Unusual ceramic/sand like material stuck in Allison 1000 trans pan.

[Gasbuggy]

Here's a weird one...Dropped the pan in the Allison 1000 in my big block Silverado today. (Has 160k on it) Last service is unknown. Wild guess. 60,000 miles.

The fluid looked fine. Every pan bolt was loose, same with the spin on filter, amazed there were no leaks. The lifetime filter inside had been replaced before. I replaced it with a Wix.

Stuck to the inside of the pan was a sand like substance. It was not metallic or magnetic and not clutch material. It was difficult to remove totally and it seems to have etched the pan.

Here it is cleaned off, I had to hit it with scotch pad.

And here it is, fully rebuilt with 2.5 gallons of $20 a quart Castrol TranSynd 295, lol. It behaves and shifts exactly the same, which is great. I love this transmission.

 

[clinebarger]

Water & dirt/sand....Rusted the inside of the pan, Most likely came through the vent at one point.

 

[Gasbuggy]

Water & dirt/sand....Rusted the inside of the pan, Most likely came through the vent at one point.

Thank you. I better check the vent and make sure it's intact

 

[clinebarger]

IIRC...The 1000 doesn't have a vent hose, Just a metal dust cap. Bet the water came from fording or some other foolish malarkey!

 

[D60]

I remember on C6s and E4ODs we used to remove the vent cap and do something like JB Weld a barbed fitting then run a hose to engine bay. On OBS Fords it was easy to unbolt the floor plate and the vent was right there

 

[Kira]

River silt.

Climb every mountain, ford every stream....in a Chevy!

 

[nascarnation]

The front support/pump housing is cast iron.
I'll theorize this is some core sand from the casting process that was stuck in a passage and got loose over time.
Glad you're liking your Allison.
Hard to believe it's been almost 25 years since we went into production on these.

 

[dfarr67]

Too bad the 'robustness' didn't carry on to the other generals trans.

 

[Gasbuggy]

The front support/pump housing is cast iron.
I'll theorize this is some core sand from the casting process that was stuck in a passage and got loose over time.
Glad you're liking your Allison.
Hard to believe it's been almost 25 years since we went into production on these.

I will be cutting the trans filter open to see what's in there too

 

[nascarnation]

Too bad the 'robustness' didn't carry on to the other generals trans.

Two very different organizations and philosophies for sure. I could write a treatise on this but it's 25 years old now.

Allison over the years has been based on military (can't fail, lives at stake) and commercial (we're using this tool to make money and/or serve the public and you'll hear from us when it doesn't).
Getting your @ss kicked by New York City Sanitation because the garbage is piling up is an experience you learn to avoid.

 

[Gasbuggy]

The external filter looked great. It's been in service at least 6 years.