Well i came up with this question 'cause after some research i found out that a valve body mod is the way to go with turbocharging, but i also found some kits, specifically called shift kits, that do the job but more daily drive comfort than VB mod, how much true in here?

this is the advertisement:
...Nissan Maxima-Altima 1992-1999, Quest 1992-2002, Mercury Villager 4F20E 1992-2002, Infinity i30 1995-1999 high performance automatic transmission shift kit, P/N RE4F04A-HD2: Corrects: Falls out of gear at a stop HOT. No 3rd after a 3-2 or 4-2 kickdown. Direct clutch (3rd) inner seal leaks, wears or opens up, etc. Corrects Soft 1-2. Long 2-3 at heavy throttle. Firmer 4th gear shift & lockup. Designed for Nitrous or Turbo Charging. Along with the increased performance from your vehicle, you'll also see an increase in the life of your transmission due to the reduced slippage.

the brand is TRANSGO, and its 150 bucks from ebay, is it worth it?
(im 80% turbo project progress, and im worried having an automatic tranny, but not that much to do a 5spd convertion, the setup that im working on, is aiming 5-7 psi, so far i have a hayden cooler and the dr mod)

Thanks in advance to all the org.

 

I heard about Transgo a while back. I too, have been inquiring about VB mods and tranny rebuilds. What I have found is a company called IPT(Import Performance Transmissions) that seems to know what they're talking about. I spoke with one of their guys a couple of months ago. You might want to give them a call:

http://www.importperformancetrans.com/

 

They cannot even spell Infiniti correctly

 

Did you call them?

 

Nope.. . . . . . . .

 

The Transgo shift kit is more of a shift kit you'd do to help lengthen the life of your transmission. It's not really meant to put 300+hp through it.

If you care about performance at all, you definitely need a good valve body recalibration (which is exactly what Transgo is).

Valve Body Recalibration = Shift Kit

www.maximumtuning.net has the best shift kit that I know of. You will need atleast Stage 2. I would really think about doing their Stage 3, which is much harsher, much like having full line pressure (like unplugging the drop resistor).

I have their Stage 2 and it barks 2nd gear no problem, sometimes at part throttle if I'm in a turn.

You definitely need a very quick shift, which Transgo won't provide. It will just firm up the shifts a little, but still have some slippage to make them somewhat smooth.

 

I came upon this thread a while back... and I wanted to note I have a MobileTek Valve body.... the car shifts hard, it does chirp 2nd and on real slick streets 3rd can chirp..... I've thought about going thru with the whole 3.5swap and turboing afterwards. Cant the shift fast mod... be used in this situation?

Raul

 

I don't see why not - ask Kevlo911 - he's doing just that.

 

wouldnt he just need a tranny cooler... and go with the shift fast mod... instead of getting a valvebody (shift kit)... ? Just wondering... whats the main issue with the automatic tranny when it comes to high horse powered engines? And what can be done to keep it from crapping out... cryo the gears? swap to a 01 auto? any ideas? I'm pretty sure this has been discussed countless times... but my google searchs dont come up with much... and alof the talks are about real big gear heads... can you all dumb it down for me, in other words?

Raul

 

The main issue is the tranny simply not being strong enough when it comes to having high HP applications. But a tranny cooler helps drastically with temps. And since 90% of trannies die b/c of heat related issues, a tranny cooler is a MUST for every single automatic owner out there, even if you don't race!

Now the shift kit gets rid of most of the slippage that occurs on a stock tranny in order to provide a smooth shift. If you get rid of all that slippage, the reliability goes way up, but comfort goes down. I love having my shift kit though! It's fun.

So the cheapest way to keep your tranny from crapping out is get a tranny cooler and VB mod (shift kit). Then drive it like you have some sense. Don't downshift unnecessarily. Just drive it smooth and allow it to upshift like it needs to while maintaining constant throttle pressure. I've seen where people get on the gas hard in the top of first then suddenly let off, then 2nd gear engages and bangs into place. If you would just let the tranny shift, it's better. Then I see people constantly just drop the hammer in the top of 1st and the tranny has to kick down, which is not great for it.

Racing it in the 1/4 mile is not bad if I just launch and let it run through the gears. But now autocrossing or road racing an automatic is very harsh! Manuals are needed for that!

Now if you are still having problems with the tranny breaking after doing tranny cooler, VB mod, and good sense driving, then you will need to build up your tranny. Level 10 is one place that provides bulletproof trannies. Rob with NRH is your best bet if he is still into that kind of work. He recently moved out of his shop and I don't know if he started a new one. Also, you can contact Maximum Tuning (www.maximumtuning.net). They offer tranny upgrades. Once you get a good performance tranny rebuild, then you should be good for over 450hp.

 

You can't cryo gears because it doesn't have any actual "gears" in it. The '01 auto is the same auto that's in the A32's, and the A33B auto (attached to the 3.5) is yet still the same auto.

It's been discussed, but general consensus is that there isn't a whole lot you can do to an auto other than use a tranny cooler and pick them up cheap to replace them when they go. That, or spend uber-dollars on built trannies that have yet to prove themselves worth the money spent (they still blow).

 

A while back, didn't courtesy Nissan in Texas offer modified valve bodies?

 

A valve body mod IS a shift kit. it's the same thing. people just do the labor for you and charge big bucks. basically all they do is swap some of the springs inside the valve body out for stiffer ones. occasionally, they'll grind a bit on some of the channels inside the valve body, but I don't trust anyone to do that to one without the potential to cause severe damage if they screw it up.

and no, courtesy has never offered modded valve bodies. Don in TX (Houston area) did a VB mod on a core exchange basis several years ago, but he dissappeared with lots of money from lots of people and hasn't been heard from in a couple years.

IMO, listen to Aaron's suggestions, or call up Level10. they'll build an auto and guarantee it, even under racing conditions.

 

Well there's the planetary, and it was a pretty weak point in the 3rd gen autos (at least the rear planetary gear was). So it's something to look out. Nissan beef'd it up in the 1994 model as I recall, and superseded the numbers.

-=Kaleb