13 speed Road Ranger shifter

[phil4501]

How does this trans shift. Is it one normal 4 speed type set up with electronic or air toggles to switch ranges?

[TomC]

The 13 speed is basically a four speed with a granny low, high low range selector, and an overdrive splitter.  For right now, forget granny (it is all the way to the left and down-under reverse) and only think of a standard 4 speed H pattern.  So the full operation going through the gears is, start in 1st with the range selector in the pushed down position.  Then shift through the gears (in low the gears are shifted fairly fast since you're barely getting going).  When you get to 4th position and when you are ready to shift, before the shifting process, raise up the range selector to the up position, then shift from 4th position back to 1st (starting over now that you shifted from low range to high range).  Once you are in 1st high range, you can split each of these gears with the overdrive splitter (the horizontal air toggle at the top of the shift knob).  So you can go 1st high direct, then 1st high overdrive, then shift to second and when you are in second toggle the overdrive splitter back to direct position before hitting the gas, then shift to 2nd high overdrive, etc.  Splitting from direct to overdrive is done without the clutch, with your foot still on the gas pedal, first shift the splitter toggle to the overdrive position and simply let up the gas pedal and when you feel it drop into overdrive accelerate again.  To go from overdrive back to direct, like slowing down up a hill, first take your foot off the accelerator, then move the overdrive toggle back to the direct position, then gently accelerate and the trans will shift back to direct.  The splitter shifts actually happen rather quickly, but with practice you'll learn.  Most importantly, the 13 speed is NOT a manditory progressive shift transmission-meaning you shift it in any combination you want and use as many or as little of the gears as you want.  For instance, I always had a 13 speed in my trucks (still the best over the road transmission, except for the 18speed which is a 13 speed that you can split the lower 5 gears also), but rarely used all the gears.  When on the flat, would shift like this 1st low, 3rd low, pull up the range selector into high, shift to 1st high, 2nd high, 3rd high direct, 3rd high overdrive, 4th high direct, then 4th high overdrive.  In this way was shifting like an 8 speed.  That's the beauty of the 13 speed.  You have the gears if you need or want to use them, or just skip shift any way you want.  I always laugh when a driver says that they don't like the 13 speed because you have to shift to much.  When in all actuality, you usually have to use all the 10 speed gears, which makes the 13 speed less work!  Good Luck, TomC

[phil4501]

Are granny and revirse operated by mechanical linkage.

[TomC]

What you have is a double HH pattern or six shift positions.  Two ways of shifting the mechanical shifter, one is by rod that rotates and moves in and out.  Maybe a bit combersome for a bus.  Another is either with linkage or shifter cables called the X and Y shifter.  On my Kenworth cabover, they used two shifter cables-one for side to side and one for up and down.  Worked well-didn't even feel like cables.  But running it 35-40ft, that maybe another story.  Personally, with the weight of the buses, a 7 or 9 speed is really all you need.  A seven speed might be difficult since it is all in one shift lever, like HHH, but no air shifter.  Course, if you do either an 8,9,10,11,13,15 or 18speed Roadranger, the mechanical hook up is the same.  Good Luck, TomC

[phil4501]

Would it be practical to modify the exisiting mechanical linkage and ad a 2nd shifter with a cable? The application is a T-drive scenicruiser.

[TomC]

I thought the 4501 already had a two linkage system.  I would think that could be modified to accomodate the Roadranger.  What you do want to do is to get the reverser from Roadranger that reverses the shift pattern since the engine is sitting "Backwards" compared to a truck.  Otherwise you'll have to shift it in a reverse pattern.  Good Luck, TomC