Sierra HD Duramax Allison Transmission

(Narrator)>> Throw all the power adders you want at your truck but without a built transmission you might be walking the track picking up parts. Today upgrades for the Allison 1,000. Plus see how routine maintenance can increase power and durability.

(Austin)>> Welcome to Truck Tech. Today we're coming to you from our sister show Engine Power to take advantage of their chassis dyno.

(LT)>> With the truck safely strapped down to the dyno you might be wondering what they heck are we doing here in the first place. Now there's a lot of different oils and additives on the market that advertise a lot of different things, specifically for diesel trucks. Now we have an assortment of products here from Hot Shot Secret and they'll do many different things. Everything from cleaning out your fuel system and adding points to the cetane, improving fuel efficiency, and improving horsepower. So we're gonna do some baseline testing on this truck, add a couple of additives and see what happens.

(Austin)>> This is the 2008 Chevy Silverado 2500 HD. It's got the LMM Duramax with some high performance upgrades that the average guy would do, and that includes the Banks cold air intake system, a fast lift pump, and high flow exhaust, down pipe, larger diameter, all the way to the rear, paired with some custom tuning. First thing we've got to do is get a baseline pull on this and see where we're at.

(LT)>> I'll tell you what man, that thing sounds awesome.

(Austin)>> Let's see what it'll do. 431 horse, 733 on torque, not bad.

(LT)>> That's not bad at all. Well let's do a couple more to back it up.

(Austin)>> Yeah probably two or three more. Identical pulls of 437 horse gave us a three pull average of 435. A good baseline to improve on.

(LT)>> Now we're going to add Hot Shot Secret to three primary systems on this truck. FRThree is added to the engine oil, which will improve fuel economy and horsepower with a gain of up to five percent.

(Austin)>> Diesel Extreme in the tank will clean out the entire fuel system, injection, injectors, lines, and even the tank itself. Plus it adds a seven point bump in cetane improving throttle response while clearing up any black smoke.

(LT)>> And finally we'll change out the transmission fluid with some of Hot Shot Secret Blue Diamond ATF. Among the benefits are reduced fluid breakdown and longer drain intervals.

(Austin)>> Well she's lubricated. I'd say it's time for a pull.

(LT)>> Alright well to keep things fair obviously same 20 percent load, same fifth gear run, same temperature and everything. So let's see what it'll do.

(Austin)>> Get after it. [ engine revving ]

(Austin)>> I'd say that's an improvement.

(LT)>> What did we get?

(Austin)>> 450 on the horse and 797 on the torque.

(LT)>> Really, dang!

(Austin)>> Two more pulls netted similar results, 450 and 449. Hey boy that is a nice, tight, consistent group if I must say so myself. We started with an average of 435 and ended up with 449.5.

(LT)>> And you know that averages out to a gain of three point three percent more horsepower than we started with. Now obviously you're not gonna notice three percent more horsepower when you're driving around on the street but that's really not the reason you would do this. It's all about maintaining your vehicle. Now that diesel extreme product that we put in the fuel tank, well that's gonna clean everything out because there's a lot of gunk that builds up in a diesel fuel system. And then when you use the everyday diesel treatment product after that, well it'll maintain the lubricity in your fuel, which helps a diesel last a long time.

(Austin)>> And since you've got to do oil changes anyway for proper maintenance adding that FRThree reduces friction and it'll just increase the life of your motor in general.

(LT)>> Yeah you know maintenance is all about helping your vehicle last a long time. Now on average you'd change your automatic transmission fluid every 60,000 to 100,000 miles. So why not put in a premium products when you change it out.

(Austin)>> Hey and additional horsepower, well I'll take that anywhere I can get. It's just an added bonus.

(LT)>> Alright well let's get this thing unstrapped and move on to the next thing.

(Narrator)>> Next performance upgrades for the Allison transmission.

(LT)>> We love high performance diesel trucks as much as the next guy, and we've built our fair share over the last few years. One of the reasons they're so much fun to drive is the massive amount of torque you can extract from the engines, and their ability to shred tires at the drop of a hat, but one thing both of these trucks have in common is a built transmission since the massive amount of torque would destroy a stock trans. And that's what we're working on today for Dragonali, our 2011 LML powered Sierra. This is Ryan from Xcalliber High Performance. Now you guys have been building transmissions for a very long time, and they specialize in all things Allison, but briefly tell us kind of where you got your start.

(Ryan)>> For the past 35 years we've been on the commercial side of the equation working with fire trucks, garbage trucks, and also buses. A lot of guys came looking for high performance parts and also units. So we kinda stepped up and started making kits.

(LT)>> Yeah you know the diesel high performance industry has been growing tremendously. Now there's a lot of demand for rebuild parts, and obviously you guys specialize and have a tremendous amount of parts for the Allison, but let's say you have the average guy with maybe a stock truck. He pushes a snowplow around, maybe hauls a trailer, and his Allison is starting to slip. So what rebuild kit should that customer start with?

(Ryan)>> That customer's gonna want to start with our Single-X kit. That's gonna include everything you need for a necessary overhaul. That's gonna be your seals, your gaskets, your bushings, bearings, and also a shift kit and pressure regulator kit. The other cool thing about our kit is we include the LML upgrades to update your transmission.

(LT)>> You know the LML upgrade will actually work in any Allison in a Duramax back to the 2001 LBSevens. Now this is unique because it'll actually help a stock transmission hold just a little bit more power, but as we all know just a little more power isn't a good place to stop. So let's say you have the customer who's making somewhere between, I don't know, 400 and 600 horsepower. That's a pretty easy level to get to. What kit does he need?

(Ryan)>> That customer is gonna want to shoot for our Double-X kit. That Double-X kit's going to include everything in the Single-X kit but it's also going to include your COne through CFour Raybestos Powertrain GPZ's. This will allow you to handle that extra power and also that extra heat.

(LT)>> Now one more unique thing about the Xcalliber kit is it actually comes with a pre-machined CThree backing plate. Now this is important because normally you'd have to disassemble your transmission and take this to a machine shop and have it turned down so you can fit the extra clutches, but for a couple extra bucks the Xcalliber kit already comes with this for a drop in replacement.

(Ryan)>> For the guys who are producing 700 horsepower and above usually that's where you start to break stock hard parts. That's where we start to recommend our billet input shafts. We offer these for all years of the Duramax, and we even offer them for the new LFive-P. If you're looking for a little bit more power and you want to handle that power you might want to go with our intermediate shaft and also our output shaft.

(LT)>> Now one very common failure item on the Allison is the PTwo planetary. You can just feed so much power through it it'll just fail, and the splines could twist, the hub could crack, or in this case completely shear off. So Ryan what's the fix for this cause nobody wants to have this happen to their transmission?

(Ryan)>> Well that's where we came out with our six pinion PTwo CTwo carrier. We added two more gears on here, added a pre-machined sun gear, and also a billet CTwo hub. For the guys who are looking to change their gear ratios we offer performance PThrees. This will give you a taller or shorter gear depending on your application.

(LT)>> And of course you can't forget about the small parts either. Xcalliber will sell everything you need to finish up your rebuild. Whether it's fluid, billet p-t-o covers, a torque converter, or even a pre-assembled and tested high performance or stock valve body.

(Austin)>> For you fellas out there looking for that drop in solution Xcalliber has pre-assembled upgraded transmission packages and trust me, they've got a setup that's good for just about any horsepower level. It all gets started with this Red Model. It's got the Single-X internals, and that'll leave you good until about 450 horse. You want to turn it up just a little bit you've gotta go Platinum. This has the Double-X internals and a triple disc billet converter. This will leave you driving worry free up to about 700 horsepower, but you fellas putting down those super high horsepower levels, even north of 1,000, you've got to go with the Black model, and that's what we chose. It comes with the five disc billet converter, a full set of billet input shafts, and for the internals you have a billet CTwo hub, the billet six pinion PTwo, and the optional Performance PThree with your choice of gear ratio. Now what do you know, it even matches our black truck.

(Narrator)>> Next it's time to build our own!

(LT)>> We have all the parts laid out that are gonna make up our Xcalliber upgraded Allison 1,000 Black Series transmission, and along the way we picked up Pete from Xcalliber Performance and he's gonna be the one that'll assemble all these parts into that case. Now this looks complicated but I'm sure you've done it a time or two.

(Pete)>> Yes, quite a few times, quite a few times.

(LT)>> So what's the first part that we get to put in that transmission?

(Pete)>> The first we're going to assemble is the rotating drum, which encompasses the COne and CTwo clutches, and the first thing to do in that assembly is to install the input shaft. [ metal clanging ]

(Pete)>> The Allison 1,000 is a pretty bulletproof transmission. It's very durable and easy to work on. Depending on the year the normal transmission from the factory is rated anywhere from 300-400 horsepower, and we're able push to it over 1,000 horsepower with the Black Model with all the billet parts that we put in there.

(LT)>> With the COne clutches installed Pete drops in the pressure plate, followed by the CTwo frictions and steels. More clearances are checked and the rest of the rotating drum can be assembled. Then he can move on to installing the pressure regulator spring into the pump.

(Pete)>>> The Allisons were primarily designed for commercial vehicles and the pickup truck market demanded that they needed a heavier duty transmission, and they made the Allison 1,000 to accommodate their needs. The typical types of failures usually are burnt clutches or broken hard parts. Our transmission, we use a brand new oil pump in all of them. We don't use anything used, remanufactured. So the oil pumps are all new, and on the higher horsepower applications will add extra pressure to stiffen up the pressure regulator spring with a heavier spring, and we increase line pressure, and once you increase line pressure it increases your holding power of the transmission. We also will increase friction capacity. More friction capacity, more holding power, which is basically what you're looking for in a higher horsepower application where you need to transfer more horsepower from the engine out of the vehicle.

(LT)>> The bearings, gears, and Xcalliber billet main shaft are next, followed by the planetary, tail housing, and rotating assembly.

(Austin)>> When it comes to upgrading a transmission it doesn't mean you necessarily need to rebuild the entire thing. Matter of fact one of the easiest, simplest things you could do is install a shift kit. Best part about it, you don't even need to remove the transmission from the truck. Drain the fluid, drop the pan, remove that valve body.

(Pete)>> This is a valve body out of an Allison 1,000. It's the brains of the transmission. By installing a shift kit it's going to make the shifts a little quicker and a little firmer.

(Austin)>> Quicker and firmer shifts, well that means less slippage and more power to the tires. Let's get this thing tore apart. No matter what transmission you have all shift kits are pretty much the same. There's not a whole lot of variation no matter what vehicle it comes from. The disassembly process is fairly straightforward and quite simple. Almost all kits will include a detailed set of instructions to help guide you through from teardown to install.

The most important part however is just keeping track of all those tiny parts such as the check balls and springs.

(Austin)>> The shift kit for the Allison 1,000 two valves, some springs, and a couple of check balls. So really all mechanical parts that make the magic happen, not even electrical? We're reusing the old solenoids?

(Pete)>> Correct, it's really gonna improve the shifts on this transmission.

(Austin)>> And the only real work is enlarging the holes in the separator plate, and they even give you a drill bit to do that.

(Pete)>> You're correct about that. We're gonna put a little bit of trans gel in the end of the valve to retain the check ball and the spring so it doesn't fall out when you turn it over.

(Austin)>> The kit requires two holes to be enlarged in the separator plate, followed up with deburring the edges.

(Pete)>> Now I'm installing the trim and torque converter solenoids and their respective retaining brackets. The oil delivery tube gets dropped in, and make sure you get it going in the right direction. Next up is the pressure manifold switch, followed by the installation of the pressure control solenoid-G. I'll put all the bolts in, tighten them down by hand, follow it up with a quick torque of 110 inch pounds. [ torque wrench clicking ]

(Pete)>> Dropping in the shift solenoids and retaining clip, and now I'm going to install the harness.

(Austin)>> Well I've got to say you make quick work. Almost looks like you've done that a time or two, huh?

(Pete)>> Yeah a thousand or so, but who's counting? That shift kit will really improve the shift quality of your transmission.

(Austin)>> Yeah it's something you're definitely gonna feel, and a go to upgrade in my book for sure.

(Pete)>> Absolutely, absolutely.

(LT)>> Finally the Allison build is wrapped up by installing the valve body.

(Ryan)>> Alright man it looks like they got that unit finished up, and you owe me a core.

(LT)>> Well I hope you brought some work clothes and a couple of tools cause I think you need to help pull that bad boy out.

(Ryan)>> Of course.

(Austin)>> Pete got this Black Model capped off with that five disc billet converter, cast aluminum pan, and those p-t-o covers.

(LT)>> And we want to give a special thanks to the guys at Xcalliber for hooking us up with this Black Unit because believe me, we're gonna put it to the test.

(Pete)>> It was truly our pleasure.

(Austin)>> And where can the viewers go to find out more information?

(Ryan)>> You guys can purchase these transmissions and parts at Xcalliber dot com.

(LT)>> So what do you guys think of the stance on this truck?

(Austin)>> Could it be a little lower?

(Narrator)>> Next welders then and now!

(LT)>> We do a lot of welding and fab work in this shop, and you've probably noticed our green Forney machines. Today they off a wide range of welders that'll have you covered at any skill level. Whether that's the basic hobbyist DIY'er all the way up to heavy fabrication, but one thing you may not know is that Forney is actually one of America's oldest running family owned and operated welding and metal working equipment suppliers, and it all started back in 1932. JD Forney get his start when he first invented the Forney instant heat soldering iron. From there he went on to invent and produce the first successful 110 volt welding machine in the late 1930's. During that time arc welding was a profession that demanded long and specialized training, making it a costly service which was hard to come by. So JD Forney created a more economical and affordable way to repair machinery and equipment, which helped out the farmer. Originally these machines were sold door to door in areas where electricity wasn't as readily available. So salesmen had to climb up the power poles to directly attach the cables to power up the machines and demonstrate the welders to customers. This machine is a Forney CFive-BT and it's straight out of the 1950's, and it actually still works to this day. Now its main function is an A/C arc welder. This will output 250 amps of power, which is pretty hefty even by today's standards, but it also has a few other functions built in as well. It has a six or 12 volt battery charger, which works on both slow, medium, and high settings. It'll also act as a power supply for a soldering iron and it even has a built in 115 volt outlet. Now this machine sets up quite a bit differently than most modern welders. There's no fancy digital displays or dials to turn and select your amperage. Instead you start with a ground lead and plug it in to either the low, medium, or the high port. Then you take your electro leads and you find which port meets the amperage that you want to weld at, plug her in, switch on the machine, and go. Now another hand feature on the top they provide a nice chart which shows you different amperages and electrode thicknesses so you take out any guess work from operating this machine. Forney is still making welders to this day, and innovation remains strong. This is the easy weld 140 multi-process. It'll handle mig, flux core, arc, and even D/C tig welding. It plugs into a standard household outlet and it'll output 140 amps of power, which means this little guy can handle up to quarter inch thick material. On the other end of the spectrum is this bad boy, the 242 Dual Mig. Now this would be found in a heavy fab shop since it outputs up to 240 amps of power, meaning it'll handle three-eighths inch thick plate, but the coolest feature of the dual mig is a second port on the front, which allows you to connect and leak connected a spool gun for welding aluminum, and all you have to do to swap back and forth between the two processes is flip a switch. In addition to welders Forney also offers over 5,000 welding and metal working tools in four categories, welding, abrasives, safety, and shop tools. Plus they have warehouses and retailers around the country so you get what you need whenever you need it. For any of the consumables or supplies you need to finish up your welding or fab project visit Forney IND dot com. The dashboard on our 2011 Denali has seen better days, and the sun soaked plastic has severely cracked over time. We all know that Rock Auto is known for having an extensive list of mechanical replacement parts for a wide range of vehicles but you might not know that they also offer parts to dress up your interior. This dashboard cover is a custom fit for our GMC. It glues into place and it'll hide that stock ugly cracked dash. Plus they're available in a wide range of colors. Find the parts to dress up the inside of your truck at Rock Auto dot com. If you have a late model diesel truck and you need a boost in performance Bully Dog has you covered, whether you drive a GM, Ford, or even a Ram. The BDX will get inside your truck's computer and re-flash it to add more horsepower and efficiency, and tunes are available towing, daily driving, or even high performance. The GTX offers the same powerful tunes but it also acts as a gauge monitor, and it'll display the industry's most extensive list of parameters. Plus it also features the magnetic grab and go mounting system so you can safely stow away the GTX whenever you're parked. Find yours at Bully Dog dot com. When designing and building a custom exhaust system the muffler that you choose has a huge impact on the sound and overall performance of your system, and Magnaflow has a muffler for you whether you have a naturally aspirated small displacement V-eight or a fire breathing turbocharged big block. The straight through design offers minimal restriction and has a nice aggressive sound, and they're available in a couple of different shapes fit nearly any configuration, whether that's oval or round, and the most popular diameters include three, four, or even this massive five incher. Find out more at Magnaflow dot com, and if you guys have any questions about any of the products you've seen on our show today be sure to check us out at Powernation TV dot com. Thanks for watching Truck Tech and we'll catch you guys next time!