Allison 2000 for AT545 swap

[Gregory OConnor]

I thought from your origional post that you reduced the rpm and
noise from 2500r to the now 1800r. is it that you just reduced the
Cummins r's at highway speed with a tran swap? Or did you kill the
Cat?


GregoryO'Connor
94ptRomolandCa

--- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "dave diamond"
wrote:
>
> Mine is not a wanderlodge. I have a 30' bluebird front engined
> schoolbus shell bought new and immediately converted to a
motorhome
> by a bus converter. It is a 1999 model with the Cummins ISB 5.9
> engine. I bought it from the original owner summer before last.
it
> had only 18K miles on it when i got it.
> dave diamond
>
>
> --- In WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com, "Dorn Hetzel"
> wrote:
> >
> > What flavor bluebird did you put this on?
> >
> > Dorn Hetzel
> > 77FC35
> > Hogansville, GA
> >
> > On Fri, Mar 28, 2008 at 11:26 AM, dave diamond
> wrote:
> >
> > > A couple of folks have asked so:
> > > Following up on an old thread i have my trans working well now.
> > > took it for a short 100 mile round trip the other day and i
think
> it
> > > is going to be everything i wanted it to be. My main concern
was
> > > reducing noise ( my cummins is in the front) it has done that
very
> > > well. the engine noise at 65 mph (about 1800 rpm versus
previous
> > > 2500) is no longer an irritation for me. My next most important
> > > objective was to get a stronger transmission that would handle
> more
> > > than the 240HP that the at545 is rated for, the 2000 is rated
for
> > > 300HP. In addition, it looks like my fuel mileage will be at
least
> > > 10% better, i think i can get 15% increase with a little more
> > > tweaking and a little more experience. i know that the locking
> > > torque converter will give me better engine braking for
mountains
> but
> > > don't know how much better until i get a chance to take a trip
> > > there. I love the way my bus shifts and drives now. very glad
i
> did
> > > this and i highly recommend it.
> > >
> > > the mechanical part of the installation was very simple. the
2000
> is
> > > only . 75 inch longer than the at 540 series so most likely
you
> will
> > > have enough travel in your slip joint to accomodate it. i have
a 3
> > > piece drive shaft with 2 carrier bearings. the carrier bearing
> > > brackets were slotted but i had to lengthen those slots by .75
> inch.
> > > I removed the flexplate adapter ring from my at545 and bolted
it
> to
> > > the torque converter of the 2000 and it fit both there and to
the
> > > flexplate on the engine with no modification required. Now it
was
> > > time to jerk out the old one and bolt in the new one.
> > >
> > > my parking brake is on the rear of my transmission. i was able
to
> re-
> > > use it but the fulcrum for the activating lever on the 2000 is
> built
> > > into the tailshaft at the 3 o,clock position instead of 12
> o'clock on
> > > the at540 series. you will need to buy or build some new
> bracketry.
> > > ordered 2 brackets from bluebird for a total of $28 and was
able
> to
> > > re-use everything else. I also bought a dipstick and tube from
> blue-
> > > bird ($70)
> > >
> > > I built a very simple bracket for my transmission shift cable
> clamp
> > > out of a short piece of 1.25" square tubing and 1.5" angle. i
> bolted
> > > that bracket to the 2 frontmost bolts on the pto cover plate. i
> > > bought a clevis from a local hardware store and cut off one
side
> and
> > > put it on the end of the trans shift cable rod and used this to
> > > connect to the existing shift arm on the 2000. This clevis
must
> have
> > > 1/4X28 threads (1/4" fine threads)I. had previously tried to
just
> > > use the arm off my at545 but found that the connecting hole in
the
> > > at545 arm was too far from the fulcrum and kept me from having
> enough
> > > travel to get both park and 1st gear. I drilled a new hole
closer
> > > to the fulcrum but still couldn't get it to adjust correctly,
by
> the
> > > way, if you try to drill the old arm you will have to heat it
to
> > > take out the temper before you can drill a hole in it. the
2000
> arm
> > > has a shorter throw so less travel is required at the selector
to
> get
> > > all gears selected.
> > >
> > > that is about all that is required mechanically for the swap
> assuming
> > > you buy a used trans that has the correct converter housing.
for
> my
> > > 5.9 cummins i needed the sae3 housing and mine came with the
sae2
> > > housing even though i was assured twice that it had the sae3. i
> > > bought a used housing and all the gaskets and o-rings i needed
> from
> > > TKTsales.com for less than $200 and i shopped around until i
> found an
> > > allison transmission repair specialist that did the labor and
> checked
> > > their work on a dynamometer for $200. the salvage yard that
sold
> me
> > > the trans agreed to reimburse for changing out the housing, so
> this
> > > was all at their expense.
> > >
> > > Since my trans is a model 2400, it has a parking pawl so i
spent
> an
> > > additional $200 at bluebird on a shift selector with the park
> > > position to take advantage of this feature. My old shift
selector
> > > did not have a park position on it.
> > >
> > > i contracted with TKTsales.com for a Transmission Control
Module
> with
> > > the appropriate programming and the wiring harnesses for the
> > > transmission and a J1939 data harness to allow engine and
> > > transmission to communicate. Ted at TKTsales also provided
loads
> of
> > > advice (he is an allison dealer). If you have an older non-
> > > electronic engine, you would not need the data harness but you
> would
> > > probably need to buy a throttle position sensor (about $300) to
> > > communicate with your transmission control module. You will
have
> to
> > > negotiate the price of the control module, programming, wiring
> > > harness, etc. with Ted.
> > >
> > > If you have an electronic engine, you will need to get a
couple of
> > > parameters changed in the computer for it. In my case, i only
> > > needed to change 2 parameters. Changed top gear ratio from 1.00
> > > to .74 and next gear down to 1.00. I took my ECM off and took
it
> to
> > > a diesel engine shop and they made the parameter changes for
$45.
> > > The nearest Cummins dealer said they would charge me a minimum
of
> > > $225 to do this.
> > >
> > > I paid $1600 for my used transmission delivered and the total
cost
> > > of the swap was less than $2800. This was about twice the
price
> of a
> > > differential gear change and much better in my opinion as i
still
> > > have my old gears for mountain climbing and i have the
overdrive
> that
> > > will allow me to go 80MPH if i want plus i have a locking
torque
> > > converter for better engine braking and i have a trans that is
> rated
> > > for more power. I also have a very lightly used AT545 with 42K
> miles
> > > on it that i will eventually sell to recoup some of this
> > > cost. .before i started i asked for quotes on a turnkey swap
and
> was
> > > quoted $12-15K.
> > > dave diamond
> > >
> > >
> > >
> >
>