FTVB is in. Showed up Friday and started on it Saturday. Very, very, straight foward job. I had absolutely no problems at all. Directions were a piece of cake and everything went great. Of course part of that is because I'm good ;-) JK. VERY, VERY, messy job though. But then all transmission work is. Doesn't really matter that the pan doesn't have a drain plug either. You still have one hell of a mess from taking the VB off. Installed the new one. Flushed out the system with new Amsoil ATF, and ready for a test drive.

Puttin it in gear you can tell it selects the gear alot more solid than before. Doesn't just slide into 'D'. It's there and you know it. Driving is no different. The only difference you notice is the shifts. Shifts are very,very fast, and what I would call...definitive. I don't think solid is a good word. At WOT they are solid, but not normal driving. Not dissapointed, just not what I expected. HUGE improvement but it sure doesn't meet my definition of "firm" like you hear alot of people claiming. Far from neck snapping. 2-3 and 3-OD are almost unnoticable as far as firmness but you can tell it shifts, it's fast, and once again, definate. Then again, it's a 5500 lb truck, not a race car. I am very pleased and it was worth the money and effort for the gains. I think it's going to run a little cooler but I would atest that to the Amsoil over the VB but need more driving time to be sure. Glad I did this instead of tearing into that thing to install a shift kit. That alone was worth the money.

 

Congrats on the install!

-Brian

 

You have to remember, a lot of the people claiming to have very firm chips are also running custom or reflashed chips that raise the line pressure. This increased pressure coupled with the valve body can really make for some hard shifts. The springs can also be changed to alter how firm the shift is.

If you want a harder shift, give Gregg a call and see what he has to say.

-Don

 

I love mine too but...


I would not say this is a mod for a "family mans" truck. The first time my G/F rode in it she said "Why is your truck shifting so hard?" Everyone who rides in my truck now comments on how hard it shifts. I don't have a chip in it either, bone stock with the exception of the FTVB. For anyone thinking about it, I am happy because it is what I was expecting, I would not get one if I had pre-existing neck problems. It is NOT a "firmed up" factory shift, it IS an instant gear change, and since the engine doesn't know it is going to be instant there is a forward lung of the truck with every shift, unless you are REALLY babying it.

 

Man, that does not describe mine at all. Far from it. Wonder why the difference??

I know I installed it correctly because it wasn't a bad job at all, and it runs perfectly. Like I said first, I am happy with it but I didn't get what I expected.

 

Galaxy,

Have you driven your truck for any distance yet? As my truck warms up (and the viscosity of the tranny oil decreases) the shifts get harder---maybe the amsoil is not loosing viscosity like regular mercon V does.

I had to go back into mine twice after the FTVB installation to "calm down" 1-2 shift. I ended up putting all of the OEM springs in the 1-2 accumulator and it will still slip the accessory belt at a WOT 1-2 shift.

It is still a little stiff at low throttle shifts, but I found out last weekend that there is a definite benefit to having it while towing. I pulled my 3200# camper over the Blue Ridge Mountains from Richmond to Luray with not even a little slip.

The only difference I can see is the oil.

Sidewinder

 

My 1-2 shifts use to be neck snapping! It was to the point that I had to baby it when driving around. Turns out the transmission shop that had done the install jacked it all up. I can't explain what all they did wrong, but amongst other things they had the dip stick pushed all the way in before they had the new valvebody installed. So basically I had the dipstick wedged into a place it shouldnt have been. One complete transmission rebuild later and my truck shifts like it should of from the start. The 1-2 shift is still the firmest of them all and will break traction but not nearly as bad as before. I am totally happy with it now!!!!!

-Brian

 

You may be talking about two different transmissions here. the 4R100 is very easy to fix, I just swap with you. The 4R70W is not as easy, per se, but you can do it yourself, I just send you a different spring if you want it harder, or tell you how to soften it up if it's too hard (you already have the parts you need for that). They work totally diffently, so the fix for one doesn't relate the the other at all. Another thing, there is a certain amoount of varience in each truck, and in each driver, so what you get on the other end is no more consistent than the trucks are in general, but either way, if you want it different than it is, I can almost always help you get it how you want it.

G

 

Yeah, like FT said. I have the 4R100 tranny. Maybe you have a 4R70. I didn't have to install any springs etc. I just dropped my va;vebody and replaced it with the one FT sent me.