RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

I took my wife's 98 Montana on a drive out into the country today. I noticed what I've always noticed about that car - the transmission responds to the slightest throttle input to keep the engine right in the fat part of the powerband. Then I got home and got into my Formula. Driving it through town reminded me of why I ditched my 2.73s, and made me realize just how bad the stock tranny tuning is. The converter locks up at low speed, and then when you give it throttle it bogs and goes nowhere. Same thing in 3rd or 4th. Mashing the throttle gives a downshift into 2nd, which is overkill in traffic. Just plain flat out lousy driveabililty (my LT1 A4 did not have this problem). I thought 3.42s would cure this. They helped a lot, but after driving my wife's van, I realize how crappy this tranny is. It runs like the gas-mileage-tuned trannies of the early 80's. I'm about ready to sell the thing and go back to driving a 69 Pontiac every day. I hate this POS tranny!! Is it CA emissions tuning or what? It is driving me crazy!!!

Colonel

As you know, it's the programming, not the tranny. I programmed mine juuuuuuust the way I like it with LS1Edit. You can set the upshifts, downshifts, and converter lockup points by throttle position and MPH. Takes a little experimenting to get it just right but it's well worth it, IMO.

HPTuners has what looks to be a REALLY cool and more cost effective software. It's both an editor AND a diagonstic scanner.

ULTIMATEORANGESS

iTrader: (4)

get a stall.thatll cure your sluggishness.

Colonel

And yeah, most importantly....what he said.

RevGTO

iTrader: (12)

Ok guys ... sorry about the rant (drank too many beers out in the country) ... I know the solution to the problem - an SS3600 and HPTuners. It's a lotta bucks. When my TH400 on my 69 GTO was out of whack it meant changing out the weights on the governor and adjusting the vacuum modulator - simple stuff. Guess I'm old school. But you're right about the solutions.