Shift kits and tuning question long post
Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 302
Likes: 9
From: Pa
Shift kits and tuning question long post Hey guys. On my 2001 trans am I have cai, headers, catless y pipe, catback and 3.73 gears. I bought the car over 4 years ago. The gears were installed last year. I have the stock stall btw. I assumed when I bought the car it had a shift kit due to the fact it had headers on it already and a lid baffle mod. I at that time sent the pcm out I wrote on the form it had a shift kit, and it drove like a dream firm shifts just awesome. What else made me assume it had a shift kit was the fact I could start it in neutral.
Fast forward to last year I had gears done sent the pcm out drove awesome. Never missed a beat. During the entire ownership of the car, I literally never really ring it out hard. Well a few wide open throttles that I have done I hit the rev limiter going into 3rd. I talked to frost my tuner and he said the tune is set at factory rev limiter cause of the mods. He also then said the transmission is on the way out if its doing that. I then told him o ok, no big deal it's got 93 thousand on it it's to be expected. Left it at that, this was like 2 months ago btw. I am still able to drive the car.
This brings me to now, could it be that it does in fact not have a shift kit on it and need it installed for it being tuned for it. I know, I'm an idiot for assuming the car had it installed and take full responsibility for it. Just wondering because from what I have read on the net and searching, that the line pressure isn't set as high with a shift kit installed. Is this correct? Thanks for any insight and info. I appreciate it.
Fast forward to last year I had gears done sent the pcm out drove awesome. Never missed a beat. During the entire ownership of the car, I literally never really ring it out hard. Well a few wide open throttles that I have done I hit the rev limiter going into 3rd. I talked to frost my tuner and he said the tune is set at factory rev limiter cause of the mods. He also then said the transmission is on the way out if its doing that. I then told him o ok, no big deal it's got 93 thousand on it it's to be expected. Left it at that, this was like 2 months ago btw. I am still able to drive the car.
This brings me to now, could it be that it does in fact not have a shift kit on it and need it installed for it being tuned for it. I know, I'm an idiot for assuming the car had it installed and take full responsibility for it. Just wondering because from what I have read on the net and searching, that the line pressure isn't set as high with a shift kit installed. Is this correct? Thanks for any insight and info. I appreciate it.
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2017
Posts: 8
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Hey guys. On my 2001 trans am I have cai, headers, catless y pipe, catback and 3.73 gears. I bought the car over 4 years ago. The gears were installed last year. I have the stock stall btw. I assumed when I bought the car it had a shift kit due to the fact it had headers on it already and a lid baffle mod. I at that time sent the pcm out I wrote on the form it had a shift kit, and it drove like a dream firm shifts just awesome. What else made me assume it had a shift kit was the fact I could start it in neutral.
Fast forward to last year I had gears done sent the pcm out drove awesome. Never missed a beat. During the entire ownership of the car, I literally never really ring it out hard. Well a few wide open throttles that I have done I hit the rev limiter going into 3rd. I talked to frost my tuner and he said the tune is set at factory rev limiter cause of the mods. He also then said the transmission is on the way out if its doing that. I then told him o ok, no big deal it's got 93 thousand on it it's to be expected. Left it at that, this was like 2 months ago btw. I am still able to drive the car.
This brings me to now, could it be that it does in fact not have a shift kit on it and need it installed for it being tuned for it. I know, I'm an idiot for assuming the car had it installed and take full responsibility for it. Just wondering because from what I have read on the net and searching, that the line pressure isn't set as high with a shift kit installed. Is this correct? Thanks for any insight and info. I appreciate it.
Fast forward to last year I had gears done sent the pcm out drove awesome. Never missed a beat. During the entire ownership of the car, I literally never really ring it out hard. Well a few wide open throttles that I have done I hit the rev limiter going into 3rd. I talked to frost my tuner and he said the tune is set at factory rev limiter cause of the mods. He also then said the transmission is on the way out if its doing that. I then told him o ok, no big deal it's got 93 thousand on it it's to be expected. Left it at that, this was like 2 months ago btw. I am still able to drive the car.
This brings me to now, could it be that it does in fact not have a shift kit on it and need it installed for it being tuned for it. I know, I'm an idiot for assuming the car had it installed and take full responsibility for it. Just wondering because from what I have read on the net and searching, that the line pressure isn't set as high with a shift kit installed. Is this correct? Thanks for any insight and info. I appreciate it.
Teching In
Joined: Jul 2017
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TECH Junkie
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 3,048
Likes: 714
From: Poplarville, MS
Your problem could be in the shift timing of the tune or the trans is on its way out.
I had a '95 A4 TA that I used a Hypertech Power Programmer to increase the shift firmness, and then later had a shift firmness kit mechanically installed. Every time the tranny shifted it was like getting rear ended. I regularly had problems with the 3/4 bands after that and sold that car as a result of not wanting to deal with the A4 any more.
Teching In
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Last edited by Allenkirk; Oct 22, 2017 at 11:06 AM.
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From: Turnin' Wrenches Infractions: 005
Lower the commanded shift speed or raise the rev limiter to give the trans more time to make the shift. If it works, the trans is healthy, if it doesnt, the clutches are on the way out. Only one way to find out. The 2/3 is notoriously slow in these trans as compared to the 1/2. As an example, i command 6200 shift to accomplish a 6550/6600 actual shift on a new healthy transmission. It needs time!!
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Verdad Gallardo Thread Starter
TECH Apprentice
Joined: Dec 2014
Posts: 302
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From: Pa
Thanks for the responses guys, car hasn't been driven in over a month. Needs an alternator. Haven't had a chance to drive it, or look at it. Still my concern is that I had the car Tuned for having a shift kit. And now I'm thinking that it doesn't have one like I said in my original post. Hence the thought of it not shifting into third under wot. I also emailed frost my tuner, and with my mods and gears the shift points are still stock. That it was probably on its way out. I just was wonder if it didn't have a kit that would be the reason for this to happen. T.i.a.
Last edited by 01WS6BLACKLS1; Oct 22, 2017 at 05:58 PM. Reason: Misspell