Transmission advice
Thread Starter
|
Registered User
Joined: Mar 2025
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
Transmission advice
I have a 07 ram 2500 the automatic transmission went out and I was given an Allison trans out of a shuttle bus . Can I put this trans in my pickup without doing major modifications?
All Star
Joined: Dec 2012
Posts: 895
Likes: 56
https://atsdiesel.com/collections/al...49582862631188
Record Breaker
Joined: Sep 2010
Posts: 1,732
Likes: 152
From: Parker, SD
Need to know what we're dealing with, its a Cummins I'm guessing?
First step does it work, free transmissions usually aren't free when you're done.
Next question is what Allison transmission did you get, how new was the bus. To start with you'll need a new flywheel housing for an SAE 2 or SAE 3 size bell housing depending what trans you ended up with, along with a starter to match the housing. Lots of 5.9s out there with Allison's and Eaton fuller transmissions. The housing is easy to find. You can try using the trans serial number to look up adaptation hardware. You'll need the flex plate compatible with whatever trans you got that bolts to a 5.9 crank
Your standard school bus could've used an AT series or MT series with hydraulic control transmission. This is the easiest to swap control wise but getting a t case to bolt up might be impossible. Hopefully you're 2wd. On the electronic side your standard school bus would have used a 1k/2k series, most likely a 2k series, but the overall housing and function of a 1k and 2k are the same, its just planetary ratio differences. Chevy Duramax uses a 1k series. This would require a TCM and probably a calibration change, along with the addition of a TPS sensor as the OE in the truck cant be used for the trans. You could get a GM rear housing to adapt to a transfer case. You could purchase the ATS kit posted above for this 1k transmission, 2k may not be able to due to gear ratios, depending on how they get calibrations
Some school buses and larger say city transit buses, (I'm not sure what you consider a shuttle bus), tour buses ect could've used an HT series on the hydraulic side, other wise most likely a 3k series on the electronic side. This is a beefy trans and commonly found behind big truck engine, ISL, ISX, ISM series Cummins for example, there are some ISBs out there running around with them too though. Like the 1k/2k you would need a TCM and wiring setup, not sure how you would adapt this to a Tcase I'm not sure the ATS kit will work with this trans due to calibration differences, I'm not very familiar with their kit and how they get calibrations. As of current there are 4 - 4.5 generations of Allison's with electronic controls, and not one can be swapped for the other.
Long winded answer, but in short, could it be done, probably, are you ready for the headache and downtime getting it going? Got more money to drop on a swap then rebuilding a 48RE?
First step does it work, free transmissions usually aren't free when you're done.
Next question is what Allison transmission did you get, how new was the bus. To start with you'll need a new flywheel housing for an SAE 2 or SAE 3 size bell housing depending what trans you ended up with, along with a starter to match the housing. Lots of 5.9s out there with Allison's and Eaton fuller transmissions. The housing is easy to find. You can try using the trans serial number to look up adaptation hardware. You'll need the flex plate compatible with whatever trans you got that bolts to a 5.9 crank
Your standard school bus could've used an AT series or MT series with hydraulic control transmission. This is the easiest to swap control wise but getting a t case to bolt up might be impossible. Hopefully you're 2wd. On the electronic side your standard school bus would have used a 1k/2k series, most likely a 2k series, but the overall housing and function of a 1k and 2k are the same, its just planetary ratio differences. Chevy Duramax uses a 1k series. This would require a TCM and probably a calibration change, along with the addition of a TPS sensor as the OE in the truck cant be used for the trans. You could get a GM rear housing to adapt to a transfer case. You could purchase the ATS kit posted above for this 1k transmission, 2k may not be able to due to gear ratios, depending on how they get calibrations
Some school buses and larger say city transit buses, (I'm not sure what you consider a shuttle bus), tour buses ect could've used an HT series on the hydraulic side, other wise most likely a 3k series on the electronic side. This is a beefy trans and commonly found behind big truck engine, ISL, ISX, ISM series Cummins for example, there are some ISBs out there running around with them too though. Like the 1k/2k you would need a TCM and wiring setup, not sure how you would adapt this to a Tcase I'm not sure the ATS kit will work with this trans due to calibration differences, I'm not very familiar with their kit and how they get calibrations. As of current there are 4 - 4.5 generations of Allison's with electronic controls, and not one can be swapped for the other.
Long winded answer, but in short, could it be done, probably, are you ready for the headache and downtime getting it going? Got more money to drop on a swap then rebuilding a 48RE?
Last edited by dodgetruck2; Mar 8, 2025 at 11:24 PM.