Thread: Shift kits

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I have a TH400 in my vehicle. I am building it for low end torque.
Is there an advantage to putting in a valve body, or high performance shift kit? I will not be towing with it, but just mild cruising.
Also, my TH400 is slow to get into gear first thing in the morning. Is there an adjustment? It happened all of a sudden. I changed the fluid three months ago and filter. I did just put a qt into the transmission. It seems to drip just under the hole in the bottom of the bellhousing.

Just a cruiser, no towing, well, don't install a shift kit which just makes for compleately positive shifts and a really sore neck, save yourself some money, and a trip to the chiropractor.

You mean, if it ain't broke, don't fix it?
Thanks. I knew very little about those kits but they sounded really good. I have done more homeowork, and hearing from someone with some experience helps. It takes the teenager out of the solution.
Thanks.

For a cruiser a shift kit isn't worth it. Then again the shift kits aren't going to shift really hard or nothing. Yeah they shift quicker, etc but I mean they aren't going to jerk you back real hard or nothing.

Dripping from the bellhousing means the front pump seal is leaking. This will let the fluid drain back out of the pump overnight and cause the lazy startup. You'll have to drop the tranny and pull the converter. Check the conv. snout for wear grooving and change the seal.

Shift kits on the street are fun for about 10 minutes, then they're just a pain in the ***.

Shift kits must be a preference thing. I like my Stage-2 kit in the C6 in my '53. I've also got extra cluthes and a manual/automatic valve body in it. I really like the firm, positive shifts. The harder you get on the gas the more snappier they are. If you are light on the throttle, it's actually fairly smooth. Also, with my transmission, since it has been rebuilt with new parts, I have the ability to run different fluids. Right now I am running Dexron III. The rebuilder told me if I switched to Type-F, the shifts would be a bit firmer yet. Given the Dexron III and my shift kit, I think it is a good balance right now. Also, my truck was built for cruising, not racing or a daily driver, my neck ain't sore either

If I were you, I would go with a shift kit. You dont have to change the valve body. Visit your local transmission parts house and look at some of the kits available. Not all of them will produce neck snapping, painful shifts. Some are for producing a more positive shift. You dont want a very soft shifting transmission because a soft shift is a sign of clutch slippage. Just research whats out there.

About 15 yrs ago, I had a '76 Ford E150 short bed van with a 351W and C6. I rebuilt the trans myself, using a B&M kit, and the clutch pack from a 1 ton. Altho' I've built many engines, this was my 1st (and so far only) auto trans. B&M's instructions were crystal clear, and it wasn't that bad of a job. Just take time, think, and be patient. When complete, I used the 1st stage of performance. As I recall, there were 2 stronger, or firmer stages. Stage 1 was plenty. At 1st, shifts were like dropping a pail of rocks on the end of a chain. BANG into the next gear. Flooring it to pass was a mistake. The huge BANG down into 2nd scared me for the drivetrain. I cussed it pretty strongly, but after a few 1,000 miles it eased up and just felt solid and good. I drove that van hard, using it as a work truck for over 120,000 miles, and the trans was still going strong when I sold it. I'd say go for the kit.

Lar.

I put a $30 (back in '94) B&M Stage 1 shift kit in my '79 Firebird (Olds 403/TH350). If you drove it normally, it would shift like normal. If you got on it, it would bark the tires going into 2nd (at 65) and then bark again going into 3rd (at 85). Other than taking 2 secs to drop into gear vs. the normal .5 sec., you really couldn't tell the diff. unless you got on it.

Best $30 I spent on that car. I will be putting one in my Isuzu shortly.