DTT Torque Convertor Drain?????

[CumminsPuller]

I am changing the fluid for the first time in my DTT transmission... ... How do I rotate the Torque convertor to gain access to the drain plug? I tried to rotate it but it wouldn't budge. Granted I did not try to hard it is very hot.



Jason

 

[snowracer69]

Take a fairly large screwdriver, and towards the back of the t/c you will see a sprocket type thing (can't for the life of me think of what it's called right now). Using the screwdriver as a pry bar, just spin it around via the teeth on that sprocket till the plug is straight down. Takes a little force, but not much.



Had the same problem the first time I did my DTT... had to call Fred at Desert Diesel on a Sunday morning to get help. Good thing he's a nice fella!!



Hope my instructions are good enough.



Josh

 

[CumminsPuller]

Thanks... ..... I will give it a shot... ... .



Jason

 

[rweis]

The sprocket thing is the ring gear on the flywheel. There is a "barring" tool made to specifically rotate the engine in this instance. I got one about $32 or so from Cummins.



The problem with levering the ring gear is you may scratch or score one of the teeth. Heaven forbid one of the teeth should brake off. Probably not much chance of that.



The barring tool is like a HUGE tork screwdriver thing and fits into a cover on the back of the engine or front of transmission in a hole that the barring tool engage the ring gear and you can use a rachet and rotate the engine.



Bob Weis

 

[CumminsPuller]

It worked perfectly. Really wan't that hard to turn. I was shocked how much fluid the TC holds. I to was worried about scratching the ring gear, so I wrapped a rag around the screwdirver to prevent that.



Jason

 

[Bob Wagner]

CP, Its nice to see that you really care for your new transmission



enjoy

 

[CumminsPuller]

Thanks Bob... ... ... . The only thing I am curious about is after everything is drained and all plugs and pan reinstalled and pan refilled. You then start the truck and put it in neutral add more fluid, fun it through the gears, check level, add more fluid etc. until it is all filled up. How about the few seconds or minutes the torque convertor has no fluid in it. What kind of damage is being done?



Jason

 

[Snow man]

Jason,as long as you have enough fluid in the pan,upon startup,no damage is being done to the TC just by starting it and idling it.

 

[CumminsPuller]

Thank ya Snow Man!!!!!



Jason

 

[rweis]

I "fill" mine before I start it. Then start it for a few seconds (15). Shut it off. Re-"fill" it.



Reason I do it this way is obviously the T/C at first is not going to have any fluid in it. The DD pan is going to be full. I try to get the pan fluid into the T/C, stop it, then really fill the pan.



Then I feel that I have a reasonable amount of fluid in the transmission. Then run it and go through the gears to fill all the litttle passages. Top it off in neutral. The DTT trannys have the lube circuit flowing in neutral UNLIKE the OEM transmission (that's for any OEM transmission person reading this so they don't get the wrong info).



----------------------------------------------------



I NEED TO EDIT THIS I MADE A MISTAKE IN THE ABOVE PARAGRAPH, I WROTE THE LUBE CIRCUIT PART BACKWARDS.



----------------------------------------------------

DTT trannys also lube in park, OEM trannys DO NOT lube in park. MEANING the OEM transmission can overheat if left in park because the lube circuit is NOT operating in park.

----------------------------------------------------



It is soooooo nice knowing that transmission is doing it's thing WELL!



I do have a question for the thread readers.



Change the fluid & filter every 12k, clean the pan, adjust the bands. Is there anything else that should be done? What about every 50k?, 100k?, 150k?, 200k? Never have seen anything about what maintenance should be done after xxx,xxx miles.



Bob Weis

 

[CumminsPuller]

Bob... ... ... . I think you meant to say that the DTT Trannies have a lube in Park feature now as well as neutral. Factory trannies never had the lube in park feature but had the lube in neutral.



Jason

 

[CumminsPuller]

I almost feel like an idiot for asking this but here goes. After refilling the transmission and takeing it for a ride it seemed fine. I have always had trouble reading the dip stick though. When I pull it out one side shows full and the other shows low. This morning I moved the truck so I could wash it. When I put it in reverse it went in and started moving very slowly (Usually it takes off very quickly when put in reverse) then it felt like it came out (truck slowed) then back in. To me it seems the fluid would be low in that case. I did not want to add anymore for fear of haveing to drain some out. What do ya think?



Jason

 

[Joe G.]

Make sure you check it properly. It must be warm. Move the shift lever thru all positions stopping at each one. Then check it in N with the engine running. For some reason these transmissions don't always drain the same amount. What I do is measure how much I drain out. Then I put that much in when I refill. It's usually close to full when I do that.

 

[CumminsPuller]

Joe, When I refilled it yesterday I checked it when it was hot, and after running it through the gears and in Neutral adding more and so forth. But one side of the stick still shows low and the other full. It was my first change since the DTT so I had no idea how much I was going to have to put in. Before the DTT I new exactly what it would take. If I were to bet, I believe I got out about 15qts. Does this sound correct? Remember also I have the Mag pan which I think adds 2 qts,

 

[Tom W]

I think you should always go with the low reading.

 

[rweis]

Opps... ... ... ... ...



Yep that is what I meant to say DTT lubes in park, OEM transmission does not.



Thanks for the correction!



I went back and edited the previous post to show the error and the correction.



Thanks again. A mistake like that could potentially be very costly $$$$$$$$ for someone.



Senior moment, but NO excuse!



Bob Weis

 

[Jim Fulmer]

If you read both sides and they are different go with the lower side and add if needed, if you start it and put it right in gear and try to move and it doesn't work as planned you need to let it lube a bit 45 sec is fine then move it, It's like engine oil... let it do it's thing and don't starve it



Jim

 

[Joe G.]

A torgue flite transmission will drain the torque convertor over night. Some years have a check valve to try to prevent that. However the check valve can cause problems. I believe that if the valve is there DTT will remove it. So if you start it cold and put it in gear not much will happen except noise. Let it idle a bit to fill and you are good to go for the rest of the day. If you park with the nose of the truck up hill the affect is worse. As far as I know this type of transmission has always done this. My Dad's '63 Plymouth muscle car was really bad about it. My '77 Dodge van did it.



The low side of the dip stick is correct.

 

[snowracer69]

When Fred at Desert Diesel built my transmission he recommended that after multiple hours of sitting, or after it has sat overnight, that I should start my pickup in Neutral and let it "prime" the transmission for 30-45 seconds before going anywhere. Said there are no ill-effects if I didn't do this, but that it could help with the longevity of my transmission, so I do it.



He also got me in the habit of setting my parking break anytime I stop, which is a good thing. I have since got these same things instilled in my roommate, who has an '03 CTD. Figure that if he isn't going to get a good transmission put in, might as well make his stock one last as long as possible.



Josh

 

[CumminsPuller]

Now that I sit here and think about it. I am running the numbers in my head and I think I am about 2 qts low. I will check and add more in the morning. I think I was in a hurry to add fluid being that the TC was drained, I just wanted to get the fluid in quickly for fear of damageing the TC so I was not paying attention to how much I was adding. I guess we all learn when we get a new toy (DTT transmission) for our trucks. Thanks Guys.



Jason