Improving an auto trans.

KevinG · #1 08-23-2005, 01:31 AM

I was reading about how to swap a auto trans into a manual trans when I stumpled upon some people talking about a corvette 1-2 servo, and/or a B&M or Transgo shift kit. What are these and what exactly will they do to the car?

BTW Thanks for the help on my exhaust, it sounds incredibly deep for a V6.

KevinG · #2 08-23-2005, 01:35 AM

BTW It's a 3.8L 1996 Camaro with I beleive the stock tranny.

Savage Messiah · #3 08-23-2005, 03:52 AM

The best things you can get are the Transgo shift kit. dont get the electronic plug in crap, they have ben proven to damage trannys, make sure you get one thats a physical shift kit you install.

The other thing is a high stall torque converter, and compliment it with some rear end gears... when I save up the money and have it at the top of my priority list, I will be looking into a 2800-3000 stall convertor

89IROC&RS · #4 08-23-2005, 12:10 PM

I have a fully built 700R4 in my 89 IROC, and its a blast. i had a B&M transkit installed which is a full high performance rebuild with high friction bands and clutches, as well as a shift kit with two levels of performance, i had mine installed at the stage 2 level. I also had a corvette 1st to 2nd servo installed which boosts line pressure for the 1st gear to 2nd gear shift and makes it really snap.

when it comes to selecting a torque converter, bigger is not always better, this is something to do a little research on. especially if you have a computer controlled car. high stall converters operate by being very inefficient and have alot of slippage which will create higher trans temps and premature trans failure, and youll also get horrible gas mileage. i am running a 2600rpm stall converter and i dont want to go any higher. the saving grace for the 700R4 is that it is a lockup converter so once you get to highway speeds the high stall speed really isnt a problem, but it does have an impact for low speed driving. so dont do like other people and ditch the lockup, its great.

FormulaLT1 · #5 08-23-2005, 12:16 PM

The tranny locks up around 35 - 45 MPH and I found a 2600 (b&M holeshot) to be a good compromise for street/strip, although like 89 said it does generate alot more heat do to stall speed basically just your tranny slipping. So a nice big tranny cooler would be in order but they are semi cheap with lots of different styles to choose from, Also Transgo shift kit with a Corvette servo is a must for some tire screaming shifts. B&M is ok but in comparison tests Transgo was found to upgrade many more parts and deliver better results.

KevinG · #6 08-23-2005, 12:42 PM

Can anyone show me exactly what the kits are? Are they easy to install? I don't want to put too much stress on the tranny because it has 155,000 on it already. I'm not sure if it was rebuilt or replaced because I bought the car at 153,000. It seems in fine condition though, no slippage or shifting problems/noises yet.

Link85x · #7 08-23-2005, 01:15 PM

Go over to summitracing.com, copy and paste this item# TRG-4L60E in the keyword box. That kit you wanna get. Not expensive either.

92zcamaroperson · #8 08-23-2005, 01:17 PM

get a rebuilt tranny instead of messing with that one. 155000 is a heck of a lot of miles on a tranny. And with the 4th gens you can just reprogram the tranny cant you and adjust your line pressure and all that?

Link85x · #9 08-23-2005, 01:28 PM

Well, that's just a shift kit, i'm looking for a rebuild kit myself. Where the hell can i find one?

Link85x · #10 08-23-2005, 01:41 PM

What on this page would be consider to rebuild the guts of the tranny? http://stores.ebay.com/MURPHY-AUTOMO...QQftidZ2QQtZkm
I ain't gotta clue (i do but...) to what is needed.

FormulaLT1 · #11 08-23-2005, 03:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 92zcamaroperson

get a rebuilt tranny instead of messing with that one. 155000 is a heck of a lot of miles on a tranny. And with the 4th gens you can just reprogram the tranny cant you and adjust your line pressure and all that?

Electronically uping fluid pressure kills a tranny cause your not improving the inner components like spring pressure and fluid passages and it ends up just heating up the fluid from the extra pressure and heat kills tranny's.

89IROC&RS · #12 08-23-2005, 11:18 PM

the mileage on your current transmission means nothing, thats what the transkit is, its a rebuild kit, it replaces all the worn parts of the transmission with high performance units, and adds other parts to improove performance such as the shift kit. When it comes to installing it, i have heard of people doing it alone and by themselves for the first time, but i paid the 200 bucks to have my trans guy do it for me. I sleep much better knowing it was done right. i dont know if you can get it done for that, we worked together so he may have given me a discount, but id still pay someone else to do it.

ct91rs · #13 08-23-2005, 11:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 89IROC&RS

i paid the 200 bucks to have my trans guy do it for me

$200? That's a steal.)

89IROC&RS · #14 08-23-2005, 11:53 PM

well, i paid for all the parts already, 405 for the kit, 145 for the converter, and 16 for the corvette servo, add the 200 on top of all that. dont get me wrong its still a steal, but dont think i just paid 200 for a bulletproof tranny.

ct91rs · #15 08-24-2005, 01:03 AM

I hear ya, but that's not bad for the labor to rebuild it.

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