Well, got a reman tranny for the '83. Local shop (Waterloo for those in NE Ohio) offers a 2 years warranty on it. There is a prominent "kick" as it changes gears. Most pronounced from 1st to 2nd, then less noticable for 2nd to 3rd and even less, but still there, for 3rd to 4th. It is really strong with quick acceleration - feels a bit like someone bumped your rear at a stop light! I took it in for the 2 week warranty check. The manager of the shop test drove it and suggested we drive it a few more weeks and see how it feels then. He said it was shifting when it should and although he could adjust it he was concerned about that making the other higher gears shifts slip.

I like the shop and the manager and feel comfortable with their advice but just would like to know how much that 'feel' can be adjusted and what I should reasonably expect. It's not really the 'feel' you'd expect from a luxury car ride - albiet a 23 car (but with a new tranny). As it was a $1400 fix I'd like as nice of a ride as I can get, but don't want to be unrealistic in what I expect.

Thanks,
Dave

Well, got a reman tranny for the '83. Local shop (Waterloo for those in NE Ohio) offers a 2 years warranty on it. There is a prominent "kick" as it changes gears. Most pronounced from 1st to 2nd, then less noticable for 2nd to 3rd and even less, but still there, for 3rd to 4th. It is really strong with quick acceleration - feels a bit like someone bumped your rear at a stop light! I took it in for the 2 week warranty check. The manager of the shop test drove it and suggested we drive it a few more weeks and see how it feels then. He said it was shifting when it should and although he could adjust it he was concerned about that making the other higher gears shifts slip.

I like the shop and the manager and feel comfortable with their advice but just would like to know how much that 'feel' can be adjusted and what I should reasonably expect. It's not really the 'feel' you'd expect from a luxury car ride - albiet a 23 car (but with a new tranny). As it was a $1400 fix I'd like as nice of a ride as I can get, but don't want to be unrealistic in what I expect.

Thanks,
Dave

Take it in to them and get them to have a look at it.
The 83 has some adjustment on the carb/tbi pressure cable.
But if they installed a shift kit you may be stuck with the ram/hard shift.
MT

Well, got a reman tranny for the '83. Local shop (Waterloo for those in NE Ohio) offers a 2 years warranty on it. There is a prominent "kick" as it changes gears. Most pronounced from 1st to 2nd, then less noticable for 2nd to 3rd and even less, but still there, for 3rd to 4th. It is really strong with quick acceleration - feels a bit like someone bumped your rear at a stop light! I took it in for the 2 week warranty check. The manager of the shop test drove it and suggested we drive it a few more weeks and see how it feels then. He said it was shifting when it should and although he could adjust it he was concerned about that making the other higher gears shifts slip.

I like the shop and the manager and feel comfortable with their advice but just would like to know how much that 'feel' can be adjusted and what I should reasonably expect. It's not really the 'feel' you'd expect from a luxury car ride - albiet a 23 car (but with a new tranny). As it was a $1400 fix I'd like as nice of a ride as I can get, but don't want to be unrealistic in what I expect.

Thanks,
Dave

If that 1-2 shift has a pretty solid kick, one that could make the tires bark under certain circumstances, over time that could lead to a sun gear shell failure on the TH700R4 - unless a heavy duty shell (such as the new GM shell or the SPX/Filtran or TCI "Beast" shell) was used at the rebuild time. As for your shifting behavior, it's about right (except for that 1-2). This can be modified, but it requires removing the pan and changing a spring in the 1-2 accumulator. You can talk to the trans shop about this and ask if they'd make this adjustment to protect the warranty. After all, if the sun shell fails, you lose 2nd gear, 4th gear and reverse - and yes, I speak from experience here.

If it's shifting at the points where it's supposed to (i.e., moderate acceleration should provide a 1-2 @ about 15 MPH, a 2-3 @ about 30 MPH, and a 3-4 @ about 45MPH), there's really no simple adjustment that may be made.

The adjustment your shop manager speaks of above is the TV cable adjustment - yes this will soften up the 1-2 and make the higher gears slip - slip right off of the clutch packs and into the pan. Don't let him do it!

Is the 3-4 (overdrive) also a harsh engagement? If so, the servo on the right side of the trans may also have an incorrect spring. If it is only 1-2 that is harsh, silicon has the right course of action, but also ask if the accumulator piston is inadvertently installed upside-down (it can happen, and that can cause a harsh shift as well).

They should be willing to investigate since all that is accessible with the transmisison installed in the vehicle. At the very least, you will get the trans oil changed and any break-in metal and friction material which normally accumulates in the pan and filter can be cleaned out. If you offer to supply a filter to help entice them into opening it up for inspection, it would actually benefit you in the long run, and could save them from a warranty rebuild on their nickel.

I checked the shift speeds today. They are all at the appropriate mph.
All three shifts have a noticable bump but it decreases with each higher shift. Only the 1-2 is really harsh. 2-3 and 3-4 are more than I think I should expect to feel but not like 1-2.

I'll take it out in a few days where I can really accelerate fast through all shifts and see what it's like.

Thanks for the help, you guys here are great!

My son went shopping for the car today - brought home new gas and brake pedal covers and a sweet 'black chrome' exhaust tip.
I went shopping for the car today - brought home new wiper blades and glass cleaner.
We play different roles here don't we!