Car runs and drives fine. But no WOT upshift at all! Trans shifts and act normally at all other times. Stock 1986 5.0 TPI IROC-Z

TV cable has been replaced and adjusted properly. NO shift kit either.

What is the problem with this darned thing?

 

I am also having the same issue.

I lost the upshift after I installed my shift kit last summer. I haven't adjusted the TV cable yet but I will when the car comes back out.

Any suggestions for us guys??

 

Two likely causes

1) Governor sticking. Pull it out and check for burrs or trash in valve or weights sticking.

2) TV cable adjustment not done properly. Proper procedure is to release lock mechanism, push inner housing all the way towards firewall. Re-engage lock, then rotate throttle to WOT at the throttle body or carb. TV cable should ratchet to proper extension.

Note: It is better to apply WOT at the carb or Throttle body rather than using the gas pedal. I've seen the TV cable extend as much as 3 more clicks by using this method.

If you use the gas pedal , then you can get a misadjustment due to things like bracket flex and the gas pedal hitting the floor before WOT actually occurs.

EDIT:

Andy: Was the car always like this or did it just start doing this out of the blue? Is it all gears or just 3 - 4? Does it upshift normally at mid-throttle?

Digital: Same questions. All gears no upshift at WOT or just 3 - 4? You must adjust the TV cable properly before going any further.

If after TV cable adjustment and still no upshift WOT 1-2-3 then you may have to do some internal adjustments. This problem can be caused by cheap kits that rely on brute force and ignorance method ( IE: B&M ....one of the worst...sorry). Line pressure boosted to firm shifts but governor circuit not modified to compensate for increased pressure. Can also be the result of an improper installation of parts.

Note : 3-4 no WOT upshift quite common after install of B&M shift kit. Sometimes easiest way to fix this is just to lift you foot when you want it to shift.

 

If it did this from the beginning, not shifting at WOT in all gears, then the governor is mismatched to the vehicle. If it is the 3-4 WOT shift, then this is common. It is most likely the TV plunger sleeve having a "too easy to get" 4-3 part throttle downshift passages. When I build these units I use TV plunger sleeves with "hard to get" 4-3 part throttle downshift passages. This allows the 3-4 WOT shift. You can modify these TV plunger sleeves to make it very hard to get a 4-3 WOT downshift at freeway speeds. This will allow 3-4 WOT upshifts. You do this by using 2 allen plugs ($0.17 each), block the 4-3 part throttle passages, and taking a dremel to eliminate the high spots. My scanner is down, otherwise I would show you. If some can put up a picture of the TV plunger sleeve, and number the holes, I will tell you which two holes to block. By the way, you do not have to drop the valve body, just two bolts & a pin at the TV plunger area of the valve body.

 

This definately started happening after I installed my kit, pretty much that day. I am not sure if this is a common gripe about the kit or if it's simply because my T.V. cable has not been adjusted properly since.

When one installs a shift kit, do they touch anything that would cause the T.V. to become out of alignment?

I guess that I am going to have to make sure that this cable gets adjusted. I'm going to keep my fingers crossed and hope that that is the problem. Let's hope it's not a case of "you only get what you pay for" syndrom.

Does anyone else have the B&M kit that and has the correct shifting at 2/3 throtle?

 

I've got the B&M shift kit in my Blazer, and the shifts are fine. I went through the automatic adjustment for the TV cable when I was done installing the kit, but it wound up right where it was when I started.

Another possibility is that the trans is shot. The 700R4 in my Camaro exhibited exactly the same problem. First it wouldn't go past 2nd gear, and eventually under WOT all you got was 1st.

 

Welp, I hope that that's not the case here. I would like to get maybe another year out of that tranny because I want to try to get a new motor first. Then comes my attempt to convert auto to manual.

It would be helpful if I knew someone was looking over my shoulder that knows what they're doing with motors and transmissions, but at this point I am on my own.

 

PM Pro-Built. He'll be able to diagnose the trans for you. As for the motor, PM me. I'm more than willing to help.

 

I reset the TV cable adjustment again today. It made no noticeable difference in the "No WOT upshift". The engine can (and does) go to 6,000 RPM with no hint of shifting, when you are forced to let off the gas it will shift. The trans shifts and operates normally at all other times. Even the half throttle upshifts are nice a firm.

A little history; I bought this car over two years ago with some accident damage and a bad trans. The front pump had literally destroyed itself, metal everywhere. I rebuilt the trans totally at that time, but once it was installed it would not upshift at all. I pulled the governor out and found it was stuck. I disassembled and cleaned it again, reinstalled it and everything worked fine. I had the car in storage for about 18 months. Once I began driving it again I noticed this problem.

Kinda wierd that it works fine except at WOT?

Thanks to everyone for all your help.

 

Did it ever shift at WOT?, if it did, when?

 

The last time I drove it right aster the governor repair it shifted fine at WOT. By the way, this trans is stock with no shift kit at all. All I did during the overhaul was to turn the accumulator pistons over and put the springs on the other side (if I remember correctly).

 

Maybe the governor is gummed up again from sitting. Even if the accumulators don't work it would still shift, because I believe that they only control shift firmness (Pro-Built correct me if I'm wrong here).

 

Yes, they only control firmness. Possibly a stuck governor from sitting around?, maybe?

 

I have a sizeable collection of governors to choose from. Everytime I have gone to the "auto recyclers" I have recovered governors from these transmissions. I will pull (PITA) the governor and post my findings.