Servicing the Cat C-12 and Allison 4000MH Transmission 

That's the correct way to service that transmission. You get almost all the fluid out like that. No need to flush it like an automotive transmission. Good video.

Nice looking CAT. If previous owner installed that quick oil dump valve, chances are good they changed it regularly 👍 Tip: I punch a hole in old oil filter bottom to drain that gallon prior to spinning off. Less mess for me on the Cummins L9. I use the Cummins recommended Valvoline Extreme Blue full synthetic 5W-40 for increased mpgs (just had 7 gallons delivered for less than $30/per gal.). Currently averaging over 11mpg for 37,000lb coach. On the tranny, it's ok that you did it again since you never get all the fluid out during a change. Big difference between original fill capacity and change capacity. Runs and sounds great.

Great job James! Hey, if you want to super clean your windshield, get some 0000 steel wool and dry rub the windshield. It will not scratch your windshield. When I got done cleaning mine, I rinsed with water and applied some Nu Finish ceramic to it. Went on a trip and got a few bugs on it. Had slight rain overnight. All bugs were gone in the morning. Respectfully, Kevin

Nice work James, fluids are the cheapest part of ownership, does not hurt to keep them changed. If you are running full fill Transynd its actually rated for 300,000 miles between change intervals, if its not a TES295 ie Transynd then its 25,000 mile change interval. If its a blend then you have to go by a chart and it lowers the interval down some to around 150,000 miles or so. I would reference the chart provided by Allison.

I don't own an RV and probably will never be able to afford one but, this guy makes great videos and is fun to watch.

You are doing an awesome job sharing your experience with others and I have learned so much from your content. Thank you for sharing and I pray blessing are bestowed upon you and your family.

Hey James, I love this type of content! Seeing you work on your rig gives me confidence to work on mine. Thanks

I use delo in my semi for years. Good oil! Appreciate your videos. I am learning so much.

I can't believe they put that size of cat engine in that motorhome. I drove a C12 for years hauling lumber on the west coast. The engine did a great job with great MPG as well.

I did this very same service on my 97 Beaver after I bought it in Feb. Only 60k miles but the transmission was shifting like a sledgehammer. When I pulled the filters they were the originals from 97! And my joints were sore for DAYS from fighting the oil filter. Goood times....

Great video. Glad this coach is yours. Looking forward to hearing the oil analysis. Happy trails!

That C12 purrs like a Big Cat. Great coach James.

Hi James, excellent maintenance video!!!

I am LEARNING so much! Thank you got making these videos! ☺

Thank-you very much!!!! Your transmission fluid change was not in vain. I'm new to diesel pushers and the diesel trans fluid change looks easier than on my previous gas RV.

ALL I can say from an Englishman 🇬🇧. Your work is SUPERB! ☺

Just bought a 02 Marquis ... I now know i can do this. Thank you!

James. Love your videos. You are truly the RV expert and I bow to your expertise. Two small things...... My 7.3 liter power stroke has a huge filter too. I learned from doing 50+ oil changes, use a sharp screwdriver type punch and punch a hole in the bottom of the old filter right after you loosen it. That way its drained and empty when you unscrew it. 2). Use Shell Rotella oil. It beat out all the others including chevron delo for heat and wear durability. Can't wait for you to inspect my next RV when I retire. Lol. Cheers

As someone who is looking to buy a diesel pusher I've found many tips from your videos as to what to look at before spending money.

Thank you sir for the video. Thank you for the idea of the old tote as the catch, first change of my 3126 in my 2002 Beaver Patriot Princeton went well. Oil change removal was easy. Adding it to the 3126 was a chore due to the rear radiator. Lubing all the zerks was a pain! But inspecting under a 21 year old coach is always a good idea, and the 44k miles it has shows little wear. Heading to northern Michigan soon!

That trans oil was very clean for sure. Did you know that Allison now recommends the 668 oil vs the 295 you used? This is a updated version per Allison. I will be doing my trans service on my 4060 on our Foretravel with the 450 cummins engine. It takes 9 plus gallons of oil in trans. Will be around $550 to change out with filters, which are the long ones. I have the 4 inch sump. Love the torque wrench you used, got a laugh out of me when you said click! Those I believe are suppose to be in the 45 to 55 torque range with 22 to 25 on the plug. Aluminum case, be careful! Really enjoy your videos for sure. You do some jobs that I draw the line on, but still enjoy watching and learning. Never too old for that! We are on our 10 year of full time and still learning for sure! Keep those videos coming!

I also have a 4000mh transmission and need to change the trans fluid. SUPER helpful video--many thanks!

Always good to know everything has been changed, Now you know.

You impress me so much I'm trying to buy my first beaver motor coach 455 cat thunder and I love all the stuff you showed me so that I can do it myself!

As always enjoy your videos. Really nice coach.You and the Mrs need to take some time off and go make those memories. Travel my way you always have a spot to park with full hook ups and concrete pad fenced in dog lot

Takes me back to working on drlg rigs as a young guy working as a motorman changing oil on those Wakashaw and 10 cylinder Superior engines with 90 gallons of oil. Enough to fill 2 empty 45gallon drums. Great job

Hey James here’s a tip from a currently working journeyman, I use a sharpened punch and a hammer to poke a hole in the bottom of the old oil filter and then if there’s enough room I poke a hole in the top to drain the filter. A lot less mess that way bud.

Thanks James for the video's. Just got our C13 serviced and radiator flushed. Coach had about 53K miles on it and was serviced prior to our purchase with 47.5K miles. Only 5.5K miles on the service but I was out 3.5 years. The radiator however looked like it had never been flushed. Service center had to flush it 3 times to get the crud out. Replaced with lifetime OAT antifreeze. Our C13 holds 10 gallons with 2 filters. Some held 9 gallons based on the oil pan depth. Going to get the transmission serviced next. Fluid looks good but like you I have no records of it getting done. I was sorta surprised that my antifreeze had been neglected. Coach is overall in excellent condition. Thanks again. Love your coach.

I love the tote! I use the wide, flat cement mixing tub from Home Depot. Same darn thing!

Thanks for sharing. That’s the last thing I need to do maintenance wise on mine. Now I know I need the shorter filter too. I think it uses the deeper sump with the Cummins engine. If you want to make your oil filter change easier knock a hole in the bottom of the filter and you can let it drain at the same time the oil pan drains. If you look at the oil filter they actually show how much to tighten it after it’s spun up by hand.

Awesome video! Job well done James!

Thanks James enjoyed the video leaned so much as always !

you made it look easy enough for any one can do

man I want that Rollin Thunder James lol. At least I will know when the oil was changed when I buy it from you . Great to see you working with your son and Thanks as always for the outakes

Thanks James, especially the trans part.

Hey James, nice video. Great sounding Cat, purrs like a cat. I always used Delo in my trucks. Ten thousand miles which usually was around three and a half weeks. Did not sit lol. Always got mine changed at a truck stop, but before two thousand, it was still pretty inexpensive. Had no place to change at home, so had to get done on the road or the dealer. Your trans fluid sure did look like new, but at twenty five thousand miles, should not get real dirty. But hopefully the other owner didn't have a problem and changed the fluid to hide something. But with the trips you made, you would have found something by now. Again, nice video, always watching for more.

Love your stuff!!! Thanks for posting. Regarding the trans oil levels, you should also be able to use the control pad to provide you with the oil level through its diagnostic abilities. This is really helpful on motorhomes, as the dipsticks installed from the various builders are probably not calibrated to the pan depth. Just something to look into if you choose.....

I bought a marquis 2002 c-12 in January. It has been LED etc updated. I like watching your progress of PM issues. The more I work on my Beaver the more I like their build. Not like Monaco if you know what I mean. Thanks for your video.

Oil change, use a hose on the valve to keep any splashing from happening. Save your empty Blu Def containers to drain used oil into. Then keep the now empty oil bottles for the next oil change. Love the Beaver!

James, I just saw the other day that trains use used motor oil for fuel. Back in the early 90's guys I worked with would bring in the oil from there pickups after doing an oil change and dump it in to the semi's at work. Enjoyed watching you at work. It made me feel like I was rite there with you. 👍👍

Hey James , you have a motorhome for life , I looking one of those thanks for the video.

Hi James I did have the transmission oil changed and it was expensive. Thanks for showing us how it was done. I'll do it myself next time. There is a way to have to use the shift panel to check the oil level. I have it wrote down some where in the coach.

You are a pleasure to watch as well as very smart using NAPA for parts....better quality parts....

Your content is the BEST !!!

This is where the disposable gloves are worth their weight in gold.

Changing engine oil and transmission fluid often, is easily the best insurance against expensive repairs !

TranSynd TES-668 is the latest and greatest from Allison, has superior specifications, longer life, and is less expensive than the old TES-295. It's also completely compatible with TES-295. Aslo, diesel oil is rapidly getting hard to find these days, and more expensive. I think you'll be glad you got yours done for a while.

I was just about to service my transmission in my MH and just going to go on line and find out what is involved and There's a video !! Thank you! PS I have the same Transmission!

My opinion on this is . With the miles on your rig and the look of the fluid. It has definitely been serviced before. So I would say that since you have taken road trips with no slipping or issues. You got an even better deal and rig then you may have thought Mr. Filon!!!

Good video, LOTS of fluid!

This is the nicest RV I have ever seen. We had an olderWinnebago RV for business and I liked it for that, but no further than for business. But yours? Well, it is beautiful. I would vaca happily in that! When gas prices come down, and I hit the lottery, well.. do dreams come true?

Thanks for confirming why I don't own one of these maintenance nightmares. Even though you didn't say how much everything cost, the labor is enough to discourage. I'm guessing about $250 in material. Labor at a shop might have been about another $350. Most people figure their cost to own on fuel costs alone, never considering the cost of maintenance and repairs and calculating an actual cost per mile. As an aircraft owner, it's a habit to know these costs so they can be carefully figured into the cost of operation The drain valve is handy but they can't let all of the oil out since the opening is higher than the bottom of the pan and higher than the factory plug. I have found that removing oil filters allows more oil that is trapped in the engine to flow into the pan so I always leave the drain open until after the filter(s) are removed. If you saved the oil jugs you could find a tube that fits on the drain valve and drain directly into the previously saved jugs. You didn't show how you emptied that tub but I assume it was a mess, not to mention heavy. Love the videos.

I’ve done a lot of research about my diesel motorhome and I’ve heard more than once not to flush the transmissions. I am a gasoline mechanic not certified but been building engines and such for almost 50 years. The diesels are new to me but I have found out that they are actually easier to work on albeit the components are much heavier and larger.

Totally enjoyed the video. I agree, as it is a used vehicle, change all the fluids when you buy the vehicle. Now you know what fluids are in it, and how long they have been there. I am sure it is a lot cheaper to buy the fluids and filters then to replace actual parts if something fails.

Thanks for this nice channel, so normal and good.

James, order oil from Costco! free delivery as my Cat C-7 has a 5 gallon pan. Great videos much appreciate learning from you!!!

Thanks a no none sense mechanic with a clear head and logic. Be well clyde

Love your videos

If it was my Coach Zi would be concerned, but not for you with your expertise and abilities. 😊

Thanks for video. I look forward to them.

Good job on your change. I've been a diesel mechanic for over 30 years. No hate here but your oil sample works only if you do it every service. It will tell you how much zink is in your oil and tell you if your having a problem internally. Good idea, but just do it every oil change. And also do your DCA level in your radiator. Keeps your engine liners from pitting and causing problems. Keep up the great work.

Good job & appreciate the video !👍⚾️

So with transynd you should be good for 100,000 miles. The 25,000 in for regular non synthetic oil. Check Allison’s website.

Quick tip for that giant oil filter. We usually poke a hole in the bottom of it and drain it out. Really cuts down on the mess.

Start fresh. Who knows what was done before and if it was done properly. I did the same and this is cheap insurance. Going forward you can sample and test fluids. Good stuff.

Nice video! Should be a good engine. Pre acert engine IIRC. If you don’t know the service history I’d vote for doing the overhead. At its age I’d also watch for any hint of coolant in the oil. Replacing cylinder liner O rings would be a pain, but failing to catch it in time…

I follow "Adept Ape" the Cat mechanic out of Idaho - he has great intel... I will only use CAT filters after watching his post mortem of major brands.

Glad to see you put in a wix filter. Fram is garbage. Nice job.

Hey... Nice Beaver!

May suggest punching a hole in the bottom of the oil filter! This helps do a much cleaner job and removes the risk of dumping the filters contents on oneselfs.. New to your channel but loving the content.

Great video

I think they have Transynd trans fluid in there, its good quality fluid. That is definitely just been changed not to long ago. it is very clean.

Correct about the transmission flush ,not recommended,partial exchange helps keep it healthy!

I was hoping you would share the results of the transmission fluid analysis. I have the same transmission in my Monaco and the Allison tech told me that if the fluid looks dirty/burnt, troubles are just around the corner. It should always appear clean. Also he said NOT to try to empty the transmission during service. Flushing the unit requires very specialized equipment which only Allison Service Centers have. Told me to come see him after I pass the 1,000,000 mile mark. I did the same type of service on mine as you did here, @ 38,385 miles. I'm guessing I can go a couple weeks without worrying about it. Great videos!

I worked at L.A.U.S.D. and we serviced those Allison trannys every two years on our school buses and fuel filters every year.

Funny I should come across you doing this. I just done the transmission fluid change on the Allison transmission in our Simba. Ugh it was over 600 dollars for the filters and transynd fluid

Hi James, great video. Like I have said before, something about your videos just make me happy.....not exactly sure why but doesn't matter I guess. Whenever I buy a "new to me" vehicle, I generally go through a full maintenance for fluids, belts, etc. even if I have the records. I'm just a little OCD when it comes to our vehicles and I just like knowing that it was done, done correctly under my watch. Then I can schedule further maintenance accordingly. Great video and looking forward to the next! Take care.

On that allison transmission you can check the transmission level from the drivers seat. While its somewhat level warmed up and in neutral press the up and down at the same time. I like to at least check that to make sure the sensors and computer is happy.

poke a hole in the bottom of the filter and let it drain. makes less a mess. good video.

We don’t even have a diesel, and here I am watching and taking mental notes 😂

Oil and.trans fluid, cheap insurance. You did good!

Impress without a mess, impossible. The Everyman fixer upper rides true again, thx for the entertainment. Better safe than sorry

I always change everything when I get a used vehicle. Fluid wise. Check the brakes, belts, hose, etc. Then you know what you have and where you're at

Excellent vid! Thx!

Great bloopers.

With the new trans synd you can increase the fluid change intervals. Perhaps another change or 2 you will have all the old regular type fluid changed. My 2009 newmar ventana is recommended to change fluid at 150000 miles. But as this is new to me i will be changing the trans fluid.

same motor I had in my Kenworth!!

A hammer and punch works wonders on spin-on filters! Knock a hole or two in the bottom to pre-drain them before removal.

drill or punch a hole in the bottom of the oil filter after you loosen it.... reduces the mess... keeps the oil off your face!

Just a few tips, one you do not need to prefill filters for cats. Also if you do you have to fill the outside plugging the middle or you are introducing unfiltered oil to the system. Second use a screw driver to puncture the bottom of the old filter to drain before taking it lose and making a mess.

I feel these transmission oil tends to run pretty clean. I know mine havn't changed for many years, yet they came out just like yours.

i have to agree with you on a transmission flush, if you have a new transmission it's ok but if it has high miles, or never been flushed just change the filter and refill with the correct fluid.

Next time you do this service. I make sure that the oil filter will come off with a turn or two then I use a 1/4" punch and poke a hole in the bottom of the filter to let it drain. Not so messy.

Always better safe than sorry

I used to be a diesel mechanic and we would take a punch or something sharp and punch a hole in the oil filter and let it at least partially drain before removal. Less mess and lighter.

On the oil filter change, poke a hole in the bottom of the old filter to let it drain before trying to remove it. Might be easier with less spilling.

I wouldn't leave Chevron Delo in their for more than 6 months regardless of mileage. I am a lifetime truck driver. That crap loses viscosity after about 5 heat ups and cool downs. Worst oil for a diesel. Personally I used Shell Rotella....the soot prevention and it's ability to hold it's viscosity far longer is worth the extra dollar a gallon ! PS....after more than a million miles of testing always put a 1/4 gallon of lucas upper cylinder lubricant in with each fuel refill. It will gain you a mile per gallon , keep your injectors clean resulting in better mileage / horse power and torque by maintaining the flow and pattern of the injector. Not to mention stabilizing the fuel should you not go through much as it sits for long periods of time. And no I don't work for lucas !

When filling the filter be aware that you could be pouring contaminated particulate into a new filter which will feed it directly to the mains. We were cautioned by GM (GM tech here) not to fill new filters, no matter the size.

Another informative video. If and when u want to sell the Beaver I would like to be first in line. My wife would a bigger RV - the 23’ Lazy Daze is great but to small.

After watching this video, I realized how much money I spent needlessly having the engine oil and filters changed on my diesel motor homes! Der! Thank you, I think? 🤔