A343 Transgo Reprogram Kit Install - 1995-1997 (1 Viewer)

[scottryana]

It has been a while, but I would say that there could be ball next to the green C, if there is, take it out and move it to orange C. If there is no ball there, nothing to remove. I can't remember if there were extra balls in the kit. Or if I just had to move one from one place to another.

 

[DARKNESS]

Thanks @scottryana . I think you're right on the green ball. There's nothing next to it so I'll leave it.

I'm still investigating the orange ball. I found these on the internet machine. These guys have the check ball there. However, looking at the original post by @lilevo, I don't see that check ball.

 

[DARKNESS]

I just started installing mine today (I bought a used valve body to do this on to save time). Good lord it's messy and ATF smells terrible. I hope it's worth it.

 

[scottryana]

It is.

I just started installing mine today (I bought a used valve body to do this on to save time). Good lord it's messy and ATF smells terrible. I hope it's worth it.

 

[dogfishlake]

I just started installing mine today (I bought a used valve body to do this on to save time). Good lord it's messy and ATF smells terrible. I hope it's worth it.

Totally worth it!

 

[dogfishlake]

Here's a video I did recording in and out temps on my intercooler. You can hear the solid shifts.

https://goo.gl/photos/SFUohCEqwZRkLP4K7

 

[DARKNESS]

That does look awesome.

 

[DARKNESS]

I took some pictures of the valve body that I just took out.

Check ball locations are the same as the used one I modified.

 

[shocktower]

I am thinking of doing this on my Diesel swap, I still have not completely got the full potential of my new stand alone, I have Tc lock up at 35 and 45 3rd and OD 4th, I am still thinking of adding a 2nd gear TC lock-up . You did a great write up and pictures

 

[1973Guppie]

it's a great mod that is relatively easy to do and inexpensive. Coupled with the supercharger and now the 4.88 gears the truck feels like it should of been from the factory.

 

[scottryana]

Yeah before I did the shift kit and even on relatively low boost it felt okay, but after the shift kit things just felt so much more solid, it honestly felt like I gained 10-15% more power and the shifts felt much better.

 

[DARKNESS]

Tips on getting the fipg off the pan? Getting it off the trans was easy because it's flat but the pan has a lip that makes scraping difficult.

 

[shocktower]

Tips on getting the fipg off the pan? Getting it off the trans was easy because it's flat but the pan has a lip that makes scraping difficult.

Narrow gasket scraper

 

[txlonghorn]

Wire wheel

 

[DARKNESS]

Drain bolt: 15 ft lb
Pan bolts: 65 in lb
Strainer and Valve Body: 7 ft lb

I used a small plastic scraper to take off most of the fipg and a brass brush to finish it off.

 

[jaymar]

I recently installed a turbo kit on my truck and stock shifts were hurting bad. Very slow, lots of flare, etc. This reprogram kit costs about $100 and is different from the standard shift kit at around $60 because it includes drill bits to machine out the shifting points in the separation plate between the valve bodies. I highly recommend this kit because you are pulling everything apart anyways. You might as well do a little bit more work and be much happier.

Turbo Build thread here: DIY FJZ80 Low Budget Turbo Build

Onto the installation. I started around 3pm and was finished and driving by 8pm.

Here are the steps in word-format

Before you do any of this make sure to order two new valve body gaskets. They are around $11.50 each. Mine had 238k on them and I probably could have reused them. They were still pliable and not rock solid and chipping into a million pieces. Still cheap and good peace of mind with new gaskets.

1) Drain trans pan, remove upper and lower bolts for fill tube, remove all trans pan bolts and pan
2) Remove trans filter, unhook the kickdown cable from the drum, solenoid connectors, and valve body
3) A small spring and check valve along with two larger springs will likely fall out when you drop the valve body. Ensure you find these pieces.
4) Separate valve body upper and lower portions.
5) Install a new spring into the valve body, remove two check balls, and slightly enlarge three holes in the metal separation plate. Install two new gaskets and put the valve body halves back together.
6) Remove old small springs that are attached to the accumulators and and put the transgo springs into the other side of each accumulator as shown in the directions.
7) Bolt valve body back into transmission and put everything back together.

Here is the picture version

Take the pan off

Remove the cable from the drum

Remove valve body

Pieces that may fall out when you remove valve body. Accumulators and anti drainback valve

Replace accumulator springs with kit springs

Accumulator stock springs in front discarded

Stock springs attached to accumulators removed

Our valve body is a Type 1. The instructions are very easy to follow. I only removed two check balls, and swapped one spring (PR spring) in the valve body. The transmission already holds in L gear to any RPM you want without automatically shifting so there was no need to do any low gear modifications.

Parts removed from valve body

Bolts holding the upper and lower valve body portions to each other

Valve body separated

Dirty plate with old gasket

Cleaned up plate

Gasket - plate - gasket

Drills provided with the kit

Drill sheet. The only thing I had to do was the 1-2, 2-3, and 3-4 drilling. I used the "truck" drill bit sizes. If you want even firmer shifting than what is in the video below then go one or two sizes larger. Everything else on the sheet was set/complete/no work needed

Enlarging the 1-2 shift port

Enlarging the 2-3 shift port

Enlarging the 3-4 shift port

Video of the poor shifting before the shift kit:


Video of the fast shifting with the shift reprogram kit:



So there you have it. Looking for more performance out of your transmission look no further. I highly recommend this kit to everyone as the improvement is dramatic and you can even have it shifting quicker and harder than my video by drilling slightly larger. If you can do a head gasket or timing chain job then this will be cakewalk for you.

It looks daunting at first just reading the directions, but once everything is apart you will realize how easy it is and how little work you have to do inside. The majority of the work is scraping the transmission and pan gasket surface clean and unbolting/bolting the valve body.

Just out of curiosity: how many mudders spin this fast? I try not to break 3000 RPM.

 

[DARKNESS]

Done! I was fully expecting an explosion when I started driving it but it was uneventful. It took alot more fluid than I guessed to fill it. About 8.5 qts though that overfilled it slightly. 8.25 would probably have been perfect. It's a subtle difference but it is firmer and quicker shifting drilled out for the truck setting. Feels less slushy in general. Driving normally it was not harsh at all. I pushed it pretty hard on the highway and it got a little harsh. It's early, but It also seems the squeak I used to get shifting into reverse is gone. I'll have to drive it more for for the final verdict but so far so good.

 

[NLXTACY]

Just out of curiosity: how many mudders spin this fast? I try not to break 3000 RPM.

I hit 5k often

 

[jaymar]

I hit 5k often

 

[DARKNESS]

Well, after a few days of driving I have to agree with @scottryana. It was worth it. Also, I think he's right on the money that the kit more or less rejuvenates an old transmission that is worn but not destroyed. I don't notice any major differences. It just feels like it should. All the little delays in taking off when I punch the gas are gone. It doesn't squeak anymore when I change the gears. Also, I used to get an odd honking sound when accelerating uphill at random times. That also seems to be gone. Prior to this I had flushed the fluid and adjusted the kickdown cable and it didn't fix any of those problems. I should mention that I also changed the solenoid and accumulator o-rings while I was in there. Plus, I cleaned out a nice coating of black sludge from the bottom of the pan. I did not clean or replace the filter screen. I was going to, but it looked pristine. Whatever fixed my issues, it was worth the couple hours covered in ATF. The only thing I would do differently is put a large flat rubbermaid tub under there while working, because it's hard to keep the fluid off the concrete with only a small draintainer.