vacavillebob Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 I am trying to find out what a shift kit does in a transmission. I have a 200r4 in my car now and there is nothing wrong with it at this time. But thinking of getting better performance. I hear about these shift kits but have no idea what they do or how hard they are to install. Do you have to rebuild the transmission before you put one in. And what part of performance would it improve. Thank you Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigtankjones Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 I just put in a B&M Shift Improver kit into my TH350. I wasn't hard to do. But I haven't been able to try it out yet to see if it works. My Trans was rebuilt back in 2005-2007 by the previous owner of my Monte. I set mine up for heavy duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigscaht Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 shift kits increase the line pressure in the tranny causeing a firmer shift. Ive heard this can actually make your tranny live longer because stock trannys make soft shift for comfort but that builds up heat in the tranny..the harder shift is what the tranny likes! as for how hard they are to install..never did one on a 200r4..but ive done a few th350s and they are simple to install..once you get the tranny out the car and on a work bench...thats actually harder to do than installing the shift kit...lol...all in all shift kits are a good thing....because it will give you a firmer shift and less tranny slippage and less heat build up and no you dont have to rebuild ur tranny before you install..but if your having tranny problems then you should address those before the install because it could make those issues worse!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
footballubet Posted August 14, 2013 Share Posted August 14, 2013 As Scott said it makes the shift quicker so the clutches don't slip and wear more. The different modes they have, Heavy Duty, Street or Strip defines the quickness and also changes shift points. You can install the kit while it's in the car. You just have to watch for the dripping transmission fluid! Read and understand the instructions before you start and you'll be fine. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacavillebob Posted August 15, 2013 Author Share Posted August 15, 2013 OK thank you, that all makes since. Now I have to decide which one I want to install. Being the difference between the Heavy Duty, Street or Strip. Any suggestions. I do not race my car, it is an everyday driver. I am leaning towards the Heavy Duty, but maybe that is just because of the name. Thanks again everyone, Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallaby Posted August 16, 2013 Share Posted August 16, 2013 I went heavy duty also. The street/strip and race only settings are really harsh shifting. I mean these will bark the tires at every shift even if you're trying to be casual about it. They also let the engine rev higher before shifting into the next gear. It sounds exciting, but it gets annoying and you wonder how your U-joints can handle all those dump-clutch shifts. The heavy duty mode gives good solid shifts, much crisper than stock, but doesn't slam the gears. Under heavy throttle it behaves more aggressive and really hooks up. If you have a stock converter, I'd recommend the heavy duty setup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
vacavillebob Posted August 18, 2013 Author Share Posted August 18, 2013 Thank you Mark: I will shop for the Heavy Duty one. Bob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bigscaht Posted August 26, 2013 Share Posted August 26, 2013 i have the street/strip one in my th350 and its fun to drive..i like the firm shifts..once i get new gears out back imma really have a good time!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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