Max retarder temps?

[GARY MINKER]

Temps is an old debate regulated first by regular oil. The 270 deg post is right but I run Schaefer synthetics in everything which in the tranny is god for 390 deg F. Unfortunately none of the seals will stand this temp for long but at least if you have an emergency retarder event, you will not burn your oil and have a sludge or varnish problem which will destroy the tranny. The Schaefer synthetic just laughs at these tempratures and keeps on running. Your only possible damage will be a seal or hose. Force the big fan to run and that will help keep your water temp down so that the big coffee can heat exchanger can work better. Your safety is first and if you burn your dinosaur squeezings, get it changed right away. Synthetics just need monitoring for leaks in the case or burned clutch plates shown by a suspended brown dust in the oil. I have run this emerald green slime for 13 years in everything in the rig and have had tremendous success with it. Gary --- On Tue, 5/19/09, Ryan Wright wrote: From: Ryan Wright Subject: Re: [WanderlodgeForum] Max retarder temps? To: WanderlodgeForum@yahoogroups.com Date: Tuesday, May 19, 2009, 12:30 AM I have two gauges. My transmission gauge has never seen 230 under my ownership. It creeps up there going up long grades and has been at ~225 a couple of times, but has never hit that 230 line. Retarder temp is what I'm concerned about - that sucker goes up fast. I've (very briefly) hit 300 a couple of times on long downhill grades. I don't downshift the transmission going down grades - I've always been able to manage just fine between the service brakes and the retarder, with the retarder doing the bulk of the work. Sounds like I'm doing OK, then. -Ryan '86 PT-40 8V92 On Mon, May 18, 2009 at 3:40 PM, Don Bradner <bluethunder@ arcatapet. com> wrote: > > Do you only have one gauge? The Allison Op manual says that you should not > exceed 270 at the sump, which is where the transmission gauge normally reads > from. 330 is the normal max for the retarder. > > I have both gauges, and I can tell you that when the retarder is at 300 the > transmission is way, way lower than that. > > Don Bradner > 90 PT40 "Blue Thunder" > My location: http://www.bbirdmaps. com/user2. cfm?user= 1 >