Shift kits

[Egnitevt]

Can anyone tell me what exactly is the main purpose of a shift kit, why do people get one instaled?

[sircruisealotVS]

they just make the shifts alot quicker and firmer....factory/stock setup and programming for the transmission is set so the shift are quite long and smooth, making the car feel very refined and gentle to drive.
but these long shifts put more strain on parts of the trans and are no good once an engine has been worked or if its used for towing,etc..
a shift kit eliminates the long shifts and also (to varying degrees, depending on the shift kit) make the shifts very firm in accordance with throttle %...ie, a shift while driving under light throttle will be softer than a shift over 50% throttle, which is when you get the "chirping into gear" happening. which is simply a very hard and fast shift which causes the wheels to spin very briefly (chirp).

[Sabby]

where can u buy them? and how much

[sircruisealotVS]

you can buy b&m ones from most auto parts retailers (autobarn, supercheap, repco,etc..) some of these places might also be able to order the transgo one....which from what i understand is the better of the two.
ive a got a transgo stage ll in my trans and i love it, i recommend it to anyone who enjoys "real driving".
other than that any transmission shops would be able to get anything you want, along with ebay, there's always some shift kits on there. they usually cost around $200 for the kit (transgo).

[1991_Vn2nV]

Sabby, the above post does not apply to you because you have a VL There are no B&M or Transgo shift kits for the VL auto.

[90VN55]

is there anything else you should do to the trans to minimise damage like a trans cooler

[SweetWagon]

yes they are good too, but only really necessary if you tow alot or put the transmission under load often

[SIG-054]

or do burnouts...

but most cars have a cooler built into the radiator

[SweetWagon]

or do burnouts...

but most cars have a cooler built into the radiator

on auto's yes, but additional cooling can be acheived by running the fluid through the radiator and an external cooler

[Torniquet]

how is a shift kit installed exactli? :S

[1991_Vn2nV]

Its installed into the valvebody under the oil pan... Not sure on much more than that. Generally done with a Corvette servo and also an 0.500" boost valve which dramatically increases line pressure on the Throttle Valve or something

[Torniquet]

Thanks, i had a rough idea..just wasnt surei n detail. Are they worthwhile on a pretti standard car?

[AttaBoy]

Don't they wear out your tranny a lot faster??
That some you should avoid unless you have $$

[sircruisealotVS]

Don't they wear out your tranny a lot faster??
That some you should avoid unless you have $$

there's so many "wifes tales" about stuff these days, its completely bullshit.
talk to any transmission specialist, they will thoroughly recommend a shift kit, they actually improve a transmissions life-span.
the factory shifts put so much extra strain on the internals compared to when a shift kit is installed. theres alot more force on 3/4 clutches and pistons to softly change gears than to drop straight into gear.

[wadeson88]

could someone recomend a shift kit for me 96 vs ute? auto?

[sircruisealotVS]

could someone recomend a shift kit for me 96 vs ute? auto?

a transgo HD 2 (stage two) shift kit is what you want, with a 1-2 corvette servo.