Wet Kit Installation on an International Truck — Ames Hydraulics

Wet Kit Installation On An International Truck

Wet kit installation on an International truck is one of the more common jobs in our shop, because International’s vocational lineup (HX, HV, MV) is the workhorse for dump haulers, aggregate trailers, and live-bottom operations across Iowa. We install wet kits on International LT road tractors, HX and HV vocational trucks, and the MV medium-duty configurations. Every install is sized to the truck’s transmission and the trailer’s flow requirements.

Our shop is in Ames, Iowa. We build the full wet kit system in-house — PTO, pump, tank, plumbing — and pressure-test everything before the truck leaves.

Understanding The Wet Kit System

A wet kit installation on an International truck adds four components. First, a PTO mounted to the transmission, providing a rotating output shaft. Second, a hydraulic pump driven by the PTO. Third, a hydraulic fluid tank holding the working oil. Fourth, plumbing routing pressure, return, and (sometimes) case drain lines to the trailer coupling on the frame rail. Once installed, the truck can pull any hydraulic-powered trailer that matches the flow and pressure specs of the pump.

PTO Options For An International Transmission

International trucks come with a range of transmissions — Eaton Fuller manuals, Allison automatics, and the newer International A26-paired ProStar and LT transmissions. Eaton manuals take Chelsea 442 or 852 PTOs. Allison automatics take Chelsea 442-series hot-shift or Muncie CS8 hot-shift PTOs, which can be engaged from the cab. The PTO must match the housing and the pump input shaft. Getting the PTO wrong is the number-one reason wet kit installations fail early — a mismatched PTO either won’t drive the pump at all or turns it in the wrong direction.

We confirm the transmission before we spec the PTO. Non-negotiable.

Line Configurations And Trailer Compatibility

Single-line wet kit installations on an International truck cover basic end-dump trailer work. Two-line installations are the most common — they handle walking floor trailers, live-bottom grain haulers, and mid-size dump trailers. Three-line installations with a case drain are required when the trailer runs a piston pump or larger hydraulic motors, which is common on high-flow live-bottom trailers and some blower trailers.

Owner-operators buying an International truck for aggregate work almost always need a two-line install. Grain haulers running live-bottom units usually need three-line. We spec after you tell us which trailer you’re going to pull.

Pump Selection Sized To The Trailer

A dump trailer needs less flow than a walking-floor unloading continuously for four minutes. A walking-floor needs less flow than a high-flow live-bottom grain hauler. A live-bottom needs less flow than a pneumatic-conveying blower trailer. We spec the pump — gear or piston — to match the trailer’s flow spec. Undersizing the pump means slow cycles and the truck can’t keep up with the trailer. Oversizing is expensive but does not hurt anything.

Tank Sizing And Placement On An International

LT road tractors have less frame space than HX and HV vocational trucks, so tank placement varies. On an LT we usually run a 40-45 gallon steel tank frame-mounted on the passenger rail. On an HX or HV vocational truck we can go 50-60 gallons because the frame layout is friendlier. On MV medium-duty configurations we spec smaller tanks appropriate to the smaller pumps we install. All tanks are baffled, have sight gauges, filler-breather caps, and correctly-oriented ports.

Retrofits Are Common

A lot of the wet kit installation work we do on International trucks is retrofit — someone else did an install that was undersized, misrouted, or improperly-PTO’d, and now the customer is back looking for a real shop to fix it. We tear the wrong parts out, correct the spec, and rebuild the install right. Retrofits cost more than clean installs because we have to remove the bad work first.

Cost And Turnaround

Basic single-line wet kit installation on an International: $2,800-$4,500. Two-line: $4,500-$7,000. Three-line piston-pump installs: $6,500-$8,500. Retrofits: add $500-2,000 depending on what needs to come out. Turnaround is one to two weeks. Written quote before work starts.

Independent Scope

We are not an International dealer. We do not do A26 engine work, MaxxForce repairs (though we’ve seen enough MaxxForce trucks to be sympathetic), or warranty work. Rush Truck Centers is the closest International dealer for warranty. Out-of-warranty hydraulic, wet kit, dump hoist, and structural work is our specialty.

Common Questions About A Wet Kit Installation On An International

How long does a wet kit installation on an International take? One to two weeks depending on parts availability and shop load. LT road tractors and MV medium-duty trucks are quicker than heavy vocational HX/HV units where tank fabrication may be involved.

Do you install wet kits on the A26-equipped LT trucks? Yes. The A26 with the newer International-branded transmission needs specific PTO parts — we confirm the transmission before quoting.

Does a wet kit installation on an International affect the Rush warranty? On out-of-warranty trucks, no. In-warranty, adding a PTO can affect the transmission warranty — worth a call to Rush before committing.

Can you fix a bad wet kit that another shop installed on my International? Yes. Retrofit wet kit installation on an International is a regular job — we remove the incorrectly-sized or misrouted parts and rebuild correctly. Add $500-2,000 to fresh-install pricing.

Central Iowa Coverage

Our shop is 30 minutes north of Des Moines on I-35. International trucks from Ankeny, Grimes, Waukee, Johnston, Newton, Marshalltown, Boone, and Story City come to us regularly. We can also arrange a hauler if you can’t drive the truck in yourself.

Get A Quote

Call or text 515-292-2599. Tell us the International model, transmission, and what trailer you plan to pull. We’ll ballpark on the phone and firm up the wet kit installation on an International quote when we see the truck.