Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
Title says it all. I have a turbo action manual valve body in my 727, but the shifts feel kind of squishy. I’d like to bark second. Can a TransGo shift kit be used with a manual valve body? Anyone tried it?
Shift kit AND manual valve body?!
- Thread starter Red_Duster
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Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
That's basically what I was afraid someone was going to say. The trans is one thing I haven't fussed with much since getting the car, outside adding a cooler, neutral safety switch, a fresh filter and fluid.
is it a FULL manual valve body? or one of the manual/autos? if it has a kickdown provision above the shift lever on the trans, its not a true manual.
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
No provision above the shift lever, so I believe its full manual. I was told it was the turbo action, and I know it has no engine braking in 1st, so I believe the previous owner of the trans was honest.
As stated above, a manual valve body shifts hard and firm, and negates any kind of shift kit. If its shifting lazy, you have something else going on.
easiest thing would be to verify the shift cable is adjusted correctly, and its fully in each detent position. You're probably not that lucky however... I'm not a trans expert so someone else can chime in from there. Clutches, bands, ...not sure
easiest thing would be to verify the shift cable is adjusted correctly, and its fully in each detent position. You're probably not that lucky however... I'm not a trans expert so someone else can chime in from there. Clutches, bands, ...not sure
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
Well, I still appreciate the info, and it gives me a place to start. I did reroute the shift cable when I put an interior in the car, so its possible it isn't adjusted perfectly. I was on my own so multiple trips in the car, under the car, in the car. under the car, so I may not have gotten it quite right.
I"m not sure which shifter/cable you have, but you should be able to pull the pin out of the barrel "pin" and move it out of the shift lever super easy, at each gear/detent position.
if you go to take it out, and there's tension, and it springs 1/8 inch one way or another, then your current cable setup it holding it "between gears" Cables can also bend, melt, break... some of those B&M of cheetah shifters come with these idiotic 5 foot cables that would be too long for an imperial. a 3 foot cable is a nice upgrade to unclutter/unbind the install. and of course to keep it off your exhaust.
Slantsix64
Well-Known Member
I got a trans go in my 904 that hands alone made my 904 into a monster barking and chirping, I set it on coffee spiller mode. Don't know if you can use it with a manual valve but man that transgo let me tell ya
a full manual valve body completely negates anything a shift kit would do. there is zero auto function of any kind. it holds a gear until you shift it, and bang...it hits the next gear.
installing a shift kit in a FMVB trans would be like putting lightweight springs in a distributor, before you welded the weights open.
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
Makes perfect sense. I guess the question should have been "is there anything other than the valve body that can improve lazy shifts". I was hoping there was an average-joe-can-do-it-in-the-garage solution, but it sounds like my valve-body should be giving whiplash so I might have some clutch/band wear. I don't know exactly how many runs are on the transmission, so it looks like having a pro go through is getting added to my list.
Yup! see my post #8. Only thing i can think of beyond that is super dirty fluid or debris can plug passages and slow/restrict fluid. Again... "probably not that lucky" but maybe worth taking a pint of fluid out the plug and seeing how roached it is, or isn't.
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
mderoy340
Well-Known Member
I would adjust the cable, make sure the fluid level is correct with trans hot, and adjust the bands before condemning the trans. Add checking line pressure if you have a pressure gauge.
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
Thank you! I haven't ever adjusted bands, and didn't know it was something you can do yourself. Quick google search revealed a lot. I can live with it for now, and since I am going to go to a higher stall speed, I may wait until I drop the trans before I tackle that. Ill check my linkage and fluid asap though.
d55dave
Well-Known Member
This. A super loose converter, especially a cheap off the shelf one, will mask part throttle shifts. Wide open throttle shifts should be crispy however. Also, band adjustment, clutch pack material and clearance, fluid type, accumator spring removal or blocker, internal sealing ring health and pump health all contribute to shift quality. If the trans has never been apart you cant just throw a good valve body into it and expect a race transmission.
fishy68
Tyr Fryr's Inc.
To answer your original question, no a shift kit cannot be added to a manual VB. A manual VB is basically a totally redesigned stock VB so mods to it aren't necessary and due to the different design aren't possible to use a shift kit designed for a stock VB. Like the others said something must be wrong. All Turbo Action valve bodies I've use require using a 5.0 ratio front band kickdown lever. When your adjusting the bands verify that your lever is a 5.0. It'll be stamped on it. Once you check those things out and remedy any problems you might find, if it still doesn't work right I can post the info for testing the pressures. There's always the possibility that it's a VB issue
By chance u don’t happen to have a Trans brake valve body do u? If so it won’t shift hard till ur on the pin. Or ur 2nd gear band nay be way out of adjustment either too tight or too loose. Kim
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
Actually, the previous owner said he it had a trans brake but was no longer connected. There was wiring from the turbo action shifter to the frame rail next to the tranny, but not connected to anything.
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Being a T brake vb is the reason it doesn’t shift hard till ur on the pin. U can check the line pressure to find out where it’s at. Not sure what the Turbo Action recommends the pressure should be. Should be on their website in the instructions. Check it and report back. Kim
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
Great info. Thank you. I’ll check it out this weekend. Wish I had thought to look at that when I had dropped the pan, but knowing nothing about transbrakes, I didn’t even know what to look for, much less If it still has one in there. Looks like Turbo Action suggests removing the accumulator spring and drilling a small whole in the accumulator. I’ll look for that. Just crawled out from under the car and didn’t see anywhere for the connector to pass through as shown in turbo actions instructions
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
As a follow-up, and since this primarily going to be a hot street car and I'm going to be dropping the pan anyway: I went ahead ordered a Cope Reverse Manual VB with low band apply. If the TB VB is still in there, Ill pull it, and if there is a whole drilled in the accumulator, Ill swap it out and wrap up with adjusting the bands per CRT instructions.
Red_Duster
Well-Known Member
Since I’m getting into all this uncharted territory, I figured I may as well do it right and ordered the billet servo kits too... can these be done in the car, and am I missing anything?
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