Valve Body Swap & H strut

[turbo84voyager]

Can you install a vavebody from a lockup trans in a non lockup? I know the plug will be in the way. I was thinking I could swap the silenoid with an end cover. Reason is I have a valve body with the backyard mods in another trans that shifted great until I either the bands or clutches went. It developed a real bad chatter. I am not happy with the shifting of my current trans with the superior kit and I know the trans guy that put it together mixed stock springs with the springs from the kit because he didnt like some of the springs with the kit ( Don't ask, I wasnt happy) Anyway it shifts too quick and does not like to downshift. I didnt have any problems like this with my other trans.

Also can you replace the H strut with the trans in the car? If so is there anything I need to worry about or do you just loosen the band and swap it out?

Last, what is the proper procedure for setting the TV cable? The TV lever maxes out with WOT and it requires an extremely small amout of throttle until it starts moving.

Thanks!

Justin

[A.J.]

You can use a lock-up valve body in a non-lock up trans. I don't have my diagrams in front of me but I think you can get away with just removing the solenoid and installing the block off plate.

You can install the H strut with the trans in the car. Just back the adjustment screw out far enough to get the old one out and the new one in.

There is a procedure for adjusting the TV cable. First get it to operating temperature. Next loosen up the bolt where the bracket attaches to the trans case and make sure the two tabs sit flush against the trans case. Next pull the clip out of the cable so the cable moves freely. Move the TV lever all the way towards the drivers side. Now push the clip back in.

A.J.

[turbo84voyager]

Thanks, This may be a really stupid question but the tighter I have the tv cable ( More it is moving the TV lever) the more line pressure and longer it will hold in gear and quicker it will kickdown right? or am I wrong and it work the other way meaning I losen the cable so there is a little slack and it will hold in gear longer and kickdown quicker?

[wallace]

You've got it right that cable increases the line pressure which moves the shift points higher and makes it kick down sooner. I ended up welding the bell crank on my throttle body so that I could get the maximum travel on the tv lever at wot. This made a huge difference in the shift quality. On mine as soon as the throttle moves the tv lever moves as well.

[turbovanman²]

Yeah, just take the plate off your bad vb onto the LU vb, you'll have to remove one spring, but its obvious.

JDIZZ likes to set the TV so that you set it above, then tighten one click, I do that too, shifts alot nicer.

H-strut, just remember you'll need a dial type torque wrench to reset the band, I should measure the freeplay one day after resetting it to avoid using a torque wrench.

[turbo84voyager]

I can't get the TV cable any tighter then it is, I am wondering if my cable isnt streached or something. Even with it set all the way over, I have a very small amount of movement in the throttle until it starts moving the lever. ( I mean a very small) The other problem I found is even if I was able to set it tight ( so the lever on teh trans was actuially moved a little at idle) it would max out in the trans before the throttle body and prevent me from going to WOT.

The problem with the trans is that it shifts ok during normal driving, its a little sluggish downshifting from 3 to 2 but otherwise fine. When I get on it, it will take off fine in 1st then when it hits second ( in my opinion too early) I feel the trans do something like shift into 2nd but the van feels like it lost a lot of its torque, it still pulls but it goes from putting yourself back in the seat to feeling like I left off the throttle quite a bit. The rpms do not spike or anything and the engine is still under boost with the same or more boost than in 1st. This is the same thing it does when downshifting from 3 to 2. The van feels like its loosing a lot of power like something is slipping, if I manuially kick it down to 2 when it is doing this, the van come alive again ( with very little to no change in rpm). Now when I am on the highway in 3rd its great with no feeling at all of slippage. I am thinking something is wrong with the valve body, I really dont know what else to think. I was thinking converter but it pulls fine in 1st or when manuially shifting. The other thing the trans does is if I do a WOT run if I get off of it a little before it shifts to 2nd the trans feels like it does not know what gear to go into 3 or 2.. Any advice or input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Justin

[wallace]

I tried 3 junkyard cables all of them would not adjust enought to set the tv cable properly. You should not be limiting the throttle travel with the tv cable if that is happening you have something wrong. After trying the 3 cables I just welded up about 3/4" of the slot for the cable and filed it flat. I set it per turbovanmans instructions... open the throttle all the way and then set the tv cable so that the lever is also at its maximum travel. Once you set it like that any movement of the throttle off of idle should move the tv lever. For your loss of power it just sounds like the converter has reached stall speed and is no longer providing torque multiplication that's normal.

[RoadWarrior222]

I'll have to try mine like that. Linkage a little different on a 3.0 though. I've been having trouble with it since I swapped trannies.

[turbo84voyager]

Thanks for the info

I will have to take a look at the cable but from how I am looking at it it can limit the throttle if you have it set too tight because the lever on the trans will max out before WOT which will cause the TV cable to stop and not allow any more movement on the throttle body.

As for the torque multiplication that may be some of the torque loss but I am thinking it is something else because why does it not happen if I manuially shift, and in 3rd at cruising speeds it fine.

[wallace]

Hey, if you set the TV adjustment with the throttle at WOT it can't limit the travel. I use a stick to mat the pedal to the floor, then go out and open the adjustment on the cable and pull it out. with the cable all the way back check the tv lever on the transmission it should not move anymore. If the lever still moves and you have the cable pulled as far as it can go you need to replace the cable or close up the travel at the tbody. I welded up the slot at the tbody after trying 3 different cables out of the junkyard. You may have some slippage going on, you can try and adjust the direct clutch band its the one on top of the transmission. The direct clutch is what was worn in mine everything else looked ok.

[turbovanman²]

Exactly, if you set it correctly, you can't have it stopping before WOT, unless something is binding internally.

As for your issue, it sounds like a governor issue or as Wallace suggested, its slipping. Doing manually, your holding it in each gear longer, so check band adjustments, line pressure, if all ok, maybe check your governor.

I know when it changes fast from 1-2, it feels like it has no power and falls out of its powerband, so that could be your issue. I nearly always manually put it into 3rd as the trans can never react fast enough and if you don't, it lugs, again, feeling like something is wrong.

[turbo84voyager]

I have been setting mine at WOT so it must be set right. I am going to drop the pan, drill and tap a hole for the pressure regulator, raise the pressure a little ( if I still use the valve body that is in there) install the new H strut, and readjust the bands. I am debating if I am going to also try swapping the valve bodies. I will give it a try and see how it is. I hear a lot about people running Type F. Can refill with type F or do I need to get all of the dexron out? Also how much of a difference in shifting is there with the accumulator blocked? Last question is the superior kit that is in this trans should have shims in the 1-2 servo. I never seem to read anything about shims in the servo anywhere else. Should I try it without the shims?

Thanks again for all the info and help

Justin

[turbovanman²]

I don't like the Superior kit, I found it didn't shift right, the backyarder way worked better and I did a back to back test.

Remove the accumulator, its not bad with it out and I have my line pressure doubled.

Use TDH tractor fluid, just add it, don't worry about flushing.

[turbo84voyager]

I was driving the van around the other day really paying attention to the shifting. At light throttle ( around town driving) it shifts into 2nd at about 15 mph and is in 3rd by 25 mph, which seems too early, I will work on this. The one thing I noticed the most is when it shifts into 3rd it feels like it goes into neutral for a split second before it shifts into 3rd. It does not do this 1 to 2 just 2 to 3. When it is in 3rd its fine. The best thing I can think of to describe it is ( dont laugh) a hickup. It does it for about the same amount of time. This is most notecable at part throttle. My stock tbi 413 spirit does not do this. Has anyone ever come across this and is there something I should look for when I have it apart?

Thanks!

Justin

[wallace]

The 2-3 shift problem sounds like worn direct clutches, the lag you feel is the time it takes for the clutch to take up the extra play due to the wear. How many miles on the transmission?

[turbo84voyager]

about 10,000 miles. Could a valve body problem cause this? I would expect the most wear to be 1 and 2 since that is where it is beat the most.