Made it cross country

[TLBREWER]

Shane

Glad you made it, and it sounds like you had a good time on your trip.

Tom

 

[SKimballC]

I found the motivation to mess with the electrical GV set-up today. I ended up wiring an temporary extra switch that's running 12v straight to the solenoid without using any of the GV wiring. I drove it for about 12 miles on the interstate and it didn't crap out once.
I think the problem may be with the speed signal generator. On the way back from a float trip last weekend the GV was working fine in 3rd over and 4th over on the back roads, but as soon as I shifted into 5th on the freeway the green light went out and the GV wouldn't come on for 5th over. Got off the freeway and the light came back on at lower speeds and the GV would switch on.
I am not sure yet since it was running pretty erratically these past couple weeks before I just turned it off and left it off. I am going to continue running it like this without any of the GV wiring or controller for now. Hopefully its just electrical and won't require tearing into the hydraulics.
I will say to anyone that has a Gear Vendors unit to CHANGE THE OIL in the thing if its been a while. The thing shifts WAY smoother now.

 

[RLDSL]

If it's working bypassed, it's definitely in the electronics, and it won't hurt anything to have speed sensors bypassed, the factory applications for the J type laycock OD units were all manual control with a switch on the shifter All that fancy gear vendors controls do is make engagement a little *smarter*

----------Robert

 

[SKimballC]

If it's working bypassed, it's definitely in the electronics, and it won't hurt anything to have speed sensors bypassed, the factory applications for the J type laycock OD units were all manual control with a switch on the shifter All that fancy gear vendors controls do is make engagement a little *smarter*

----------Robert

And a little safer. It locks out when in 4 wheel drive and also keeps it from coming on at too low of a speed with insufficient operating pressure.
I am going to drive it some more before I claim to have found the problem. Its erratic behaviour could rear its head again.
If it does ultimately prove to be the electronics, I will just wire the solenoid to the Eaton switch that's mounted on the shifter and forget about it. Right now its wired to a toggle that is in a highly inconvenient spot. I am also NOT going to pay the $350 that GV says I need to 'update' their 'old' electronics.

 

[RLDSL]

Chances are if the wires all check out, you could take the control box (s) apart and find a burned component or two on the board that can be replaced instead of paying big $$$ for a replacement, but the manual control will work just fine. all that other stuff does is think for you when to flip the switch on the solenoid.

----------Robert

 

[SKimballC]

As a follow-up to this problem, I ended up wiring juice for the Gear Vendor straight from the fuse box through the Eaton switch to the solenoid on the overdrive. I finally got it out on the highway for a decent amount of time, and in the 70 mile trip the GV ran perfectly and didn't cut out once. So apparently the problem was in the electronics somewhere.

 

[Agnem]

That's good to know. It's a shame that electronic box is required. It's good to have though. I don't think anyone could be **** enough to remember to kick it in or out at the required speed forever.

 

[SKimballC]

Well, with the handshaker its pretty much ingrained into my shifting process. The thing I don't get is that with this truck and the 5 speed, it doesn't kick itself off at the required low speed anyways, the light just goes out but the solenoid doesn't lose power, so if I forget to turn it off I will know it when I start back from a stop. Maybe it was a sign of the bad older style electronics all along, but with my GV/C6 combo in the last truck with newer electronics it was all automatic. I certainly wouldn't want to run a GV with an automatic without the box. With the 5 speed it doesn't really make a difference, and since I know how to run it properly I won't go trying to use it in 4 wheel drive or lug it at low rpms or anything stupid.

 

[Agnem]

Hmmm... I'm not sure if you understand how it operates then. If you leave it engaged (as you can, since you have no speed monitor circuit), when you get down below about 15MPH, the rotational speed of the driveshaft will drop to the point where the hydraulic pump in the GV will not produce enough presure to keep the clutches engaged. The unit will quietly start to slip, until it completely disengages. The reverse will happen on acceleration. Problem is, those clutches aren't designed to do that. Net effect, you'll blow out the clutches in real short order. If that happens, change the fluid and see how big the pile of clutch material is on the drain plug.

 

[SKimballC]

I think you have misread my statement, Mel. I have gone through the manual and spoken with GV several times. I DO understand how it works, that's why I don't run it in low rpm's or at low speeds. My point is that my GV with the older factory electronics does NOT and has never been disabled by the speed monitor circuit below the required speed. All that happens upon deceleration is the light on the control box goes out, yet power to the solenoid is not cut off, thus the GV is still engaged despite being below 15 mph. The only function the speed signal has served on mine is as a shift light. You dig?
With the exception of the 4WD lockout, the way it is wired now is no more dangerous than it was before. Either way, I have been responsible for turning it off before dropping below 15 mph cuz it sure as hell doesn't do it by itself. There's no autodrive function like the automatic controller I had on the other truck. Does the Gear Vendor on the Lady Moose operate any differently?

 

[Agnem]

OK your right. I did misunderstand what you were saying. Hmmm.... Can't speak for the Lady Moose GV operation. I always kick it out for sure when speed gets low. I've always been concerned about the harshness of a GV shift without clutching.