I see people talking about them all the time. What does it do and how much does it cost? What's the main reason to even get one?

 

A shift kit recalibrates your transmission's valve body to give firm shifts; usually several different firmness levels. In general, you remove the transmission pan and then modify the valve body. You get a box with instructions, a few valves and springs, and various methods to modify the valve body. They sell for $100 or less uninstalled. The reason to get one is "SECOND GEAR RUBBER".

 

The real advantage of a shift kit is shorter shift duration, or shortening the time it takse the shift to occur. (not when it occurs, or shift point).
Shortening duration will decrease wear on the friction plates, lower temperatures and give you a firmer shift. Factory shift settings are typically "soft" because many drivers like a nice smooth shift, people looking for a performance "feel" like shorter duration, it feels better, and in some ways is better for parts of the transmission. If you don't want to drill holes on your valve body, mess around with springs and check ***** etc... or rebuild a valve body yourself, you can buy a complete performance valve body allready built for the 4R100 (in the 4R70w the things you modify are actually in the case wormtrail), PSP sells one (I designed it, disclosure). You can check them out and read a good article about shift kits at
www.powersurgeperformance.net

Hope this helps,
G

 

Factory_Tech,
I checked the PSP site and I am curious if I can buy there something to modify 4R70W or my option is the TransGo kit. I have '97 4.6L.
The reason been I'd rather buy something "ready to go" and have it installed in the shop then a kit...
Thanks.

 

The PSP kit is only for the 4R100 tranny, but if you don't want to install it yourself, any transmission shop can install one for you, go ask them if they sell one, shouldn't be very much.

G