Question about the A4
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Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2006
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Question about the A4 Ok here is my worry... I do not want to break my transmission so i just wanna ask a few questions to make sure i dont.. first of all this is a 2001 formula and everything from what i can tell is stock with 18k miles... This is my first rear wheel drive car with this kind of power and i enjoy pushing my self back in the seat..... alot.... my car shifts kinda hard even when im not really getting on it.. to me anyway cuz it always pushs u back a lil bit and when about 1/4 of gas it pushes u back quite abit when shifting. I have mainly used manuals because every automatic i have owned has broken mind you these were cars that also had known weak transmissions. So i would just like to know what NOT to do to make sure i keep this transmission in good shape.. I do want to put a converter on it but i plan on buying a transmission cooler on it way before that like maybe next month... I try to buy the things that keep something from breaking before putting the thing on there that will break it :p... Thanks for all info guys and i apologize if this is a wear out question if u have any links to answer my question post 
yea definetly get a big cooler when you get a converter...from what i have read rpms will kill your 4l60e more than power will. 6k is the limit on these things anything after that is pushing it. ive only driven my car about 11,000 in about two years and have changed the fluid/filter twice, soon to be three times when i put the new converter in. luckly i have had no problems with the tranny itself. just take care of it and keep it cool and it should last a while....but these things arent that great so it could break tomorrow or it could break 100k miles from now.
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 68
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so as long as i dont go over 6k rpms in other words not raise the limiter above stock it should last plenty? cuz i have no reason to really go above that all i want is a fast DD i plan on doing the basic exhaust/intake maybe cams and a converter just cuz everyone says they make it a lil more fun.. But other then that im not really trying to make it a 11 second car i would be happy with a mid 12 or high 12 DD
ok well first the ls1 only has one cam.....it should last a while if you take care of it and not rev to high...like i said i have had no problems yet with the tranny itself just converter problems....and if you do any kind of racing you really should get a converter, even if you dont it still makes the car alot better....if you just want a mid/high 12 sec car a converter should get you there alone, or at least very close...you have an 01 so i believe it already has a ls6 intake manifold...just port your tb (its pretty easy) get full exhaust lts ypipe and exhaust or even a cutout would be cheaper..stall and maybe some gears and that should put you near the mid 12 mark...then if you do cam it you should see low 12's or even high 11's....but dont forget about your suspension!! suspension is a must when you start adding power...when you start adding all the bolt ons and stall and gears youre gonna want some better tires..i have nittos 555r and they work pretty good, i dont want to blow the rear so i dont have anything stickier...lower control arms and a torque arm will give you hell of a lot better traction
Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 68
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ok thanks alot man.. btw it may take awhile for me to not say "cams" anymore 
i come from the world of DOHC 4/6 bangers 
but ill try :p also curious cuz im not really sure how the stall on a TC works does having say a 3500 rpm or so stall effect drivablity while driving in traffic or city driving due to heat? i really dont know nothing bout it. Thanks for all the help and info
i come from the world of DOHC 4/6 bangers but ill try :p also curious cuz im not really sure how the stall on a TC works does having say a 3500 rpm or so stall effect drivablity while driving in traffic or city driving due to heat? i really dont know nothing bout it. Thanks for all the help and info the only thing a high stall converter will really affect is driving around town or whatever. it will take more rpms to get moving. as far as any kind of heat problem i dont believe you will have any. i never have and have never heard of any. just make sure you get a big tranny cooler when you get a stall that is a must. oh and stay away from fuddle converters. ive also hear tci has had some problems. PI Vigalante or Yank are probable the two best. im going with VIg after i went through a fuddle after only 3k miles
Your car shouldn't shift that hard at part throttle. At part throttle you there should not be enough harshness to jerk your head around, it should be as smooth as any other car. Does your car distinctly bark the tires on the 1-2? If so then I would say there is a good chance it has a shift kit in it, particularly if it is a 2.73 geared car.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something you should know about. Some people can probably chime in about what exactly to look for when you drop the pan for a trans fluid change. You should be able to see some evidence of whether or not it has had a kit installed. Someone very familiar with these types of cars could tell you if it has a kit in it with a very brief drive.
Stalls are a very good upgrade but they are not as simple as many people would have you believe. Getting the right converter, proper cooling, proper installation, break-in, and tuning are all critical. The stall is also best if matched to everything else done to your car. It is a great upgrade but you should do your own research and know fully what you are getting yourself into. It's not a simple as buying the converter and slapping it in, the end costs are significantly higher.
This is not necessarily a bad thing, but it is something you should know about. Some people can probably chime in about what exactly to look for when you drop the pan for a trans fluid change. You should be able to see some evidence of whether or not it has had a kit installed. Someone very familiar with these types of cars could tell you if it has a kit in it with a very brief drive.
Stalls are a very good upgrade but they are not as simple as many people would have you believe. Getting the right converter, proper cooling, proper installation, break-in, and tuning are all critical. The stall is also best if matched to everything else done to your car. It is a great upgrade but you should do your own research and know fully what you are getting yourself into. It's not a simple as buying the converter and slapping it in, the end costs are significantly higher.
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Thread Starter
Staging Lane
Joined: Sep 2006
Posts: 68
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Ya it usuaslly hits 2nd pretty hard sometimes loses traction pretty good. But does anyone have any sugestions on what stall i should plan on getting all i really wanna do is have things like full exhaust/intake work/maybe a cam later.. also plan on doing suspension work like previously advised. Also quick question about the 00 and down ls1.. People have talked about them having a bit of a larger cam... Would i gain any power in just getting a cam out of a older ls1 since im not really wanting a big one?
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Verdad Gallardo i wouldnt go under 3k stall. if its a dd i probably wouldnt go over 3600. its all in personal preference weather you can handle a higher stall or a lower stall. maybe see if you can ride or drive one that someone has to get the feel of one. changing the cam for a earlier year cam would not be smart. there really not much of a difference. it would really be a waste of money and time. if you dont want anything to big there are tons of different cams out there. do some research on cams and see what grabs your attention. my 224 cam is considered small now a days but produces good power and is a popular cam. check out texas-speed and thunder racing for some cams. if you dont plan on getting long tubes (would be smart to do though unless youre in cali.) thunder racing has a cheater cam that is made to work with the stock manifolds. if you dont plan on lts i wouldnt change the stock manifolds.
well ive learned my lesson mine is broke right now, i have lost 2nd gear. I think it is bc that is the gear i would downshift to when i was racing from a 60 kick on the interstate. So my thoughts are not to down shift it while moving. upshifting it is fine but manually downshifting will hurt it. but ive got a tci pro rebuild kit for it now. 
and bout to buy 3500 stall 5 pinion rear planet and beast sunshell along with the cooler so it shoud hold up.
and bout to buy 3500 stall 5 pinion rear planet and beast sunshell along with the cooler so it shoud hold up.