Converting Motorhome Dry Spline PTO to Wet Spline PTO

Oregon Motorcoach Center’s Jim Cooley addresses the topic of

Converting Motorhome Dry Spline PTO to Wet Spline

“How Do I Know if I Need to Convert My Motorhome’s Dry Spline PTO to Wet Spline PTO?”  The owner of a 2009 Allure 38 foot motorcoach told me that all Country Coaches had a serious PTO (Power Take Off) transmission issue and that there was supposed to be a recall. The recall never happened due to the company shutting down. I have a 2008 Founders Edition Allure 43 footer with a 425 HP Cat engine. I had never heard of this issue or recall. Does my unit has such a recall problem? How do I go about getting it fixed?

Converting the dry spline PTO to a wet spline PTO is without a doubt one of the most frequent updates we do. Country Coach did initiate a recall campaign to correct these, but the only models on the recall list were Affinity and Magna lines. In reality, the updates are needed on Intrigues, Allures, Inspires and Tributes, too. (The Tributes that need the updates are the ones with the side mounted radiator.)

The problem is not a transmission issue, but rather the actual Chelsea PTO that is mounted on the transmission. This PTO drives the hydraulic pump which in turn controls the engine cooling fan and many times the power steering.

The affected coaches start at around the 2004 model year, roughly. When damage occurs, it is the hydraulic pump that is damaged. Damage may occur on coaches with as little as 18,000 miles and some coaches with as much as 50,000 miles not have any signs of wear. It depends on how the original installation was greased by the installer.

To determine if you have the issue, look at the passenger side of the Allison Transmission. Look for the red housing that will be mounted to the side of the transmission. To the right of the PTO is the hydraulic pump. The hydraulic pump will either be aluminum in color or it will be blue. To the left of the PTO you will find a hose. If this hose is connected at the PTO housing to an elbow and not a ‘T’ fitting, you need the update.

If you are not certain what to look for, give us a call and we would be happy to assist. Without repair there is the risk of the hydraulic pump going out. These pumps are quite expensive and lead time is about 8 – 10 weeks to get them. Oregon Motorcoach Center has parts in stock for these conversions.  

Telephone: 541-762-1505

www.oregonmotorcoachcenter.com