can come across as either a clown or a dictator to some. But he has helped me with so many issues and questions and has never failed to give me an answer that works. He's reprogrammed two different transmissions when any new updates have appeared and made a real difference in the performance of the coach. If you ask the question correctly, you will get the answer that applies and gives a most satisfactory result. A few times I have had to explain my scenario after the seminar with detailed observations and then I got an answer that made perfect since. But a brief question does not always yield a satisfactory answer. Did you know the tyranny of today is 15% more efficient than the 3060/3066 variety. But because of this the heat created has increased and the demands on the fluids required are multiplied. Then you add the fact that the new engines are running at higher temps to meet Fed emission laws and are directly coupled to the tyrannies dissipating a lot of energy in the tyranny case. So follow the rules and when problems due arise you will have proof of proper maintenance and no one can hang you out to dry. Because your coach is pre synthetic oil in age and you probably have ab ICS with 1050 ft-lbs of torque, versus an ISL with 1200 ft-lbs or higer your need may be not be as great. But are you willing to take that chance now that your tranny is out of warranty????
TWI 2004 Intrigue 11731...

-- Original Message -----

Yahoo Message Number: 29791 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/29791)

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My spell check doesn't know that a tranny is a transmission and not a tyranny. Apologies to all. TWI

Yahoo Message Number: 29803 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/29803)

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Your points are well taken. Don't get me wrong, I felt like Gary made a balanced presentation and really have no gripe with him. It just struck me, being uneducated in the mechanics and engineering principles that the upshot of the new service intervals is to make the economics (a topic that I do know something about) of synthetic more favorable. One of my main hang-ups with synthetic was the need to drain and install synthetic twice before getting the advantage of the longer change interval. Maybe that's penny wise and pound foolish, but Gary did outline a service procedure that accomplishes the change over in one step and only sacrifices 2 gallons of synthetic. Upshot - I am headed in for service I'am about due on the Old schedule!) and I expect to be installing synthetic, even though you are right and I have the ISC.

BTW, it is information like you provided that makes this board so valuable!

Bob Amory

2002 Allure 30760

Yahoo Message Number: 29804 (http://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Country-Coach-Owners/conversations/messages/29804)

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If we were penalized for typos none of us would last long! Mindos, now that's another story!

Bob Amory

2002 Allure 30760