How I shift my 15 speed

[@SootyMangabey.]

I still run a few 9 lo lo transmissions which are basically the same as a 15 speed minus the shift pattern... That deep reduction is a godsend for wet muddy conditions or taking off on a hill.

[@Digginok]

Yes the deep reduction is nice for reverse too. I have never driven a 9ll but I think it’s similar

[@georgeenriquez612]

Great video Frank. Straight to the point. Your KW sounds good

[@sassafrasvalley1939]

Frankie, I’ve never had the opportunity to operate one of those transmissions. But, I did learn how to ride a 10 speed bicycle… until I learned the difference between starting and stopping uphill and downhill, I was constantly having to fight when to change from low to high range. Then, one day, I screwed up and did it totally wrong. Lo & behold it worked better. Everything clicked after that and intuition took over. From then on I never worried about shift patterns… I can’t tell you how you should shift a 10 speed but, I can show you. Watching you explain 15 of them brought a tear to my eye!

[@Digginok]

😂

[@Jpaydirt]

My mack had a 15 I loved it with the V8 mack as it ran 2750 RPM

[@Digginok]

Hard to love a Mack? Lol

[@caterpillarslim1288]

That truck sounds really gooooood 😁👍

[@antmoundlogistics]

Awesome explanation and performance.

[@f-j-Services]

If you want to preselect the deep reduction to come into or out of it you gotta be quick on the throttle, such as jake it coming out of deep reduction and time it just right so there is no driveline bangin round, or for a downshift preselect, let off and immedatly smash the throttle and itll grab it as smooth as an automatic. I love 15 speed with 4.10 very good setup to have.

[@Cradley51]

Sweet truck!

[@AWDJRforYouTube]

👍Roadrangers will work you out with too much shifting lol, I liked the Spicer's you can just shift the ranges up to high when empty lol. Great ride in lil Red Frank!

[@Digginok]

I need to try to stay in shape! 😂 thanks for watching

[@trickmytractor7187]

I started in a 1967 R model Mack 18 speed quad & air assisted steering 👍

[@Digginok]

Nice!

[@greatkingrat]

Good video.

[@nathanmoore1739]

Frank, just curious why don’t you have a tandem dump truck, move equipment with it and do dump work all with one truck? That’s the set up I have and it works out good for me here in Alabama but maybe things are different in Oklahoma?

[@Digginok]

A few guys here have that setup, but I don’t like driving a dump truck, no disrespect, but I can hire one for less than I would want to run one for. Nearest rock quarry is 2 hours one way so a belly dump is more economical. If I had a dump truck I’d still prefer to hire a driver to run it so I can stay in the backhoe. I’m sure I could justify having a dump truck, probably would make money too.

[@nathanmoore1739]

@@Digginok yeah I understand the 5th wheel set up is much more comfortable to drive, and I see your point about the quarry being so far away, we are blessed with limestone here in NE Alabama, have 3 quarry’s within 30m of the house, they charge a arm and a leg for it but it is close and available, here you can’t hire anyone to haul it for you, most everyone is working for a contractor and doesn’t want to fool with small amounts of rock haul

[@Digginok]

@@nathanmoore1739 I have a guy I use for rock, he is reasonably priced, I just have to work his schedule. He runs belly dumps so that doesn’t always work. I mostly dig footings, so the guys I work for hire the haul offs.

[@stevenmurata4392]

Do you eat avocados?

[@wotnoturbo]

@@stevenmurata4392 Random ??

[@Fatamus]

Ya want to hear about my first driving job? It will be long so ill just make a video..👍

[@Digginok]

Yes I’d like to see your story!

[@Fatamus]

@@Digginok I'll put something together before my next surgery. 🥺 Wondering if after this one if the next one's free🤔?.

[@heavyequipmentdude6615]

Most transmissions that shift against the dash are overdrives in my experience. I like me a w900 a model in your current configuration is it a fast truck ?

[@Digginok]

Yeah the rtx 15 is the same except the od is to the passenger seat. 3.70 gears and 11-24.5 rubber. I’ve had it to 96 mph once, fast enough.

[@mickeyharris6162]

Have 2 - 15 spds behind 4 & 1/4 cats and a 379 pete with a 13 spd behind a 6NZ - C15 ... If you could split the top side of the 15 @ highway speeds it would be ultimate in my opinion !!!

[@Digginok]

Well if you could split the top 5, it would be a 30 right? 18 is a 13 that can split the lower 5.

[@Digginok]

My uncle had a truck with 3 speed rears back in the eighties, had gears for every situation.

[@Fatamus]

OK something is wrong here.... I didn't hear any "Clack, Clack, Clack gree-tata clink ching that I get finding the next gear. Wow 😲 🤣😂🤣

[@Will-ct9ww]

Frank what is your truck you are driving

[@Digginok]

1973 w900 Kenworth, there are some videos of it on my channel , thanks for watching

[@brucewilson5087]

Good example.

[@Digginok]

Thank ya

[@memyselfandifarmer]

I got a 5 in the 79 ford f600 dump. 👍

[@Digginok]

Nice!

[@jc7654]

it's amazing how many people who have been driving 18 speeds have trouble with 15 speed od or dd boxes .

[@tempestmkiv]

The gearing isn’t great but there isn’t a nicer shifting transmission than a 15 speed.

[@bush600r2]

Yeah not the right way but if it works for you ok. You basicly skipped a gear when you come out of deep reduction that way and put back into the same gear. Like you were saying about the book says it's the correct way and gives a better even gear ratio. When you took it out of deep reduction and put back in same gear you could hear how much taller gear you took and it was laboring the motor, fine when empty. Wouldn't be so great if you were loaded and pulling up a hill. Correct way is when leaving deep reduction you go back a gear which in turn goes up 1 perfect gear ratio then you go up and so on. For example say you leave deep reduction 5th like you were correct way is just before pulling out of 5th gear flick deep reduction blue switch back on gear knob and straight away change gear lever down to 4th low range which actually goes up a perfect gear ratio higher then shift up again when required to 5th low range then change flick range Change up and change into 6th gear high range and carry on until up to top gear etc. You can Change out of deep reduction in any gear position from 2nd deep reduction through to 5th deep reduction by going back one gear position into normal low range which is one gear higher ratio than the deep reduction position you were in. Example you can be in day deep reduction 3 gear position then flick blue button backwards then make gear shift out and into 2nd gear position which is now 2nd low range. The purpose of deep reduction is only for getting rolling from a stopped postion when either very heavy where you require some lower gears or perhaps pulling out of a quarry with a full load up a slight grade or pulling out of a soft field type thing where you require lower set gears to get you rolling with less stress on truck. Most other areas on high way etc you don't need them and usually just use your normal 10 gear positions unless you may have extremly high diff ratios etc you may use deep reduction to get rolling. Nice smooth gear shifting though and cool old kw. Ps same format of shifting goes wheather its a 15sp od like yours (top gear up to the dash) or a 15 speed direct (top gear down to the right) exact same principal for changing out of deep reduction.

[@Digginok]

Thanks! But yeah I understand the pattern, I skip a gear. My rig weights 40k loaded so I don’t really need the deep reduction. My brother has an rtx15, it’s an overdrive like mine but the shift pattern is like a normal H with overdrive passenger side and back. Ps thus the title “how I shift “ not how to. Also I don’t preselect the deep reduction, I find it’s best to shift deep reduction when in neutral only.

[@bush600r2]

​​​@@Digginoksorry but who ever taught you to shift the gear lever into neutral and then flick the blue deep reduction valve out while moving in neutral and then back into gear has taught you wrong. It's not good for transmission. You should flick the deep reduction button out while in gear and then as soon as you move the blue button back(or out of deep reduction) immediately make the gear lever shift back one whole gear. Don't pre select and wait for a few seconds or longer before shifting the gear lever either. I have old VHS videos from Eaton on this exact transmission when they came out new explaining correct shifting techniques and wrong techniques and the No No things to do. What your doing here is something they say NOT to do or continuous use like you do can cause damage to transmission. If you don't believe me there is another later video from Eaton that touches on this and it's on the internet, you can look it up I believe the title of the video is something like:- "professional shifting the 8LL, 9LL and 15 speed transmission". It's youtube name is by "eatonvideos". This was put out by eaton fuller it is not the originalb proper version like I have and I haven't seen that vision on the internet but this one I just mentioned describes how to correctly shift also but just doesn't go into depth. Check it out sir. This might explain to you why you are not getting a smooth shift as you explain cause your not changing it the recommended way. Sorry I'm not having a go at you really cause you seem to shift well and smoothly it's just that your showing incorrect driving habits of that transmission and I see to many people on youtube doing the same showing people ways that are not correct and can possibly cause damage to the tranny. I'm a full time driver of over 30 years and have always looked to learn correctly over my time. I have driven most eaton trannys over the years and currently have both a later model 18 speed eaton in one of my trucks and I have a 15OD Eaton in my other older 94 model truck I own. I encourage you to look up that video if you don't believe me sir, if done correctly as i explained you should get a nice smooth shift with no clunks or bangs etc. Have a good day sir.

[@Digginok]

@@bush600r2 thanks for sharing! The video is very informative. I do appreciate you taking time to let me know I’m not practicing the correct method. But, the video also says that you should clutch the transmission when you shift, all I have read and watched from Eaton says to always double clutch. With that said, do you always double clutch? I mean I do on occasion but usually I don’t. I am curious why you didn’t tell me I should double clutch as well? And if you want to know my reason for putting the trans into neutral is to make sure there is no clash, since I didn’t clutch on the shift. I know a little about how transmissions shift, I have rebuild some myself. If you simply shift the deep reduction button and let off the throttle it’s going to do more damage than slipping it into neutral, in my opinion. I wouldn’t recommend my method to anyone as how you should do it, I will leave a link to the Eaton video in my description. I do know you mean well and I don’t take offense to the comments, that’s how we learn. But I can’t do a better video description of how Eaton recommends shifting their transmissions, they made it. Thanks again for watching

[@bush600r2]

@Digginok Hi, I feel like I need to apologize in some way as I feel it comes out wrong in my writing. I really am not having a go at you and I think you know I'm not but the main reason I commented in the first place was cause there are young guys or learners watching these videos trying to learn how to shift the Eaton transmissions as that's what people do in today's world not like how we learnt when there was no internet. Again I understand you stated in your video "how I change gears in a 15 speed" The only thing is you and i understand that but to a learner is it teaching them good habits? And will they see that as the right way cause they have never been shown how to drive one before? And that brings me to another point. You may well be right perhaps it doesn't do any harm changing the deep reduction out while moving traveling in neutral so that gives me something to think about also and perhaps I may learn from you, ive personally never pulled a 15 speed apart. Main reason I've never changed like you shift is I get a very smooth shift from the way Eaton says to do it plus my transmission is still the original and almost done 2 million now and it's still running like new really, I'm just going off what the people who make and develop the transmission say to do and what not to do. I just don't understand why they at Eaton would say not to do something if it was ok to do so. You'd think there engineers would inspect the videos before they put them out to confirm they are informing people correctly in what they are saying.... who knows maybe they aren't. That video isn't that great compared to the one I have on vhs it's much better and goes over old model 13 speeds as well. Also reason why I didn't mention anything about you not double clutching is because I can tell by watching you that your doing a very smooth job in changing without clutch, would I recommend to others not to use the clutch no I wouldn't cause I don't know how well they can shift and I think until your fully confident you can shift perfectly without it then it should be used. Do I use the clutch you ask, sometimes I do yes it all depends on the load and terrain as to what I do. But yes I do often change gears without and I believe Eaton suggest to use it cause there are too many people out there that cannot make the shift smoothly. Alot rip or force the gear lever roughly out of gear or get it jammed half in and half out and that's one the worst things to do imo not to mention putting it into the next gear poorly and clashing the gears badly where if the clutch was used takes a little of the force and friction away if you mess up. I see so many on youtube not using the clutch and think man they think they can shift well when actually they are doing a terrible job. Anyhow I'm not going to go on any more. Initially what interested me to click on your video was seeing your old kw in the thumbnail and had the heading of the 15 speed which I also enjoy. Look I don't want to ruin your video sir with my comments in here so if you want me to delete them I'm more than happy to delete all of them cause I think you seem to be a decent person and can drive a truck very well. I mean no offense to you sir and wish you well with your work and your youtube channel and thankyou like you say discussion is how we learn rather than taking offense we can listen and learn. So Thankyou your thoughts gives me something to think about also. Have a good day.

[@Digginok]

@@bush600r2 no apology necessary, we had a discussion. Fact is you have given me some things to think about for sure, good points. You in no way have hurt my video, leave the comments. Thanks for taking time to explain.

[@kennethsimms5227]

First tranny I learned on 23 yrs ago

[@Digginok]

Hopefully I did it right?

[@Midnitexowboy]

Uhhhhhhh,this is a 15 spaid