On Sunday, Turbo95Max (Matthel) helped me install all these things. It took a total of around 5-6 hours for these 3 things. Here are my impressions.

Porterfield R4S - Got it by calling Porterfield directly & if you mention the Maxima BBS, you'll get a discount. These brake pads are really good. They grip really well & don't fade at all. No noise, too. Definitely way better than Nissan OEM pads.

Transmission Fluid Cooler - Mine is a Hayden 404 (just like Don recommends). Very easy & straightforward to install. A definite DIY job. Greg's instructions on his website helped greatly. Thanks! I dunno exactly by how much this thing will actually lower my ATF temperature (the box said about 20F), but the extra assurance that my tranny will last longer is alone worth the $45 =)

VB upgrade - Got it from Don in Texas. This is a MUST HAVE mod for any auto tranny. I love it & so will you! =) My initial impression was "This may take a bit of getting used to," 'cuz no matter how low a RPM I'd try to shift at, I'd still feel it - firm and snappy. If your passenger didn't know that you had a VB upgrade and its purpose, he/she may even think there's something wrong with your tranny! However, after an hour of driving, my impression was "Wow! This is SO cool!!!" =) When you floor it and shift at 6K+ RPM, it'll instantly bang into the next gear - feels like a 5speed but WAY faster shifts! The VB will DEFINITELY take a few tenths off your quarter mile time! Even the infamous 3-4 gear slippage is pretty much gone as well. And to top everything off, it supposedly prolongs the life of your tranny as well by getting rid of the slippage. What more can you ask for? Something that give you better performance and will also help your car at the same time! =) Maybe I'll add more power mods in future and try to chirp my 1-2 shift. Now that'll be cool. A word of advice, remember to go out and get a new tranny pan gasket cuz your old one may leak. We forgot to get one beforehand and had to go out and blow a few extra $$ getting a new tranny filter kit (comes with the gasket) instead. Also, why not do the tranny cooler at the same time? =) Another thing, the VB installation is SUPER MESSY so be prepared. We added about 5-6 quarts of ATF to make up for the VB and cooler.

After a hard day's work, my car now goes and stops like never before! Thank you Matthel!!!

 

Glad the install pics and instructions helped out with the cooler. If all it does is give you an idea for what you are in for so you can plan it out in your head ahead of time then I think I accomplished my goal.

VB mod sounds nice!

 

I have been considering the VB mod for quite a while and i can't come to a conclusion about gettin it or not..

what gets me is how am i supposed to sell it later on ?
who will buy it with hard shifts ?

also is there any proof that the VB mod helps further tranny life..if so i'm all for it cuz mines is slowly dying..

I've asked a few mechanics and they don't give me a definite answer as to if it will prolong tranny life or not..??
if anyone know's how it will prolong tranny life please let me know and i will get it.....they say it shifts faster but doesn't really prolong tranny life..

Geez i need to make a decision cuz i bought a tranny cooler and i want to install it and do a flush but i wanna do the VB mod at the same time..

Ant

 

Where did you get your tranny cooler? How much is the VB mod. Shifting is a definite problem with my car. This sounds like a great fix.

 

Ants - Hmm..good question, I never thought of that..hehe Well, I'm planning on driving my car for many more years, so that problem is on the backburner. Just tell them that it's a performance VB (which it is) & that it will make the tranny last longer. As for proof to that, I have yet to see it published or written, however, I know stock trannys don't last too long anyway. Perhaps someone can answer that question for us? Don?? Shing, maybe?? Yeah, I also waited intentionally to do the VB/cooler/drain at the same time. My ATF was brown...yuck. =(

BSwithTF - One of our members (Don in Texas) modifies stock VBs & ships it to you. You swap yours with the upgraded one and send it back to Don. He's a honest guy & does good work, so don't worry about anything. A lot of people have bought VBs from him so they can attest to this. It's kinda expensive though...the price of a SS Y-pipe. $450. Hey, if a $450 Y-pipe takes a couple tenths of your time, so will the $450 VB, if not more =) You can e-mail Don at dgcoop@swbell.net for more info.

 

What is the easiest way to get in touch with Don? Ive emailed him a couple days ago but no response. Does he have a # he can be reached at cause i live in houston which i believe is where he is.

Would yall recommend this as the first mod to my auto 96 Maxi?

 

The VB shifts quicker eliminating much of the band slippage when you shift. Less band slippage means they wont wear as much and they'll last longer. Its been proven that the weak link in the tranny is the bands and VB. So basically you've eliminated most of the problem..

 

Can the stock tranny handle the VB mod? Been getting mixed messages. Some say the stock tranny is real weak, some say it's very strong and durable. What's the correct answer? Do you need to go with a LevelTen trans. if you get the VB mod.?

 

The VB is not a power mod, so it's not a question of whether your stock tranny can handle it. This is a upgraded VB to replace your stock crappy VB that's currently in your transmission. No matter if the stock tranny is durable or weak, the upgrade VB will make it last longer. Level 10 is $$$. Don's VB is very good. A lot of people have bought VBs from Don so they can tell you the same.

 

oh good lordy. the VB mod was hella messy when i installed it on BL97's maxima..

i got it on my pants, my shirt, my hair, and we had to install it twice because we didn't get the shift pin in the right position in the first place. %#!@%@!

but yeah. it'll save your tranny a little bit, maybe buy it 6 monthes more life time in it,

tho it wont save your tranny completely, skimax's Auto SC is already slipping, even with the VB.. .maybe he should ditch those 19s.. :P

 

Already slipping with the VB? He has supercharger, though! Unless he never floors it, nothing will save an auto tranny from a SC - unless you go to Level 10 and "bulletproof" it - $$$$$. With a N/A Max with not too many power mods, I'm sure the VB will prolong the tranny by more than 6 months of normal driving...Anyway, yeah...the VB installation was hella messy. To make it worse, it was windy that day when we did it so ATF was blowing left & right.

 

Thanx for all the info guys..

I've decided to get the VB mod.. just need 2-3 more weeks to get the $$$$$ for it ...

All i need is Don himself to answer a few of my questions and i'll be set..
Cheston if your not busy why don't you drive over and help me install it seeing you have experience with it..

I'm only a few thousand miles away ...
oh yeah and bring some brake cleaner

Ant