texasGXP08

I believe tuning can increase the line pressure and set the actual shift points, while the shift kit actually decreases the travel distance of the shift solenoids, and the spring pressure behind them. I guess increasing line pressure could give you a similar effect but you maybe putting more stress on the transmission.

Hopefully more people can add in here, since I have not played with my TCM tune.

RickAKATed10

iTrader: (1)

I think I'll be doing this when I have to do a fluid change. Thanks!

EmersonHart13

iTrader: (3)

Have one sitting in my garage from TEP... When the weather gets warm enough and before 36k I will be doing my change and installing a cooler too. Dave at TEP hooked me up and answered all my questions. HE ROCKS!

JessmoMonteSS

iTrader: (1)

Bringing this thread back to life!

I just installed my Transgo shift kit today and it's definitely a nice little upgrade. Took me about an hour to complete. I was nervous about dropping my pan and finding some shrapnel in there but to my surprise there was nothing out of the ordinary. This is my 2nd trans fluid exchange on the original tranny (talked to previous owner and he said it was original), did my first @ 55k miles when I bought it and now has 81k.

As for the quality of shifts, the up shift is a slight improvement. Definitely a quicker shift but I need a little more seat time to really get a feel for it. The downshifts, however, are night and day! Much quicker response and she chirps the tires a lot easier now lol. Hopefully with my cooler and shift kit I'll get a lot more miles out of this transmission before it fails. Then it's time for a TEP trans.

xxtheshockerxx

great thread. now i want to get one

Lonney

Thanks for the thread, this along with a few others helped. I have/had an 02 Impala with this problem.

Today I installed a TransGo shift kit from TEP, scuffed the accumulators, new (US made) filter, and refilled it with Allison approved TES-295 fluid. The pan was clean, bit of stuff on the magnet - not bad for 125,000 miles. I cut open the old filter and it looked pretty good too.

The battery was disconnected for about 5 hours which will have reset the PCM - the last time the PCM was reset a few months ago the shifts were quite soft for a couple of days, then they firmed up back to how it was before the reset.

After installing the kit and the PCM reset, the shifting is again soft, but the shifting feels much more direct and positive - I cant wait for the PCM to finish its relearn phase (or what ever it does) and firm things up again.

Refilling the transmission I used exactly 8 quarts, and its about half way between the high and low marks on the dipstick. I actually measured the fluid that came out, and it was just shy of 8 quarts.