What is the purpose? Does it make the L shift hard? Reason I asked, my truck shifts hard, harder than a normal f150. I would like to know if there was a ftvb already installed before I got the truck.. Had 8000 miles on it when I got it. I haven't driven but one L, and I bought it, so I don't know if it shifts normal or not. Thanks in advance.

 

There is absolutely no umph to the shifts on a bone stock Lightning. You may have either a Factory Tech/other valve body or a line mod. Stock it'll shift like a 1980 Lincoln Continental.

 

If it chirps into 2nd gear then you have a valve body (or the line valve mod)

To find out if you have one simply roll out of a stop sign and jump out the MF seat and stomp that SOB to the floor, if you go sideways while it hits second
YEP you got one

Its been so long since I remember the feel of a stock L, but man I'd die to be able to stomp my truck to the floor on the street IN ANY GEAR @$%@($%@$
At 1/3-1/2 throttle I go sideways hitting 2nd and 3rd straight up to @80 MPH.
Oh thats right I have a BTS Tranny

BEST OF LUCK AND WELCOME

 

A stock L will shift harder than a regular F150 but still prety soft compared to the FTVB. If you look at the tranny pan and you have a drain plug (4x4 tranny pan, holds 1 more Qt of fluid than stock, stock pan has no drain plug) then you almost certainly have an FTVB. Most people swap out the stock tranny pan for the 4x4 pan when they install an FTVB.

 

The purpose of the FTVB is to increase shift firmness aka-get rubber on the first to second shift , but what you gain is faster shifts, less clutch wear, cooler trans temp (supposedly) and without a doubt more fun. Do I think it improves track time? While I've never tested back to back, IMO not enough that it's going to show for a guy that runs a handful of times a year, but on a daily driver it's a nice upgrade, no neck breakers around town but nice solid shifts and when your on it shifts hard so it progressive, far better than my old muscle cars with tranny upgrades.