I recently bought a "gauranteed" trans from a local junk yard that had supposedly been freshened up.The trans is from a 1989 Firebird. I installed it in the car and after every possible setting on the TV cable, the trans still shifted 1-2-3-4 very quickley. Also, it will not down shift at any speed or gear. I installed a pressure gauge on the pump port on the drivers side, and pressures are a constant 150lbs, even at a higher rpm and the TV cable pulled manually. Is there anything I can try or do without pulling the trans? Or should I take the trans out (for the third time) and return it and see how good my "gaurantee" is. Any help greatly appreciated. Thanks, RAY

 

This seems contradictory, early shifts and high fixed line. For grins, reset TV: To adjust the TV Cable skip the book method and do this: Press the D button on the adjuster and loosen the cable setting. Now, have someone floor the gas pedal while you check to see if the throttle plate is open all the way. Usually they are off a little and will wiggle. Do whatever you have to do to get it open solid. Now, with the pedal floored, press the D button and pull the cable back as hard as you can and release the button. You now have the engine, tranny and gas pedal all in sync at WOT. Mark the cable so if for some reason it gets moved you can know where to put it again. The problem with the 'self adjust method' is that it bends things and puts them permanently out of whack. It is also the full TV setting, which is theoretically what the GM method does.


High fixed line can be caused by stuck TV Valve (common) OR the failsafe checkball activated due to a broken or missadjusted cable. However that would also make for late shifts too.

Seperately, if you had a tranny calibrated for different rear gears you could shift through the gears quickly. After reseting the cable a specified, send all of the pressure readings like this: Park right through manual low gear, at idle, fast idle, and fast idle with the TV Cable pulled full. then get back to us.

[This message has been edited by transfixleo (edited June 17, 2001).]

 

I would go straight to the governor on this one Leo, but I'm an amature so maybe I'm wrong.
My first trans go 700 build did this until I modified the governor. But it was obvioulsy because the trans came out of a van with a 3.08 and tall tires and went into a car with 3.73's and short tires/

 

I went back to the car last night after it sat for a few days and the pressures look better. Before, it stayed pegged at 150lbs no matter what. When I went back to it last night, they were more normal (i guess) about 60lbs at idle and 150-160lbs at WOT. I test drove it and it shifted okay and downshifted when I floored it. At least now I can fine tune the TV cable on the carb a bit. It is an aftermarket cable and kit with parts from Edelbrock and Bow Tie overdrives. Hopefully the kickdown valve was stuck from sitting??Should I now install a transgo kit? I would like the shifts a little firmer. Thanks, Ray

 

Unless the cable looks frayed I would not think IT was sticking, more likely the Throttle Valve. The TransGo Shift Kit/Reprogramming Kit directly addresses this problem so I would recommend it. It will also firm up your shifts too. It is critical that the TV Cable geometry be correct though or no kit will help you in the long run.

[This message has been edited by transfixleo (edited June 19, 2001).]

 

How involved is the transgo kit to put in? Does the trans need to come out? Which transgo kit should I use? Thanks

 

You can get the TransGo Reprogramming Kit with a video to get you ready for the job. I would prefer if they redid the instructions but if you take your time, they are OK. No, the tranny doesn't have to come out but if you do, it has a Hi Rev Spring kit included that is real sweet.