Maybe you guys can help me out here. I recently purchased an 87 Formula 350. My radiator is bad so I haven't been able to drive it much, but when I do, it seems that it isn't downshifting. It will downshift when coming to a stop, but when you stomp on it, it doesn't seem do be downshifting. Is this a common thing?> is there anything I can do to correct this?

Here is an example. I burned some rubber coming around a turn in first gear, the tranny must have shifted up possibly to third, cause when it was done burning out, then engine wans't revved up and the tranny didn't seem to react and kick it back down into a lower gear. Does this tranny not downshift when you have it fully flored? Once again, because of the radiator issue, I haven't been able to drive it much so I haven't been able to experiment and see whats going on. Any Ideas?

 

It is hard to tell from here if what you are experiencing is normal or not but I can tell you that there are allot of problems associated with the operation of the Throttle Valve in the VB that when it sticks, and it will, can cause this complaint.

 

Well, maybe that is it. The tranny is fine othe than this issue and unfortunately, I just haven't been able to drive the car for long periods of time because of the radiator issue. It shifts firmly into each gear, no slippage or anything like that and it has no problem kicking down during deceleration, just not while getting on the gas.

Is this an easy thing to fix? I'm very mechanical, just haven't messed with any 700's before.

 

I think that when I first bought my car it seemed to do something like that. I did not realize it, I had not had that much experience with cars yet. Somehow it just all of a suddent started downshifting one day. It felt soo much faster when it started working right. Till this day I dont know what happend or what fixed it. It has since been rebuilt and I havnt had any probems with it since.

Ben

 

Do this first: To adjust the TV Cable skip the book method and do this: Press the 'D' shaped lock 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 still floored, press the 'D' button and pull the cable casing (the black tube) 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. If after that it still doesn't respond to throttle then you will need the TransGo Reprogramming Kit. Among other things it includes a new, redesigned throttle valve/system and it will prevent one of the primary causes of failure in a 700.