I’ve now got 4 sled puller trucks running a newer version of my own aftermarket controller and one mud bogger. The mud bogger will be shifting under load this next season. Eventually it may be offered for street/work trucks after a lot of testing is finished and it surpasses how the factory based systems I offer can do – that’s a really high goal to reach for and it may not be possible but I am going to try.
I started development on this project back in 2018 with Double Down Diesel’s sled puller running an Allison. It’s the same controller I am now using for the 68RFE, just different programming. Will also be adding 4R100s to the lineup soon – will be fun to work with an easier to run transmission for once.
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Announcing a new aftermarket, non OEM, stand alone controller for Allison transmissions in racing applications.
A special thanks goes out to Travis at Double Down Diesel for trying out my first aftermarket stand alone controller for the Allison 1000 to 2550 models, designed specifically for racing and sled pulling.
The system I offer using a factory Allison controller will still be the right choice for your daily driver, but for you racers out there being able to write my own programming for this unit opens up a lot of flexibility and capability in what it can do. Shifting quickly and reliably right to 4th gear and staying there, manual or throttle and rpm activated lockup, and a “pit mode” 1st, 2nd, or 3rd is where the programming is now. Leaving the OEM platform simplifies the system to make it more dependable with the higher torque, acceleration rates, and wheel spin the factory system is not used to seeing.
While the first build is being proven out in front of the sleds, I will be working on a tough sealed enclosure and shift quality controls for drag racers that want to use all 6 gears.
It’s time to announce that many electronic engines can share required signals to the Allison transmission control module by plugging in a connector I provide in my harness to an engine harness diagnosic connector which is J1939. I’ve been working with J1939 for some time and below is a list of those I have confirmed work with my system so far.
Any commercial or medium duty electronic Cummins
98.5-02 Dodge Cummins (have two customers running this now).
’10 and newer Dodge Cummins (have one customer running this now).
’99 and up T-444E (have two customers running this now)
Any other engine that has J1939. Typically these applications have a 9 pin round diagnostic connector in the cab. 5 pin round are definitely not J1939 equipped. The engine harness diagnostic connectors typically look like these and typically have yellow, green and sometimes a third black wire in them:
Standard J1939
Weather-Pack (round terminals) or Metri-Pack (blade terminals)
Engines that I am still working on or are confirmed that do not work:
03-05 Dodge Cummins – has the diagnostic connector but apparently does not have the correct source address.
06-07 Dodge Cummins – does not even have the diagnostic connector.
07.5-09 6.7 Dodge Cummins – has the diagnostic connector but apparently does not have the correct source address.
98-99 3126 CAT does not work, newer models may. These are in F-650,750 Fords, and other medium duty trucks.
Cruise control data is still being confirmed on some applications, and I still provide wiring to use backup analog tps signal capability with my TCR module, which takes care of cruise control responsibilities on the transmission side if for any reason the J1939 signals do not work.
Part of the reason for this announcement is this info is leaking out already and sooner or later my competitors will be saying they “figured” it out :). I wanted to wait until I had more confirmation on cruise data before I officially announced it. Cruise data is really required for the system to fully work – if there is no cruise data then the system has to be set up with my TCR module for the trans to work properly when cruise control is active. At this point it is also unclear if there will be other J1939 data collisions.
I’ll be posting updates here as I have confirmed things and as always your comments and questions are welcome.
I’m sitting in an airport waiting to get home after driving my own 68RFE swap to Idaho. I latched onto a loaded 2o’ enclosed car hauler there and finished pulling it to Phoenix AZ. My Dad will pull it back to Montana next week. Pretty hot down here- and my trans would get a little hot when going slow down here in the heat, (the 94-02 Dodges could really use a better fan clutch system) but otherwise did well- although we could have used more power than the stock 97 12 valve on the hills.
I have another customer with a 4BT and 68RFE on the road, and the type of tuning that allows Calibration B to be used seems to be working well with all the transmission swaps out there so far. That is giving me more confidence that this type of tuning may work with all 68RFE transmissions, and possibly even better than the clutch to clutch type of tuning that I have used from the start with most so far. That is good news, since Cal B is a mode that can access a totally different shift and lockup schedules, line pressure chart, and etc – making the Cal B function great for a tow/haul mode!
I have one more customer that has finished his swap and is on the road, so that makes a whopping 2 guys other than me running one so far 🙂 . It’s a 4bt Cummins powered Chevy Suburban. His trans is running pretty well with the type of tuning that allows Calibration B to be used – I’m still doing a little fine tuning on it, but I am pleased with the progress.
I will really try to get a you tube video uploaded showing me going back and forth between normal and tow mode (cal b) soon.
I have several other guys out there working on projects and will do an update when another gets on the road.
I’ve noticed a few guys wondering how the 68RFE stand alone control system is progressing. This will be the place to check for regular updates.
It is available to purchase, but there are a few disclaimers involved because so far there is only one other guy besides me out there that has one on the road. That owner lives in Canada and has the 68 behind a 24 valve Cummins in a Chevy pickup. He has in the neighborhood of 450 hp so he knew he was definitely going into uncharted territory when he decided to do the swap. He somehow lost reverse in his original trans – and long story short, we both learned a lot and he now has a stronger transmission and stronger tuning than what he had previously.
Other customers have purchased the system but their projects have not progressed to the tuning stage yet. The very first purchase is planned to go into a Suburban with a Cummins. At least two are planned to go behind 4bt Cummins, and two more into a Ford Cummins swap.
I have intended to get another you tube video done showing the Calibration B feature working- and want to get that done soon. The holdup has been taking care of current customers and Allison stand alone development. Cal B will allow a switchable tow/haul feature- as of yet I am not too confident it will be available to all customers- it depends on how each individual transmission tunes up with the normal type of tuning that does not allow the cal b function.
