hey guys i have a 89 camaro 305. and the 700r4 in it is the original trans and i have no idea how many miles it has on it. it doesnt slip or anything like that. actually it shifts pretty smooth. but thats the problem, id like to have a firmer shift. im not looking to drag it or anything, just tryin to get a funner ride out of it. now can i install a shift kit and firm up the shifts and be done with it...or will a shift kit in a 700r4 with a lot of miles and no rebuild hurt it?

ne1?

throw a corvette servo, .500 main boost valve, and the larger low/reverse boost valve in it and hang on. that's basically the meat and potatoes of a transgo shift kit...

steer away from a b&m shiftkit for dear life. does nothing to increase holding power. just ghetto rigs it to "shift" "harder". the bigger valves i mentioned actually increase hyd pressures inside the trans, increasing clamping forces of the clutches and bands.

i would get the whole transgo shift kit because it lots more stuff than those mentioned above. the transgo kit is a kit that you can do quite a bit of tuning to your tranny with. transgo kits are the only thing i will use from here on out for anything i build.

i will get a trangso. but the main question i have is do i need a whole rebuild due to an old tranny

...it doesnt slip or anything just shifts a lil soft. and it has a lot of miles (not sure how many exact but its the orig tranny). will throwin a shift kit in it without a complete rebuild hurt?

...it doesnt slip or anything just shifts a lil soft. and it has a lot of miles (not sure how many exact but its the orig tranny). will throwin a shift kit in it without a complete rebuild hurt?

I've been using the Trans-Go SK700Jr kit for 15 years now. The Junior kit has fewer parts than the full blown SK700 kit, and works amazingly well. Just follow the instruction step-by-step and it's a breeze, except for having fluid running down your arm. Use grease in the check ball pockets and they will stay put.
The best conbo that I have found is the Jr. kit, and the Corvette 2/4 servo. I remove the 2nd and 3rd accumulator springs and install spacers (a stack of washers will work) to firm up the shift more than what the Jr.kit will do. I have had problems with slip/bang shifts is a couple of Camaros. So for me it's common practice to install the 2/3 spacers (I hate to do anything twice).

I had an issue w/the SK700 kit on a GMC truck. I installed the kit as the instructions specified and the shift points were all screwed up. It took many hours of tuning to make it better, but it was still far from perfect.
The only governor tuning I have ever had to do w/the Jr. kit is to remove some weight from the governor to raise the WOT upshift RPM. I have never had any reason to change the governor springs.

Post back if you need help in the process.

sounds good. im thinking trangso stage 2-3. but is there ne bad issues for the tranny havin a lot of miles and not doin a rebuild. will installin a shift kit hurt the tranny?

Most of the shift kits available say that if the trans is in "average" condition the kit will improve the performance of the transmission. If the transmission is worn out, which it eventually will wear out, it will need to be rebuilt. I don't think a shift kit will accelerate wear on the transmission, unless it's on its last leg anyway. If it is the original trans, and the odometer is accurate, car miles should equal trans miles, unless the trans has been rebuilt. Without knowing how many miles are actually on the transmission, it's a guessing game. If you plan to keep the car, because you like the car, call Dana at Pro-Built and get a rebuild kit, which will include a shift kit. You'll be glad you did.

Cool... good info here. My 700r4 also shifts smoothly and everything and it has 138,xxx miles on it with no knowledge of a rebuild. I've been told that a shift kit in a car used for autocross will make my times worse due to the harder shifts possibly mid-turn making the back want to slide out more... idk. Do you know if that would actually happen?

You can make the TransGo Junior a HD Shift kit with some modifications. I offer this on my website, with the Corvette servo, larger boost valves, etc. You do not need the "full" Shift kit (green & white box) here. The "modified" Performance Shift kit offers more, but I do not think in your case it is necessary. This will improve the shifts, and can extend the life of the transmission. When I do autocross units, I make the shifts fairly quick but not to firm, for the reasons stated above.

A shift kit won't cause a tranny to go out, unless there is already a problem. Tighter, shorter shifts cause less wear than a lazy shift.

Check the bottom of the pan and the magnet to see what's in it, that's the best way to determine the condition of yours. A black film on everything is normal for one that's poorly serviced. Black flakes would be clutch material and anything shiney (shiney flakes/metalic looking fluid) isn't good.

When I have a trans on the bench, I've had great luck with the SK Jr. and the Alto hevay 3rd gear clutch pack. There's also peformance bands and other stuff to make a stocker more durable.

ok sounds good. i mean the trannys old and used but it works fine. just slow soft smooth shifts. i wanna firm then up with a shift kit. just cant afford the whole rebuild at the sametime.