Community Forums

codgerbill · 11-21-2010, 06:05 PM

I am in the process of trading in my Winnebago with a Ford engine for a Itasca with a Workhorse chassis. I test drove the Itasca and the transmission has a whine to it. Is this normal? The ford engine was noiser but the transmission was quiet...it just shifted a lot when going up inclines.

Midniteoyl · 11-21-2010, 07:10 PM

What kind of whine? Like a turbine winding up, shift gears, wind up again?

Or one that just gets louder the faster you go?

RVJeeper · 11-22-2010, 04:27 AM

The whine you hear might be the power steering pump. Mostly noticeable at slow speeds.

codgerbill · 11-22-2010, 05:00 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by RVJeeper

The whine you hear might be the power steering pump. Mostly noticeable at slow speeds.

RVJeeper,

You are right that it is only noticeable at slow speeds. If the whine is coming from the the power steering pump is that an indication that it may need to be replaced soon?

Rocky 2 · 11-22-2010, 09:35 AM

I would think you would be wise to have the entire unit evaluated by an rv technician. If they identify a problem, you can determine if it a deal buster.

DriVer · 11-22-2010, 09:45 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codgerbill

You are right that it is only noticeable at slow speeds. If the whine is coming from the the power steering pump is that an indication that it may need to be replaced soon?

Some pumps are a little noisy which they will say is normal. If you can take it to a Workhorse Service Center for an eval they will tell you if that's the case or if the pump is defective.

Does the noise change if you step on the brake or turn the wheel from lock to lock?

RVJeeper · 11-22-2010, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by codgerbill

RVJeeper,

You are right that it is only noticeable at slow speeds. If the whine is coming from the the power steering pump is that an indication that it may need to be replaced soon?

I heard the whine from the power steering right away when we test drove the RV (over 3 years ago). The Workhorse Service Center said it was normal so I stopped worrying about it. As DriVer said, you should be able to verify that it's the PS pump by turning the steering wheel and hearing a change in pitch.

codgerbill · 11-22-2010, 05:02 PM

I talked to the sales guy today and a the coach is being taken to a workhorse facility to have the break recall done. I asked the sales guy about the whining and although he did say it was a normality of the workhorse he would ask the workhorse people to check it out. I did talk to the original owner and he said that the transmission had been serviced late last year.

speed racer · 11-23-2010, 06:03 AM

Allison transmisions have straight cut gear that are stronger than the hylical cut gears but make more noise.

Midniteoyl · 11-23-2010, 10:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by speed racer

Allison transmisions have straight cut gear that are stronger than the hylical cut gears but make more noise.

Kinda why I was asking... Seems its the power steering though..??

DAN L · 11-24-2010, 01:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Midniteoyl

Kinda why I was asking... Seems its the power steering though..??

i replaced my power steering fluid with amsoil synthetic universal power steering fluid. it quieted my power steering pump considerable.
i also changed my transmission fluid to amsoil torque shift synthetic fluid, with the same results.

Topflite51 · 11-24-2010, 09:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DAN L

i replaced my power steering fluid with amsoil synthetic universal power steering fluid. it quieted my power steering pump considerable.
i also changed my transmission fluid to amsoil torque shift synthetic fluid, with the same results.

Simple question. Is Amsoil torque shift synthetic fluid approved by Allison for use in Allison transmissions?

MntDriver · 11-24-2010, 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Topflite51

Simple question. Is Amsoil torque shift synthetic fluid approved by Allison for use in Allison transmissions?

His unit is a 2001 model.....who cares if it's approved.

I'm sure the fluid is just as good as the TES-295 stuff that Allison "approved".

DriVer · 11-24-2010, 09:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by MntDriver

His unit is a 2001 model.....who cares if it's approved.

I'm sure the fluid is just as good as the TES-295 stuff that Allison "approved".

Allison won't approve anything that they are physically not involved with. Amsoil's line of fluids, lubricants and oils are excellent for all applications and exceed manufacturer requirements.