My boss just bought an International 5-yard dump truck. It's a '74 Cargostar 1810 B, and has the 392 with an automatic transmission. What kind of fliud should it take, type F or Dexron II? Who makes the tranny?

Another thing that seems a little weird, it has a manual tranny behind the auto, looks like a factory job in the quality of the installation, but the linkages aren't hooked to anything, there's no way to shift it short of raising the bed, getting out and yanking on the linkage. I guess it's to get extra-low gear reduction, but the thing already has a 2-sp. rear end, how low do you really need to go with these things? -TD

 

Check for a tag on the side of the transmission. It should give you the name of the manufacturer. It may be a Allison transmission. Then check with the local Allison dealer. The ones I worked on used Dexron II A.T.F. Also the part behind the Trans. may be a band brake. Does your truck have hydralic brakes? If so the parking brake is on the driveshaft behind the transmission.

 

I was thinking it might be an Allison, but the grease on the thing is about an inch thick, I haven't found a tag under all that yet! It has air brakes, not hydraulic, and it's definitely a manual transmission behind the auto, looks like an NP 435. I'm supposed to meet with the former owner in the morning, maybe I can find out some more about it then. Thanks, -TD

 

UPDATE: I talked with the former owner today, he verified that it's an Allison but he's never had to put fluid in it and doesn't know what it takes. As for the aux. manual tranny, it's one that his dad installed when he had the truck. I'm impressed with the quality of the installation, other than the lack of a shift linkage, it looks professional. I'm used to seeing real hack jobs. Anyway, he called it a Browning, said it's a three-speed with a low 1st, 1:1 2nd, and O/D 3rd, no reverse. It's apparently made for just such an installation. I guess I'll hook up a cable shifter for it, since the truck's a tilt cab a solid linkage shifter would be tough to make work. And the engine's been replaced, the original 392 is gone and this one's only a 345. But it has a Ford distributor anyways! -TD