Allison 6sp: Trans Issues

[azwildcat]

Hello everyone long time reader first time poster. Truck is 2006 CC SB 4WD has 98k miles as of now. My issue began the first time i picked up my 33' toy hauler and drove back from California to Arizona. Tranny got hot climbing through the mountains from san diego to yuma, i got the DIC warning tranny hot pull over and idle. Made it home changed tranny fluid spin-on filter and installed PPE cooler, tranny still runs 215-220 just about all the time. The real issue was after a weekend trip no trailer driving 80 MPH on the freeway unloaded tranny temp started climbing got to 250 before i pulled over, let it idle till the temp came down to 210 drove the rest of the way home in manual never got above 210-220. No check engine lights. I'm here scratching my head.

 

[Chevy1925]

did you drop the pan and look inside it? did you change the internal filter as well? is it tuned?

 

[azwildcat]

Going to drop the pan this weekend and change internal filter before anything else. I think it has a super chips tow tune in it that came with the truck when i bought it other then that bone stock.

 

[Chevy1925]

when you drop the pan, take a pic of the pan inside before wiping it clean, a pic of the bottom of the filter looking into the hole and then split the filter open and open the media up and take a pic of that.

something internal is most likely coming apart and packing things up inside to cause the overheat.

 

[azwildcat]

I will do that. I was also planning on taking the lines off where they go into the radiator tank and seeing if it was possibly clogged in there. I didn't think a temp of 220 was too bad when we left phoenix heading towards tucson as i think it was about 115 in phoenix but at 80 MPH the temps just kept climbing.

 

[Mike L.]

Sounds like converter is giving up the ghost.

 

[azwildcat]

Kind of what i was expecting and thanks for chiming in mike. Is it possible to just change the converter or would it be a better idea to rebuild the tranny and install a new converter while the tranny is out. Is there a way to diagnose this for sure?

 

[Mike L.]

Build the trans.

 

[2004LB7]

What about fluid level?

 

[Chevy1925]

Kind of what i was expecting and thanks for chiming in mike. Is it possible to just change the converter or would it be a better idea to rebuild the tranny and install a new converter while the tranny is out. Is there a way to diagnose this for sure?

Best way would be like i was posting. you can pull the bottom line on the radiator and look for impacted crap in the heat exchanger but it will be nothing more than you will find in the pan. really it will just confirm it being a trans issue.

220* with a ppe cooler on a stock trans is too hot for our temps empty. you should be 200 or less. Might want to plan to head back to cali and see the old sheep herder

 

[PureHybrid]

I'd pull the trans line and take a look like you planned on. Mine was clogged with clutch fibers, never a spec in the pan.

 

[azwildcat]

how much fluid will i lose by pulling the lines at the radiator? Can anyone shed some light why it would get hot shifting automatically and not doing it in manual?

 

[azwildcat]

I haven't had time to look into the pan or filter although, I think its getting worse drove about 15 miles in town and was running 220-230. Would pulling the pan and filter off at this point be a waste of time and money?

 

[Mike L.]

I haven't had time to look into the pan or filter although, I think its getting worse drove about 15 miles in town and was running 220-230. Would pulling the pan and filter off at this point be a waste of time and money?

Call me in the morning.

 

[azwildcat]

Thanks for talking to me on the phone Mike I'll see you next week