nlabrecque52
New Member
This could end up being a long post, so I apologize ahead of time. Its my first time here, and Im assuming the more information I give the more accurate the responses will be.
I purchased a 1999 Terex TA35 articulating dump truck a few months back (serial number A7761027) from an online auction. When the truck arrived, I had to let it warm up for about 15 minutes before reverse would engage to pull it off the trailer. I also noticed a significant leak coming from the general area of the transmission. However long story short, the truck drove forward and backwards upon arrival. I contacted a local Terex boom truck dealer and they said they had a tech experienced with these trucks and sent a guy out.
Trying to get a jump on the simple work myself, I unbolted the cab, disconnected the quick connect wiring that comes in behind the panel near the cab door, and then realized I needed to move the truck to a place he could more easily work on it. When I reconnected the electrical, the tech told me I switched two plugs, one to the ECU other to TCU, and in turn cooked the TCU. He said that he couldnt diag a leak without being able to build pressure in the transmission. $5k later I had a new TCU that he installed, fired the truck up, and instantly found a roughly 4inx3in hole in the stater that had been filled with a piece of tin and some JB weld.
I Ordered new Stater, Tech removed cab, installed etc etc - Now with new TCU truck would move slowly in forward 1st gear, however wouldnt do anything in reverse, regardless of how long I let it warm up. Also had "Stop" light flashing as well as the code for transmission calibration needed. Tech called it a night, telling me I needed an AEB starter to calibrate the transmission. I contacted Centranz, the place I purchased the TCU from and spoke to a guy who was very helpful, and told me I needed to check pressures at the nipples behind the cab. For entertainment I plugged in the old TCU and surprise surprise, the "Stop" light went away as well as the code for the calibration. I check pressure and had 225psi in 1st, however it dropped below 150psi when I shifted to reverse. Gentleman from Centranz basically told me I needed a reverse clutch pack, and spent the next day on the phone with the technician I have hired having him open the valve body to check if something was actuating etc, and the tec at the end of the day had cut open the two main filters that are behind the cab, and found some pieces of brass, the he brought to me as evidence that the clutch pack was toast as that was the only place in the system brass shavings could come from.
I have now spent $10k +/- in parts and $12k +/- in labor.....I started with a truck that drove forward and backwards with a leak, and now have a truck that is inoperable. If I take his direction and order a reman tranny ($26k from Centranz) it will come with a new stater. The obvious issue is that I will have spent $22k +/- on a TCU that the truck didnt need, and replacing a stater, that if I purchase a transmission, the new one will come with. The entirety of my $22k will be wasted.
Either way, Im not convinced Im in need of a Transmission, and Im in hopes that someone can give me some direction for additional diag etc that may give me other possibilities, or a place I may find a more reasonable cost effective way of getting this transmission fixed.
I purchased a 1999 Terex TA35 articulating dump truck a few months back (serial number A7761027) from an online auction. When the truck arrived, I had to let it warm up for about 15 minutes before reverse would engage to pull it off the trailer. I also noticed a significant leak coming from the general area of the transmission. However long story short, the truck drove forward and backwards upon arrival. I contacted a local Terex boom truck dealer and they said they had a tech experienced with these trucks and sent a guy out.
Trying to get a jump on the simple work myself, I unbolted the cab, disconnected the quick connect wiring that comes in behind the panel near the cab door, and then realized I needed to move the truck to a place he could more easily work on it. When I reconnected the electrical, the tech told me I switched two plugs, one to the ECU other to TCU, and in turn cooked the TCU. He said that he couldnt diag a leak without being able to build pressure in the transmission. $5k later I had a new TCU that he installed, fired the truck up, and instantly found a roughly 4inx3in hole in the stater that had been filled with a piece of tin and some JB weld.
I Ordered new Stater, Tech removed cab, installed etc etc - Now with new TCU truck would move slowly in forward 1st gear, however wouldnt do anything in reverse, regardless of how long I let it warm up. Also had "Stop" light flashing as well as the code for transmission calibration needed. Tech called it a night, telling me I needed an AEB starter to calibrate the transmission. I contacted Centranz, the place I purchased the TCU from and spoke to a guy who was very helpful, and told me I needed to check pressures at the nipples behind the cab. For entertainment I plugged in the old TCU and surprise surprise, the "Stop" light went away as well as the code for the calibration. I check pressure and had 225psi in 1st, however it dropped below 150psi when I shifted to reverse. Gentleman from Centranz basically told me I needed a reverse clutch pack, and spent the next day on the phone with the technician I have hired having him open the valve body to check if something was actuating etc, and the tec at the end of the day had cut open the two main filters that are behind the cab, and found some pieces of brass, the he brought to me as evidence that the clutch pack was toast as that was the only place in the system brass shavings could come from.
I have now spent $10k +/- in parts and $12k +/- in labor.....I started with a truck that drove forward and backwards with a leak, and now have a truck that is inoperable. If I take his direction and order a reman tranny ($26k from Centranz) it will come with a new stater. The obvious issue is that I will have spent $22k +/- on a TCU that the truck didnt need, and replacing a stater, that if I purchase a transmission, the new one will come with. The entirety of my $22k will be wasted.
Either way, Im not convinced Im in need of a Transmission, and Im in hopes that someone can give me some direction for additional diag etc that may give me other possibilities, or a place I may find a more reasonable cost effective way of getting this transmission fixed.
