Electronic engines and ten speed manual transmissions

[Bob Belter]

Ahoy, All,

I'm curious about how many BusFolk are running modern electronic engines, and manual (ten speed Roadranger) transmissions (NOT Autoshift or ZF). 

In my Eagle -01 I have a Cummins M-11, and an Eaton Fuller Roadranger RTO1110 overdrive transmission. 

Am I the only one doing such?  The fuel mileage is great!!!

Thanks  /s/  Bob

Bob, I changed the spelling of your thread to make easier searching. No other changes.
From "Electrinic engines and ten speed manual transmissions"
To "Electronic engines and ten speed manual transmissions"

-DF

[Tom Y]

I'll bite.  How great is it?  Thanks Tom Y

[Bob Belter]

Ahoy, All,

Great bus trip!!!!!  Returned to Carmel, CA a few weeks ago.   5,000+ miles.  St. Paul, Chicago, Okie City, Amarillo, Grand Canyon, Carmel. (will do Pensacola in Jan).

Mileage average was 12.2 mpg.  I have two A-6 A/C (R-22) compressors on the engine, so they cut me down a bit.  Best I've seen is 12.7mpg.  I normally cruise at 65mph, with the engine mosying along at about 1350 rpm.

BTW, I installed and removed (a slobbering) 6v92t and an Allison 750 trans.  This is better.  I'm probably the only guy who ever REMOVED an automatic transmission from a bus.

Enjoy  /s/  Bob   

[Bob Belter]

Ahoy, All,

To expand a bit on mileage:  My genset fuel IS seperate, so I'm looking only at vehicle fuel.  Mountains make a difference, so that my average for 'left' coast driving which always includes mountains is in general about 11.5 mpg.  I'm also light, at 32,000lbs all-up with 275 gallons of fuel, and 100 gallons of water.

Enjoy  /s/  Bob   

[Sojourner]

Bob...Thanks for sharing your reports. I am interested in your M-11 engine, turbo, transmission and axle ratio w/tire size. I am searching for the best combination to re-power MCI-8 in the near future.

I hope you don't mind me asking these questions:

1) What the M-11 is setup in HP & torque or the year model & setup number.
2) Turbo came with it? If not what is the model/size?
3) Transmission is the Fuller Roadranger 10 speed auto shift? What is RTO1110?
4) How you arrange your clutch system linkage...power booster or none or whatever?
5) What is the axle ratio?
6) What is your tire size?
7) If you had a chance do it all over again, what would you suggests?

I want to learn all I can about using automatic Fuller Roadranger or whatever for my intercity bus conversion.

Thank you very much.

Sojourn for Christ, Gerald

[Dreamscape]

Hey Bob,

I have been contemplating installing the 10 speed RR behind my 8v71 in our 01 Eagle, and getting rid of the four speed.

Any installation wisdom you would like to share?

Paul

[TomC]

Paul- what injectors are you running? If you have N65's or larger, it would be more advantageous to have N60's installed-since these are the injectors (even 55's) that the engine/transmission were designed to run with.  If you do have 60's now, I think you'd find the change to a 10spd would not make that big of a difference in fuel mileage-maybe 1/2 to 1 mpg.  If you want better fuel mileage, the best thing to do is to slow down and not accelerate off the light with your foot in it.  Try 55mph top speed.  A 10 spd will be ALOT more work both to install and to operate.  Personally- a good 6 spd overdrive Eaton that is fully synchronized would be my choice to make my life more enjoyable.  Then you'd have a transmission with an extra low and the addition of an overdrive.  Good Luck, TomC

[usbusin]

I agree with you Tom, about the Eaton 6-speed, fully synchronized transmission.  It is so nice.   And, even the wife likes it!  No double-clutching.

[HB of CJ]

Wow...cool choice in trannys.  My Crown had the RTO-910, which I THINK has the same gear ratios as your RTO-1150 or RTO-1110.  Yours I believe has a slightly stronger case and inside bearings.

The gear sets on the RTO-910/RTO-1110? are .82, 1.00, 1.26, 1.59, 2.00, // 2.57, 3.14, 3.95, 4.98 and 6.27.  I was told our trannys were practically designed for the 318 8V71N truck mill.

The synkro Eaton/Fuller is very nice.  Also another Fuller tranny that would work well is the TO-14507 7-speed.  A crash box, but easy shifting and has nearly a perfect gear set for a Bus Conversion. 

[Dreamscape]

I'm not really sure what injectors I have, that is something I will look into.

I just would like to get rid of the tall 1st gear and have a tighter range when shifting.

The Eaton 6 Speed is something I will have to look some research on. That is one trans that had not been referenced to me. Thanks for the information.

It's not the mileage so much, just an easier tranny to work with.

I keep the speed down to about 60, I'm not in a hurry anyway. I just watch for the black smoke then back off. I don't like seeing dollars going out the exhaust pipe!

This is not a project that I will do right away, when I have the time and money it will get done.

Paul

[makemineatwostroke]

Paul; it would be nice to have a rev gear also not a second gear and a solenoid   have a great day

[Dreamscape]

Paul; it would be nice to have a rev gear also not a second gear and a solenoid   have a great day

I couldn't agree more!

What model number on the Eaton trans. would work?

One day my friend, one day!

[Bob Belter]

Lottsa questions.

First, my Cummins M-11 Select was a CPL 1855, (330hp ??) and is reprogramed to CPL1973 -- 400hp.  Turbo is standard, no wastegate, and it pulls close to 30 psi boost.  It does NOT have the connector for the SAE J1939 protocol to use an Autoshift transmission.

For a 'new' start, I'd suggest the six speed synchro tranny mentioned above (I did not know of this), or the next Cummins of this specie, the ISM which looks about the same, and will accept the Autoshift, plus it will go to 500 hp.

THe DD-60 is very slightly more efficient, but is far larger physically, and some heavier.  If I were starting over, I'd again go with this engine, not the DD60.

These modern engines are so very reliable and long lived that the truckers are smashing up far more trucks than there is a demand for the engines.  They are cheap!!!

My axle ratio is 3.333, my tire size is 11:00x24.5  My transmission ratio 10th gear OD ratio is ~~.78:1  The newer Autoshift trannys have an OD ratio of about ~~75:1, so my  3.333: 1 ratio would be just a bit high.

Clutch:  I know a LOT about clutching-up.  An air ACTUATED clutch will NOT work with a modern double disc clutch.  An air BOOSTED clutch will.  I ended up with a hydraulic actuated clutch, with 1/2" hydraulic tube to couple it.  (Small hose was too slow for double clutching).  I've been planning on doing a piece for BCM on clutch actuatiion, but not tonight. 

Enjoy  /s/  Bob

[Sojourner]

Thank you so much Bob for your effort answering my questions.

This may help others as well, but I appreciate you shared your homework with me.

Enjoy your achievement, well done to travel with joy. 

Thank you, Gerald

[bobofthenorth]

Ask him which hand he shifts it with.  And how long it took him to learn.