TransGo Performance Shift Kit ?????
 

I have a 1998 F150 4X4 with a 5.4. I have driven standards all my life but decided to get an automatic this time and I am not happy with the tranny at all. It seems to wind out between every gear. I also replace the tranny fluid when I first got the truck around 60k because it smelled like it was burnt and now at 72k it smell the same way. I replace the filter and the fluid in the torque converter so I know I got all the old stuff out. I talked to a tranny mechanic and he said it could be anything from a bad tranny to a cut o ring.

I was thinking about putting in a TransGo Performance Shift Kit but thought I would get opinions first What do you guy think.

I installed a Transgo about a month ago on my 01 Screw. It definately firms up your shifting and is crisp. I have a superchip also and personally to me, with both, it seems too jerky. I'm sure with just the Transgo it would feel better.

I also replace the tranny fluid when I first got the truck around 60k because it smel
 

A transgo shift kit will firm up those sloppy shifts for sure. There are 3 settings to choose from.

If you dont already have a good aftermarket trans cooler you should invest in one. A good unit could lower the tranny fluid temps considerably. this would be especially desireable in your warm climate. Also, a decent synthetic trans fluid of the proper type will endure heat much better without burning up.

Good luck.

I just had a Transgo kit put in about a week ago. I'm in the same boat as 01screw. I also have the chip in and the shifts do feel a bit harsh, especially first gear. My Trans guy loved it though, so I guess it's all a matter of personal taste.

HI!... I have a TRANSGO shift kit set on it's highest setting plus a SUPERCHIP with it's shift firmness program cranked WAY above stock setting. I still don't think it shifts hard enough. :D This is how mine shifts at the dragstrip from the 1ST to 2ND gear upshift.

http://www.85merk.com/members/nealhp...7oct01-2_s.mpg

I just bought a Transgo kit too and I hope to install it this weekend.

I got the Transgo AOD-E HD2 kit which is the kit that's just below the manual stick shift version they offer. The kit can be setup with various settings by selecting which size hole to drill in one specific location on the valve body seperator plate explained in the instructions. The three settings are:

1. Police-taxis-truck & mild street rods 0.067"
2. Hot Rod with original stall converter 3/32"
3. Using small dia. high stall converter 1/8"

I'll be starting out with hole size one for sure, I can always drill the hole bigger, much more difficult to make it smaller:p Of course, there is a lot more to this shift kit than the one hole size mentioned, a whole lot more.

Wish me luck and if anyone knows any other tricks or tips, let's hear them please.

~DM~
:D

Johnny,

Thanks for the tips and strong opinions, I'll take them with a grain of salt, however I will consider altering the kit's plans to coincide with some of your recommendations.

BTW, what is your recommendation for reprogramming the shift points and what hardware or tools can you recommend to acheive that result?

Thanks,

~DM~
:D

Neal
 

I have been seen your clip and fairly let me say that the cobra,( if iam wrong say so) (cobra) whooped you:D

Who would be a good source to get a chip for for my year and power train combination?

Thanks for the honest answer. Maybe I should take a poll on who's used whos with what success:D
Thanks
Joe

I installed my Transgo shift kit today. It went fairly well but it took longer than I'd planned. I had several interruptions and it still took over 4 hours. The 1-2 accumulator cut my a$$ for 30 minutes until I finially found the correct snap ring pliers for the job. Then, almost every single hole that the kit recommends to drill out was already bigger so there was no need to do anything. Out of all the holes to drill out, only one was changed and by just a small amount, it probably wasn't enough to make a change. On the other hand, the valves and springs that the kit recommendeds you change, I did all of them with the exception of the EPC rework recommendations, I left it stock.

I did remove the 2-3 shift check ball and that was a mistake, the damn thing hits so hard on the 2-3 shift that it feels like 1000lbs was dropped into the bed of the truck, much too harsh for me. I'll be taking the valve body back out tomorrow and putting that check ball back in just as Johnny Langton's post above recommended. I wanted to follow the kit instructions first, then back them up with corrections just in case the pro's at Transgo were correct, they weren't in this case.

The 3-4 shift is much better too but I may put the stock spring back in there too since Johnny's post said that too, I'm torn as to what to do with this spring. Also, there's a spiral spring and restrictor on one of the solenoid valve's ports, I may pull that out too. All in all, the kit has made a big improvement and a few of the quarks of the 4R70W seem to have disappeared, like the clunk when you accelerate and then quickly let off the gas, it used to go clunk, now it's fine and it handles that scenario perfect, at least it does now, I'll have to let you know since I'm going back in for more surgery tomorrow.

Next big mod, superchips or the microtuner to improve the shift points. I had an idea, if there was some easy way to trick the tranny into thinking that the throttle is pressed part way when in fact it really isn't then I could delay the shifts. I'll explain, what I mean is if there's a way to offset the signal that the tranny sees so that it's always higher than what the TPS is sending, then the shift points can be modified without a reburn on the EEC code. For example, if the TPS is sending a signal range of 5 to 12 volts over the range of throttle movement, the tranny may need to see 6 to 12 volts over the range of throttle motion. The TPS may not output a voltage signal but the logic should be the same...any thoughts?

~DM~
:D

Johnny, you got AIM or MSN instant messenger? I'd like to chat with you as this forum is too difficult for fast communications.

~DM~

For those considering the Transgo shift kit for their 4R70W, you may want to read this post.

Well, after deciding that the Transgo shift kit results were not exactly what I was looking for, I decided to remove the valve body again and undo certain aspects of the shift kit.

First, I removed the valve body from the transmission, and then I disassembled it.
Below is a list of items I had to do to finally get what I wanted:
1. Re-installed the 2-3 check ball that Transgo recommended to remove
2. Drilled out a few more holes per the recommendations from the TCCoA article that Johnny Langton posted, supposedly written by an Engineer that has worked on the 4R70W design team I think
3. Removed the 2-3 accumulator spring, per the TCCoA article
4. Removed the spiral spring and restrictor from the Transgo kit too
5. I never did the modification to the valve body that Transgo recommends to prevent total transmission failure in case of a high pressure spike in case of an electrical malfunction of the EPC, the TCCoA article didn’t recommend doing it and I agreed.
6. Finally, I drilled a ½” hole in the transmission pan and brazed a ½-20 nut inside the pan and added an engine oil pan drain plug for future oil drainage. This mod came in handy on the second valve body removal. Removed the pan without a splash. However, once you get to removing the valve body, it’s almost impossible to avoid getting Mercon V on your body somewhere, hair, draining down your arms when removing the valve body screws and after you drop the valve body, you’re surely going to get splashed at some point.

All in all, I’m pleased now with the shift performance and after all the work and rework; I can say that it’s worth it to me, but then again, each to his own. I would guess that most folks would’ve given up after the first attempt as it’s a PITA to redo a shift kit.

~DM~
:D

What is the link to the TCCOA article?

Y2kXLTSport,
If I remember correctly, it was one of the posts. It has been removed. Don't know how or why but the post is no longer here...

You can go to www.TCCOA.com. they have alot of good articals there.

HI!... JOHNNY LANGTON got banned from this site for his verbal attacks against MIKE T in the COMPUTER CHIP's section. That's why you no longer see JL's posts.

HI!... DRAGONBOY : What COBRA? What are you talking about??????????:rolleyes:

Neal
 

:cool:

NEAL,
Another 1/2 second on the video and we could have seen your post time.

HI!... WLF : I know, my budies digital camera only has a 15 second video reserve. A few seconds were wasted on the starting line. The car I was racing was a slightly modded "87" GRAND NATIONAL. He beat me by about a car and a half. I forget what the times were.

I thought I'd read it on here, but then I couldn't find it...... thought I was getting senile.

I went to TCCOA, but couldn't find the article that was referenced.

This should get you in the correct area at least, poke around in the different articles and what you're looking for should be there, I hope.

TCCoA Tranny Section

~DM~
:D

Thanks, that's where I had been. Guess it will just take some more pokin and proddin to find and read it.

daveman, did the shift kit get rid of the sloppy 1st to 2nd shift? Whenever i punch the gas the shifting is horrible. There seems to be a lule of some sort. I have a transgo sitting in my closet waiting to be put in. If i follow the recomendations you provided, will it cure this problem?

97,

I think the transgo kit will firm up your shifts for sure, but...My transmission has an awesome shift from 1-2 and a super firm and crisp 2-3 and a decent 3-4. I'd have to say that the biggest change is the 1-2. The 2-3 shift was much too agressive for me so that's why I had to modify the kit as mentioned. Let me know if you need help, the kit by itself was very hard to follow as I had the professional version which didn't cost as much but had very sketchy instructions geared more for guys who don't like to read, but rather just slap parts in by looking at pictures.

I like reading and having pictures that support the descriptions. The instructions I had were no clear at all and I was somewhat disappointed in that aspect of the kit. The actual engineering behind the kit is probably sound except it covers so many different years and variations that I think it's just too generic.

Good luck and the kit will most definately firm up your shifts, I can vouch for that...

~DM~
:D

WLF,
Just curious about your grill. It is awsome looking. I have a '97 XLT with the XL style grill and was wondering if that was what you started with?

Thanks
Allen

hey daveman, how much for an install of the shift kit? Im hoping my mechanic will do it.

97,

I don't know exactly what shops charge for installing the kit, but my guess would be several hundred since it takes several hours to do the install. If you figured $75/hr labor, and 3 hours labor, that's $225 and so that'd be a decent estimate and of course the kit cost would have to be in addition to the labor. Also, you'd need to add for 10-12 qts or new Mercon V oil if it's a 4R70W, new filter and possibly a new pan gasket if the technician didn't want to reuse the original pan gasket or the gasket provided with the kit.

I paid $82 for my Transgo kit, but I got it from a transmission shop at their cost, the filter kit I got from Napa for $23 and I reused the original pan gasket as it a rubber over steel version that's extremely durable and reusable. I used 11 qts of Mercon V to refill to the proper level.

The following morning, I pulled the valve body back out as described earlier due to following the kit instructions to the letter. That's right, I shouldn't have removed the check ball in the 2-3 shift circuit as described, as well as others mentioned in the instructions that I did just as it instructed.

Also, installed a drain screw when I had the pan off the first time. I bought an engine oil pan drain screw which has a rubber seal vulcanized to it and the threads are 1/2-20. I drilled a 17/32 hole and then brazed a 1/2-20 nut inside the pan and now I've got a neat way to drain the fluid, without getting soaked:p .

Good luck,

~DM~
:D

DM
I'd like to get with you some time about putting a TransGo kit in my truck.
I've been thinkin about doin this for a while. And since you are local, I can plug you for info!!!
:D

Screwfly,

Just drop me an email, I'll help you dude.

~DM~
:D

allen.smith1947,
Sorry, haven't looked at this post for a while. Yes the grill is from a 97 XL. You have to cut out the gray center but it is worth the end result.
:D

shift kit or super chip?
 

Hey folks,
I have the notorius shudder, so when I take off the pan, should I install a shift kit or should I buy a chip? Doesn't sound like they will work with each other....or did I misunderstand?

Thanks

allen.smith1947,
Read this post.
about Sonnax valves
What you need to replace are some of the valves in your transmission with Sonnax valves. That should cure your shudder problem.
Also, you can run both the Transgo kit and the Superchip but some think it is uncomfortable. I ran them both for a while. I have pulled my chip for now but only because of the price of gas and because in the winter months I take it easy on the truck.