Trans shift improvement kit?

[Meathead16]

I was on rockauto and noticed they had a number of "Shift Improvement Kit's" available.. all by TransGo. It caught my eye because it was highlighted and in bold font signifying it was a commonly purchased item. The claims made in the product descriptions sound rather promising. I'm leery though as from how they are described, it sounds like one can be installed and then all the 4l60/65e woes of the world become a thing of the past. Seeing as it is a commonly purchased item maybe there's something to it though.

Are these shift kits the real deal? Do they really deliver on what they claim?

If so, is it something that should be installed early on in the transmissions life before any issues have a chance to develop rather than at say 230k miles? The odo on my EXT is just about there, and I have no idea what kind of life this 4L65e had prior to 215k miles. I believe it's the original, I doubt it's been rebuilt, but can't say for certain. Anything I could do to keep the tranny going longer I'm eager to do. I don't want to be so eager that I do something that I believed to be beneficial only to make things much worse.

I was looking around reading up on the corvette servo swap, and that it seems to get the thumbs up all around but also came across some people saying it's great early on, but do it in a high mileage trans and it can really do some damage. Is it something that I should still consider or scrap the idea?

I did a filter and fluid change when I got the truck, oil was dark, but didn't smell burned. There was a looooooot of junk in the pan. I didn't see any chunks of metal or anything, it was just that "slurry" of material, but the entire bottom of the pan was covered with it. I hadn't found this site yet and figured I've changed fluid/filter before no problem, albiet on a small car, and just jumped right into it... the exhaust got in the way.. yada yada.. got the pan off and on, but I may or may not have (definitely) made repetative contact with a couple solenoids along the way. Am wondering if I did any damage to them and would be worth changing out, they're cheap enough and I was considering a fluid change soon anyway..

I'm mulling over all of this because it's obvious something is up. I have the hard 1-2 shift, the 2-3 shift flare, and the 3-4 shift slips. It always clunks hard into reverse.. almost like a shift when line pressure is really high, and sometimes when I go to pass it seems to hunt for the gear.. If i'm cruising at 45mph, give it some throttle i'll make it to around 3000rpms, then instead of downshifting it might slowly climb to 3200, chill there in limbo for a second, then downshift with some oompf behind it. The 3-4 shift also feels like it makes 2 half shifts rather than one complete one. It'll start the shift, it feels like it shifted but not quite right, then a second or two later complete the shft. Or is this a complete 3-4 shift and then the TC locking up? I've never really known precisely what it felt like when the TCC was engaging, disengaging, etc. Is there any difference between that and a shift? One interesting thing to note is that after awhile driving it all the above issues decrease in severity. Little by little but they improve dramatically compared to day 1 and say.. day 45. Day 1 being battery was disconnected. Driving it after the pcm loses it's learned adjustments is miserable. The flare is outrageous, the slippage is intense.. but after a few days it becomes managable and after a few weeks they are barely noticeable... for the most part. If it was a mechanical issue, or burned up clutch wouldn't adjustments made by the pcm be futile? Could it be an electrical gremlin making things worse? I've always heard mechanical issues happen everytime, electrical issues are more dynamic.I have noticed that trans temp affects its behavior. When it's 150 it's happy.. when it reaches 200, which is always does when I use the a/c without fail (want to swap efans in for this reason, that and ac sucks at idle, and when it's 115 out....), every issue is more pronounced.

Didn't mean to ramble on but my knowledge is sparse and my questions are many. My previous car died prematurely due to my ignorance, and I don't want this one to follow suit. I appreciate any and all insight.

 

[NoReverseYukon]

There was a looooooot of junk in the pan. I didn't see any chunks of metal or anything, it was just that "slurry" of material, but the entire bottom of the pan was covered with it

All that slurry is from your friction clutches, and is likely the cause of your shifting problems.
Unfortunately, no shift improvement kit is going to fix those problems - a full rebuild is in your future. Lucky you - rebuilding a transmission is a great learning experience !

 

[OR VietVet]

@NickTransmissions can advise what "kits" to look at for what you want to end up with. @NoReverseYukon is correct about the debris in the pan. You have done well with getting that far mileage wise.

 

[strutaeng]

Hopefully @NickTransmissions can offer help.

Generally, I'd say skip the "shift kits" as most modifications can be done other ways that are more reliable and cheaper by reputable builders. Most mods simply involve drilling holes on the separator plate or valve body to precise diameters. This is if you are doing a complete overhaul job, of course.

I remember reading a thread on the GMT 400 forum someone had bought a truck and he suspected it had a shift kit. Anyways, every time the truck shifted into a certain gear it was so violent it popped the glove box open! Yikes! I wouldn't want to drive a vehicle like that. Maybe a dedicated track vehicle, but certainly not a daily driver.

 

[OR VietVet]

Hopefully @NickTransmissions can offer help.

Generally, I'd say skip the "shift kits" as most modifications can be done other ways that are more reliable and cheaper by reputable builders. Most mods simply involve drilling holes on the separator plate or valve body to precise diameters. This is if you are doing a complete overhaul job, of course.

I remember reading a thread on the GMT 400 forum someone had bought a truck and he suspected it had a shift kit. Anyways, every time the truck shifted into a certain gear it was so violent it popped the glove box open! Yikes! I wouldn't want to drive a vehicle like that. Maybe a dedicated track vehicle, but certainly not a daily driver.

Yep, no slippage on that shift.

 

[strutaeng]

Yep, no slippage on that shift.

"Neck-snapping shifts," literally. LoL

 

[NickTransmissions]

I was on rockauto and noticed they had a number of "Shift Improvement Kit's" available.. all by TransGo. It caught my eye because it was highlighted and in bold font signifying it was a commonly purchased item. The claims made in the product descriptions sound rather promising. I'm leery though as from how they are described, it sounds like one can be installed and then all the 4l60/65e woes of the world become a thing of the past. Seeing as it is a commonly purchased item maybe there's something to it though.

Are these shift kits the real deal? Do they really deliver on what they claim?

If so, is it something that should be installed early on in the transmissions life before any issues have a chance to develop rather than at say 230k miles? The odo on my EXT is just about there, and I have no idea what kind of life this 4L65e had prior to 215k miles. I believe it's the original, I doubt it's been rebuilt, but can't say for certain. Anything I could do to keep the tranny going longer I'm eager to do. I don't want to be so eager that I do something that I believed to be beneficial only to make things much worse.

I was looking around reading up on the corvette servo swap, and that it seems to get the thumbs up all around but also came across some people saying it's great early on, but do it in a high mileage trans and it can really do some damage. Is it something that I should still consider or scrap the idea?

I did a filter and fluid change when I got the truck, oil was dark, but didn't smell burned. There was a looooooot of junk in the pan. I didn't see any chunks of metal or anything, it was just that "slurry" of material, but the entire bottom of the pan was covered with it. I hadn't found this site yet and figured I've changed fluid/filter before no problem, albiet on a small car, and just jumped right into it... the exhaust got in the way.. yada yada.. got the pan off and on, but I may or may not have (definitely) made repetative contact with a couple solenoids along the way. Am wondering if I did any damage to them and would be worth changing out, they're cheap enough and I was considering a fluid change soon anyway..

I'm mulling over all of this because it's obvious something is up. I have the hard 1-2 shift, the 2-3 shift flare, and the 3-4 shift slips. It always clunks hard into reverse.. almost like a shift when line pressure is really high, and sometimes when I go to pass it seems to hunt for the gear.. If i'm cruising at 45mph, give it some throttle i'll make it to around 3000rpms, then instead of downshifting it might slowly climb to 3200, chill there in limbo for a second, then downshift with some oompf behind it. The 3-4 shift also feels like it makes 2 half shifts rather than one complete one. It'll start the shift, it feels like it shifted but not quite right, then a second or two later complete the shft. Or is this a complete 3-4 shift and then the TC locking up? I've never really known precisely what it felt like when the TCC was engaging, disengaging, etc. Is there any difference between that and a shift? One interesting thing to note is that after awhile driving it all the above issues decrease in severity. Little by little but they improve dramatically compared to day 1 and say.. day 45. Day 1 being battery was disconnected. Driving it after the pcm loses it's learned adjustments is miserable. The flare is outrageous, the slippage is intense.. but after a few days it becomes managable and after a few weeks they are barely noticeable... for the most part. If it was a mechanical issue, or burned up clutch wouldn't adjustments made by the pcm be futile? Could it be an electrical gremlin making things worse? I've always heard mechanical issues happen everytime, electrical issues are more dynamic.I have noticed that trans temp affects its behavior. When it's 150 it's happy.. when it reaches 200, which is always does when I use the a/c without fail (want to swap efans in for this reason, that and ac sucks at idle, and when it's 115 out....), every issue is more pronounced.

Didn't mean to ramble on but my knowledge is sparse and my questions are many. My previous car died prematurely due to my ignorance, and I don't want this one to follow suit. I appreciate any and all insight.

It's time to yank it out for overhaul...If you are planning on doing yourself, check out my 4L60E Information thread for all the guidance you need, including videos on tear down and inspection, reassembly, valve body overhaul, performance tips and tricks, parts selection and more.

If your vehicle is a daily driver with a stock engine, no high performance or heavy towing, I'd install a Transgo SK4L60E shift kit, corvette 093 second gear servo kit and simply follow the instructions to the letter that Transgo provides...You can view the instructions on-line in advance to familiarize yourself with the process/procedures.

Let me know if you plan on taking on the rebuild yourself and I can provide more detailed/granular instructions.

 

[NickTransmissions]

Hopefully @NickTransmissions can offer help.

Generally, I'd say skip the "shift kits" as most modifications can be done other ways that are more reliable and cheaper by reputable builders. Most mods simply involve drilling holes on the separator plate or valve body to precise diameters. This is if you are doing a complete overhaul job, of course.

I remember reading a thread on the GMT 400 forum someone had bought a truck and he suspected it had a shift kit. Anyways, every time the truck shifted into a certain gear it was so violent it popped the glove box open! Yikes! I wouldn't want to drive a vehicle like that. Maybe a dedicated track vehicle, but certainly not a daily driver.

Lol, sounds like that guy had a B&M kit installed (they are a 100% total waste of money).

For beginners, I like the SK4L60E which is what the OP should install if he takes on the build himself...If he outsources the work to a transmission shop, the main thing for him is due diligence when it come to picking the right shop to work with...

 

[mountie]

Lol, sounds like that guy had a B&M kit installed (they are a 100% total waste of money).

For beginners, I like the SK4L60E which is what the OP should install if he takes on the build himself...If he outsources the work to a transmission shop, the main thing for him is due diligence when it come to picking the right shop to work with...

I went through 10 R& R's on my '88 GMC C2500 '700r4'... Starting with GM ( under warranty), they refused a repair, so I struggled to find a good transmission repair shop ( Orange County, Calif)...
I then crewed on a local racing team, and met the famed, Art Carr. ( I worked for him, for 6 months ).... He built me a SOLID transmission & hand-built torque converter. The transmission was perfect, all the way until I sold the truck in 2017, with 400,000 miles !
The internal parts were 'performance' parts.... So, the builder is paramount.
He gave me a Corvette servo, but I chose not to use it.

Is a 'firmer' shift, less wear on the clutches?
Do you live in Las Vegas?

 

[NickTransmissions]

I went through 10 R& R's on my '88 GMC C2500 '700r4'... Starting with GM ( under warranty), they refused a repair, so I struggled to find a good transmission repair shop ( Orange County, Calif)...
I then crewed on a local racing team, and met the famed, Art Carr. ( I worked for him, for 6 months ).... He built me a SOLID transmission & hand-built torque converter. The transmission was perfect, all the way until I sold the truck in 2017, with 400,000 miles !
The internal parts were 'performance' parts.... So, the builder is paramount.
He gave me a Corvette servo, but I chose not to use it.

Is a 'firmer' shift, less wear on the clutches?
Do you live in Las Vegas?

Pretty neat to hear you knew and worked with Art Carr!

He was one of the original 200-4R high performance pioneers who innovated numerous mods and practices that enabled those transmissions to survive and thrive in drag and autocross applications with big power motors, etc...There was / is another 'Art Carr' entity out of Texas that apparently has no connection to the 'original' Art Carr out of SoCal or was a subsidiary that completely severed from the SoCal company...Not sure on the exact details but that's what I recall...

Yes, all other things equal, the faster the shift, the less designed-in slip, which is what you want so shift kits mechanically recalibrate the transmission to shift quicker to increase longevity of applied elements like friction discs and bands...Firm is a function of a combination of shift speed, fluid flow in terms of volume and clutch clearance so a firm shift will result in less slip but isn't always best as you can have too much of a good thing.

I'm in Vegas.