well I think it time. At wot my car shifts to late. It seems like it red line to long. just yesterday i was on the freeway and floored the car going 60 alot of engine noise but the car was not going then it kicked in later. the trans fluid is about 5 years old the owner before me never changed it. so do you think transgo is the way to go. Its my daily driver so I need it to be not be so aggresive shift. thanks

 

A sick trans is a sick trans. No "shift kit" in the world will repair it.

First things first, Whats the fluid look like? What does it smell like? Is the proper amount in it? Is the TV cable adjusted correctly?

 

the fluid is light brown. it does not smell burned. yes the proper amount is in it. and Im not sure if the tv cable is adjusted correctly. im afraid of changing the fluid if i decide to go with the shift kit. I hear story about trans going out after changing the fluid.

 

I agree with all the above. Something as simple as a fluid flush (not just a drain and refill) might be all you need. Old burnt dirty fluid isn't going to run right.

While they're in there, they might find something that needs tightning up. My car had a problem where at 30 mph it would shutter and jerk around. At 45 mph it would go smooth. Turns out I had a loose bolt on the torque converter.

The TV cable needs to be set "exactly." Fiddling around with the adjustment stops never works right.

 

Yeah, definately change the fluid and a flush isn't a bad idea. I've heard people say things like "If it's never been changed don't do it! It will make it fail." I just don't believe that. I've changed the fluid in transmissions that had 3/4" of gunk in the bottom of the pan. I cleaned the pan out thoroughly, let all that would drip out of the trans leave, reinstalled the pan with a new filter and topped off the trans; and the trans worked fine when it was done.

That being said; 700R4s have a notorious problem with weak 3/4 clutch packs that will cause exactly what you are describing. It starts as a "hung up" shift and progresses to a no shift under WOT condition. Nothing you can do short of a rebuild will fix this problem, if that's what it turns out to be.

I would start by having the trans flushed and refilled with fresh fluid and a new filter. Make sure the TV cable is adjusted right (use the automatic adjustment procedure as stated; trying to improve on it NEVER works; I've tried it and it fails every time).

If after all of this the trans is working right again, go ahead and install the TransGo kit. I will agree that installing a shift kit in an ailing trans will not fix it, but if it turns out to need a rebuild install the kit as part of it. The TransGo kit is just superb, and will be a welcome addition to any car or truck with a 700R4.

 

Agree.

My old Sunbird held 4 quarts of fluid (manual trans). When I took it into a transmission shop to get the fluids changed, it only had 1.5 quarts in there. I drove it for another 10 years with no transmission troubles.

I don't understand the don't change the fluid way of thinking either. Old used transmission fluid will look brown or black. New stuff looks red. Obviously there is going to be a difference. The reduction in friction alone is worth it nevermind the better heat management that new fluid offers.

 

New trans fluid is red only because it is dyed with a temporary red dye. They do this so assembly line workers can tell the difference between it and engine oil. Brown fluid is no reason to change it unless it smells burned.

There is a little truth to the notion of new fluid being harmful to an old trans. Trans fluid has detergent additives and these can wreak havoc on a trans that has clutches on the way out. In old fluid these additives are worn out and are no longer actively "cleaning" the clutches and other internals. More frequent than required fluid changes can actually shorten the life of a healthy trans due to the constant action of fresh detergent additives.

 

If you think changing the fluid "more often than required" is shortening your transmission life, you have another thing coming. I don't care how strong the detergents are, they are not going to cause the clutch packs to wear.

If your transmission is in good shape and you have added power a TransGo Kit is a wise investment. I beefed mine up fairly well and it stopped mine from slipping. I did later break the sun shell though, but thats from having a super firm WOT shift.

Before



After You can't see anything, but you can definately hear how much crisper it shifts.

 

Shortening the change interval is actually a good idea dependign on how the vehicle is driven. The change intervals are based on "normal operating conditions". My daily driver is an '06 F250 SD 4x4 6.0 diesel with the 5R110 auto. The specified change interval for the trans fluid is 25,000-30,000, and I change mine every 20,000. Why? Well, the engine now makes about 150 horsepower and 200 lbs/ft. of torque more than it did stock. With that kind of power on tap even every day driving no longer can be considered "normal operating conditions". I look at it as cheap insurance for a $6,000 trans.

The trans fluid does have detergent addatives in it, but it also has seal enhancers, high pressure modifiers, and anti-wear addatives. Not changing the fluid because you are afraid of what the detergents will do ignores the other important parts of the addative package. The detergents are not going to take material off the clutches, band, or steels. The detergents will simply help clean the accumulated spent material out of the clutch packs, pistons, etc. This is never a bad thing. If the trans is living on borrowed time changing the fluid or not changing the fluid is not going to make it live any longer. Just like any mechanical assembly that has wear parts when the parts in an automatic wear out the trans has to be rebuild.

 

How long does that temporary dye last? I changed my fluid 2 years ago and it's still red.

 

well I think im going to go ahead and change it. I really don't belive the myth about leaving the old fluid in. I did change the trans fluid on my 87 formula and boy do I remember it was a pain to get the rear bolts out from the trans pan.