I posed this question to Dirty Dog, but have yet to get a reply:

"DD,

Your in about every conversation regarding plate installs, so I want to ask you a specific question, because the install instructions/forum posts don't give me the right answer.

I bought a C-plate, with the intention of duplicating the shifts that my Livewire is currently doing with increased fluid pressure.

I also want to remove some of the factory 'slip', because I had a trans go on my last truck, and the bands were fried.

I don't consider the tuner upshifts harsh, but they are more aggressive WOT.

What combination of springs will produce my desired performance?

Thanks for your time,"

Does anybody want to take a shot at this question?


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I don't have a tuner yet so I am not sure how hard those shifts are that you are trying to duplicate but here is what I have experienced with my C plate.

If you install it according to the instructions with the supplied brown spring in the upper portion of the 1-2 accumulator and nothing in the lower portion of the 1-2 and remove the spring from the 2-3 accumulator it will have neck snapping shifts from 1-2 and slightly less but still way too hard of shifts from 2-3.

If you take the 2-3 spring, that you removed above, and put it in the lower portion of the 1-2 it will soften the 1-2 shifts a lot. They will be a little softer than the 2-3 shifts now but both will still be too hard for my taste. If you use your truck as a daily driver or for towing you may not like it this hard either.

If you take the center (smaller) spring of the two spring combo that you removed from the lower portion of the 1-2 accumulator and put it in the 2-3 accumulator it will smooth out the 2-3 shifts a little. This combo works better for daily drivers IMO.

In the end I did not want too firm of shifts and was just looking to firm them up just a little so I put all the factory springs back in and just added the C-plate. It still shifts firmer than factory and it pops into gear with a lot less slippage. For me this was the best option.

If you want some more insight on the separator plates there is a thread on what I went through to get the Factory Tech one I wanted that might be of some help as well. Good Luck.

 

Thanks Grizzstang,

That is exactly what I needed. The FT instructions tell you about the options, but don't tell about the results of the options.

I'm going to set it up like you have it.

 

Good call.

Darrin

 

I put the brown spring in the 1-2 accumulator, with the stock springs on top. I left all of the other stock parts intact.

In addition, I added a blueovalsite trans filter, and purge valve, and replaced the stock filter in the pan.

I also put an extra deep Mag-Hytec pan on. It took about 15 quarts to get all of the new accessories, and the trans full.

Wow. The plate really took the drama out of shifting, in all throttle scenarios. I have not changed my tunes to return trans pressure to stock, but I do like the new behavior.

The color change from the old fluid to the new was noticeable. I would recommend a fluid change @ 45K.

 

Under severe service, fluid changes are recommended every 30k.

 

After doing a good couple of hundred miles to Palm Springs and back, I have to say I really like the Factory Tech plate characteristics.

While in 4th, going up a slight grade, I noted that the trans slips, and lets the rev's go up, as a sort of precursory move to avoid a downshift. But if the grade increased, it dropped nicely into 3rd, and boogied.

Also, I noted 1-2 and 2-3, have a small, but affirmative bite, and they definitely wake up @ WOT.

I think acceleration overall is much smoother. The truck gains speed progressively, and I dont hear the motor rev as it did before, just positive shifts into gear with limited trans slip-which, I believe is why these trans's frag in the first place.

I dont have a trans temp guage, so I cant say what effect the Xtra-LG MAG Hytec pan has on the overall fluid temp. I probably have close to 4 extra quarts with the pan and the auxiliary filter.

Also, I like my truck more now that gas is below $3

 

That's the torque converter unlocking. If you are towing, this can really tear up the tranny due to heat. When this happens, hit the OD button.

 

This is why a transmission temp gauge is always a good idea.

Darrin

 

That is some very good info Grizzstang, should be a sticky for anyone trying to figure what to do with C-plate and/or shift kit.