KENWORTH T300

guest · Jun 18, 2004

DOES ANYONE KNOW ANYTHING about the 2004 Kenworth T300,with Cummins ISC 300HP engine and Allison autoshift w/single axle GVW 33k and 72" raised double bunk sleeper,2 100gal tanks. will this truck hold up, we will be running a team operation and what is the milage going to be like driving legal speeds.Trying to decide between an international w/DT466 with allison autoshift.

davekc · Jun 18, 2004

We have a T300 and have had good luck with it. Give alittle in space but you can't beat KW service and durability. Much higher resale as well. Pete is basically the same except some differences in wiring and looks.

mobile 1 · Jun 24, 2004

We just got a 2004 t300 with a cummins 315, eaton fuller 10 speed
and a 4.11 rear end. I can't say anything bad about it. the truck
is very reliable. haven't had any problems. Plus it has a lot of
featurs as its bigger class 8 brothers. If you want you can reely
dress it up. The dash is the same as the t800, w900 ect..
You cant beat Kenworth quality.

simon says · Jul 9, 2004

I have a remark and a response: an Allison is a full automatic, with torque converter and direct lock-up in final gear(s). Eaton autoshift is a manual trans- six or 10 spd with a 3 pedal system- clutch for stopping and starting in auto mode. I have the six in my current truck and while it works fine so far, I don't trust it for what we do. Especially under heavy loads climbing hills. At 65 mph it will do 9.5 mpg consistently and is almost gear bound at 76 mph top speed. This one has a 300 ISC.
K300 is nice truck, but you can do a lot more with a Pete 335. I will have a 2005 in the fall- it has a new hood and some other cosmetic features. Specing new one with 315 Cummins, 8LL trans for easy 4 down, 4 up shifting, and a 4.11 rear end. Since Pete sits up over frame, I will have cab-sleeper air suspension on it.

davekc · Jul 9, 2004

Pete has made some nice improvements. I would have been nice that they would have added the wiring system that KW uses. Pete has ground wires for just about all of the electrical components. Certainly could be more prone to electrical issues. But, time will tell.

gojack · Jul 10, 2004

Simon Says's

This question's for you,

would you please expound on your Eaton auto-shift, vs the Allison... pros and cons?
( And What about the Ultra-shift?)

Also looking for opinions and any and all info on the Pete 335, it's ride etc.,
(Why the Cummin's 315 specifically?)

Dave C

davekc · Jul 11, 2004

Eaton auto shift one must use the clutch to start and stop. On the plus side, they are cheaper than a allison. Allisons are fully automatic and require a little more service, plus they are more expensive.
KW and the Pete are built on the same chassis so there ride should generally be the same. The sleepers for both are aftermarket, so if they have air-ride, that is from the sleeper manufacturer. I would recommend getting air-ride if you can, especially a team. Hard to sleep on those bumpy roads in Michigan without it.
The cummins that is mentioned, should do fine in that setup.
On a side note, be prepared to suffer in the mpg department if you go to a full automatic transmission. I believe they are usually 6 to 7 speeds while a autoshift is usually 10 or higher. Just something to consider.
Prices use to be pretty simular but with the new Pete model, it may be higher depending on availability.
Davekc

BigBusBob · Jul 12, 2004

Big BUS Bob talkin' here... from busses I know the Allison is a 6 speed Automatic... that you can shift manually. Usually it's a push button transmission - the older models have an actual gear lever you pull back and push forward (like on a throttle on a boat).

Today as far as I know though they're all push-button transmissions.

With any kind of weight in the mountains and rugged terrain generally it's better to press "Manual" and then select your gear.
(each gear 1-6 has it's own individual button)

I would generally go down in 2 or 3- usually have to go down in 2 though. Going up I never had a problem with them - they knew what to do and I "usually" kept it in full auto unless it started to jerk. 3rd or 4th going up I think is good though - on rare occassion it would slip into 2nd gear goin' up.

I've driven the Allison 6 speed transmissions thru over 30 states and throughout Ontario and Quebec.

I've Driven them in the Rockies, in the Blue Ridge, thru TN and KY and in the mountains of eastern Quebec and up into northern Quebec as well.

I drove the Allison Automatics with Detroit 50 and 60 series motors.
Busses: Van Hool, Prevost, MCI, Eagle, RTS.

**Allisons are good transmissions, they carried me and up to 57 people at a time safely thru hundreds of thousands of miles.

***Down Hill they are tricky - I can't kid you there.

***It's best if you have a Jake Brake with that Allison Auto tranny to work with.

Hope that helps... Later, Bob

Jack Jackson · Jul 13, 2004

I may be wrong since I haven't looked at a DT466 for years but aren't they a lot less horsepower than the cummins 300? We are running a Mercedes 280 with a allison MD 3060P .That's a 6 speed that will take 850 pounds of torque. It's a good transmission but you must service them a minimum of once a year. Ask Jeff Jones at Ft Wayne Kenworth about mileage. He has been working with mileage matters and set-ups since the early 1980s or before.

simon says · Jul 27, 2004

Belatedly- here is my answer, to trans questions. Allison is bullet-proof and yes, get a Pac-brake (exhaust) for minimum. Cannot get a full Jake except on ISL 9L and bigger. That includes new Cat 9- NO e-brake at all! Allison will cut your fuel economy... I was told to go with a .74 final drive, since the 9 I wanted might be rejected by engineering due to .73 final. Concern: drive shaft spin too fast with long 310 wheelbase and 4 driveshafts, 3 mid-ship bearings. Might be something to ask about: Allison 6 speed is .65 final. Allison is $15000 option- got that much bread?

I personally think 10 spd. Ultra-Shift will be way to go: functions like a manual with no torque converter, but shifts automatically through solenoids (shift-by-wire). Two pedal system- no clutch at all- Eaton calls it DM clutch that works through centrifigal action. Read up on it at Eaton-Roadranger web site. $4000 option- I can spend that elsewhere for now. Think product is bit new, but according to Eaton, should be no reverse-drive hesitation like the autoshift 6 I currently have. With autoshift (& Ultra??)- if engine cannot "read" transmission in neutral, engine will not start.
P.S. Jeff Jones at Freightliner Ft. Wayne for some months now.

davekc · Aug 1, 2004

how does the new transmission you are talking about compare to the 10 speed auto-shift? How does two pedals work this new transmission?

Broompilot · Sep 12, 2004

>how does the new transmission you are talking about compare
>to the 10 speed auto-shift? How does two pedals work this
>new transmission?

Kraig Allen

Any comments to this subject would be appriciated after reading the posts on the Mb2 I am glad for my first truck that I ordered the KW T 300 makes look pretty smart you all have done a great job at educating me thank you all. It is spec as following cummins 285 jake brake allison auto bentz 84 wabash van Ft. Wayne talked me into all of the extras and I agree when I spending this kind of $ an additional 10% is well worth the $ spent. Does anyone recomend auto tire pressure meter, and what are your favorite options that you had installed after delivery that you wish you would have added before delivery.

leekenny31 · Jun 13, 2021

I have a 2008 Kenworth T300 and during my inspection I saw two slip on connectors hanging down. it says on the wire transmission temp sensor. I looked and felt around but i cant find where they connect. i looked at the owners manual and was no help. Does anyone know where the two slip on connectors go?