Shift Kit Question

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

What are the results of some of the people with ATX Shift Kits in their SHO's? I have long planned on putting a kit in my atx when the tranny goes (note I didnt say if the tranny goes). I was wondering if anyone here has had a kit in for a long time that can comment on the durability.

I know what Shift kits do (provide more lubrication by opening up the flow a bit. Higher pressure results in much firmer shifts. However, I just heard from a tranny guy that they cause more wear on the internals (gears) and cause the tranny to break sooner. My brother's SC T-bird just cooked the tranny at 68,000. The tranny guy said it apparently had some sort of kit in it by the looks of the internals. His comment regarding the kits was: Shift kits wear out gears sooner (all those neck snatching shifts). Slower shifting seen in stock trannies wear out the clutch pads sooner due to slippage.

Comments?

 

[RTStabler51]

from my understanding quicker shifts = better. Less slippage and what not. But like anything keep your foot in it and its going to shorten the life of the object.

Also if you get a chip down the road, make sure you info whomever it is, that you have a shift kit in there!!!!

 

[stevetatro]

I've had a shift kit in my '93 ATX for 3 years and almost 40k miles. It was installed during my rebuild at 123k miles at an added cost of $100.

You don't want the tranny (new or old) to "bang" into gear. Slow, sloppy shifts are bad on an ATX. So are the really hard shifts I noticed when I tried someone's SuperChip. The optimum is somewhere in the middle, a quick, firm shift, without being too sloppy or harsh.

If you want more testament to the success of shift kits in ATX SHO's, look at the results of the rebuilds done by Doug Lewis at FPS in Atlanta, a widely known SHO specialist. People drive from across the country to get his $2500 trannies, which all come with modified shift kits installed.

IveySHO, what year do you have? If it's a '93 this first thing I suggest you do is replace the computer with a D4U1 model from the '94/'95 ATX. It improves the drivability and firms up the 1-2 shift, which is very sloppy in the '93.

Good luck.

 

[ThrillSHO]

I've had mine in for two years. I like the firmer shifts and the piece of mind with improved lubrication. The only down side so far is a broken motor mount, but then again the SHO motor mounts aren't known for their durability either.

When is someone going to offer an alternative to those fluid-filled coffee cans!?

 

[F-22 Raptor SHO]

oh yea, my signature was turned off. I have a 95 atx with Ted's Chip. The chip really tightened up the loosey goosey shift. Nice now....sometimes I get rubber going into second. I can't imagine how tough a shift kit would make it. Like it would break stuff.

 

[stevetatro]

May need some reinforced motor mounts from SHO Nut (or other vendor). You too, ThrillSHO.

 

[ThrillSHO]

Unfortunately, I'm not aware of anyone that makes reinforced mounts for the ATX.

 

[dabeast25]

i think steve is 100 percent right...i've had mine for a while and the middle selection is the best....too hard and it'll break over a long period of time and too sloppy and the clutches will fail do to heat buid up..find the middle.....get the shift kit....on it's own it will still help......good call steve....very good advice

 

[dabeast25]

i forgot something...as far as the motor mounts....mine are renforced....and i broke them....so what i did .....was take some of those straps that people us to hold things down in the back of pick ups...i straped the motor down to the subframe.;......yes it's cheesey...but it works....just enough flex without breaking the mounts......cheesy but i don't break mounts anymore