Wanting faster shifting

[green_avenger]

I have a 1997 Dodge Avenger auto. with the 2.0 420A motor. Im wanting faster shift time. I have takin it to the 1/4 to see what I can get and the car hits 7000 rpms and sets there for awhile and then shifts. I have found out around 5000 rpms is my best. I want it to shift at 5000 rpms not 7000 anymore and shift faster with no delay. Are there any shift kits out there for the Avenger auto. tran. I would love to put a turbo on the car but with the way it shifts my afraid I will blow the motor at that high of rpms. ANY HELP PLEASE!!!!!!

Thanks
Jesse

[94StealthTT]

I have a 98 Avenger ES V6 auto. I am not sure if the transmission is the same in the 4 and the 6 cylinder but I had a shift kit put in mine. I believe you can get them from TransGO. Register and search Aseclub.net, ASOG.net, and EXILERacing for parts and info. They cost like $50 and I dont think they need to pull the transmission to put it in. It goes in underneath just by taking off the tranny pan so labor shouldnt cost much. With my shift kit in the car shifts stronger and a little harder under acceleration due to pressure increase. The car even chirps the tires in 2nd gear. I have other mods though and a V6 but I would say its worth it. Another good upgrade is to get a torque converter. Like a 2500 stall Heavy Duty one, like $300 plus install. I have heard people say that it should be the number one upgrade for Avengers with automatics.

[neon_rt]

Why would you want to shift at 5000?
The engine doesn't come up to full horsepower (140) until 6000rpm. It seems like 6500 would be a good shift point. The shift point is computer controlled, so you can't really do much about it. I have a shift kit at home for the Dodge FWD 4-speed auto. I bought it for my minivan but I haven't had it put in yet. Cost $32 I think. Dodge uses the same 4-speed auto for most of it's FWD cars/vans. The 2.0 doesn't perform well with it b/c the trans wastes a lot of torque running the hydraulic pump. The larger engines barely notice, but the 2.0l doesn't have any torque to spare. Adding a shift kit might actually slow you down some b/c the hydraulic pressure is increased and that causes more torque loss. A turbo would prabably work well with the setup though. The trans is rated 250hp and 250ft lbs torque. With the kit, it should hold about 300hp I would think.

[94StealthTT]

The shift kit is better for the transmission and prolongs clutch life because harder shifts dont slip and wear out the clutch packs. I highly recommend you get a transmission cooler too. Heat just kills an automatic transmission and it is definetly worth it. They dont cost much and you could put one on yourself, starting around $25. Dont worry the shift kit wont slow you down, it is a good upgrade and lots of people have it. Seriously look into the torque converter though. Avenger autos are slow off the line. A high stall converter will make it accelerate a lot faster. Just Curious, How fast is your Avenger?

[Burnerdominator]

well hey now auto avengers arent that slow off the line most people just dont know how to baby them off the line. cuz ive beat a 5 speed avenger and he got a good launch. most people just mash the gas or they hold them at 4500 rpm well if you hold it at 3500 you get a great jump at least i have on all my races with a grand am gt,5 speed avenger, and a buick ultra everytime i held at 3500 hundred i jumped them. so just learn to baby it off the line it works trust me

[94StealthTT]

Originally Posted by Burnerdominator

well hey now auto avengers arent that slow off the line most people just dont know how to baby them off the line. cuz ive beat a 5 speed avenger and he got a good launch. most people just mash the gas or they hold them at 4500 rpm well if you hold it at 3500 you get a great jump at least i have on all my races with a grand am gt,5 speed avenger, and a buick ultra everytime i held at 3500 hundred i jumped them. so just learn to baby it off the line it works trust me

They are slow off the line, just admit it. The V6 auto, if thats what you have, is faster than the I4 auto. This is because the stock stall is set so low that it has no power at take off. By holding off transmission engagement till a higher stall, say 2500 rpm, you get more power to the wheels and acceleration is way faster. What you are doing is called "launching" the automatic. Some people do this and it does help but basically you are holding the stall beyond its low original one by holding the brake and gas at the same time. This is not good for the transmission. It causes a lot of heat to build up and stress on both engine and transmission. When theres heat in an automatic there is failure. I recommend you get a transmission cooler to prevent damage and prolong the life of your transmission. If you want to be faster just get a high stall torque converter please, before you break your diff. pin. In case you did not know this is common in all A604 transmissions just ask a fellow ASOG member or call any transmission shop and ask. The diff. pin causes total failure when it breaks. I know from experience, $1,800 rebuild into a new case plus a shift kit. I "launched" my transmission a few times and coincidence or not two weeks later the transmission went out. Trust me.
You can race but it doesnt mean you are that fast. What do you run? Stock Avengers run low 17s I think. My Stealth runs a 13.6 quarter and once you drive one you wont think your Avenger is fast anymore.

[Burnerdominator]

well i never hold the break down...But anyway i know avengers are slow off the line. That why im buying a chrysler conquest quicker launch. But yeah i know from my info on stealths there faster then a roadrunner with a rocket up its ass

[TheStang00]

now wait, if your not holding the brake down then what are you doing... your not neutral dropping are you? the trannies in those cars arent the greatest and if your doing that its not gonna last very long at all.

to the thread starter, you dont want to shift at 5000, you will drop out of your power band if you do that. see when you shift at 7000 it drops you right back into your power band. probably doesnt take you below 5000. i suggest you dont change that shift point. however i do think it would be a good idea to invest in a shift kit, and i think its a much better idea to invest in a tranny cooler, they arent expensive at all.

i too am curious, what do you run now. what you should do is save about $3k and buy yourself a turbo kit along with the tranny cooler/shift kit.

[Burnerdominator]

hey stang!!! but yeah i start from no revvs we honk it 0ff and i start from around like the 2500 hundred mark cuz i dont touch throttle until the last second and i hold it down and my tires catch then i let off a little so my tires dont spin unlike all who ive raced around here with there greats amount of spin. so yeah thats all i ever get to race is novices who watch way to many tv shows so they watch like f and f then there all hyped up in there grand w/e and i blow there doors off with my screwy technique. but yeah i could prolly be faster if i used break but i dont wanna wreck mt daily driver. i'll try different techniques with my other car

[neon_rt]

A couple of things to think about how the launch can be affected.
At speeds under 9 mph, torque management program is running. Torque is limited and applied only at a certain rate of gain, to avoid hurting the trans and spinning the tires. This is more pronounced in the larger v6's that put out torque close to the limit of the transmission, it may not apply to the 2.0l.
Also, at throttle 80% or more (varies with application) the computer retards ignition timing about 6 degrees and runs rich fuel mixture to keep cylinder head temp down, after 15 seconds on some engines the timing it retarded again and more fuel is dumped in. Up to about 75% throttle, when it is time to shift, torque management reduces the torque during the shift. Because some power is still being produced, you can feel the thump into the next gear. At WOT power is completely shut down during the shift, you will see the tach drop instantly as the shift occurs but you will not usually feel the shift at all.
Some people have cut the "request for torque management" wire that goes from the transmission to the engine controller. You must install the shift kit if you do this or the transmission will be toast in no time. Expect tire barking, neck jarring shifts if you do this.

[TheStang00]

^^ looks like someone knows their trannys...

[neon_rt]

Guys, I don't know if you are noobs at street racing or just don't explain your racing techniques very well. Some of the descriptions you guys give make me lol :=) , you are going to break your car or lose the race b/c of silly techniques.
You can race a car on a regular basis and it still be reliable, unfortunately I don't think you guys are in that club, sorry no insults intended, you guys just make my day. I assume you are young and inexperieced at the car thing.