RTO 15 speed heats up in a long pull and makes noises

[skyking1]

I took it by my truck repair place and they did not hear it, but did not put their electronic ears on it either. The boss just rode around a big freeway block with me.
It seems to be getting worse. What they tell me is they rarely take them apart, and just get an exchange overhauled unit.
If that's the case, there is no harm in running it? If I lay out of the torque it stays pretty quiet. I want it fixed but a trans overhaul is above my pay grade and I have no transmission jack or the experience to R&R anything that heavy. I am far more comfortable pulling the boom off the excavator.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

I took it by my truck repair place and they did not hear it, but did not put their electronic ears on it either. The boss just rode around a big freeway block with me.
It seems to be getting worse. What they tell me is they rarely take them apart, and just get an exchange overhauled unit.
If that's the case, there is no harm in running it? If I lay out of the torque it stays pretty quiet. I want it fixed but a trans overhaul is above my pay grade and I have no transmission jack or the experience to R&R anything that heavy. I am far more comfortable pulling the boom off the excavator.

Just did mine in the mud and rain over here on the Olympic peninsula with a home built transmission jack and some plywood down Might be cheaper and easier to just get another unit to put in and experiment with old unit on R&R it. Even did both third members too

 

[Truck Shop]

What is the full model number? like rto12515 or rto14615?. And a little more info please, what range and gears is it making noise in? does the shift lever move fore and aft when throttling up
or letting off the throttle?

 

[skyking1]

Where would I find the model info?
The truck is an L9000 Ford with a 3406B 325 HP.
It seems to get hot if I lay into full throttle for a while, and noisy when in high range under any load, once it heats up. If i baby it I rarely hear it, but unfortunately work is downtown and the shop is about 450' higher, so I don't think that strategy is going to last.
The shift lever does not move.

 

[skyking1]

@Spud_Monkey, I had two rotator cuff surgeries in 2019, and working overhead is not my best thing these days. I will pass on that.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

@Spud_Monkey, I had two rotator cuff surgeries in 2019, and working overhead is not my best thing these days. I will pass on that.

Look for the tag on the transmission, it’s on the right side towards the back bottom. Wasn’t much working overhead, more like on top of between floor of the cab and transmission What part of the state are you in?

 

[skyking1]

Thanks I will crawl under there Monday. I'm in the Tacoma area.

 

[Spud_Monkey]

Thanks I will crawl under there Monday. I'm in the Tacoma area.

Passing through tomorrow on my way back to my RV rig. Might find the info on the door jam or door under transmission info too if no one changed it out. I don’t live out here anymore just getting my stuff out and helping people out I know.

 

[Hallback]

Sky king,
Have you decided what to do or gotten a model number yet?

 

[skyking1]

I have not, either one. I got deep into another of the many jobs on the equipment. Thank you for reminding me.

 

[skyking1]

OK I got the model # thanks to Spud_monkey crawling under there and reading the tag to me
RTXF 14715

 

[Spud_Monkey]

And it just got home from over there had to make couple visits to the inlaws so wife was happy about the trip.

 

[Truck Shop]

Road Ranger, Twin Counter Shaft, X=Overdrive, F=Forward Shift Bar Housing,. More than likely it needs a bearing kit $780.00. The rear mainshaft support bearing is probably slightly sloppy.
Plus counter shaft bearing in front and rear sections are tired. How much oil is in it and is it 50wt trans fluid?

 

[skyking1]

It is full to the filler plug on the side and I have not personally changed it.
I have not tackled a big transmission or overhauled a manual transmission, is it something I could manage, or manage to screw up royally?

 

[Truck Shop]

Well it really helps to have a few special tools and manuals and most of the Eaton manuals are full of errors. Some tools and photos of front section for a idea.

 

[skyking1]

I think I'd be wise to pass on that.

 

[Truck Shop]

Actually if you were to stand and watch me dissect your gear box you would find it's not rocket science just a gear puzzle. I loved rebuilding these boxes best work in the house as
a mechanic. But I have become a Dinosaur because of automated manual transmissions and proprietary info.

 

[skyking1]

That I could enjoy. Any more, the truck shop just gets a reman and installs it, they never dig in there. Lost arts.

 

[charles walton]

Actually if you were to stand and watch me dissect your gear box you would find it's not rocket science just a gear puzzle. I loved rebuilding these boxes best work in the house as
a mechanic. But I have become a Dinosaur because of automated manual transmissions and proprietary info.

Thanks for the pictures sir,I'm thinking about doing an overhaul on a RTO 9513 that is in my '74 Dodge CNT 900 and I was wondering about the tube and half moon looking collars on the left side of your photo and the yellow tool bolted to the case. Are these tools something I must have? Do you know of a video of a rebuild on this model trans. ? Mine won't stay in the high gear position,it's noisy and the spliter isn't working.

 

[Truck Shop]

The tube is a input shaft front support bearing driver. The half moon pieces work as cradles in the counter shaft bearing bores to support the counter shafts while the front bearings are installed
plus to hold shafts inplace after timing. The yellow neutral lock out tool is only need on the low inertia {late model transmission} when standing vertical to install the rear section. The older gear
boxes like yours the rear section can be installed horizontally. You won't get rid of the noise, the reason it won't stay is the sliding clutch on the main shaft {the clutching teeth are shot. If it won't stay
in overdrive the direct/overdrive shift fork is worn paper thin from pre-selecting the split.

RTO 9513's are getting hard to find parts for and expensive. It was a noisy gear box new right along with the RTO 12513. Lower tooth count/coarser gears in the front section plus the rear section
has straight cut gears. You won't really find a quiet gear box until you move up to a RTO 14613 and even those can be noisy in overdrive. The later boxes like a RTO15713 is a low inertia high torque
gear box with tapered bearings and helical cut gears in the rear section. All of the old models were ball roller and straight cut gears. The other problem on a gear box like a RTO9513 is the fact that
most of the gears nave probably worn through the hard surface on each tooth adding more slop and more howl. Plus another factor is the front and rear case bearing bores are probably loose and
allowing for even more slop. And the front shift forks. You can always tell if your looking at a 9513 those were the only early models that had a aluminum bell housing. You might even need to
change the input shaft because it's old enough truck it more than likely didn't have dampened drive discs in the clutch and it has eaten the splines on the input shaft. And it probably has a 1 3/4"
shaft which the replacement will be a 2" shaft and that means you will have install a new 14"X2" twin disc clutch.

So with all of that said--don't bother to repair it-Do some shopping and find at least a RTO 14613-because no mater what you will be replacing that clutch.