^ Thanks! I'll call Forged Performance and Transman. I was thinking of going to Aamco, but I'm not sure if they do performance mods to trannys. The owner sounded pretty knowledgeable on the phone though.

 

If you guys going to increase power in the future, just get a IPT Built auto, 3,150 12mo/12k mile warranty. "and can handle 500+ hp/tq"

 

Ummmm....I'm not so sure about that. The local shop that did mine wouldn't warranty it, UNLESS I added the aftermarket cooler. But then again the HB's factory cooler was a poor design to begin with. The majority of failures (in the HB) are due to overheating, would it be the same for the Max? I don't know enough about the Max's OEM cooler design/setup to accurately answer this.

 

A shift kit will actually make your transmission run cooler because it reduces overlap, which the OEMs use to improve the smoothness of the shifts. Joe six pack doesn't like firm, fast shifts. He doesn't want to know the transmission shifted other than by the change in the sound of the engine. So stock transmissions are designed to sort of slip from one gear to the next (in fact, the transmission is in two gears at once for a moment, hence, overlap). Now at full throttle transmissions add in more line pressure to firm up shifts or the overlap would eat the transmission clutch packs up pretty quickly otherwise.

Higher stall torque converters, on the other hand, do require auxiliary coolers due to the low rpm slippage that builds heat.

The main complaints about the 5.5 automatics is the cold weather slip/softness with regards to the 2-3 upshift that goes away once the transmission fully warms up. There was a thread I read (in the fluids forum if I remember right) where someone with 15,000 miles on his car added a cooler to his transmission and it make the 2-3 slippage worse, plus it took longer for the transmission to warm up.

In the case of the shift kit, it apparently fixes the cold weather slippage (at least in transmissions that don't have excessive wear due to the issue) since the problem is in the valve body. The cooler shouldn't bring back the cold weather slip with the shift kit but I don't believe it is something that was absolutely necessary. Honestly, the faster shifts due to the shift kit will probably add more life to the transmission than the cooler will.

 

scottwax, I have to disagree with you my friend. Adding a cooler is always beneficial and recommended. The shiftkit actually INCREASES fluid temperature due to the increase in fluid pressure (like with anything else, more pressure = more heat), I myself verified this back to back, ran a fresh low mile auto for a week or so with stock VB, put in the transgo HD2 kit and temps got higher. I actually thought exactly like how you explained it, since there is less overlap, there is less slip therefore less heat buildup, although true, temps still get high from the overall pressure in the system.

Adding a cooler in addition to having a shift kit will prolong the life of an auto significantly. I wish I had put in the transgo 5 years ago, I am sure it would have lasted longer with the same abuse I put my auto through.

Not only im I speaking from my personal experience, I called transgo myself and talked to (john i think was his name) and he explained the same thing to me, it is expected for the temperature to increase specially with the HD2 kit.

 

I am just saying it isn't something that is absolutely necessary in our cars. I also know that shift kits tend to lower transmission temperatures and not raise them unless you romp on the car all the time. Part of the reason transgo will recommend them is because they sell them, and the other reason would be the average person getting a shift kit is harder on their car (running at the dragstrip) and a cooler adds an extra margin of safety. I definitely would agree that having both will really help a transmission in good operating condition last much longer than usual assuming it isn't abused continually. Regular fluid changes help a lot too.

The only car I had I used a transmission cooler was my Chevelle because I was running a 2800 rpm stall, then when I got an even bigger cam, a 4000 stall converter. The transmission in my '77 Cutlass was still going strong at 140,000 miles even though I had installed a shift kit at the 80,000 mile mark, a 2200 rpm stall at around 90,000 miles and a 455 in place of the 350 at 120,000 miles. Honestly, I think the shift kit was why it lasted so long because prior to the kit, the shifts were really soft.

 

I forgot to mention that my temperature comparisons were on easy daily driving, and temp still was higher with the transgo kit. Either way, a the shiftkit and cooler is a huge benefit to our maximas when is used and abused more than a grandma would lol.

note: PMing you about the Optimum product

 

Cool! Let me know how it goes and how much they charge, if you don't mind. My take on Aamco is this......most serious tranny guys consider them a rip, similar to the way most good body shops feel about Maaco. The thing is, there are some really good tranny guys that just want the backing and name recognition you get w/a franchise. You just have to really door your homework to find a good one, and that Aamco would be the one to use. I didn't hear anything good about the ones where I live, nor where I work, so I used Transman. I have not regretted it.

 

Anyone have any details on where the tranny's label is located? I am trying to confirm if i have the RE4F04A or not. 04 max SL.

 

Check your firewall info tag.

 

thanks, i'm trying to find the label on the firewall, i just can seem to locate it. maybe some one removed the label?

 

 

thanks for you help, some one had put black duck tape over it.

 

Seeing as you are also in the Dallas area, if you get the shift kit and have it installed, let me know who did the work and what they charged. TIA.

 

how much did it cost?

 

I want the Trans Go shift Kit Stage 2 love the price just got to find a shop for a low price install!!

 

hers some vids of the kit in a 04 g35. dont know if it is the same stuff but thats what i want the max to do. Like scott ive done these on my own in my th350 trans. I will probably attempt this one on my own too.


before
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VFcj6...eature=related

after
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZf3p5kOnso

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XhkkW...eature=related

and for only around 60 bucks that a very worthwhile mod

 

i have the shift kit, just too expensive around here to install........ soooooooooooooooooo what was the times on the G35??? i always thought track vids were pointless if all you see is a car just going in a straight line but not showing or stating the times, you know somebody is gonna ask

 

I had a shiftkit, tossed it because I thought it was selling the car and now I ordered another one. I'll be tackling the install myself. I can't imagine the install being too complicated. I mean all the professional installers had to install their first one too at one point. Learning by doing =)

 

^^^ i agree better to spend 60 bucks and try and even if you f up buy another. still cheaper than the 200 to install. really as long as someone has good mechanical ability ... im gonna get it and do myself at my fathers shop...car on the lift ftw

i dont know the time but i was just posting on how you can hear the difference in the shift from a slide in to gear vs a bang into gear.

 

Im looking into installing one of these soon. Would some people who have the kit be willing to post the parts list and instructions up so I can compare the two with my install guy?

Any schematics or parts lists forThe basic shift kit (SK RE4F04B)
and the reprogramming kit (RE4F04B-HD2), As I am trying to decide between the two.

Thanks for the help guys!

 

I went with the HD2 kit, and that thing shifts...hard lol...it is what it is. more than satisfied with it but realize that it is a completely diferent car after this kit install.

 

Thanks for the info Cant,
Anyone have the basic shift kit? any pics of the kit itself?

Thanks guys

DC

 

Nice improvement in shift quality in those G35 videos. No more overlap on the shifts, just bang chirp now!

 

Just a little update for anybody who may be searching about this problem:

My RE4F04A-HD2 kit didn't have this spring either. I just called TransGo and they said the stock spring will be just fine. They've had some issues with that old spring breaking, so this orange spring mentioned on page 7 is similar in stiffness and size to the stock spring. And he said he will look into this since there may be a discrepancy between the instructions and what is normally included with the kit.

And my 1992 Maxima RE4F04V is Type 1 according to page 7 of the instructions.

TransGo's customer service has been great by the way. They are very nice on the phone and very helpful!

 

So ridiculous. I called a transmission shop in my city that says they install performance shift kits, and they turned me down. I said my car is a 2002 Infiniti I35, the guy proceeded to tell me that there are no shift kits for my car, and I told him that it's the same as a Nissan Maxima. He immediately said they wouldn't do it after I told him that. Made no sense at all. I guess I'll try another shop and see if they'll do it. If not, maybe I'll look to buy a valve body that already has the HD2 shift kit installed; if someone has one.

 

Order this kit, take the car to him, and say yes they do, then leave and either install yourself, or take it to another shop.

Small town I might assume, my local places are the same way, I just usually take it to them with part in hand and say dooo eeet..

 

Naw man, I actually live in a pretty big city. I just picked this one transmission shop, because they had great reviews and they were the only ones that said that they actually installed performance kits on their website. Does it have to be a transmission shop, or can I take it to any shop. There's even several shops that in my area that build custom turbo setups and do other aftermarket stuff. Do you think I could take it to them?

 

Why risk it????? If they f8k up the install and fix it who's to say there wasn't any permanent damage done due to the f8k up?

 

Buy the kit listed in this thread and take it to them, it has the PN, etc car description and such. Or find another shop.

I'd lean towards a transmission shop to do it, but some shops are versatile enough to deal with anything.