the thread on sf was about shiming the two accumulators that control the 1-2 and 2-3 shifts. in a nutshell the process is as follows, im doing this next weekend as a matter of fact.
purpose: to increase how quick the transmission shifts to avoid heating the fluid as much during aggressive driving, cooler fluid, longer lasting transmission, your enemy #1 is heat.
1. prefferably remove tranny
2. remove the bottom oil pan after draining as much as possible and save pan and bolts.
3. remove 3 bolts that hold the strainer in place, then remove strainer.
4. there are two tubes going from the valve body to the actual transmision that are about 2 inches long. remove these by SOFTLY prying them out with a screwdriver.
5. begin to unbolt the valve body bolts 1 at a time and make sure you label EXACTLY where each bolt goes, each bolt can only go IN ONE SPOT SO DONT MIX THEM. after those have been removed the valve body can be removed but before doing so the gear selctor arm must be unbolted, (make sure to remember exactly how it is positioned before removing, one end will be over a pronged wheel and must go back the way it came off otherwise you wont be shifting much) then the kickdown cable must be removed. pretty much like your throttle cable is.
6. once those have been taken off you can see in one corner there will be 3 different circled tubes about the width of quarters with little cilinders and springs in them. (also there will be a small ball and spring that may fall out if you tip the tranny so wach to make sure nothing falls out (i have no pics so bare with me) when you find the 3 cylinders by pressing down on them and popping them out, the ones you want will read B-2 and C-2 on the side, These are the ones taht will be shimmed.
7. what i found to be the average shim thickness on sm was APPROX 6mm thickness of a shim. this shim will sit inside of the accumulator, between the accumulator and the spring, NOT on the end of the spring away from accumulator. what is ideal is to find a shim that is 1/3 the travel of the spring.
8. another thing that is done or shown on sf is the tying down of the kickdown cable that will provide WOT oil pressure in the tranny at all times.
9. then you reassemble putting all the valvebody bolts back exactly where they came from and installing your nrew strainer.
this is just a roughwalkthrough of what you would do. im doing this next weekend with 7 quarts of royal purp atf, new strainer, and twin oil coolers runing up front. i will post pics of my work and flexplate change and hopefully put this in the faq for our own use.
what im still looking for is the exact dimensions of the shim, i know the height, just not the diameter of the inside of the accumulators so i can have them premade before i do this. if anyone knows, do chime in.
