About Roadrangers,
They like straight engine oil, usually 50 weight, but may vary depending on temperature and use, many new ones like synthetic oil. They don't like mineral gear oil, at least it's not what the manuals call for.
The range (air shifted part) is always synchronized.
The front 5 speed box is never synchronized.
Synchronized transmissions should really be clutched to shift (saves the syncros, if not clutched they work really hard trying to match speeds, but are fighting the engine speed and wear out really quick), a non synchronized box can be shifted without the clutch (match speeds while in neutral with the accelerator pedal).
The Roadranger can be shifted without clutching because the range will only shift when the front box is in neutral, so the synchronizers work fine, for all they know the clutch is in, because being in neutral in the font box accomplishes the same thing.
About the shifter-less auxiliary transmission,
I don't know of any auxiliary transmissions that are synchronized.
I don't think the electric solenoid is a good idea, to harsh unless some sort of spring is used.
Spicer made air shifted auxiliary transmissions in several models.
I have a few of the manuals for the air shifted ones, but have never seen a real one in person. Basically they put air cylinders on the shift rails. Because air compresses it acts as a sort of spring and is not as harsh as a solenoid would be. I would imagine that you still need to be really good to shift it, because you have no feel, and once you tell it to shift it will try it's best, grinding and all.
Another thing to consider is not getting it in two gears at once. So if you shift one rail, the other must be in neutral, and if not, and you manage to get two shift rails in gear at once, you strip teeth off the ring gear, twist a driveshaft, wring the center out of the clutch, and or other nasty things.
All factory air shifted transmissions have this figured out somehow or another...
Grigg
Last edited by Grigg; 11/17/2007 4:10 AM.
