results of the transgo HD2 install

[oldred95]

First of all the instructions are extremely vague. The illustrations are spot on but there is no text, no explanation of what is going on and why its being done. That I didn't like. Also the valve body torque is critical and it listed no torque specs for anything. Also the screen placement in the valve body was not covered in the instructions. Luckily I had bought a ATSG 4L60E manual along with the kit so I made it through alive. Worst part for me was disassembly. I spilled fluid everywhere getting the pan off. The valve body comes off really pretty easy. Just some bolts and wiring to disconnect and its out of there. Nothing to fall out except for the manual shift valve and thats only if you tip the valve body. When I got the seperator plate out and got to looking 3 check balls were all but blown threw on a 127k mile transmission. Needless to say I replaced it with a transgo unit. Also drilling the holes in the plate wasn't bad at all. The instructions clearly showed where to drill and to what size. The 1-2 servo band clearance had to be shimmed which involved taking the cover on and off a few times to check for clearance and what not. Nothing hard, just time consuming. The biggest issue I had was with flying springs/solenoids/valves. Nowhere does it mention these pieces are under spring pressure and will fly when you pull the clips out. Again no big deal, just frustrating when you have to stop and collect and clean all the pieces that hit the floor. The PWM valve fix was the main reason for this kit install. The wear was minimal but enough scoring was in the valve body to cause fluid leakage. The 1-2 accumulator arrangement was very vague also. Virtually no text about it other then saying in bold, even if it wasn't this way originally, put it back this way. After figuring out what springs went where and the accumulator piston position I reluctantly put it in as show in the pictures. Aligning the holes in the seperator plate with the gaskets proved to be a challenge. I was probably 20 minutes at that and its not 100% perfect but its as good as it was going to get. When I put the check balls back in the valve body it said to and I know to use vasiline which I did. Keep this in mind. Installing the valve body went very easily. No need to keep track of what bolts went where during diassembly because bolt locations are clearly illustrated. Torqued it down to 96 inch pounds and finished buttoning everything up. Put fluid in and backed it off the ramps and out the door and this is where things went bad. I went to take off in OD and it wouldn't go anywhere. It would just barely crawl and manually going through the gears none of them would pull and 1st would grind if I gave it any throttle. At this point I was worried sick and combed through my instructions and manual and so on. I knew I hadn't screwed anything up so finally I started it and just let it run a while and heat up and then it went to shifting just fine. Apparently that vasiline has to completely disolve before the check balls are allowed to move and seal off and thats why it wouldn't go anywhere. Went for a drive and it shifts perfectly. I installed no washers in the accumulator housing and it has a tow haul like 1-2 shift in normal mode, all other shifts are now noticable, quick and positive, but no banging or excessive firmness. With the PWM eliminator valve the TCC engage now is very positive and noticable. It feels just like a 5th gear engaging and it has zero slip and stays locked in all the time now unlike before where it constantly cycled. All in all the transgo kit is not too hard to install, messy, somewhat vague in spots but easily doable. This was the first time other then a fluid and filter and servo swap that I've done anything on an automatic. Just remember give the vasiline time to disolve. One last thing. The kit also comes with a variety of springs for the 3-4 clutch pack return. Unless the transmission is completely disassembled none of these springs will be used. Again no mention of this in the instructions, I guess it should go without saying but still thought it was worth mentioning.

Edit: Couple more things. On my particular transmission when I went to remove the boost valve it would not come out. Upon inspection I found the case was not machined correctly and the boost valve was hitting the case and not letting it come out. I used a rat tail file to fix the clearance issue and it came right out then. Not much had to be removed but still worth mentioning. Also it was my understanding the new boost valve used orings to seal and prevent scoring. The new transgo valve was bigger but did not have any orings anywhere. Maybe I read this wrong somewhere. I don't know.

[Aloicious]

yeah, transgo's instructions really suck. I had alot of the same issues when I intalled mine, but I didn't have the 4L60e manual so it took ALOT longer than it needed to. I had to do alot of tuning too to get it to shift how I like after the install also. I think I put in 1 washer, shifts are firm but not harsh.

even with the shift kit in there, I don't like the 4L60e very much. it just doesn't give me what I want. so I'm in the process of swapping it out to a t56 six speed manual. I've always liked the feel of a manual tranny anyways.

good write up though, wish this would have been around when I did my install.

[oldred95]

One thing I'm noticing is that the shifts will sometimes be pretty firm and the next time stock like. I believe that is due to the adaptive shift in the PCM that adjusts firmness based on driving style. I've only driven it maybe 15 miles since installing the kit so I will give it some time to see what actually happens.

[Aloicious]

Originally Posted by oldred95

One thing I'm noticing is that the shifts will sometimes be pretty firm and the next time stock like. I believe that is due to the adaptive shift in the PCM that adjusts firmness based on driving style. I've only driven it maybe 15 miles since installing the kit so I will give it some time to see what actually happens.

very well could be, on my 411 PCM it had a ideal 'shift time' where the pcm would try to keep the actual time the transmission takes performing a shift to a specific length of time, and I found that the shift kit made the shifts quicker than the PCM expected, so the PCM would actually try to slow the shifts down, kinda like they were fighting each other, so I disabled that and it helped alot. there were also a few other adaptive parameters that needed changing as well, but I can't recall much right now, I just finished a 14 hour shift, and its bedtime.

[NEUMANNZZ]

Good job on the install.

[Torkin9406]

So how is it still going? Think im doing that to mine next. How many miles you got on it so far? Still working great?

[oldred95]

No problems yet other then adaptive shift kicking in and playing with shift firmness some. Other then that its good.

[Torkin9406]

You self tune right? Is the adaptive shift in the pcm? Is it a good thing or something you wanna take out. Also how fast does it adapt is a per drive thing or does it take a why'll?

[oldred95]

Originally Posted by Torkin9406

You self tune right? Is the adaptive shift in the pcm? Is it a good thing or something you wanna take out. Also how fast does it adapt is a per drive thing or does it take a why'll?

The shift kit is in my 99 which is totally stock otherwise. The only reason I put a shift kit in it was to fix the torque converter not locking up due to wear in the valve body. I'm not familiar at all with how it works other then the adaptive shift will start to delay the shifting to make a softer shift if it senses the shifts are becoming too hard. It really doesn't mess with it very much unless I hold the doggy SOB to the floor for a while and then its thinking it needs a lot of firmness then I go back to the egg on the gas pedal style of driving and it shifts firm for a while then starts backing off. The 95 is what I do tuning on and it currently has a slip o matic 4L60E in it thats going to be replaced by an 80E.

[Torkin9406]

O ok well thanks for the the input. And good to hear that it works well for ya. Im ordering mine tomorow.

[PBA]

The basic kit from TransGo is good to start with, and I modify the TransGo Shift kit to have even smoother part throttle shifts, and the shifts getting quicker and a little firmer with more throttle. You should not upset the torque management with this kit. I get rid of the extra things in the shift kit that do not need to be done on 1996 and later units. I add the Torlon checkballs to keep from destroying the separator plate as the factory steels checkballs do, and new accumulator pistons and hardened pins for the forward and 2nd accumumlators, and a new oem pin for the 4th accumulator.

[oldred95]

Originally Posted by PBA

The basic kit from TransGo is good to start with, and I modify the TransGo Shift kit to have even smoother part throttle shifts, and the shifts getting quicker and a little firmer with more throttle. You should not upset the torque management with this kit. I get rid of the extra things in the shift kit that do not need to be done on 1996 and later units. I add the Torlon checkballs to keep from destroying the separator plate as the factory steels checkballs do, and new accumulator pistons and hardened pins for the forward and 2nd accumumlators, and a new oem pin for the 4th accumulator.

I wouldn't say the shifts are all that firm but there doesn't seem to be much change in firmness between light throttle and heavy throttle. Honestly its almost too firm at light throttle. It feels like a tow haul shift at a normal shift speed. Doubt it will cause any problems as long as it has the upgraded sun shell in this transmission. If not I will find out eventually. I should have gotten the kit from you but I jumped the gun and ordered it before knowing what all your kit did different vs the run of the mill transgo kit.

PBA do you have Vigilante torque converters for 4L80Es?

[Torkin9406]

PBA - Im assuming from the last coment from 95 that you sell a kit. Im definitly interested. I was going to order it tonight but i will wait to hear from you. I'll pm you as well. Thanks

[Torkin9406]

So i did the install today. So far im lovin it. Really quick shifts, nice and firm. Only put a few miles on it but it seems to have fixed my problum. I was able to set the TPS back to .5V and it shifts like its supose to in the 1-2. I got it from PBA up there. Thanks.

[NEUMANNZZ]

Originally Posted by Torkin9406

So i did the install today. So far im lovin it. Really quick shifts, nice and firm. Only put a few miles on it but it seems to have fixed my problum. I was able to set the TPS back to .5V and it shifts like its supose to in the 1-2. I got it from PBA up there. Thanks.

[Torkin9406]

OK new problume. Wont backshift. Ive been driving it around town a little bit and when going slowly (25-30ish) and when you make corners and it should downshift im gessing 3-2 it wont. After i make the corner and go to accelarate it wont motate forward with any speed. It acts exacly like it would if you left your manual in a high gear whyll going slow. There is no shutter or noise just the reving of the motor. All the valves that i did anything with i double checked to make sure that they moved freeley. Thinking back it did do this a little befor the kit so its not that. It seems like it is getting progressivly worse over time. Any ideas?