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Eaton Fuller Failure Analysis

dieseldog5.9

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Eaton Fuller 18 speed behind a C15 6nz 475hp Cat. W900 Kenworth. Not seeing a real reason for the broken bell housing, wondering if there is a gremlin i should be looking for that would cause a repeat performance. Just picked up truck at the auction, found numerous issues, considering maybe it was in an accident?
 

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funwithfuel

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Rear of trans supported at all? Usually with that much rear section, there would be a leaf spring or rigid mount with insulators. You got any of that?
Are your joints in phase? How about suspension, does it have those awful stamped/welded garbage elephant ears? Are the axles being held in position or are they floating around? Is ride height correct?
Any damage to clutch? Did the center plate break a lug? So many what ifs.
The question that you'll never get answered is, was the diff lock or power divider locked in?
With only the top snapped off, I'd say your lacking rear support.
 
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Truck Shop

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That happened because the bell bolts got loose at some point, someone tightened them but the crack had all ready started by that time. It's not uncommon for the later aluminum
bells to break or crack, the aluminum bells on 9513's were prone to breaking. JMHO. It was probably found when the clutch free play suddenly changed.
 

dieseldog5.9

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It has the rear spring support, yes the clutch discs are broken, I don't know about the driveshafts I arrived on the job after the rears were removed and driveshafts were removed.

I thought it may have been rebuilt from an accident, as a lot of hangers are not attached and the cab is painted. I have had broken bell housings on other wrecked trucks.

But maybe loose nut behind the wheel?
 

RZucker

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I've replaced a lot of Allison MT housings for the same thing, usually the top bolts work loose and the crack will start at 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock. Once that happens...
 

dieseldog5.9

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Ok, never heard of halo, so tube around input shaft resembles a halo, this is what I found, looks like either grey iron or aluminum could be a halo system. So this trans should be a halo being newer than a 2000, and 475 cat should be over 1650 torque they mention.
http://www.roadranger.com/ecm/idcplg?IdcService=GET_FILE&dID=270222

So.... Would a western star transmission bell housing be stronger, being the rear engine mount?:)
 

Truck Shop

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Some of the early cast iron bells were halo but Eaton went to aluminum halo bells early on. Eaton makes a plug kit to install a early none halo bell. Using the type of bell with rear mounts
is not necessarily a stronger bell except for the fact the weight of engine trans is better balanced. The standard bell is plenty strong and really no need to change it.
 

dieseldog5.9

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Is there a clutch that anyone prefers over any other. A buddy of mine swears by the Eaton Easy Pedal. In the past i havent got to picky in buying clutch packs, pretty much purchased what our local Napa store had available.
 

Tenwheeler

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Look close at the pictures. Part of the fracture is dark colored ( old ). Driveline vibration can be a problem also as others pointed towards.
 

Truck Shop

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Hell that thing could have been cracked for years, if a drive line vib could cause a bell to break it had to be running 2 inches off center. And at that point I doubt the driver had
any teeth left in his head. JMHO
 

Tenwheeler

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That's right. Usually the flywheel housing breaks.
I saw a 366 GMC driver said it just stopped running. No noise lights or anything. He was put in another truck.
I was the apprentice under the engine builder at the time. Ended up it had dropped a valve but driver kept driving it. The piston was completely destroyed and in the oil pan. He continued to drive it until the wrist pin wore through the cylinder wall. Coolant in the oil caused the crank to seize.
The driver when the first fracture happened may have had that experience?
 

Truck Shop

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I don't know, I can't remember any drive line vib's ever causing a bell housing to break. But I suppose anything is possible. Crap some 8 years ago we had a grain truck pull into the shop
driver was complaining of vibration-the center bearing went to hell-sawed it's way through the center bearing hanger/yoke, drive line fell down on a support for the lift axle and he drove it
twenty some miles that way. Just a whapping around. Never broke the bell or power divider.
 

Tenwheeler

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I replaced a cracked Flywheel housing in an AutoCar about 30 years ago. The new one cracked within a month. I ordered another one and applied for warranty.
The dealer told me customer XYZ has this happen fairly often. It is never warrantied. Always blamed on driveline vibration but we will file it. Someone called and asked a lot of questions. Expected nothing but the dealer sent me a credit.
Have experienced several transmissions coming loose but never saw a bell break there myself. Could have even been dropped off a jack on the floor before?
That is some of what I based my reply on. Thanks for sharing your experience.
 
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