Eaton splitter box 1997 advice please

Hi I have owned and driven my own 18tonners on and off for 16 years now and had a number of older trucks but only one FL7 with the 8 speed splitter. Ive now got a very old DAF 55 1997 with 430k on it. The engine runs sweet and the truck is only to be uses to haul hay from one farm to the other 25 mile. Can anyone give me some advice on driving with this splitter as the gear knob insert with numbers marked on it is missing .Ive worked out reverse and 4 over 4 and I think I have a crawler gear rear left. I am experiencing bad range changes coming down from 5th to 4th with crunching of gears when I flick the splitter switch down. Ive tried it in gear (5th) and in neutral and both sound excessively noisy. I cant remember my Volvo doing this but it was a long time ago!!.I’m sure more experienced driver than me have spend hours driving these boxes and may have some tips. Ive yet to find a fitter for the truck yet as my old one has retired. Taunton area if anyone can recommend a fitter happy to work on older kit. Thanks in advance.

unclealbert:
Hi I have owned and driven my own 18tonners on and off for 16 years now and had a number of older trucks but only one FL7 with the 8 speed splitter. Ive now got a very old DAF 55 1997 with 430k on it. The engine runs sweet and the truck is only to be uses to haul hay from one farm to the other 25 mile. Can anyone give me some advice on driving with this splitter as the gear knob insert with numbers marked on it is missing .Ive worked out reverse and 4 over 4 and I think I have a crawler gear rear left. I am experiencing bad range changes coming down from 5th to 4th with crunching of gears when I flick the splitter switch down. Ive tried it in gear (5th) and in neutral and both sound excessively noisy. I cant remember my Volvo doing this but it was a long time ago!!.I’m sure more experienced driver than me have spend hours driving these boxes and may have some tips. Ive yet to find a fitter for the truck yet as my old one has retired. Taunton area if anyone can recommend a fitter happy to work on older kit. Thanks in advance.

Ask Carryfast of Leatherhead

when it is up to full running temperature does it go in ok ?
is it definitely a splitter or just a range change? 16 speed seems excessive for a 18t

some images of the gear knobs here that may help with the layout
google.co.uk/search?q=eaton … JJ8fO9M%3A

It’s like making love. Be gentle and remember that mistakes can be costly.

Eric Rambler:
It’s like making love. Be gentle and remember that mistakes can be costly.

aye - some stories and pictures of a yacht and it will slide into gear with the greatest of ease.

Did DAF ever offer an Eaton box in the 55?

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Carryfast:

cav551:
Did DAF ever offer an Eaton box in the 55?

:open_mouth:

If I’ve read it right he’s saying that it’s got a 13 speed fuller in it and no maintenance system in place to satisfy the O licence conditions.Nor obviously even understanding the difference between range change and splitter function anyway. :unamused: :laughing:

Seriously assuming it’s not a wind up it sounds like a 75/85 :confused: which at best means 16 speed synchro. :confused:

Did they offer the fuller in a 55? I drove one for my first ever job that had a 6 speed in it or something. Like stirring a box of cogs

.

Ok sorry for my incorrect use of terms the box has eton stamped on it and the gears are what i understood to be 4 over 4 ie 8 speed. the switch i thought was termed splitter changes the "range " from the lower 4 gears to the higher 4 gears when flicked up or down. I have purchased the vehicle yesterday and drove it back to my yard thats it. it has a test,6 wk inspections, insurance and tax. I have an O licence and need to find a fitter to do my inspections. We ran our last HGV a scania up to 2006 since then we have been running a 7.5 tonne Merc. I need a HGV fitter for this bigger DAF as my 7.5 tonne fitter is not happy working on bigger stuff. . I have rung two fitters this morning and booked in with one to give her the once over. My guys are on tidying up the paint work today. Apologies for vague description but I was only after some advice on an old truck as Im not a professional truck driver myself.

I would try an oil change (does it have any in?) before I let anyone start any expensive repairs. Also if it goes from 5 to 3 or from 4 to 6 without any bother than just do that.
I new an owner driver with a 3 over 3 splitter and it wouldn’t go from 3 to 4 until it was at full working temperature (and even then not very well) if it was pulling heavy and didn’t fancy the jump from 3H to 5L he would just wait till the hill eased off a bit. He ran it like that for years

thanks for the advice ill check the oil levels it goes in gear ok. it is just when filpping the switch down, I give it a second or two and it makes a grinding noise rather than a nice clunk. It is better if i flick down in neutral rather that still in 5th and then neutral to 4 th. I thought the later was the correct method but stand to be corrected. it was better cold i though, that would suggest low oil maybe. ill check it tonight. I don’t want to do any damage to the old girl.

unclealbert:
Ok sorry for my incorrect use of terms the box has eton stamped on it and the gears are what i understood to be 4 over 4 ie 8 speed. the switch i thought was termed splitter changes the "range " from the lower 4 gears to the higher 4 gears when flicked up or down. I have purchased the vehicle yesterday and drove it back to my yard thats it. it has a test,6 wk inspections, insurance and tax. I have an O licence and need to find a fitter to do my inspections. We ran our last HGV a scania up to 2006 since then we have been running a 7.5 tonne Merc. I need a HGV fitter for this bigger DAF as my 7.5 tonne fitter is not happy working on bigger stuff. . I have rung two fitters this morning and booked in with one to give her the once over. My guys are on tidying up the paint work today. Apologies for vague description but I was only after some advice on an old truck as Im not a professional truck driver myself.

I’d guess it’s you who deserves an apology.Firstly it’s probably fitted with an Eaton synchro type box which is news to me . :open_mouth: While from the info available the 55 series certainly does seem to have a nine speed option in that regard.While closer reading should have said to me that you were talking about a mistakenly described range change. :blush: :blush:

So there we have it probably an old 55 with a 9 speed Fuller S (O) type box. :open_mouth:

If the rest of the wagon is in good condition maybe get it looked at by a DAF agent and if needed maybe look into the possibility of a factory exchange box. :bulb:

Ah yes this horrible thing I think. They were in the Londis Ford Cargos we used to look after.

eprogear.com/eaton-fso-6109a … anual.html

Carryfast:

unclealbert:
Ok sorry for my incorrect use of terms the box has eton stamped on it and the gears are what i understood to be 4 over 4 ie 8 speed. the switch i thought was termed splitter changes the "range " from the lower 4 gears to the higher 4 gears when flicked up or down. I have purchased the vehicle yesterday and drove it back to my yard thats it. it has a test,6 wk inspections, insurance and tax. I have an O licence and need to find a fitter to do my inspections. We ran our last HGV a scania up to 2006 since then we have been running a 7.5 tonne Merc. I need a HGV fitter for this bigger DAF as my 7.5 tonne fitter is not happy working on bigger stuff. . I have rung two fitters this morning and booked in with one to give her the once over. My guys are on tidying up the paint work today. Apologies for vague description but I was only after some advice on an old truck as Im not a professional truck driver myself.

I’d guess it’s you who deserves an apology.Firstly it’s probably fitted with an Eaton synchro type box which is news to me . :open_mouth: While from the info available the 55 series certainly does seem to have a nine speed option in that regard.While closer reading should have said to me that you were talking about a mistakenly described range change. :blush: :blush:

So there we have it probably an old 55 with a 9 speed Fuller S (O) type box. :open_mouth:

If the rest of the wagon is in good condition maybe get it looked at by a DAF agent and if needed maybe look into the possibility of a factory exchange box. :bulb:

What! You, er…you were actually wrong? :open_mouth:

And wait…about an old lorry, one of your era??

And you’ve had to admit it■■?

Oh my God, this is delicious :laughing: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

James the cat:

Carryfast:

unclealbert:
Ok sorry for my incorrect use of terms the box has eton stamped on it and the gears are what i understood to be 4 over 4 ie 8 speed. the switch i thought was termed splitter changes the "range " from the lower 4 gears to the higher 4 gears when flicked up or down. I have purchased the vehicle yesterday and drove it back to my yard thats it. it has a test,6 wk inspections, insurance and tax. I have an O licence and need to find a fitter to do my inspections. We ran our last HGV a scania up to 2006 since then we have been running a 7.5 tonne Merc. I need a HGV fitter for this bigger DAF as my 7.5 tonne fitter is not happy working on bigger stuff. . I have rung two fitters this morning and booked in with one to give her the once over. My guys are on tidying up the paint work today. Apologies for vague description but I was only after some advice on an old truck as Im not a professional truck driver myself.

I’d guess it’s you who deserves an apology.Firstly it’s probably fitted with an Eaton synchro type box which is news to me . :open_mouth: While from the info available the 55 series certainly does seem to have a nine speed option in that regard.While closer reading should have said to me that you were talking about a mistakenly described range change. :blush: :blush:

So there we have it probably an old 55 with a 9 speed Fuller S (O) type box. :open_mouth:

If the rest of the wagon is in good condition maybe get it looked at by a DAF agent and if needed maybe look into the possibility of a factory exchange box. :bulb:

What! You, er…you were actually wrong? :open_mouth:

And wait…about an old lorry, one of your era??

And you’ve had to admit it■■?

Oh my God, this is delicious :laughing: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

No, it was a DAF 55 not a DAF from 1955, it’s a 1997 truck so well after his time, FFS it a syncro and probably has an electric starter motor - LOL

Bluey Circles:

James the cat:

Carryfast:

unclealbert:
Ok sorry for my incorrect use of terms the box has eton stamped on it and the gears are what i understood to be 4 over 4 ie 8 speed. the switch i thought was termed splitter changes the "range " from the lower 4 gears to the higher 4 gears when flicked up or down. I have purchased the vehicle yesterday and drove it back to my yard thats it. it has a test,6 wk inspections, insurance and tax. I have an O licence and need to find a fitter to do my inspections. We ran our last HGV a scania up to 2006 since then we have been running a 7.5 tonne Merc. I need a HGV fitter for this bigger DAF as my 7.5 tonne fitter is not happy working on bigger stuff. . I have rung two fitters this morning and booked in with one to give her the once over. My guys are on tidying up the paint work today. Apologies for vague description but I was only after some advice on an old truck as Im not a professional truck driver myself.

I’d guess it’s you who deserves an apology.Firstly it’s probably fitted with an Eaton synchro type box which is news to me . :open_mouth: While from the info available the 55 series certainly does seem to have a nine speed option in that regard.While closer reading should have said to me that you were talking about a mistakenly described range change. :blush: :blush:

So there we have it probably an old 55 with a 9 speed Fuller S (O) type box. :open_mouth:

If the rest of the wagon is in good condition maybe get it looked at by a DAF agent and if needed maybe look into the possibility of a factory exchange box. :bulb:

What! You, er…you were actually wrong? :open_mouth:

And wait…about an old lorry, one of your era??

And you’ve had to admit it■■?

Oh my God, this is delicious :laughing: :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

No, it was a DAF 55 not a DAF from 1955, it’s a 1997 truck so well after his time, FFS it a syncro and probably has an electric starter motor - LOL

I thought all old bangers were his kind of pipe tobacco. Anything Eatonish or Fullery. Seems not :smiley: :smiley: :smiley:

If manuals cause any problems at all it does seem to be on the 5 to 4 downshift (or 4 to 3 if one of those poxy Swedish 3 speed efforts) involving a range change.

As said above, oil change first, and hope i’m not teaching anyone to ■■■■ eggs here but you are trying to match the revs to the new gear i hope.
Up to point it won’t matter if it is a synchro box and the syncs are worn on 4th, you just have to make douby sure to rev/gear match on that change.
It might ease up a bit when up to temp too, we had a Scanny with the 3 sped box and it was an utter sod when cold split shifting down, once warm a doddle…and it did improve no end when it got smashed up and a new second hand cab got fitted cos they put a new gearlinkage in at the same time and it was lovely (well as lovely as a synchro pile of ■■■ can be) after that.

If this is a knock-across box to change range and it’s got a worn linkage then it is going to be a pig when selecting a gear and a range change at the same time.