I've seen shift kits mentioned in a few threads. anybody out there willing to give a brief desciption of what they do and their advantages? maybe a quick summary of the installation of one. thanks.
Hank

Hank, a shift kit comes in several different levels.
It can just make the car shift at a higher RPM than normal, to take advantage of high torque curve of the engine.
It can make the shift faster, no matter what the RPM. This get from one gear to another quicker to keep more powered applied. This is a harsh shift, but can make the tire chirp, depending on how quick/harsh you go.
You can also get kits that increase pressures in the trans to make it less likely to slip under heavy load. Again this makes it harsh, but actually stronger. Nothing short of a rebuild will make the metal components stronger, but it will take more force before it slips. You would have a far from stock engine before you worry about this one.

It takes some research of what you want before you get a shift kit. Most street cars use a mild kit to improve shift feel, make slightly quicker shifts, and at a bit higher RPM. This can be for pratical reasons, or just for a bit of fun.

Installation involves taking off the transmission pan, and removing the valve body from the transmission. Some you just remove or change the gasket and spacer under the body. Some involve changing check balls. Some involve drilling. And some require changing the entire valve body.

|UPDATED|4/27/2004 9:02:01 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

My '81 with stock auto transmission and proper fluid level seems to take forever to shift. Both the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts take between 1/2 and a full second to complete. That just doesn't sound right at all. Any thoughts? The transmission does not slip at all. It just is slow shifting.
Thanks!

so Ken, if I just wanted to optimize the performance of my car, I would need to know it's power curve. any other way to determine that without a dyno?
at what point in your power curve is it best to shift?
as a side, I would love to hear a little chirp.
if I wanted to install one, wouldn't be smarter to wait untill after I made any engine mods I had planned. seems to me that it would be one of the last mods you would make.
can this be done in my garage or best left to a real mechanic?
Chesh, mine's due to a slow car , don't know about your's.
Hank

In the world of Vettes, mine is a turtle. That will change after I get a lot of other things done. Heck, I need to drive it first.

If you know what you want to do with the engine and the car, you can do the shift kit anytime. The kit for 500 HP and 7000 RPM on the 1/4 mile is much different for what you want in a 400 HP street car. The horse power and total torque will make a difference in how hard/fast to shift. The torque curve will make a difference in shift timing (when to shift). You can play around with this a bit by just manually shifting the car, and see what you like. That method may be different after the engine mods, but for a street cruiser, probably not. You'll get a good idea what you like/want. It can always be reversed, and put back the way it was.

You can go too far, and make the car annoying to drive on the street. Most MFG of shift kits will have a recommendation for what type of driving you want to do. With a stock torque converter and under 300 hp or so, you don't want to get too carried away. Anyone who sells them can help with a recommendation. Do it yourself? Why not? It's not that bad, but can be very messy. Granted the torque on the valve body bolts is picky. Directions with each kit are ususally detailed fairly well. They are all different.

Depending on when you want to do it, perhaps you'll find we are not that many miles apart. No promises at this time, but maybe. See how my, and your, schedule goes.

|UPDATED|4/27/2004 3:13:26 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

Chese, that slow shift may be due to dirty fluid and or filter. You may want to run a trans cleaner/treatment in it for few weeks, then service the transmission.

"I added a pic of my everlovin ugly self in my car."

Shoot Ken, you look a lot better then I do. The Internet Gods would never forgive me if I posted a picture of myself!

For what it's worth, I'm really happy with the TRANSGO Programming kit I installed in my TH400, nice firm shifts, and it can be set up for various applications depending on how hard you want it to hit. They claim by providing firm shifts there is a lot less heat generated in the transmission and it will prolong the life. If the trans is already tired it may not give you the results you expect though, it's certainly not intended to be a fix all for a trans that might need new seals and a rebuild.

Ken, Big Fish thanks for the info. just one more thing to add to the list. mine's becoming longer than the wife's, but a lot more fun.
Ken, thanks for the offer but a shift kit won't happen anytime soon. I plan to go to Summit sometime this summer, never been there. would like to meet you and any other member in this area for that matter.
Hank

Summit is only 5.5 miles from my front door to theirs. Let me know when you are coming down. Make it a Saturday and I can meet you.

Lets pick a day, and invite some other guy in the area. We can get lunch. Hey Captn Bill, are you listening? How about a few more?

|UPDATED|4/28/2004 7:34:05 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|

great idea just let me get my car back from the shop.
Hank