Allison AT545 Transmission Internal Filter Swap
08/23/14
I decided to replace the deep pan and internal filter on the Allison AT545 that I got out of the donor bus. Boy was I glad I did!
Most of the powertrain that I got out of the donor Freightliner/Thomas Built Bus was rusted due to New York and Mississippi weather conditions + salt. The transmission wasn't spared this carnage either. The 5.3" deep Allison pan had a few deep rust spots on the flange that mated up with the bottom of the transmission. I ordered a good used take out and a transmission internal filter kit from a vendor in Florida that specializes in Allison transmissions. When the pan arrived I prepped it and painted it flat black. The next morning (Saturday) when I went to swap out the internal filter it wouldn't work.
I called the vendor on Monday and told him what I found. It turns out my thin filter (screen) and bracket were made obsolete, and I needed a new tube and bracket for the deep pan filter kit from the Allison vendor. Fast forward a few days and everything went back together nicely since I had the correct parts. Last thing I did was swap out the heavily corroded transmission shifter assembly with a never opened stock (NOS) assembly from a company that deals with vintage parts. My local Freightliner dealer
has all of the hookups when it comes to locating something. They haven't let me down yet. I just wish I wasn't missing an arm, kidney and spleen due to the cost of dealing with Freightliner parts!
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