I just pulled out my old carbed LG4 motor out of my 84 Camaro and put in a 355 TPI motor. Before the swap, the tranny shifted great - firm shifts and never missed a gear. Now, with the installation of the motor and the torque converter, the shifts seem real crappy. Not anywhere near the same firmness. I noticed this the first time it shifted gears after the swap. The level of fluid is okay. Is there something I can adjust to bring back my old shifts? ANY help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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1984 Camaro Sport Coupe - 73K Miles, Rebuilt 355 TPI L98, Crane 2032 CompuCam - 214/220 @ .050", Crane adjustible fuel pressure regulator, custom burned PROM, stock TPI intake, gutted air box with K&N filters
F41 Suspension Package, 700R4 Tranny, TCI Breakaway torque converter, 3.27 Disc Brake Posi Rear
Hooker Shorty Headers, Catco High-Flow 3" Cat, Flowmaster 3" American Thunder Cat-Back
New Paint
Best 1/4 Mile Run (with old LG4 motor):
16.760 @ 80.74 MPH

Coming Soon:
Aluminum Drive Shaft

 

Did you adjust the throttle valve cable right? Full throttle should coincide with full pull on the cable to start, you can make minor adjustments from there.

 

Assuming you got all of the correct brackets for the TPI: 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.

 

Can adjusting the T/V cable actually affect shift firmness though?? Thanks.

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1984 Camaro Sport Coupe - 73K Miles, Rebuilt 355 TPI L98, Crane 2032 CompuCam - 214/220 @ .050", Crane adjustible fuel pressure regulator, custom burned PROM, stock TPI intake, gutted air box with K&N filters
F41 Suspension Package, 700R4 Tranny, TCI Breakaway torque converter, 3.27 Disc Brake Posi Rear
Hooker Shorty Headers, Catco High-Flow 3" Cat, Flowmaster 3" American Thunder Cat-Back
New Paint
Best 1/4 Mile Run (with old LG4 motor):
16.760 @ 80.74 MPH

Coming Soon:
Aluminum Drive Shaft

 

Yes but...

If it is not set correctly the tranny can be reponding to what it thinks is a low engine torque signal. You see, the cable is simply trying to relay to the tranny what the throttle position is. It is not meant for tuning in shift quality (at least from the factory). That is where tranny (re)calibration comes in. With the TransGo Shift Kit or Reprogramming Kit you DO have some flexibility as to shift quality through TV setting. Stock it is simply meant as a one to one relationship.

 

If you have a higher stall converter, it can sometimes soften how the tranny shifts. If you want to firm it up, install a shift kit.

 

if you went to a loose converter (2100+), then your tranny is going to shift alot softer. get a trans go shift kit.

 

I did put in a 2200 RPM stall speed converter. Will a shift kit make it shift a lot firmer? Are my current soft shifts hurting my performance at all? Thanks for all the help.

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1984 Camaro Sport Coupe - 73K Miles, Rebuilt 355 TPI L98, Crane 2032 CompuCam - 214/220 @ .050", Crane adjustable fuel pressure regulator, custom burned PROM, stock TPI intake, gutted air box with K&N filters
F41 Suspension Package, 700R4 Tranny, TCI Breakaway torque converter, 3.27 Disc Brake Posi Rear
Hooker Shorty Headers, Catco High-Flow 3" Cat, Flowmaster 3" American Thunder Cat-Back
New Paint
Best 1/4 Mile Run (with old LG4 motor):
16.760 @ 80.74 MPH

Coming Soon:
Aluminum Drive Shaft

 

The higher the stall the softer the shift, all things being equal. This is because the converter is "slipping" more and therefore absorbes more of the shock. Yes, the TransGo reprogramming Kit will firm your shifts up.

 

But, are the soft shifts hurting my performance at all? Thanks for all the responses.

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1984 Camaro Sport Coupe - 73K Miles, Rebuilt 355 TPI L98, Crane 2032 CompuCam - 214/220 @ .050", Crane adjustable fuel pressure regulator, MSD Blaster coil, custom burned PROM, stock TPI intake, Accel 24# injectors, gutted air box with K&N filters
F41 Suspension Package, 700R4 Tranny, TCI Breakaway torque converter, 3.27 Disc Brake Posi Rear
Hooker Shorty Headers, Catco High-Flow 3" Cat, Flowmaster 3" American Thunder Cat-Back
New Paint
Best 1/4 Mile Run (with old LG4 motor):
16.760 @ 80.74 MPH

Coming Soon:
Aluminum Drive Shaft

 

think about it -- if i'm granny shifting my car, i'm naturally going to be moving slower than if i power shift all day. all of that soft crap is just more time you're spending NOT in a gear. that's bad.

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1985 Trans Am - rough and ready -- 3" cat and primary exhaust, lowered 2", custom rust body work mild fender denting. Daily driver.
1976 Corvette Stingray - not so rough, but always ready. 427 BBC .030 over (433 ci) 12.5:1 compression about 600-700 HP/World Class T5 tranny, and no, I can't gun it for fear of breaking my tranny - upgrading to a muncie/gear vendors O/D as soon as I get some more $$$