shift kit question..with pics

[XtremeGaGt00]

ive got my trans torn apart through the driver side wheel well of the car..trans clutches and steels are about smoked..while im in there i was wondering if any trans guru guys would know this......would i be able to put shims/spacers in where the accumulator pistons/springs go..(shown in pics) so itll firm up the shifts some?...i put a similar shift kit in my gtp's trans but thats a totally different beast..ill also be turning the line pressure up in the pressure control solenoid to help..i also posted a pic from gm service information that i have access to to show a diagram of how the accumulator pistons/springs sit in the channel plate..

[burgett2103]

is the inside of a tranny really that clean?

[XtremeGaGt00]

, actually..thats dirty for a trans, the fluid looks like a 3k oil change..second gear slipped sooooooo bad at wot..it DID NOT like the turbo...my hands were clean as can be too because trans fluid has detergents in it so its constantly cleaning..cant have debris in the trans...itll fukker it up

[burgett2103]

haha well i honestly haven't ever seen the inside of a transmission before, and, well, I assumed it would be dirtier than that. ;P

[ccrise]

Hi....i have trans problems with my gt also and i went to amaco transmissions and the guy said they dont make shift kits for them but he did say u can bump up the line pressure some with that seloniod....my car is so-so 1st to 2nd at wot but its problem lies in workin the tranny....like goin up a long dragged out hill and gettin it warm....then when i get to where i wanna go...say dairy queen or some **** ...if i get back in my car..put it in reverse...back up...when i go to put it back in drive it just sits there and u try to go and the clutches slip bad....like u cant hardly move....ive noticed if i just be suppppper easy on it and get it rollin it will eventually lock up and be so-so....the tranny is perfect cold though....i just changed the tranny fluid and filter a month ago and put lucas in it but to no avail

[zukiracer19]

i went through amco too and they did good work, gave me a 3 year warranty on my transmission and i told them the purpose of it, they had my transmission built within like 2 weeks

[roksoc]

^ how much did a rebuild run you?

[AaronGTR]

I do believe it is possible to shim the springs for the accumulator pistons a little bit yes... but I don't know how much or where you'd get them, or how much effect they have. gectec would probably be the person who could answer that, as he knows this trans better than I do. It would probably be a good idea to put in the aluminum accumulator pistons from superior while you are in there though.

[zukiracer19]

I paid close to 3,000$ for a fully built transmission to what they could get me parts wise

[XtremeGaGt00]

i got a shift kit from zzp and they came with diff length spacers for the accumulaor pistons..each one varying shift pressure..so i could maybe go off of that length?..all the shift kit consisted of was some plastic spacers about a half in. wide with a hole drilled though for the rod to go through for the piston...ill figure somthig out and post up what i wind up doing...what will the aluminum acc. pistons do for me?..ive just never heard of any probs ppl have with failure..

[XtremeGaGt00]

Originally Posted by zukiracer19

I paid close to 3,000$ for a fully built transmission to what they could get me parts wise

SUUUURE does pay to know how to do this sh!t myself!

[AaronGTR]

Originally Posted by XtremeGaGt00

i got a shift kit from zzp and they came with diff length spacers for the accumulaor pistons..each one varying shift pressure..so i could maybe go off of that length?..all the shift kit consisted of was some plastic spacers about a half in. wide with a hole drilled though for the rod to go through for the piston...ill figure somthig out and post up what i wind up doing...what will the aluminum acc. pistons do for me?..ive just never heard of any probs ppl have with failure..

They do have failures sometimes, people just don't know it 'cause they can't see inside the trans. The plastic can get brittle from age and heat and crack so they lose some pressure so the shifts will seem soft or slow in a certain gear. I'd be willing to bet a lot of problems people complain about here with shifting in a certain gear may be because of those accumulator pistons as much as from worn clutch plates. The aluminum ones are much more durable so that isn't a problem.


They actually weren't available when I did my rebuild, so I still have the plastic ones. I plan on taking that cover off myself here before too long and replacing those pistons, and filling the trans with dexronVI. I might look into shimming the springs too when I'm in there.

[XtremeGaGt00]

ill probable just do the aluminum pistons..might as well, i got big plans for this car again and i only wanna do this once..ive also considered switchin to dex6 but between 8-11$ a quart x13 or so..OUCH...

there is a way to remove the valvebody while its still attached to the channel plate...just gotta find the right bolts to remove..i just started pullin bolts out, if they were short theyd go back in, long..they came out because obviously theyre bolting both down..method worked for me, and i didnt want to have the check balls falling out when i split the 2 pieces.

[zukiracer19]

the labar wasnt much at all actually .

good to see ga is coming back alive... once i get my fuel pressure regulator and walbro im shooting for 12s with stock interior, blah blah blah.

[AaronGTR]

Originally Posted by XtremeGaGt00

ill probable just do the aluminum pistons..might as well, i got big plans for this car again and i only wanna do this once..ive also considered switchin to dex6 but between 8-11$ a quart x13 or so..OUCH...

there is a way to remove the valvebody while its still attached to the channel plate...just gotta find the right bolts to remove..i just started pullin bolts out, if they were short theyd go back in, long..they came out because obviously theyre bolting both down..method worked for me, and i didnt want to have the check balls falling out when i split the 2 pieces.

I'm pretty sure 13 is for a complete overhaul including TC replacement. Just a basic drain and fill should only be like 8 or 9 quarts. I figure since it's going in once and staying in for a long time, it's worth the money... especially for me with the HP I'm running and being a built trans, and 'cause I plan on running it at track days where it will see extended abuse. I want the extra sheer stability and resistance to foaming etc etc.

[drumking1721]

Yea, see I don't have the time to take that side pan cover off....

[AaronGTR]

Bump... I'm getting ready to do this. Ordered the aluminum accumulator pistons today. I suspect that when I had my rebuild done previously that the valve body didn't get upgraded with the new pressure control valve and separator plate (because those parts weren't on my receipt) so I'm gonna take it apart when I take it out and check that out too. If it's got the cross drilled pressure control valve then I'll be buying the updated parts for that, and that should help my 1-2 shift which honestly is still soft.

Obviously I'll need a new pan gasket and filter for this... what other gaskets are required? Is there one for the side cover too? Any other o-rings or a rebuild gasket kit or anything I'll need?

[stewartfn18]

so im bumping an old thread. got a couple questions.

1. clutches can be accessed and replaced with the side cover off?
2. can the tcc solenoid be accessed with the side cover off or is it in a different location?
3. what parts would i need besides the clutches and accumulator pistons to complete this task(gasket, seals, soleniods, sensors)?

im not too versed in transmissions but this seems like a straight forward deal to replace the clutches and pistons. the raybestos part number RCPBP-29 for the clutches, is that all i need to replace those? thanks in advance

[HOYS]

Originally Posted by stewartfn18

so im bumping an old thread. got a couple questions.

1. clutches can be accessed and replaced with the side cover off?
2. can the tcc solenoid be accessed with the side cover off or is it in a different location?
3. what parts would i need besides the clutches and accumulator pistons to complete this task(gasket, seals, soleniods, sensors)?

im not too versed in transmissions but this seems like a straight forward deal to replace the clutches and pistons. the raybestos part number RCPBP-29 for the clutches, is that all i need to replace those? thanks in advance

1) Yes but its a pain in the ass.
2) Yes, its in the valve body.
3) Clutches, accumulator pistons, gasket set, steels, clutch pistons. You don't NEED the steels and clutch pistons, but I'd at least recommend new steels with the new high performance clutches. If its your first time tearing down a transmission, you might break a clutch piston because they are plastic. Thats why I suggest new ones. They are only like 35-40 bucks for all of em.

The easiest part will be replacing the pistons. They are one of the first few things you will see when pulling apart the transmission. Doing the whole overhaul is going to be a pain while its still in the car. Its worth the extra hour and a half (if you have air tools) to pull the whole engine and trans. Having the transmission on a waist high table to work on will be a godsend when you have check balls and springs flying everywhere.

[stewartfn18]

well if i go by the way that xtreme did, then hopefully the check balls wont fall out. i have to do a little more diagnosing before i konw for a fact that its indeed the clutches that are slipping. thanks for the input