Power Torque 2XT "splitter" auxiliary transmission troubleshooting

[euphonius]

Greetings all,

I'm a (newbie poster and) new owner of a 1984 F-350 that is basically stock -- 6.9 liter IDI diesel, Borg Warner T-19 transmission, Dana 50 TTB front end, Dana 60 rear (modified with dual tires) -- with one big exception: It has a Power Torque 2XT auxiliary transmission, commonly called a "splitter", sandwiched between the transmission and bell housing. The 2XT is not currently working. I tracked down the original owner who had it installed back in 1984, and he dredged up from the fogs of time that the second owner had changed the 2XT transmission fluid, maybe putting something wrong in, and never got it working right. The splitter is like a Brownie box, adding a parallel range of gears to raise the gear ratio of all four forward gears and the reverse gear so you have eight forward gears and two reverse gears. I'm pretty sure the 2XT adds a higher range, making for better towing at speed, etc. It's activated (or should be) by a pull switch on the main shift lever.

Power Torque was based in North Arlington, TX, until it closed maybe in the early 1990s, so that's a dead end. I reached out to AdvanceAdapters.com, which makes an analogous splitter, but it's not the same and they declined to give advice.

I've read through FORDification, and found only one reference to auxiliary transmissions: a post titled "brownie type boxes urban myth": http://www.fordification.com/forum/view ... =4&t=46912

Is there anyone here in FORDification who owns an 1980s-vintage F-250 or F-350 truck that has the Power Torque 2XT installed and running, or who knows about this device, who might be able to give me pointers for getting mine back into operation? The truck runs fine with the standard 4-speed T-19. I've swapped out the front hub locks, one of which had failed, with Mile Marker hubs, and re-installed the front drive shaft, which had been removed by the previous owner (15 years ago) because the hub had failed.

I am homesteading a forest property on the California coast, and could really use an auxiliary set of gears for pulling trees out of the forest, delivering loads of firewood, etc.

The attachment is a brief blurb from Popular Mechanics back in the early 1980s.

Thanks!

[1972hiboy]

I haven't had my hand on one personally but the add said it splits gears electronically. So its probably a simple solenoid that either is in a "in" or "out" position. Is there any wires going to the unit? is the shift solenoid external or internal? these are the kinda of things i would starting with. The knob on the shifter could just be a simple electrical on off switch basically.

[DuckRyder]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AFYqT8fwJzM

This videos comments state this is the same as a Ranger without electronic activation.

We have some information on Ranger

http://www.fordification.com/tech/torque-splitter.htm

I agree the electronics are probably a simple switch... get under it and see what you see, guessing it is a simple push-pull solenoid, power, ground and a switch...

[DuckRyder]

Little more googling it seems like it some sort or rotary actuator, possibly that moves the shift fork via the same splines as a lever, accordingly it should be possible to remove said actuator, manually shift splitter and determine if electrical or mechanical...

Of course all this is guessing, so take that for what its worth...

[euphonius]

Thank you 1972hiboy and DuckRyder for your views. Yes, the switch on the shifter is electric, and I suspect you are precisely right about there being a solenoid that actuates the higher gearing. I'll check the circuit with a multimeter, and also replace the transmission oil with the recommended viscosity, and see if I can coax it back to life.

Apologies if this post appears multiple times. I'm a new user and my first posting kicked up a note saying something had gone wrong. But it looked fine when I checked later.

Warmest regards,
Jeff

[Bill Ramsey]

I can help you out here. its a Double Torque 2XT.

The 'solenoid' is not a solenoid. it is a 2-speed rear axle shift motor, commonly found on larger trucks like f800 and such.

when you push or pull the button you should be able to hear it shift. like a bvvvvvv-kik noise. if not, I would check electrical.

if the something on the motor is bad, parts are available for it. I used this and it was a direct replacement:

https://www.amazon.com/120750-Eaton-Spi ... ive&sr=1-1

It is a simple gearbox and type of oil should not have any effect, i use gear oil.

also, the gasket kit that advance adapters has for the ranger gearbox is identical. get one of those.

here is a good writeup on the shift motor:

https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1508 ... anism.html

It should have oil in it for the original application, just use grease. in your application, it will not hold oil, due to mounting position.

What else?

i would like to see photos of yours.

[euphonius]

Dear Bill Ramsey,

Goodness, thank you so much for this. I was also suspicious about the oil explanation, but really had no idea about the way the 2XT works. The electrical switch on the main gear shifter is indeed branded Eaton, as in the Amazon listing you shared, but it's not activating the 2XT, so I'll be following your advice about first checking the electrical circuits, then checking and if necessary replacing the electric motor shift unit.

The original owner said the splitter worked really well, allowing for better gear selection granular on long ascents under load and at speed on the highway, so I'm really keen to get it back into working trim. Given that the truck has only 52k miles on the clock and mostly sat for the past 20 years, I'm thinking the likeliest culprit is the wiring; the shift unit has only been light used. I'll share pictures once I have them.

It's not going to happen overnight. I've never wrenched a heavy truck like the F-350, and will be taking it slowly and carefully. But your guidance feels within my grasp: electrical integrity and removing, checking and possibly replacing the shift unit, which should not require pulling the whole 2XT from the drivetrain.

If and when I have further questions, I know who to contact!!

Many thanks again, and warmest regards,
Jeff

[euphonius]

Incidentally, Bill, if you are interested, I received from the previous owner a set of original documents about the Power Torque 2XT, including an offer letter, a product introduction letter, installation instructions, operating instructions/troubleshooting guide, and instructions for adjusting for optimal performance. I have these all as PDFs and could email them to you and anyone else who'd like to see them.

All the best!
Jeff

[Shadyteddybear]

Hey could you email me those PDF you have on the power torque 2XT, I just got one and need some more info

[Shadyteddybear]

Incidentally, Bill, if you are interested, I received from the previous owner a set of original documents about the Power Torque 2XT, including an offer letter, a product introduction letter, installation instructions, operating instructions/troubleshooting guide, and instructions for adjusting for optimal performance. I have these all as PDFs and could email them to you and anyone else who'd like to see them.

All the best!
Jeff

Can I get those PDFs?

[euphonius]

Dear Shadyteddybear,

I emailed you those files back in mid-April. Did you receive them? Please kindly confirm.

Thanks,
euphonius

[Shadyteddybear]

I haven't been able to find them, please resend a copy of the files