The 1-2 shift in my car is pretty mushy. I was thinking about a shift kit, and the Transgo is less than $60. The retailer's ad says it's easy to install and the tranny doesn't have to come out, but there's no instructional video available. The main thing that bothers me is the photo of the kit. I see drill bits among the parts. Has anyone here installed one of these in a Gen 5?

 

I have had these kits installed in 2 Ford Taurus SHOs...really made a nice difference. The installer first asked me how I wanted the car to shift and then used a combination enlarging passages and springs set it up for fast and firm shifts. I am a pretty advanced DIYer, but transmission work is best left to the pros. I would talk to some independent transmission shops for advise and estimates.

 

I got the HD2 done for 400 bucks at a very reputable place and it took a day.

Never going back. Hands down favorite mod.

 

Wait, whaaaaa???

For an automatic? Why have I been here 10+ years and just now hearing about this? I've heard of valve body mods but this is new to me.

Is it only used to fix problems or are there any benefits that would improve an already normally functioning vehicle?

Our 02 Is great. The 00 is starting to get ever so slight issues with shifting when cold.

 

I've installed shift kits in several vehicles. The last was quite a few years ago when a buddy was having problems with his '67 Chevelle. The 1-2 shift was extremely slow, barely able to still function, and he'd been told the tranny needed to be rebuilt (big $$$). After the shift kit (made for a RV with the same transmission), the car would chirp the tires even with light throttle, and the slippage was completely gone on both shifts. He drove that car at least another 60K miles with no transmission issues.

It's been my experience that factories program cars like these to slip. That keeps the little old ladies from complaining. For longest life though, they need a firmer shift.

 

I've had the hd2 kit for a few months. It has a harsh 1-2, but I didn't mind it. I think it was harsher bc my trans was going out. It didn't fix my 2-3 slip. It's super fun: the Best mod for automatic.