Ok. I did a search. Really, I did.

I bought my L last August. It's an '04 and had about 7800mi on it when I got it (it's got 10k now). I know the previous owner did some mods. I don't know what mods they did.

Well, I ordered a set of Belltech drop shackles. Today after going for a drive I was checking around the truck like I always do. I noticed that the rear spring shackles don't look factory. I did the Belltechs on my '98 and the factory ones were black in color. The ones on the L are silver and have three oblong holes on the wide, flat part.

In my search I found this pic. (thanks Rob02Lightning)


So, is the one on the left stock? If it is then the ones I've got aren't. If they aren't I can't figure out which ones they are. I looked at several different ones online and can't find one that looks like the ones I've got. Can anyone help me figure this out? I didn't get any pics but can soon.

In addition.... Is there a way to tell if the line valve mod has been done? There should be tell tail signs around the trans pan, right. How about shifting. This truck seems to shift pretty hard, at least compared to the '03 E250 with the 4R70W I drive most of the time. Apparently I need this line valve mod to take advantage of the trans tuning. I will do it but don't want to get this thing apart to find that it's already been done. Can anyone help with this one?

Thanks.

 

You may have the Chevy drop shackles, they drop a full 2 inches on a SVTL, compared to most 2in Ford shackels, that only drop it around 1.5inch. On the valve body, don't use the line pressure mod, it over works your stock tanny pump, and it'll burm out. Get a Valve Body. Like a FTVB, or a Level 10 Valve body. The only way to check, if you really can''t fell it, is to take it apart. BUt let me say this, if you do have a VB, you'll know. At WOT, 2nd will break loss. If you do have a line pressure valve mod, it will feel firmer, but trust me, take it out, and get a Valve BODY.

 

yeah. and whoever told you that you need a line mod valve to take advantage of trans tuning is just blowing smoke up your a$$. Increased pressure to begin with + having the computer increase pressure even more= new tranny very soon.

 

Hey if you want to get rid of those silver shackles hit me up. Those look like djm.

 

FTVB here and no second gear squawk, but 2nd to 3rd bangs like Aria Giovannia or whatever her name is.

 

The shackles are DJM Chevy units, cheaper than rest and just as good. I paid $34 new four years ago. Same as Ford, but some charge more for Ford.

Sorry to correct you tranny "experts" are believing too much of the smoke blown up your back sides. All your high dollar valve bodies have bigger mod valves, what do you think was changed to increase pressure? FTVB uses 0.427" valve. I have had a 0.500" unit in mine for more than 70,000 miles. An O-ringed mod valve is available from Sonnax to anyone for ~$30. There is also more to optimizing the valve body than just a mod valve although they are a good start. Not an attack on anyone, nor am I a tranny expert, just take all you read or hear with a grain of salt until you can dig deeper. With a larger mod valve you do not have to crank up line pressure or reduce shift timing (same thing) to get firm shifts.

 

I don't think a line mod valve alone is "a good start", it changes the balances in all the circuits in the accumulator and they're not properly calibarted to it. You need to re-calibrate the lower circuits to accomodate the line mod valve (a part that was never menat to be installed by itself, the .427 valve is actually from a Taurus AX4N transmission). We do a few other things to the valve body also, change the shape of the 310 valve to prevent it from sticking, and to, alongf with a change in the casting, pre-load your shifts so you can control duration to 2-3 milliseconds instead of the factory limited 10-20 milliseconds.
Having the software change line pressure WILL kill the pump, it'll become noticable at about 30K miles or so most of the time, but it will happen.
You can consider me an expert or not, but unlike anyone else I know who posts here, I have repaired 39,761 4R100s and have a graduate degree in fluid mechanics.

G

 

Thanks for the replies.

I believe that I've found the drop shackels that I have. They appear to be Western Chassis for a Chevy truck. So I guess I don't need the Belltechs. I didn't think therer was shackles on there already because the rear still sits pretty high. I guess I need to go with hangers and shocks too. I don't think that's going to fit in the budget this year.

I'm a bit confused on how to find out if there has already been a line valve mod done. I guess I've got more research to do. It's tough with conflicting opinions/info.

 

Actually what I was not flaming anyone, I avoid such crap and would not have posted at all except for getting tired of regurgitated sales pitches and tuner wars. I was just trying to get across is that an aftermarket valve body is not a must and that a mod valve is not certain death for your tranny, nor did I advocate cranking up line pressure.

I have nothing to sell or interest in arguing whose is biggest. I was passing on that more than a few 100,000 mile plus L trannies in my neighborhood with either mod valve alone or mod valve and higher tension springs, (i.e. Level 10 shift kit). These are in trucks that have been raced most weekends for those miles and seen their share of spray as well. A lot of built trannies have not done as well, so what I was pointing out is that you can be successful or fail with either. There are a number of things one can do to the valve body to improve performance and a number of ways to do it.

Valve bodies from LFP or FT will address these issues and are easy and more convenient if you have limited mechanical experience, but cost a bit more. One of my L's has a valve body that started out as a FTVB, I bought it to try since it was cheap (used) and put a larger mod valve in it, that's how I know what he uses.

The mod valve or shift kit approach is cheaper and depending upon which one you use, you may get part or all of the benefit of a valve body swap, but the mod valve is not going to destroy your transmission and all who have a valve body kit have an upgraded mod valve whether you realize it or not. You will not be able to tell fot certain if you have an upgraded mod valve in your used L unless you pull the mod valve and measure its diameter.

 

OK. Can someone tell me what tuners are doing to make shifts firmer?

 

Raise line pressure or reduce shift duration/timing, which FT and JDM have argued over whether this is also accomplished by raising line pressure, same difference. I will let them argue that one which is why you were probably slow getting a reply. But if the valve timing has been substantially reduced and you add a mod valve, most will find they need to move back to or closer to stock with line pressure/shift timing.

 

So, am I correct when I assume the reason for the line valve mod is to increase fluid volume, so that the increase in line pressure is effective?

 

This was discussed at some length on the FLA board a few years ago

http://theonlinegarage.com/forums/showthread.php?t=6135


G

 

Thanks Factory_Tech. That's some good reading. It'll take a few times reading it to really wrap my head around it.

So, this has been a controversial issue for a while now, eh?

So, is it your position that modifying shift charactoristics thru tuning isn't as effective as modifying the various transmission componants internally? I know there are a lot of people on this baord who are using your mod and a very pleased. I don't dobt that FTVB is a worth while mod. Perhaps someday I will do it myself. Right now though I'm doing tuning. The person doing my tuning (not involved in threads discussing FTVB vs. tuning) tells me that if I don't do/have the line valve mod I run the risk of burning clutches. I think there is a good chance that the previous owner of this truck may have already done this, being that there were other mods. The truck shifts hard to me. I haven't driven to many trucks to compare it to. My work van, an '03 E250, which I believe has the 4R70W. My bosses '02 F250 has the 4R100 but doesn't shift nearly as hard as my L.

I'm not going to make it to the strip all that often. Maybe a couple times a year. Most of my driving will be a couple vacation highway trips a summer and some around town Sunday drives. I want to be able to "enjoy" this truck without damaging it. Will I be ok with the tuning?

Thanks.