Sonnax Shift Kit Install and pics
05-27-2013, 01:03 PM
#1
Sonnax Shift Kit Install and pics I have used trans go shift kits in many of my past vehicles .....89 IROC.....93 astro van.....95 TA and my current 2000 TA
the change in shift quality from the installation of a kit is very noticeable......in high school i put in a BM SK in my 1980 firebird that had a TH350......those tire chirping shifts sure were cool
now that i am older.... shifts that bang into gear and jar my dentures loose (j/k ) are not so much fun
one of my issues with TG kits is the lack of uniformity in shift quality .....1-2 shift bangs into gear ( with or without those stacks of washers in the accumulator )while the others kinda whimper ...........except the TCC lockup that is
i have read in other automotive forums about the sonnax SK and how much better the shift quality was compared to the TG kit.....well that got my curiosity up so i just had to try it !!!
the P/N for the kit is HP-4L60E-01 and comes with many parts that can be bought separately from sonnax......the instructions in the kit are very good .....but for a newbie who has never been in a transmission before i recommend reading many available technical reference materials...... such as those published by ATSG
in addition to the kit i also installed the sonnax forward and reverse abuse valve kit 77754-21 ..........you need 2 of those.........and their heavy duty 2-3 shift valve 77754-41.....and the accumulator valve train kit 77777L-K
when i did my TG kit install i still had worn rubber engine mounts and a stock exhaust ....now i have poly mounts and headers.....the old rubber mounts allowed me to lower the tranny enough to get to the servo and remove it.....no going now with the unforgiving poly mounts.......so the sonnax parts for the servo did not get installed YET....it will have to wait til i drop the engine out later and then i have the heavy duty sonnax 2nd and 4th piston kits to put in the servo
just as the TG kit does you will have to drill holes in the separator plate......if it is a 1st time install for you i recommend you get a NEW separator plate as the steel check ***** will have worn the holes to a much larger size.....new plates can be had either from the dealer or trans go.....side note....i got a new sep plate from the dealer and they NOW come with the gaskets glued ( ? ) to the plate and the filter screens incorporated in the gaskets......the sonnax kit comes with plastic checkballs so you dont have to worry about plate wear again
the sonnax kit comes with their 4L60E-LB2 line booster part and a spacer to retro fit it into a 4L60E-LB1 part for those yrs requiring that part.....under the car fiddling with the booster install ( which is NO fun ) i did not feel like messing with another part to line up during the install process ...........so i went ahead and got a 4L60E-LB1 boost valve
with the sonnax kit installed i can say the shift quality is a 100x better than the TG kit......FIRM shifts in EVERY gear.....that will keep your fillings in place
and now for pics...........
the change in shift quality from the installation of a kit is very noticeable......in high school i put in a BM SK in my 1980 firebird that had a TH350......those tire chirping shifts sure were cool
now that i am older.... shifts that bang into gear and jar my dentures loose (j/k ) are not so much fun
one of my issues with TG kits is the lack of uniformity in shift quality .....1-2 shift bangs into gear ( with or without those stacks of washers in the accumulator )while the others kinda whimper ...........except the TCC lockup that is
i have read in other automotive forums about the sonnax SK and how much better the shift quality was compared to the TG kit.....well that got my curiosity up so i just had to try it !!!
the P/N for the kit is HP-4L60E-01 and comes with many parts that can be bought separately from sonnax......the instructions in the kit are very good .....but for a newbie who has never been in a transmission before i recommend reading many available technical reference materials...... such as those published by ATSG
in addition to the kit i also installed the sonnax forward and reverse abuse valve kit 77754-21 ..........you need 2 of those.........and their heavy duty 2-3 shift valve 77754-41.....and the accumulator valve train kit 77777L-K
when i did my TG kit install i still had worn rubber engine mounts and a stock exhaust ....now i have poly mounts and headers.....the old rubber mounts allowed me to lower the tranny enough to get to the servo and remove it.....no going now with the unforgiving poly mounts.......so the sonnax parts for the servo did not get installed YET....it will have to wait til i drop the engine out later and then i have the heavy duty sonnax 2nd and 4th piston kits to put in the servo
just as the TG kit does you will have to drill holes in the separator plate......if it is a 1st time install for you i recommend you get a NEW separator plate as the steel check ***** will have worn the holes to a much larger size.....new plates can be had either from the dealer or trans go.....side note....i got a new sep plate from the dealer and they NOW come with the gaskets glued ( ? ) to the plate and the filter screens incorporated in the gaskets......the sonnax kit comes with plastic checkballs so you dont have to worry about plate wear again
the sonnax kit comes with their 4L60E-LB2 line booster part and a spacer to retro fit it into a 4L60E-LB1 part for those yrs requiring that part.....under the car fiddling with the booster install ( which is NO fun ) i did not feel like messing with another part to line up during the install process ...........so i went ahead and got a 4L60E-LB1 boost valve
with the sonnax kit installed i can say the shift quality is a 100x better than the TG kit......FIRM shifts in EVERY gear.....that will keep your fillings in place
and now for pics...........
Last edited by sjsingle1; 05-27-2013 at 01:31 PM.
