Automatic Transmission 2-Speed thru 10-Speed GM Autos | Converters | Shift Kits
Sponsored by:
Sponsored by:

SSF3500 No Lockup

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old Jun 22, 2005 | 11:34 PM
  #1  
ssmoov1's Avatar
Thread Starter
On The Tree
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: Florida
Default SSF3500 No Lockup

I've had this SSF3500 TC in my 01 SS F11 cam full bolt-on car for about 4000 miles and has been working great till this past weekend the trans temps were getting around the 200-210 area cruising on the interstate about 75mph.The trans used to run quite cool 150-170 on the interstate,I notice the TC is no longer locking up in OD so I call up my buddy John02SS and we try to lock it manually with hp tuners,still wont lock,you can feel a slight drop in rpm like its wanting to lock but doesn't,which tells me the lock up solenoid is working tried locking it up about 50 times that night and no luck,so that leads me to think the TC Lock-Up Clutches have taken a ****.I've searched on this and found alot guys that ran into this problem with their TCI so my question is how long of a turnaround is it to get it back from TCI? Has anyone had better luck with their TCI the second time around?

Joe
Reply
Old Jun 23, 2005 | 08:17 AM
  #2  
CHRISPY's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,341
Likes: 1
Default

I am getting a warranty verter from Kevin for exactly the same thing. Lost the lockup.

My car is a C5 so converter swaps are not a trivial thing

PM Kevin and he'll take care of you.
Reply
Old Jun 23, 2005 | 08:34 AM
  #3  
PREDATOR-Z's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Mar 2004
Posts: 14,620
Likes: 17
From: BFE
Default

I lost my SSF 3500 too after 1 year operation.
I ended up switching to VIG 3200, runs like a champ.

Kevin has good customer service, I'm sure he will work something good with you.
Reply
Old Jun 23, 2005 | 10:27 AM
  #4  
CHRISPY's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,341
Likes: 1
Default

I am going with a 3800 stall with multidisc. It is slightly more money but should handle things very well.

Reply
Old Jun 23, 2005 | 11:02 AM
  #5  
scottyballs's Avatar
12 Second Club
iTrader: (3)
 
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 291
Likes: 0
From: Fountain Inn, SC
Default

disable engine misfire detection before you take it out... I had that problum with my old TCI after we disabled it, she locked up everytime..
Reply
Old Jun 24, 2005 | 08:32 AM
  #6  
jimmyblue's Avatar
Moderator
iTrader: (11)
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 12,604
Likes: 7
From: East Central Florida
Default

Misfires will make it not try at all. So will transmission
component slipping code. But that would set a light.
I had this latter happen to me with the TCI3000 on
hot days up long grades. I have had to increase the
low end of the force motor pressure (decrease the
current) very substantially to get reasonable highway
holding. The PCM is commanding 0% line at cruise,
it's stupid but there's no "handle" for it in HPTuners
so you have to scale the force motor settings for
what is commanded instead.

This puts more load on the pump and more parasitic
drag on the motor but it beats grinding the TCC
full time.

Also set your TCC offset table to 98 so you get the
clutch applied hard & now, not "feathered". Don't
need to tickle the plowhorse with a feather, just
smack its ***. But the wimp line settings make it
a pretty limp-wirsted slap, at "normal" pedal.
Reply
Old Jun 24, 2005 | 09:36 AM
  #7  
CHRISPY's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,341
Likes: 1
Default

I might test that out. I disabled the misfire the last time I was there but turned off lockup in fourth at the same time. I'll test that next time I make a change.

Mine fluttered in lockup in third. Then it slipped in third and then it went altogether. I then turned lockup off in third and only had it come on in fourth. It worked a bit and then went **** up.

As a test I'll renable it in fourth and make the change Jimmyblue suggested.

Jimmy do you have a screenshot of the table you are adjusting? I am using edit for now till I get access to HPTuners.

Reply
Old Jun 24, 2005 | 02:20 PM
  #8  
jimmyblue's Avatar
Moderator
iTrader: (11)
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 12,604
Likes: 7
From: East Central Florida
Default

[QUOTE=CHRISPY]
Jimmy do you have a screenshot of the table you are adjusting? I am using edit for now till I get access to HPTuners.
QUOTE]


I took screen snapshots of the way I've modified mine,
and the way it was stock. The 3-D line views show how
the stock settings are slow to roll on pressure with
torque, as well as the freaky blow-off at > 95% line
commanded (ick).

I fully expect there might be a more moderate line
profile that would be better for some; I've had to keep
on pushing it to get decent lockup holding capacity
(like, go up an overpass at 80MPH cruise and not flare)
on my hardware. As little as neccessary would be more
efficient and less stress. But slip has to be suppressed
in normal driving or you'll cook.
Attached Thumbnails SSF3500 No Lockup-stockforcemotortable-3d.gif   SSF3500 No Lockup-modifiedforcemotortable-3d.gif   SSF3500 No Lockup-stockforcemotortable.gif   SSF3500 No Lockup-modifiedforcemotortable.gif  
Reply
LS1 Tech Stories

The Best V8 Stories One Small Block at Time

story-0

Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

 Verdad Gallardo
story-1

6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-2

Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

 Verdad Gallardo
story-3

Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

 Pouria Savadkouei
story-4

Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

 
story-5

Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

 Verdad Gallardo
story-6

Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

 Verdad Gallardo
story-7

Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

 Verdad Gallardo
story-8

10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

 
story-9

10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

 Verdad Gallardo
Old Jun 24, 2005 | 02:41 PM
  #9  
CHRISPY's Avatar
TECH Senior Member
 
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 10,341
Likes: 1
Default

Wow that is a big change man!
Reply
Old Jun 24, 2005 | 02:54 PM
  #10  
jimmyblue's Avatar
Moderator
iTrader: (11)
 
Joined: Mar 2002
Posts: 12,604
Likes: 7
From: East Central Florida
Default

Originally Posted by CHRISPY
Wow that is a big change man!
Yeah, I'd ease into it if I were you. So far nothing's
blown up. But I can make you no guarantees there.
Anyway, this is where about a year of "easing into it"
over and over and over has ended me up, on a
converter clutch system that's quite likely the same
as yours (minus some bad fluid choices early on).
Reply
Old Jun 25, 2005 | 01:40 PM
  #11  
ssmoov1's Avatar
Thread Starter
On The Tree
iTrader: (2)
 
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 128
Likes: 0
From: Florida
Default

Engine Misfire has been deleted since my first Cam.We tried locking it manually with HP,so shouldn't that make it lock now no matter what the force motor is set at?The lockup feature in HP Tuners has always worked great to make it lock but now you get squat,you can hear the exhaust tone change but just wont lock.I drained the tranny fluid today and removed the pan today and found little chunks of what appears to be black lining of somesort so my guess would be it came from the lockup clutch in the TC.

Joe
Reply
Old Jun 25, 2005 | 01:45 PM
  #12  
blkZ28spt's Avatar
11 Second Club
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,524
Likes: 1
From: The South
Default

I had the same problem with my SSF3500. It didn't refuse to lock until I was on my way to ls1 speed for my rebuilt tranny (lost clutch packs) and I was having it sent to TCI to be restalled anyway. Lucky timing I guess. They (obviously) verfied it was broken when it went to TCI for the restall. It was all fixed up at no extra expense, as it should be. I'd be a little upset if it wasn't for the fact that it barely even affected me.
Reply
Old Jun 26, 2005 | 02:54 PM
  #13  
RevGTO's Avatar
Pontiacerator
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
iTrader: (12)
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,216
Likes: 236
From: Wichita KS / Rancho San Diego
Default

Reports of this problem were one reason I decided to go with the Transgo shift kit when I had my TCI installed. The revised TCC valve with the kit does away with PWM and makes for very firm lock-up - so much so that I've learned not to pump the brakes at freeway speeds, as the re-lock is like a jolt. We'll see what happens, but with about 3k on the converter, all is good.
Reply
Old Jun 26, 2005 | 06:24 PM
  #14  
blkZ28spt's Avatar
11 Second Club
 
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 5,524
Likes: 1
From: The South
Default

Originally Posted by RevGTO
Reports of this problem were one reason I decided to go with the Transgo shift kit when I had my TCI installed. The revised TCC valve with the kit does away with PWM and makes for very firm lock-up - so much so that I've learned not to pump the brakes at freeway speeds, as the re-lock is like a jolt. We'll see what happens, but with about 3k on the converter, all is good.
I had a transgo shift kit go in with my converter. Didn't lose the lockup for almost exactly one year. (only about 8-9k miles)
Reply
Old Jun 26, 2005 | 10:08 PM
  #15  
RevGTO's Avatar
Pontiacerator
20 Year Member
Photogenic
Liked
Loved
iTrader: (12)
 
Joined: Nov 2003
Posts: 6,216
Likes: 236
From: Wichita KS / Rancho San Diego
Default

Originally Posted by blkZ28spt
I had a transgo shift kit go in with my converter. Didn't lose the lockup for almost exactly one year. (only about 8-9k miles)
Not encouraging ...
Reply




All times are GMT -5. The time now is 11:16 AM.

story-0
Amazing '71 Camaro Restomod Is Modern Muscle Car Under the Skin

Slideshow: This heavily modified 1971 Camaro mixes classic muscle car styling with a fifth-generation Camaro interior and modern LS3 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-05-12 18:06:42


VIEW MORE
story-1
6 Common C5 Corvette Failures and What's Involved In Repairing Them

Slideshow: From wobbling harmonic balancers to failed EBCMs, these are the issues that define long-term C5 ownership and what repairs typically involve.

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-05-07 18:44:57


VIEW MORE
story-2
Retro Modern Bandit Pontiac Trans AM Comes With Burt Reynolds' Autograph

Slideshow: A modern Camaro transformed into a retro icon, this limited-run "Bandit" build blends nostalgia with brute force in a way few revivals manage.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-04-21 13:57:02


VIEW MORE
story-3
Top 10 Greatest Cadillac V Series Performance Models Ever, Ranked

Slideshow: Cadillac didn't just crash the high-performance luxury vehicle party, it showed up loud, supercharged, and occasionally a little unhinged...

By Pouria Savadkouei | 2026-04-16 10:05:15


VIEW MORE
story-4
Top 10 Most Powerful Chevy Trucks Ever Made!

Slideshow: Top ten most powerful Chevy trucks ever made

By | 2026-03-25 09:22:26


VIEW MORE
story-5
Hennessey's New Supercharged Silverado ZR2 Has 700 HP

Slideshow: Hennessey has turned the Silverado ZR2 into a 700-hp off-road monster with supercharged V8 power and a limited production run.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-24 18:57:52


VIEW MORE
story-6
Coachbuilt N2A Anteros Is an LS2-Powered C6 Corvette In Italian Clothes

Slideshow: A one-off sports car that looks like a vintage Italian exotic-but hides a C6 Corvette underneath-just sold for the price of a new mid-engine Corvette.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-23 18:53:41


VIEW MORE
story-7
Awesome K5 Blazer Restomod Comes With C7 Corvette Power

Slideshow: A heavily reworked 1972 K5 Blazer swaps its off-road roots for a low-slung street-focused build with modern V8 power.

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-03-09 18:08:45


VIEW MORE
story-8
10 Camaros You Should Never Buy

Slideshow: There are thousands of used Camaros on the market but we think you should avoid these 10

By | 2026-02-17 17:09:30


VIEW MORE
story-9
10 LS Engine Myths That Refuse to Die

Slideshows: Which one of these myths do you believe?

By Verdad Gallardo | 2026-01-28 18:10:11


VIEW MORE