I have the 3.1 v6 - I was wondering if B&M kickdown valve #70237 would work with my tranny so that I could get OD with the throttle all the way open? Where is the valve? Is it easy to install? thanks!

 

you have to drop the pan and the valve body to do this mod. you will drop the check ***** when doing so. if you are not confident on doing this kind of work a trans shop is your best bet. but YES it will work.

 

According to the write up on Summit:

"Downshift from fourth to third with ease.
These B&M TH700R4 kickdown kits prevent a forced part throttle kickdown from fourth to third gear, to allow cruising at high speeds in overdrive. With the kits installed, the transmission will only kick down from fourth to third at 3/4 throttle."

Looks like it will still kick down once over 3/4 throttle. And, since it is part of the TV lineup the valve body can stay in place for install.

RBob.

 

What Rbob said is correct. I have this valve in my 700r4. It is fairly easy to install. Just have to drop the pan, which is a good excuse to change the filter an fluid while you're at it. Just like it says in the description, it moves the kickdown up to 3/4 throttle instead of 1/2 throttle, so you won't be able to achieve WOT in OD. It is a definite improvement over 1/2 throttle downshifts though. If you want the WOT OD capability, there's two ways to go about it. One way costs over $50, and the other is dirt cheap. You can spend over $50 for the Corvette/Police style TV sleeve, or you can modify your existing one to do the same thing. All you have to do is drill and tap two of the holes in your existing sleeve, then plug them with allen screws, and grind the outsides of the screws flush with the sleeve. There's an old thread on here somewhere with good pictures and instructions on how to do it. Do a search on "WOT 4th", and you should be able to find it. I plan on doing this mod to mine eventually. The B&M sleeve helped, but there's been a few times when I'm really hauling, and it's shifted down to 3rd, sending the rpms into the stratosphere.

 

I dunno about anyone else, but in my car with the stock tranny I could go WOT in OD. Main reason I had it rebuilt instead of buying a new one.

 

I have never understood why GM would not make them shift WOT 3-4, other than abusing the 4th gear clutch packs. The public is not likely to go WOT from 3rd to 4th very often. But when they do need it, we need it. That being said, both of my 700r4s did the wot 3-4 upshift. The stock 1983 trans did as well as my current 1992 model. Both would run right up to 4,200 rpm in each gear and upshift. That includes 3-4.

Back when my 350 TBI was nearly stock, it would barely pull to the 3-4 upshift speed. That was around 115 with 3.08 gears though.

WOT 3-4 upshift in a Van, lol.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=e3bfNJYT1I4

 

They got rid of the 3-4 shift when the 1988 models came out. They went back to the 3-4 shift somewhere around 1991-92.

I had the modified plunger sleeve with the screws put in a few weeks back. It did the 3-4 shift and wouldn't allow a 4-3 shift at speeds above 85 mph. Perfect.....Unfortunately it's stopped working and now it won't do the WOT 3-4 shift and still downshifts at 90+ mph. I'm stumped as to why it's doing that.

 

The screws fell back out?

 

Could very well be. Sucks that I'm gonna need to drain all that fluid since I just had a fluid exchange done when it went in.

 

hmmm, I don't know alot about auto tranny's - but it seems more and more like this mod may not be for me. I certainly don't plan to take my RS over 75. I don't really need more power either. I just want better fuel economy, better reliability and I want to be able to stomp the pedal to the floor if I need to get out of a tight spot when I make the drive to Fl. - The reason I asked about it is because in the FAQ it said I would get OD (passing gear) if I floored it. Is that true? I don't want to try it b/c my tranny fluid looks AWFUL - but I sure will once I get it flushed and get some lucas in it. I ust got the car and I've only gone 80 miles in it.

 

Yeah, you may not necessarily need the WOT OD mod, but I wholeheartedly recommend the B&M 3/4 shift sleeve just for better, all around driveabliity. A lot of 700r4's are notorious for "hunting" between 3rd and 4th gear. In other words, at certain speeds, they'll shift back and forth rapidly between the two gears, and it's quite annoying. I can't imagine it's too good for the 3-4 clutch packs either. Mine did it so much, it was really getting on my nerves. The reason being is that 1/2 throttle isn't pushing down on the gas that much before the trans decides to downshift back into 3rd. So you can be just cruising along on the highway at an easy pace, give it a little gas, and all of a sudden it's rapidly shifting back and forth (3-4-3-4-3-4). When you move the downshift point up to 3/4 throttle position instead of 1/2, it won't downshift unless you mash on the gas considerably, such as when you need to pass someone. After putting the B&M 3/4 sleeve in mine, it's never hunted since. Normally I wouldn't recommend anything B&M makes for the 700r4's since it's mostly crap. The shift sleeve is the one exception to that rule.

 

Excellent, that what I need - the best driveability possible. I've been having alot of trouble finding certain parts. Probably b/c I've been checking on parts store web sites. At what website should I look for the B&M sleeve? How should I word my search? "3/4 92 camaro shift sleeve 3.1 v6"?? Thanks for understanding my total noobness and btw - how much would it set me back to have it installed. I can do alot of stuff myself, it just freaks me out to start taking apart my auto tranny.

 

summit racing part # bmm-70237 $34.88 + s&h

 

Good call Duckman. I figured Summit still carried them. That's where I bought mine about 8 years ago. I suppose you could pay someone to install it for you, but it's honestly very, very easy to do. The sleeve comes with pretty good instructions. Let's put it this way, if you think you can handle dropping the pan to change the filter, then you can definitely put the sleeve in. The only thing I'll warn you about is to be careful undoing the pan to drain the fluid. It can get very messy in a big hurry. I usually remove all the bolts except one in the front and one in the back. Then while keeping one hand under the pan, remove the last bolt in the back, loosen the front one about halfway, then use a flathead screwdriver to break the seal and slowly lower one of the rear corners of the pan at an angle. I usually use a big oil change pan, and also have a couple of coffee cans under there too for stray leaks. Also make sure you get the rubber o-ring out with the old filter. Alot of times it stays up in the hole when you pull the filter out. It's easy to get out of the hole with a small hook or flathead screwdriver. Don't use any gasket sealer on the new pan gasket, and just tighten the bolts till they're snug (about 15 foot pounds). I usually tighten them in a circle pattern, going around about 3 times to make sure they're all evenly tightened. To remove the sleeve itself, there's like two bolts you undo that hold a bracket in place, and one small roll pin you have to pull out with needlenose pliers. If you decide to have a tranny shop do it for you, just tell them you want a filter/fluid change, and that you want them to install the sleeve while they're in there. It should only take them about 10 minutes to put it in once the pan is off. Btw, it usually takes about 6-7 quarts of ATF to top the trans back off after a filter change. Oh yeah, the sleeve should be the same one for a V6 or a V8 700r4.

 

Excellent. A buddy of mine has a lift. I'm going to literally print this thread out for a guide. lol - in conjunction with the instructions that probably come with it, I'm feeling confident... - Nate