US Gear Surprise

[Robt.Webster]

I believe the older US gear units used a standard Eaton style motor. like this. The wires came out into the lead screw housing. And on this housing is where some eaton switches would mount.

On my setup the motor wires come out the back of the motor and then go to the control box. According to Rose Auto Clinic I have one of the "newer" styles.

I completely agree it sends voltage for like 1.6 seconds then reverses polarity on the next switch pull.

Yes, my unit has this style of motor with the motor leads running in to the screw housing and connecting to the pins that penetrate the cover. These leads connect directly without switches, but switches could be installed as the box is configured for them. I would like to know if one of the newer motors with external motor leads could replace the existing motor so as to get all of the electronics on the outside.

 

[The Warden]

I believe the older US gear units used a standard Eaton style motor. like this. The wires came out into the lead screw housing. And on this housing is where some eaton switches would mount.

On my setup the motor wires come out the back of the motor and then go to the control box. According to Rose Auto Clinic I have one of the "newer" styles.

I completely agree it sends voltage for like 1.6 seconds then reverses polarity on the next switch pull.

For what it's worth, here's what the top of the motor looks like on an older Doug Nash unit:

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

You must be registered for see images attach

Under the cover, it might be the same, but I honestly don't know either way.

I've always wondered...if the shift motor on the older units is a standard Eaton shift motor, could you put an Eaton shift motor into a newer unit if the newer motor fails? I understand that there are electrical differences (the internal switches in the older unit; the control box in the newer unit), but will they physically interchange?

 

[Robt.Webster]

Your photos of the DNE unit look the same as my US Gear unit, except for the name on the switch cover.

As I mentioned before, mine does not have the internal switches (although it has the provisions to mount them) and uses a US Gear control box. Wonder if mine was manufactured shortly after ÚS Gear aquired DNE?

I too would like to know about the motor since mine seems to use the older model.

 

[jaluhn83]

The US Gear internal wire model and DNE shift motors will interchange, and the US Gear box can be fitted with the internal type control switch.

I would be surprised if the external wire motor on the newer US Gear units couldn't be swapped for the older motor - as long as the casting and the screw mechanism are the same it should be and I would expect this to be the case as changing the case casting/screw would have been a much more involved production change than simply putting an upgraded motor on.

 

[bobp]

My US Gear overdrive recentlyim at 5099877729 bobstopped shifting and is stuck in direct mode. After reading the many posts about this drive, I purchased a replacement set of switches and a shifting motor. I pulled the side plate today expecting to find a bad set of switches, only to find no switches at all. The motor leads were wired direct to the external terminals, although everything required to install and use the switches is there.

The box has been working with no problems. I am the original owner of tbe truck and had the overdrive installed by a reputable shop back in 1993. The truck is the one shown in my signature.

Has anyone seen this before? I have heard that US Gear sold some models that used current sensing in control boxes to stop the motor travel; is this one of them?

Since these control boxes are as rare as hen's teeth these days, I am thinking it might be better to install the switches and allow them to stop the motor travel. Would be a much simpler control scheme and may be more reliable in the long run.

Any thoughts on this?

Thanks for any feedback.

I got one just like yours only mine shifts before the two secs any clues thanks I

 

[jayro88]

I replaced the tired shift motor in my DNE2 a while back. The original motor had some kind of circuit board on the back.

You must be registered for see images

Mine, also, did not have the switch on the back of the cover. I had purchased one but ended up not using it. From my research and experience the switch on the inside of the case is a fail safe incase the shift switch fails and starts sending constant voltage to the shift motor via one of the leads. Mine has been functioning perfect without it for the past 2+ years. I will probably install the switch on the back of the cover the next time I pull the unit. I am currently using the original DNE2 electrical components, but I want to rewire everything to get rid of it. I don't trust the old electronics.

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

You must be registered for see images

 

[jaluhn83]

That switch is not, per original design a fail safe. It is the control switch for the motor. The shift switch put +12 to one or the other of the motor leads (3 lead motor) and this is hot for as long as the switch is in that position. (ie, one or the other wire is hot anytime the ignition is on). That switch acts as a limit switch and cuts the power off once the linkage is shifted.

On a early US Gear system (3 lead motor), the switch would act as a fail safe, but it is not really needed since the time delay relays will cut power after a couple seconds. It would also act as an additional point of failure.

 

[jayro88]

That switch is not, per original design a fail safe. It is the control switch for the motor. The shift switch put +12 to one or the other of the motor leads (3 lead motor) and this is hot for as long as the switch is in that position. (ie, one or the other wire is hot anytime the ignition is on). That switch acts as a limit switch and cuts the power off once the linkage is shifted.

On a early US Gear system (3 lead motor), the switch would act as a fail safe, but it is not really needed since the time delay relays will cut power after a couple seconds. It would also act as an additional point of failure.

Correct. The original electronics are built as a time delay so it alternates which lead is hot and it only stays hot while the momentary button is pushed. The switch in the picture above would keep you from bur ing up the electric shift motor by breaking the circuit of the energized lead if the momentary switch were to malfunction.

Mine is a DNE2, so I dont know how the harness electronics differ from the US Gear model.