Stage 2 shift kit?

[ayecee]

Ok a few years back I bought a '03 VY SS Ute (auto) off a family member, now apparently he had transmission issues (blew 2 of them) then he "upgraded" to a "stage 2 **** kit" that apparently set him back $2500, and didn't have any issues after that, what are these shift kits? Mechanical "heavy duty" upgrades? I thought they where computer based remapping of the gear shift timings and was a pretty cheap and even easy process..or are there different types? Or is it just a case of using buzz words to sell? But it did the job so I dunno..and when I hit the PWR button i do notice a difference in performance, and gives a nice chirp when it hits 2nd, (love that chirp!)

Anyway the important question here is I am currently servicing it (the Ute) myself, and wouldn't mind doing a bit of work on the tranny as it's starting to feel a bit rough these days (as well as the diff, but that's a topic for another day) so I thought I'd start by changing & flushing the fluid/oil and what ever else needs changing on auto trannies , filter?, gasket?(Having leaking issues all over the joint, not sure if it's the tranny, kinda seems like it's everything tbh, so I just washed/degreased the engine bay and underneath to try pin point the leaks) anyway, let's say I am doing all of that, which fluid do I need now? and do I continue to assume anything else is just for a vy ss? The same as the original? How do I know what I need etc..I think you get the point..sorry for rambling on..
Any help, recommendations, info, ideas etc would be greatly appreciated..thanks.

 

[harrop.senator]

Shift kits are different shims stacking in the accumulators/servos , stiffer springs , they change the way the hydraulics move through the box bigger holes drilled larger boost valves etc. Once fitted or modified it doesn't change anything when coming to servicing its just in the mechanics of it.

Some people say undo a trans cooler line and run the car til all of the atf comes out. I would never reccomend doing this run an auto dry is a realllllly bad idea in my opinion.

The only way i know of doing it properly without the backflush machine is to remove the trans cooler and put the feed line into a drum or bucket of fresh atf and the return line into an empty and turn the car off once it starts pushing fresh oil.

Then have a clean drain container drop the pan off change the filter and then put the atf back in the system. This will use a heap of atf though. Probably double at least what the capacity is.

Or you can do the service for around $20 plus the atf and some lucas atf reconditioner yourself but unfortunately you won't be able to drain the torque converter itll only drop whats in the pan. Not the end of the world better then nothing but not ideal.

 

[JMP]

My VY had a trans rebuild and a stage 2 shift kit installed from the previous owner, the shift kit was set to change so pretty hard that it would get sideways changing from 1st to 2nd if you gave it anything above normal acceleration. Trans lasted about 6 months (about 1 month longer than my back and 2 months longer than the rear tyres) before output shaft crapped itself and destroyed everything inside and that output shaft was hardened one not stock, trans guy couldn't believe it. When I looked around for someone to rebuild the trans I came across a few companies that didn't want to know me unless I took the shift kit out as they told me the trans on these things aren't that strong and shift kits destroy them. The guy that rebuild it put a whole heap of heavy duty stuff in so it can cope with some decent engine mods, I kept the shift kit but backed it off which made it a hell of a lot more driveable. I'm not sure what a shift kit does with regards to strength wise but from what I was told it just makes gear changes quicker and harder and you can adjust it to how you like. I was also told by most trans specialists that you don't need a shift kit as you can achieve the same result just by tuning the car.