Stand alone wiring harness for Allison rds4500

[Junk runner]

I would like to put Allison rds4500 transmissions in three of my dump trucks as it’s easier to find drivers and they break less stuff when driving the automatics. One is a 99 379 Peter with an n14 the second a 2000 kenworth with a c15 the third which I may or may not end up doing is an 07 Pete with a c15. I called Allison about what electronic parts I would need and they were not overly helpful. If anyone could tell me what electronic parts I would need to source for at least the first two applications that would be very helpful. Or if someone knows of a stand-alone harness or has the knowledge to make one that would be the easiest. Also which gen transmission would work the best. Thanks for any and all help.

 

[Tags]

I think the problem you're going to run into is that it's just not a harness from Allison, it's got to communicate with the engine system as well. Best bet probably would be to call the dealer with your serial # and ask if it's even feasible to swap transmissions, it may require the CPU to be flashed or swapped out along with additional wiring and the cost may not make sense. Someone that knows a whole lot more than me will chime in at some point....

 

[Coaldust]

Another thing to consider is the RDS4500 is best matched to work with low differential ratios such as 5:38. I recommend the 5th gen controls because the 4th gen TCM hasn't been very reliable. It would be helpful to have donor trucks to rob parts from. Purchasing all the dash parts and wiring from the dealer is going to be crazy expensive and frustrating. I can't imagine doing that project without your local dealer providing you access to a E-Portal login and ECAT for looking up parts and wiring diagrams. Consider the Allison DOC software purchase into the price. A quick look on the interwebs shows that it's fairly easy to purchase the 4th gen wiring harness. Just some thoughts.

 

[Birken Vogt]

All of those trucks would have been available with that transmission from the factory or something close to it.

I don't know any of the specifics but my basic understanding is that the TCM receives throttle position, RPM, etc. from the ECM and acts accordingly. I don't know if there is any communication back from the TCM to the ECM other than if you want traction control, i.e. cut throttle when slipping. Shift Energy Management might have been an option on the 07 but probably not on the old ones.

Our Allison dealer has a resident service engineer whose job it is to help with technical issues and calibration. Since swaps like this are done very rarely, I suspect you will want to look your version of that guy up and see what his take is.