Th400 Valve Body and Shifter ?'s
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Launching!
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Th400 Valve Body and Shifter ?'s I was thinking about changing my transmission in my car to a th400 but was wondering what would be better for the street rmvb or regular? After reading the thread in the FI section i dont know what i want to do... i thought with the th400 it was pretty much indestructable, get the rmvb and u can upshift and downshift pretty much whenever u want just as if it were a manual with out a clutch.. Are there any valve bodies for the th400 that u can do that with? and if possible have a trans brake too? And i was also wondering whats the difference between the after market shifters like the ones with the gates, ratchets, ect. ? Thanks
I run a RMVB TH400 with transbrake. Carl Rossler built it and I love it to death.
You do have to shift it all the time up or down and yeah its pretty much indestructible.
Shifter is more personal preference than anything else. I run a positive detent shifter, B&M Pro Stick. Try and get out and try some different shifters and see what you like best. Some prefer a rachet type shifter you just need to use both and see what you like.
You do have to shift it all the time up or down and yeah its pretty much indestructible.
Shifter is more personal preference than anything else. I run a positive detent shifter, B&M Pro Stick. Try and get out and try some different shifters and see what you like best. Some prefer a rachet type shifter you just need to use both and see what you like.
Pro Stick here too... you'll like it for being able to KNOW exactly what gear you're in and it has pretty easy mechanics... Just make sure when you buy it to get the RMVB gate too because it comes with a forward valve body gate...The gate is like $20 and mine came in one day...
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Launching!
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during normal street driving/not all out racing can you up shift and down shift when you want or will it break something? Like say you are cruising in 3rd and you want to pass some one or some one is messing around can u just put it in 2nd and take off?
i wouldn't recomend downshifting it too much. if you have enough power to warrant a TH400, and a decent torque converter.... you should never need to downshift the car to pass someone.
upshifting, i was told to wait until 2,500rpm to shift. i don't know much about manual valve bodies, so i just did what i was told by the shop who installed it.
upshifting, i was told to wait until 2,500rpm to shift. i don't know much about manual valve bodies, so i just did what i was told by the shop who installed it.
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On The Tree
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From: so cal
ratchet type is one you move like on a motorcycle shifter move the shift fwd to shift toward park and back to shift toward what would be manual 1st normally. a gated shifter is what you have in a stock car. with a manual vb what you put the shifter in the trans is in no matter what. they make diferent vb that sometimes put the manual low/ manual 2nd band on to help deccel somevb dont depend on what you want. most guys in street strip go reverse so that when they shift it is aways from neutral so you dont accidentally click into neutral. fwd pattern is typically for off roaders who throw it into neutral in case they get introuble in air or for racers who click into neutral and kill the motor after the finish line.
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Brett Foote Thread Starter
Launching!
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Originally Posted by back4more
ratchet type is one you move like on a motorcycle shifter move the shift fwd to shift toward park and back to shift toward what would be manual 1st normally. a gated shifter is what you have in a stock car. with a manual vb what you put the shifter in the trans is in no matter what. they make diferent vb that sometimes put the manual low/ manual 2nd band on to help deccel somevb dont depend on what you want. most guys in street strip go reverse so that when they shift it is aways from neutral so you dont accidentally click into neutral. fwd pattern is typically for off roaders who throw it into neutral in case they get introuble in air or for racers who click into neutral and kill the motor after the finish line.
With the rmvb gated shifter when you say when they shift its always from neutral do you mean from on the shifter like stock (prn->123) or when ever you go from one gear to the next it briefly puts the shifter in neutral then into the gear (1-n-2-n-3)? I'm a little lost i might be making this out to be more complicated then it is.. Basically what i want from the info i have gather from these posts and the ones in the forced inductions thread is that i want a rmvb th400 that keeps the front band and a gated shifter. Or can i use the stock shifter and just have to move it past the [d] to D to get it into first?
Originally Posted by 98 Z28
So when in a ratchet you never really put it in say first, second, or third gear like you can with the stock shifter, you just put it in drive and click it up/down to move to different gears?
With the rmvb gated shifter when you say when they shift its always from neutral do you mean from on the shifter like stock (prn->123) or when ever you go from one gear to the next it briefly puts the shifter in neutral then into the gear (1-n-2-n-3)? I'm a little lost i might be making this out to be more complicated then it is.. Basically what i want from the info i have gather from these posts and the ones in the forced inductions thread is that i want a rmvb th400 that keeps the front band and a gated shifter. Or can i use the stock shifter and just have to move it past the [d] to D to get it into first?
With the rmvb gated shifter when you say when they shift its always from neutral do you mean from on the shifter like stock (prn->123) or when ever you go from one gear to the next it briefly puts the shifter in neutral then into the gear (1-n-2-n-3)? I'm a little lost i might be making this out to be more complicated then it is.. Basically what i want from the info i have gather from these posts and the ones in the forced inductions thread is that i want a rmvb th400 that keeps the front band and a gated shifter. Or can i use the stock shifter and just have to move it past the [d] to D to get it into first?
RMVB is P R N 1 2 3. No going back to neutral. The Pro Stick works like this.
Pull it into first, jam the throttle and when the shift lite comes on pull the stick back towards you. Tires should briefly chirp and your in second. Now when the shift lite blazes again you squeeze the trigger and pull the stick towards you again. Third gear.
A rachet shifer returns to its original position after every shift.
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Launching!
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I just like the way the stock shifter is i dont feel like trying to get a different shifter and then getting a m6 center console so i can put an after market shifter in it to look clean... only way i will do that is if i really have to.
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Launching!
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Originally Posted by WE TODD DID
You don't want to down shift a manual valve body transmission. It isn't the same as hitting passing gear on an auto valve body. And stay away from ratchet shifters & T-handles!
Originally Posted by 98 Z28
Is that because the manual valve bodys for the most part do not keep the front band?
Originally Posted by WE TODD DID
Yes, it puts a lot of load on the sprag, where as when the band is there, it stops the drum.
I bought the TH400 to beat on it and by golly I am gonna beat on it.
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Launching!
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Originally Posted by revtime
This is interesting. When street driving a manual valve body sometimes you don't have much choice. If I kill it then I may have to redo it with engine braking in second gear. We'll see how it goes.
I bought the TH400 to beat on it and by golly I am gonna beat on it.
I bought the TH400 to beat on it and by golly I am gonna beat on it.
I have an ATI TH400 with RMVB and tbrake and i love it..... nice converter with a high stall eats up the choppiness and crappy driveablility i had when my car was a stick and it's an animal on the street....
and FWIW I tried not to downshift as well... I would get to the 1-2-3 in traffic and then keep it in 3rd until i was stopped... then click it up to 2 and then to 1.... when light turns green repeat..... at the track it's so simple a caveman could do it...
I bought the turbo action cheetah and I LOVE IT..... kickass shifter.....
and FWIW I tried not to downshift as well... I would get to the 1-2-3 in traffic and then keep it in 3rd until i was stopped... then click it up to 2 and then to 1.... when light turns green repeat..... at the track it's so simple a caveman could do it...
I bought the turbo action cheetah and I LOVE IT..... kickass shifter.....
can anyone go into more detail on what is needed to keep the stock shifter? i am going for that killer sleeper look and dont want to tear up the interior of my car this weekend when i do my swap.