Hey guys, looking for opinions and experience. So the run down is I have a ‘96 1500 5.2L 4x4 with 355s and about 35” tall tires and 298k on the clock. This past weekend I installed the sure cure and changed the fluid that came out as a band aid, due to the high mileage, color/smell of the fluid removed and deposits I found in the pan I know my trans is on borrowed time.

All that aside, the truck really doesn’t slip in gear yet so I would tend to think it should be ok for awhile longer. I feel like the problem is control, when the truck is fully warmed up and driven on a level surface directly to 55 or so it shifts like it is suppose to, much smoother after the sonnax kit. My problem comes when I only accelerate to 35 40 45 and so on, it will get “hung up” in second gear. The worst is when traveling downhill, the trans will be stuck in second and actually engine brake down close to 10 mph or so before it finally releases. Other times it will “miss” third, which I would write off as a slip but when it engages no matter what is behind the truck once it has that gear it’s good, unless it decides to go back into second without any added throttle or incline. Which is my other problem, sometimes even when driving on a level surface at 40-45 trans will shift to third, then a few seconds later back to second then when I back off the throttle it will go back to third then overdrive then lockup.

So my question is, did I miss something in the valve body? The sonnax kit absolutely helped my trans with harsh shifting into drive and delayed reverse operation, as well as making the trans actually shift correctly on a level drive but I still have my previous conditions but now exclusively to less than favorable conditions. Could worn out clutched and associated hard parts cause my problems or am I not finished with the valve body. I feel like a full rebuild isn’t necessary yet but I’d definitely hate to pull the whole thing apart and spend all the money to have the same problems.

Thank you

 

Should have changed the electronics while you were in there..... Did you adjust the bands as well?

 

I meant to put that I also replaced governer pressure sensor and solenoid as well as adjusting the bands. Only real damage I found was a broken spring in one of the pistons (the one sonnax sends because it’s always broken). Do you think there could be a problem with the shift solenoids?

 

Install a remote filter in the transmission cooler line. It has fixed my shifting issues couple times already just by adding or changing my online filter. Worth a try.

 

Tv cable adjusted correctly? Might want to remove the check valve on the cooler line. Check pressures to see what it has. If you have or can get an OBD reader that reads live data you can see what the pcm is seeing as far as the pressure sensor.
http://www.atraonline.com/manuals/se...0/2000_154.pdf

 

What specs did you use to adjust the bands?

 

Your gonna hate me, I did not have a socket that would fit them or a torque wrench to go low enough, I believe 72 in/lb, so I snugged them both (being sure to error on the side of too slack) and backed out the front 2 7/8s and the rear 2 turns even.

looks like my best bet is to buy a pressure gauge to verify TV adjustment

 

Hhhmmm.... some folks have stated that 2 and 7/8ths is too much on the front band. (yeah, the one INSIDE the friggin' trans. MonteC, our resident trans expert, that we haven't seen in quite some time, recommended 1.5 to 2 turns.......

 

I hesitate to argue with you but the front band adjuster was on the outside, though if I need to drop the pan to run that adjuster in a bit I’m willing to if it will help my issue but I don’t see how it would.

 

Is it? I know one of them is inside..... Its just generally my luck to have to address the part that is hardest to get to.