M917 tranny questions.... update

[ponway]

Anyone that has pulled that screen care to tell me what bolt is the one that retains the suction tube? Pulled the top one out, i don't think its that one unless its really stuck in there. Even with the previous link i'm not seeing the retention method clearly. Can't feel any type of retainer that any bolt passes through. Per that manual those 4 bolts are keeping the oil pump together, rather not have that fall apart in a spot you can't even see.

Kinda late on this conversation but if you are wanting to clean the screen, you don’t have to pull the tube off, probably don’t want to do that anyway without pulling the front clutch off and going in that way. The screen just slides into the bottom of the pickup tube and snaps in place. Some slide easier than others. Easier to get to it from drivers side pto cover but can also be serviced from the right cover.

 

[scooter01922]

Kinda late on this conversation but if you are wanting to clean the screen, you don’t have to pull the tube off, probably don’t want to do that anyway without pulling the front clutch off and going in that way. The screen just slides into the bottom of the pickup tube and snaps in place. Some slide easier than others. Easier to get to it from drivers side pto cover but can also be serviced from the right cover.

YOU ARE A LIFESAVER. Really didn't want to admit defeat and fill it back up without cleaning but the removal looked to be potentially more trouble than its worth. I'll see if i can slide that thing off of there mon or tues. Does it slide forward to remove, back ?? I'll try from the pass side as that cover is off, pull the PTO if i have to. One less thing to worry about when diagnosing what is actually wrong.

 

[ponway]

YOU ARE A LIFESAVER. Really didn't want to admit defeat and fill it back up without cleaning but the removal looked to be potentially more trouble than its worth. I'll see if i can slide that thing off of there mon or tues. Does it slide forward to remove, back ?? I'll try from the pass side as that cover is off, pull the PTO if i have to. One less thing to worry about when diagnosing what is actually wrong.

Sorry for the late response again. Here is what you are dealing with. Just slide it right to left, pretty sure it will only come out sliding to the driver side.

 

[ponway]

Sorry for the late response again. Here is what you are dealing with. Just slide it right to left, pretty sure it will only come out sliding to the driver side.View attachment 874114View attachment 874115View attachment 874116

Let me clarify that, it will only come out moving to the driver side but can be accessed through either PTO cover but driver side is easier.

 

[ponway]

Hey guys, its been a LOOONG time since i have been around.....again. Anyway, my bad influence of a boss clued me into a local auction with some trucks. Had a few 5 tons, a 915 and a trio of 917's. Simply could not pass up a 917 for what these were going for so.....yeah i bought one. Ran down today and with a couple batteries it started damn near first revolution. Has been at a state police driving instruction site for new cadets for the past who knows how many years. Was used to plow the formerly military runway that is now the practice track. Odometer reads a bit over 10k since overhaul in 04 in TX. Was listed as "bad trans, no gears" but for the price i paid i couldn't care. Today while running it aired up great and surprisingly enough went right into both 1st and reverse. Its got the 16 speed, BTW, no idea the other gears but both first and reverse grabbed well enough to move the truck at idle even with the brakes locked on. Thats my first 917 question. Shouldn't it just sit there in 1st or reverse? I thought they were like a true auto in that respect.View attachment 872399

Another thing, you mentioned it wanting to move at idle. I had a fresh overhaul out of the crate and it would move like that. I took the front clutch apart and found it to be very dirty. The centrifugal action of the oil in the clutch housing makes it a great filter in that debris, like fine metal powder, paint chips ect will collect on the housing wall. This caused the large front clutch piston ( which is moved by the oil pressure from the centrifugal effect of increased rpm) to hang up and not allow the clutch to release as the rpm came down. I cleaned it, put it all back together and it was fine.
This was another Fort Polk rebuild or said to be rebuilt! By “Fred” as I remember.
This same transmission also had a rear section of the mainshaft that lacked about a 1 1/2” of being bored completely through. It is about a 1/2” hole that delivers oil to the rear, so the rear output bearing wasn’t getting oil and it lasted about 100 miles!

 

[scooter01922]

Once again ponway you come through with the info. I stuck my arm up in there yesterday, both actually, could feel those rolled edges. Without being able to see and having yanked, tugged, pushed and contorted myself in every possible way i was about ready to throw in the towel, seal it back up, refill and see what happens. With your pics its easy to see why its impossible to get unless you see the removed part. I'll give it another shot from the pass side and if need be pull the PTO knowing how easy it ought be from that side. The oil was very dirty and black, so it may indeed be suffering the same issue as you with your rebuild. Does make sense, the centrifugal force spinning out all debris onto the chamber walls. I just hope i don't need to drop the tranny, not yet at least.

 

[scooter01922]

Success!!! It can indeed be removed from the passenger side pto plate. Reinstalling however....I think I'm just going to pull the PTO. If you have one of these tranny's and feel like cleaning that screen as you should per the pm I would strongly advise just pulling the PTO on the first place. That is unless you are a major sadist, in that case pull only the passenger side plate. An hour or so under there up to my elbow in gears, rather sharp ones at that and I just can't get that thing back in the slot. Only limited time after work to mess with it so it will have to wait till Monday.

 

[scooter01922]

So yeah, it's been feeling more like Florida than Massachusetts the last few weeks. Finally took the PTO off to replace the screen and with it out of the way I can reach into the rear half of the tranny....While I haven't consulted a manual yet a pile of teeth ( not all pictured) and a shattered metal circle that appears from the wear pattern to be part of a clutch pack....it's not good.

 

[simp5782]

So yeah, it's been feeling more like Florida than Massachusetts the last few weeks. Finally took the PTO off to replace the screen and with it out of the way I can reach into the rear half of the tranny....View attachment 875374While I haven't consulted a manual yet a pile of teeth ( not all pictured) and a shattered metal circle that appears from the wear pattern to be part of a clutch pack....it's not good.

Slider gear. Several of us have broken those off.

Clutch packs are separate in the rear housing that can be removed and the front drive. They can't be accessed from the pto cover.

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[scooter01922]

Ah, well it was just a guess. With the teeth shaped shading stained onto there it looks a lot like a spacer for between the fiber discs on a dozer steering clutch. Anyway, looks like it's not a lot of fun changing it along with whatever lost so many teeth when it failed. Hmm, now I need to figure what to do. Repairs on an unknown tranny with broken bits and cooked oil or find a replacement option.

 

[simp5782]

Ah, well it was just a guess. With the teeth shaped shading stained onto there it looks a lot like a spacer for between the fiber discs on a dozer steering clutch. Anyway, looks like it's not a lot of fun changing it along with whatever lost so many teeth when it failed. Hmm, now I need to figure what to do. Repairs on an unknown tranny with broken bits and cooked oil or find a replacement option.

@ponway may have some parts units.

Cat house can get the gears.

They are simple to rebuild. Just a triple countershaft transmission

You can put a 10 or 13 speed in it but you would need an RTOO-14613 to able to go over 55.

 

[scooter01922]

Can't say I have cracked open any triple countershaft tranny's before. Still trying to figure out what exactly I want this truck to do in it's end use. Wasn't really looking for one but when it comes up locally and cheap enough to gamble some play money on... I sold my regular civvie tri-axle dump recently as with fuel being what it's been it was more cost effective to temporarily go back to being an employee. That being said I do plan on going back to local excavation and trucking. Not entirely sure what I can coax out of this gal for road speed, manual says 59 but I don't always trust manuals. No 800 mile highway runs but if I need to be 45 min away I don't want it screaming at the gov to get there. Of course I could always just fix it, sell it and use the coin to just buy a regular civvie truck when I need one again but those do cost $$$$$$$

 

[simp5782]

Can't say I have cracked open any triple countershaft tranny's before. Still trying to figure out what exactly I want this truck to do in it's end use. Wasn't really looking for one but when it comes up locally and cheap enough to gamble some play money on... I sold my regular civvie tri-axle dump recently as with fuel being what it's been it was more cost effective to temporarily go back to being an employee. That being said I do plan on going back to local excavation and trucking. Not entirely sure what I can coax out of this gal for road speed, manual says 59 but I don't always trust manuals. No 800 mile highway runs but if I need to be 45 min away I don't want it screaming at the gov to get there. Of course I could always just fix it, sell it and use the coin to just buy a regular civvie truck when I need one again but those do cost $$$$$$$

Figure you can part it out. 4k for the rear axle bogie. Maybe 8 to 10k for the dumb bed unit. 2k for the transfer case and 4k for the engine. $100 per wheel and tire.

 

[NDT]

Some of us have some of those crappy Ft Puke rebuilds stashed. Might be an option.

 

[simp5782]

Some of us have some of those crappy Ft Puke rebuilds stashed. Might be an option.

As long as Fred isn't listed as the builder

 

[scooter01922]

Some of us have some of those crappy Ft Puke rebuilds stashed. Might be an option.

That's certainly an option if I want to stay stock. Pop in a rebuild and then properly tear down this tranny, assess it's condition and rebuild as a spare if all generally looks well.

 

[scooter01922]

Figure you can part it out. 4k for the rear axle bogie. Maybe 8 to 10k for the dumb bed unit. 2k for the transfer case and 4k for the engine. $100 per wheel and tire.

True, but I do hate parting out things and to do it to what is still a very clean truck...I just couldn't. If I'm gonna sell its because as cool as it is, and it's really cool it doesn't fit a purpose well enough to hang around sucking up some of my finite amount of parking. Can't really tell that till it works though.

 

[scooter01922]

As long as Fred isn't listed as the builder

I don't know whom this Fred guy is but from what I have read around here I don't like him much. If you aren't gonna do it right just get the hell out of the job.

 

[simp5782]

I don't know whom this Fred guy is but from what I have read around here I don't like him much. If you aren't gonna do it right just get the hell out of the job.

There is no quality assurance in the military rebuild program.

 

[scooter01922]

What are you 917 guys seeing for realworld top speed on the stock tranny and rubber anyway?