I should have worded that differently, they do not leave with stock settings/parts in them. At the bare minimum they get a Transgo TFOD-Jr kit: cooler flow in park, new OD accumulator spring (which is usually broken), new HD boost valve spring clip (also usually broken), and a mild increase in line pressures make it well worth the less than $50 it cost. Then I tailor the shift firmness to the needs of the customer as well as add more lockup pressure and shorten the lockup shift event... Nothing annoys me more than a lazy shift, even if it's just the converter locking up.

For reference, I built/installed this truck's entire drive line (pump work, turbo, injectors, transmission, transfer case, rear drive shaft, and rear axle).


Granted that one has a little more done to it than just a Transgo Jr, the fact that he's been pulling with it since last summer has to be worth something.

 

cool. anyone around Wisconsin who's truck can make it there needs to go see BlackSky.

 

Thanks, I'm here mostly to give advice when I can. While I won't pass up more work, I also don't want to break any forum rules if I need to pay a vendor fee to peddle my services and/or parts.

 

Welp, interesting update and I'm puzzled once again....

I replaced the transmission cooler with one that is even bigger (longer) than the one I pulled off my truck. Road tested it, and it ran real good, better than it ever has, for a little over an hour solid, mainly highway, 65-75 mph, no issues, more than twice as long as it had been lasting (Previously the tranny overheated within about 30 minutes or so), long enough I was pretty well convinced I was out of the woods and finally had it fixed. Then next thing I know, the "O/D OFF" light comes on, and about 5 minutes later, "TRANS TEMP" light. It would seem that replacing the cooler did help it, but did not fix it. So I guess my next plan of attack is to replace the line containing the check valve, and if that doesn't work, I will eliminate the check valve and go from there. I will post updates.....

 

Just drill out the little ball in the check valve, and be done with it. It is a known failure point on these transmissions.

 

Fair enough. I do have one more question pertaining to the transmission cooling. Can someone tell me the transmission fluid path in this whole process? From what I have gathered, it seems like it goes from the transmission (pan) to the tranny cooler, then from the cooler to the radiator via the top line, then from radiator back to the transmission via the bottom line. Is there more to it than that, or is that pretty much it? Any explanation and/or diagrams would be awesome if available. Just trying to get as good of an understanding of my truck as possible. As always, thanks in advance!

 

Fluid leaves trans via the line closest to the front of the trans. That line goes to the bottom fitting on the radiator, thru the cooler in there, out to the aux cooler (if you have one) and then back into the pan. Check valve is supposed to prevent drainback from the converter. (which is sorta does....) Problem is, it gets crudded up, clogs, and then you get limited, or NO flow thru the cooler, which smokes the trans in relatively short order.

 

Ok. So is it normal for the check valve to be in the line going to the bottom of the radiator? Because that is where mine is. What I have going on is, one of the lines from the transmission routes to the bottom line from my cooler that sits between the radiator and condenser, then the top line from that cooler bolts in to the top of the radiator, and the check valve line goes from the bottom of the radiator to the other line going to the transmission.

 

Routing is correct. I think you are confusing 'routing' with 'flow' though. Read my earlier post.

 

Gotcha. I just used the word routing to describe where my lines are at, but I wasn't totally sure on the flow. I had previously thought the check valve was in a return line to the transmission, but after reading your description, if I have grasped it right, it goes transmission>>bottom radiator>>top radiator>>external cooler>>back to transmission as far as flow, right?