Ok. My "performance" governor specially ordered from GM shifts at 5100 rpm, shorting me about 47hp according to my chassis dyno.
1) is it bad to shift (and sometimes downshift from 3-2) an automatic by hand? Will it keep in 1st gear past 5k without shifting by itself?
(Remember folks.. I am in new england and its near impossible to find roads where I can test stuff like this, and "test and tunes" at the track turn into 2 hour drives, $40 bucks in gas, $17 for a ticket, and 4 runs-- sorry off topic!).
I have been driving my car alot more lately since its so quiet and smooth it doesn't feel like it is going to break down at any second. 80% of the time I shift by hand from stoplights and stuff, usually s-l-o-w-l-y bringing it to 3k then pushing on it into the next gear.
When its in auto by the time I am 10 ft forward the darn thing is already in 3rd! I've left it in drive at the track before to have it downshift on me once I caught traction on street tires!).
Ok. I heard there is some sort of rod or something I can remove that does not effect the neutral safety switch that makes it easier to shift it by hand.
And 2). If I try to shift too quick, I skip gears, 1-3 or 1-N. I prefer to take off with both hands on the wheel when getting on it hard. When I'm doing stoplight to stoplight 40mph regular traffic, keeping my hand down there isn't a big deal, but at the track I don't know how I'd feel about not having both hands on the wheel (wimp award) except when shifting.
Do you guys who shift your turbo 350/400's with the staple shifter keep one hand on the shifter at all times during the 1/4? If not, how do you prevent pushing forward too many gears? I suppose I could set my shift light like 300rpm or more early and shift slow, but consistency would be way off.
I am gonna try drilling the governor once or twice again but I am sick of that infernal creation. you'd think they'd just have a machine they could stick it in, spin it, and tell you where itwill shift, then add or remove weight to make it shift where you want, sort of like those distributor machines you see sometimes.

Matt

$40 for a B & M governor calibration kit out of Summitt or Jegs or whatever.

Shurkey been down that road, I have the kit.

What a nightmare.

I could never get the RPM near where I waned it to even after like 10 tries, loosing 2 of those micro-sized e-clips and getting hot tranny fluid on myself.
I think if I were to do it, I'd try it jakeshoe style this time around grinding//drilling the weights and using what was it, 6d nails for the pins?
I may give the govenor recalib kit a try again, but that will have to wait a few weeks and I'll need to buy like 7 governor gaskets and a case of ATF.

You'd think the combo would be the same in every trans? So like weights 1 & 2 with yellow and green spring is 6200rpm.. or whatever.

Matt

You need an adjustable vacuum modulater to up your shifts while cruising.

its fine to upshift...but I wouldn't down shift

It wouldn't cost you 47 HP if you shifted it manually at the right rpm :D
I upshift manually at the track all the time,only way to do it my book graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I always manually shift my staple shifter when I'm at the track.
I don't beleive I've ever went 1st to D or into neutral. Shift it manually while cruising around to get used to the feel of how much pressure to use.

Yeah the gov calibration kit is just a way to make a $40 sale when you can do it for $2 at home.

Different trans pressures affect the overall shift rpm so it won't always be the same even if the governors are the same.

Trial and error...

It may not stay in 1st manually unless it has been modified to do so. A TransGo or TCi kit will do this.

Manually upshifting will not hurt it. I would not manually downshift from 3 to 2 unless under acceleration.

Do you have the kickdown hooked up?
It must be hooked up to get proper WOT auto shifts.

When I shift my TH400, there are distinct "clicks" as you shift from 1-2, then 2-3. Its very noticeable. Disconnect the linkage that controls the sleeve on the steering column and you will be fine.

CMT Where is this linkage that connects the steering column to the shifter? I watched closely the column move as I moved the shifter, but I couldn't find the link.

This won't affect the neutral safety switch will it? (isn't that electric anyway? I thought it was when I played with it last).

Matt,the linkage is underneath..just look under the car,where the cable hooks up.

double or triple the detent spring in the trans to stiffen the clicks, of just buy a good shifter :D

I had a 327 backed by a Th350 that I manual shifted all the time and it was ok....up and down shifts. I'm not saying it's a good thing to do, but they seem to hold up. Why not just throw a 4 speed in? ;) :D That's my plan for later on.

Madmarv, is there a website where you ordered your performance from, or did you just go to a GM dealer?

69,

it was a GM dealer.
But they said it was a special part number that specified holes in the weights for higher shift rpms.

But to me it seems exactly the same shift RPMs.

matt