T20 operating temperature

[AussieMax]

Hello all,
Last week I received Australia's first ever shipment of Max's. While out testing my Buffalo, we were following a river, doing a few turns to avoid trees. The left hand brake actually squeeked like it had no oil. I stopped, and the trans seemed very hot. Once it cooled all was ok. There was no difference in feel in the braking at all. I was wondering if it is possible to overheat the transmission? I changed the oil and it wasn't burned. The book does say that they run hot, but I was wondering if anyone knows if you can damage them by working them too hard?
Thanks in advance
Wayne

[Mike]

Wayne, there are many people on the board more knowledgeable than I on the T20 so hopefully they will chime in but let me give my opinion/experiences in the meantime.

The T-20 does get quite hot. The transmission really, as I'm sure you know, just acts like independent brakes. Think of how hot brakes get and then imagine using them constantly. That's essentially whats happening in the trans however I don't know the actual operating temperature that it should be at.

As long as you have the proper kind and amount of fluid (1 quart I believe, check your manual to be sure)in the trans then you should be fine. The T20 does make many noises but that is normal. Normally though, it is a grinding noise and not a squealing.

Was the squealing noise high-pitched? Also, once your trans warmed up, did it happen every time you braked that side or just every now and then. I have heard a high pitched sound before in a Max but I believe it was a bearing about to go out.

Maybe you could take the floorboards out and try to pinpoint the sound to make sure it's coming from the trans?

Just a suggestion. Let us know a little more about the sound. Does it sound just like car brakes that start to squeal?

[AussieMax]

Hi Mike, thanks for the reply. The brake made a high pitch squeek a lot like car brakes. It was definately the left hand brake. Once it cooled a bit the noise disappeared. I'm putting it down to it being a new transmission that hasn't bedded in properly yet. RI did say to me that they take quite a few hours to wear in, it hasn't done many yet. After we got out of the tight stuff it performed perfectly along the open trails. The T 20 has never been commercially imported to Australia in any machines, to my knowledge, so info on how they operate is scarce.
I think the Max is a very capable machine, and I'll try and get some video together and post it soon.
Wayne

[Mike]

Wayne,

I really don't think that you have anything to worry about. When I first got my max (used) everywhere I went for the first few trips I wondered "what was that noise". It would freak me out thinking that something was wrong. eventually I got use to the weird noises that these machines make and realized it was normal.

As for your squealing, I have heard that only a couple of times when driving my fathers Max IV but I have never heard it in my Max II.

Anyway, I think you will be fine and I look forward to seeing some videos. Have fun!

[AussieMax]

Mike, what your saying makes sense. With the buffalo being quite heavy at a little over 1000lb, the trans has more load on it through turns than a max II's would. That might explain the extra noise. It sounds like it's a normal condition.