janine

I am running an automatic tranny in an 02 GT. I am considering switching to a full manual valve body with trans brake installed for $1874. Can anyone tell me what I can expect out of this tranny set up other than off the line?

Off the line, I will be able to floor the throttle and it will rev up to the converters limit with out wheel spin. When I hit it the botton, the engine -- already fully engaged -- will not miss a beat and take off the line like a sling shot. That part is clear.

My question is this: how will this tranny work in a race off a roll and at high rpm on the highway? Will I be able to downshift when racing off a roll like a automatic does? Will I still get that hellacious down shift the automatic gives? Is the trans brake a disadvantage in this regard? If so, what can I expect?

Any insight would be very helpful.

Thanks
Janine

HaneyMotorsport.Com

I do not think you will be happy with that set-up for a street car. I assume this is a street car, since you are talking about racing from a roll. First of all, using a brake on the street is going to be useless, unless you are slicked down and there is rubber on the street. If you have street tires with the brake, all it is going to do is blow the tires off. What size converter and stall speed do you have ? I believe anything below 4000 grand, doesn't warrant a brake. You would be better off foot braking or flashing the converter from idle. As far as the manual valve body, I also don't think it would be good. This set-up in general (not sure about ecm controlled trans) run a lot of line pressure. Say for example, you are cruising in 2nd and pull it down to 1st, it is going to hit 1st gear hard and fast. You have to know how to drive it. If not you will start breaking parts i.e. trans, drivetrain, etc. Bottom line, if it going to be a street car you are far better off getting a built street/strip trans with a matching converter. I hope this info will help you.

janine

Yes, my 02 Mustang 4.6 2V is a Supercharged street car that dynos at 456 RWHP at 6500. The Aode tranny has been rebuilt last year with a shift kit, harden shaft, wide ratio gears, and valve body modification for firm shifts. The converter is Pro Torque with 3200 rpm stall -- but for some reason all it goes up to is 2600 before the tires spin.

Fred Brown Transmissions in Bay Shore New York has done all work on my tranny. Recently, I've been having problems with it. It has been losing pressure and thrusting it self into netural when I step on it from a start. As soon as I let off the throttle, the engine would lurch back into gear and the charger belt would make a short slip noise.

Fred determined that the pan was slightly crushed causing the filter to press up against the pan sump. This lead to fluid deprovation under high pressure load. Hence, the netural lock up problem.

The pan was crushed or should I say dented while in the process of installing a new DSS built Long Block. The installer, Mustang Magic in Deer Park New York (www.mustangmagic.com) carelessly mishandled the original 4.6 2V engine when it was taken down on the floor. Both tranny and engine attached were placed on the concrete with nothing under the tranny pan to protect it.

That problem has been corrected, but the tranny has gliches in it that are very disconcerting. I get no passing gear in full Aode mode over 60 mph. I mean no acceleration at all at WOT.

It was Fred's idea to switch to a manual valve body because he says the computer will no longer control the tranny and it can take more punishment.

I guess this will make his job easier....

Anyway, I do appreciate your insight to this matter. For now I am running in 3rd gear all the time instead of in Aode overdrive mode. The engine revs more but I found it to have more torque and moves up the powerband much more quicker, and it sounds wicked. It still doesn't downshift over 60 mph but it doesn't matter. It pulls so well with out it.

So for now, with your advise, I will stay with my Aode and run in 3rd gear, using the overdrive only to cruse -- problem is I never cruse; I am always on the throttle.

Thanks
Janine