Shift Kit Questions

AA wrote:

https://rivperformance.editboard.com/series-ii-scans-tuning-pcm-f5/pcm-tuning-service-t6828.htm

Awesome, thanks for the link. That is perfect for me. I hope he is still offering to tune. It would save me from buying everything and also screwing up my PCM trying to figure out what to adjust!

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Hasn't Thrasher been out of business for like 5 years?

Funny you mention that. I just ordered a pulley and gatorback belt from them....indirectly. Its a long story but apparently they are still in business just using a second party to take orders and distribute parts.

Another thing to consider - '96 SC Riv owners have different parameters (not as many) for tuning. I think shift pressures are not adjustable in the PCM, but TM values might be. Maybe someone who's tuned a '96 can chime in.

[quote=\"AA\"][quote=\"KillaKeninaRiv\"]Better question is: Does anyone on the boards themselves do PCM tuning? And if so, how much will it set me back? I wanna go fast![/quote]
https://rivperformance.editboard.com/series-ii-scans-tuning-pcm-f5/pcm-tuning-service-t6828.htm

[quote=\"ericde\"]There is very many differnt kind of shift kits.. fist of all dont get zzps shift kit may be cheap![/quote]
I think there are 3 levels of firmness, no middle ground between each level. If \"level 1\" feels too light, and \"level 2\" too heavy, there is no \"level 1 1/2\". What\'s wrong with ZZP shift kits? Have they been known to fail or otherwise cause problems?

ede:thrasher supplys you with 8 spacers wich you can use however you want to your likeness... so technically its what you wont not what zzp wants so you could say there is a level 1 1/2.. have they been known to cause proplems? not to my knowledege but being that this is a dual piston pressure actuator i wouldnt want to take a chance with plastic spacers... maybe after duetime could begin to present a problem with heat an stress causing them to be weak???

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but wont be as suitable for your vehicle if your line pressure isnt to the right psi and also the spacers are equavelent in size wich isnt good because you want a harder shift from 2nd to 3rd then from 1st to 2nd...

You adjust line pressures by tuning - through a PCM flash.

ede:a shiftkit be little to no gain for your vehicle if you arent getting enough fluid to begin with.. like i said zzp spacers are exact same in size.... if you want firm shifts 2nd to 3rd youll need bigger spacers for 2-3 piston...

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also most of these shift kitts you find are just cheap plastic shims.. the best bang for your buck is a thrasher shift kit wich will supply you with in american made trans filter an metal spacers (compared to plastic from leading brands)

Hasn\'t Thrasher been out of business for like 5 years?

ede:3800 still sells them.. i believe

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my oppinon is that just a pcm flash is not going to give you that much more of a shift firmness maybe a little but if you want head snapping shiftts get a shift kit

PCM flash is capable of giving much more shift firmness exactly where you need it, and less where you don\'t, at the same time. This is because you can alter the level of TM (torque management), delivering more torque during shifts, which shift kits can\'t do. And if you decide it\'s too much (you can command a LOT of firmness with tuning), just make a slight change and back off the pressures and TM a little. With a shift kit, you must remove the kit and try a new one (spend another $120 and hope it works).[/quote]

ede:but you can only get so much out of the pcm... i have mine set to 90psi at wot on stock actuator.. very little notice thumps 1to2nd an none at all 2nd to 3rd.. my buddy has a shift kit in his gtp very noticeable neck snapping shifts!! if shift kits did little to nothing why would anyone buy them?? a pcm flash will do alot for your shifts but in conjuction with a shiftkit you will increase the firmness insanely an save your clutch packs in the process..

Try disabling TM. You'll be chirping tires between shifts.

Why would anyone buy a shift kit? I bought mine because I was on a smaller budget. I removed the kit and got the same results from tuning. I didn't say shift kits did little to nothing - I said tuning is a more precise and controlled way of doing it.

show me please.... i cant get those shiffts at all like his with my powrtuner but im fairly new to tuning...... oh by the way i got 01regalgs my parents got the riv, i tryd to change shiftpoints on it an did little to nothing didnt seem to want to take it... like it was hesitant between shifts but it is a 96 so isnt that vac controlled changing shift points would be pointless?

My shift settings are here: https://rivperformance.editboard.com/series-ii-scans-tuning-pcm-f5/shift-points-t3619.htm

My settings are firm, but not crazy-hard. If you want them very hard, set all steps in Calibration data/Transmission/Shift Management to 0%, also increase your maximum allowable shift pressure to 96 PSI and increase your PSI in the shift tables. Decrease your shift table times to .01 secs.

If that doesn't make you happy, you may need a shift kit in addition to the above. I had the impression the OP just wanted to firm up his shifts, not go for race-level hard.

so with a 96riv is electronic vac controlled or just vac controlled? can they be tuned an is it any good for them?

I think it's vac controlled only - can't tune the shift pressures on a '96 as easily.

like i said seems to hesitate... i was able to increase them slightly thats it..

the shift pressure is controlled with a modulator on the 96 rivs. this is replaceable with a adjustable modulator ($11) but it only helps so much b/c it runs on vac.

i can adjust my TM settings and shift points with DHP. i can NOT change shift times or pressure on the 96.
Installing a shift kit on the 96's requires the trans to be pulled.

yea i noticed that theres not alot of controll settings on my dhp for the 96riv.... thanks for the input man where can you get this adjustable mod. can you just take one from a 97an up?

it is available at autozone as a replacement for the stock one. it has a small screw in the front that adjusts the amount of air/vac in it. there is a more info and part #'s on it if you dig around some.

4t65e shift kits work in 1997+ 4t60e. (some other platforms used them to 1999) The pin the spacers fit over is the same part number for those years, for the 1996 and older used in rivieras it is thicker, so the spacers won't fit.

Transgo uses the word shift kit to mean something different then other vendors, improved reliability of parts used in shifting rather then firmer shifting. A 4t60e shift kit would install the same as a 4t65e if any company made one with spacers with the right ID.

I found dimensions for the spacer length on another site and was going to try making my own spacers with the 4t60e i.d., hopefully get installed late spring, I'll post if it worked right once done.

Just a follow-up FYI for anyone with a 4t60e, to the above post. I believe the site that is being talked about above is from gmforum, where there is a write up for a 4t60e shift kit.

http://www.gmforum.com/showthread.php?t=287906