Eaton 9-speed? Or 10-speed?

[RenoHuskerDu]

The driver of the 1984 International truck I bought said it has an Eaton 9 speed. But it actually has 10 forward and 2 reverse gears, with a high/low range switch on the shifter.

So I started looking on the web to see what Eaton animal I have. Seems that there are both 9-speed and 10-speed Eaton trannies out there, or at least there are people who think that's what they have. In my 1984 International 2574, behind the Cummins 855 Big Cam 3, I reckon it's a 10-speed.

On the H are 2-3-4-5 as in a car, then reverse is upper left, and 1st is lower left. All have high and low options with the selector. It's not a splitter, or 2-speed diff. It's in the tranny and you can hear it select right under the cab.

I bet it's a 10-speed and the PO just never used 6th gear (1st in high range). I skip that gear almost all the time. But then I skip a lot of gears unless fully loaded with 13 tons in the bed.

That 855 Big Cam pulls hard. Both empty, my buddy was behind me in his Peterbuilt today at a red light. When the light turned green, he got smaller and smaller in the mirrors...he got on the CB and squawked at me "what kinda motor you got in there???" He has a Cat with some kinda smog control on it but no DEF. No smog crap at all on the Big Cam 3. He can load up 21 tons, I'd hate to drive a truck that slow with 21 tons in the bed. He has more gears ... he needs 'em.

 

[terex herder]

That old it's probably a 9. If you were skipping a gear loaded you'd know it. When you come out of 5, switch to high range, go back to 1, do you slow down?

 

[1693TA]

That old it's probably a 9. If you were skipping a gear loaded you'd know it. When you come out of 5, switch to high range, go back to 1, do you slow down?

If it's a nine speed and you go into high range at the completion of 5th gear, can you even jamb the stick into a 10 speeds sixth gear position? Never tried myself and have both nine, and 10 speed transmissions.

 

[Tyler d4c]

In our truck with the 10 if you skip 1st in the hi side its not good. I do it every time I get in as I drive a truck with a 18 way more. Kinda always looking for the spliter in the 10 speed to my thumb is over there in the sky splitting and I'm wandering why it no go.........

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

That old it's probably a 9. If you were skipping a gear loaded you'd know it. When you come out of 5, switch to high range, go back to 1, do you slow down?

I will check that out tomorrow.

 

[Truck Shop]

A 9 speed-has a low then 1st through 4th in low range, high range back to 1st which is 5th.
A 10 speed uses all five in low range, and all five in high range. A 10 speed has no low.
But a 10 speed C has the same 1st gear ratio as a 13 speed in low, and has a overdrive ratio of .74.

The mistake often made is with the RT6613, it is not really a 13 speed. It's a 15 speed, ten on the high
side with deep reduction. It will produce even splits by shifting 1,2,3, in deep reduction shifting to low range
shift from 3rd to 1st then through 5th, high range back to 1st which is 6th then to top gear.

Why Eaton called it a 13 speed-well who knows.

 

[terex herder]

If it's a nine speed and you go into high range at the completion of 5th gear, can you even jamb the stick into a 10 speeds sixth gear position?

Yes, you can. You will slow down. I think the ratio for the low hole in high range is something between 3rd and 4th gear in low range.

 

[1693TA]

Yes, you can. You will slow down. I think the ratio for the low hole in high range is something between 3rd and 4th gear in low range.

I've never tried doing that. I know driving a ten like a nine on the upshift doesn't work so well.

 

[1693TA]

In our truck with the 10 if you skip 1st in the hi side its not good. I do it every time I get in as I drive a truck with a 18 way more. Kinda always looking for the spliter in the 10 speed to my thumb is over there in the sky splitting and I'm wandering why it no go.........

I've done that too as used to my 13 speeds when jumping into a nine, or ten speed transmission truck and approaching highway speed. Always looking for that "extra" gear.

I don't have anything with an 18 speed.

 

[Truck Shop]

Yes, you can. You will slow down. I think the ratio for the low hole in high range is something between 3rd and 4th gear in low range.

It can be done with a 13 also-but it's not advisable. That's as far as I will discuss that.

 

[crane operator]

These diagrams might simplify what we're trying to figure out. It shows shift patterns for 9-10- 15- and super 10. I have a 9 speed that shifts in the same pattern as the one 10 speed, and the 15 speed without the deep reduction portion - i.e. highest gear is toward the dash. High can also be away from the dash as the last 10 speed and the 9 speed.

If I understand you correctly- you only have 1 air shift lever on your shifter- and you currently make 5 stick shifts, then your air range shift- and then your last 4-5 gears by stick. After your range shift, do you come back closest to your leg in the "low" hole, or do you go to the dash and only use 4 gears in the top range?

If you really want to know what you have, there may be a tag left on the lower passenger side of the transmission- it will have a letter and number code on it which would tell what it is. If the tag is gone like it usually is, you can find out gear ratio's if you have to by putting it in gear and counting rotations if you really need to know.

 

[crane operator]

This last is the other 10 speed pattern, with high away from the dash.

 

[Truck Shop]

The first 10 speed shift pattern you showed CO. is a 6610 and 1X model, those are the only with that pattern.
99% of ten speeds have the standard pattern. But there are direct and overdrive models, as with any of these
transmissions.
There is a huge difference in ratios between a 9 speed A & B in low. Then take a look at the RTO 16210C
ratios. In a 9 speed low is low low not a even ratio split to 1st gear.

http://www.roadranger.com/rr/ProductsServices/ProductsbyCategory/Transmissions/PCT_486870

 

[Tyler d4c]

It can be done with a 13 also-but it's not advisable. That's as far as I will discuss that.

Are you saying I shouldn't pull out loaded up hill slipping the clutch using 5he cheater

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

SNIP
If I understand you correctly- you only have 1 air shift lever on your shifter- and you currently make 5 stick shifts, then your air range shift- and then your last 4-5 gears by stick. After your range shift, do you come back closest to your leg in the "low" hole, or do you go to the dash and only use 4 gears in the top range?

If you really want to know what you have, there may be a tag left on the lower passenger side of the transmission- it will have a letter and number code on it which would tell what it is. If the tag is gone like it usually is, you can find out gear ratio's if you have to by putting it in gear and counting rotations if you really need to know.
SNIP

That, you describe perfectly.
I almost never use 1 High. I'm tall and it hits my thigh. I should test it and see if it's slower than 5 Low.
With that Big Cam I don't really hurt for power, so even loaded I skip gears.

This last is the other 10 speed pattern, with high away from the dash.
View attachment 250971

That's what I have. Thanks to all for straightening me out.
I'm still pinching myself that I lucked onto a Big Cam 3 and the guy didn't even know how much it's worth.

 

[cuttin edge]

Our internationals have their own 13 speed. Lo 1 2 3 4, high side 5 6 7 8. You can't shift back into the lo position when hitting the high side. Then you have deep reduction where the splitter would be. Almost like a 13 direct, but it's something that eaton builds for international. I remember the first 8LLs had the H pattern before changing to the zig zag.

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

Our internationals have their own 13 speed. Lo 1 2 3 4, high side 5 6 7 8. You can't shift back into the lo position when hitting the high side. Then you have deep reduction where the splitter would be. Almost like a 13 direct, but it's something that eaton builds for international. I remember the first 8LLs had the H pattern before changing to the zig zag.

Hey Cuttin edge, long time no see. Still running your M413XT? Mine has been flawless. Amazing how little fuel that 4BT sips. Other operators on job sites are calling up the fuel truck, when I'm barely 1/3 down from full.

 

[cuttin edge]

Hey Cuttin edge, long time no see. Still running your M413XT? Mine has been flawless. Amazing how little fuel that 4BT sips. Other operators on job sites are calling up the fuel truck, when I'm barely 1/3 down from full.

They ordered me a new 415. Supposed to be here in the spring. My 413 is buried in the snow now. Just got home from plowing. Have to go back out tonight and truck some of it away

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

I suppose we should not hijack this thread with blade talk. See you in that forum, I'm sure you'll post about your new joystick machine, lol

 

[RenoHuskerDu]

Update: I did a little experimenting the other day. 5th gear (in low) is a slightly longer gear than 6th gear (1st in high). If you shift "up" from 5th to 6th, the truck slows down a little for the same engine speed, so it's actually a slight downshift. I reckon Eaton made 5th lower so there's almost no need to use Low range when unladen on level ground. That's just my opinion, but my truck is only 20k empty, and that Big Cam 3 gives hecka torque.

Perhaps that explains why so many call this the Eaton 9-speed tranny. It has 10 speeds, but to use them sequentially would be nuts.
.