Any up side to having one? Got a TCI TH400 and i didnt know it was reverse pattern till i ran the part number, turns out it is full race set up, hopefully it will work fine on the street but i am confident my fear of getting a trans that will not hold up are non existent for now.


Never know what you get some times, but guess it isnt bad for 540$.

 

Here is the trans from Jegs:

http://www.jegs.com/i/TCI/890/212000/10002/-1


Going to call them later to see what all is in the trans besides the usual.

 

Normal shift pattern is PRN321
Reverse shift pattern is PRN123

This means as you're manually upshifting, it's impossible to go into neutral once you're in high gear.

Downside is you need to slow down and downshift back to first gear before shifting into neutral. Providing the valve body allows engine braking in first and second gear, downshifting at too high a speed will over-rev the engine. If it doesn't have engine braking then downshifting allows the tranny to freewheel and the engine won't slow you down. On the street, if you let off the throttle, you'll still be coasting at the same speed. You don't realize how much engine braking there is until you don't have any. On the race track, many people don't want engine braking. It puts a lot of stress on the rods when slowing down from high speeds.

It's a personal preference. I've had both in my race car and prefer to slam the shifter forward when shifting. With a ratchet shifter, I can't accidentally put it into neutral anyway.

 

Guess the neutral thing is no biggy, looks like i am glad i didnt buy a shifter yet, LOL.

 

Any B&M shifter just takes different "gates" for the shifter for forward pattern or reverse pattern they are $13 a piece. I like my magnum grip shifter over the more common ball handle shifters like the pro stick. You have to watch how you down shift coming off the throttle for a stoplight/traffic and SLOWLY rolling back into it with a bigger stall since with a transbrake trans there is no engine braking.

 

Engine braking with a regular automatic doesnt hardly exist, bu with the manual VB, i am sure it is like a manual trans sort of right? Not the same, but in general, you cannot down shift till the revs are down in the right spot or at a dead stop i am guessing? I will get use to it, i wanted forward pattern, but for the price, i am going o be glad i got what i did, i dont think i will be able to break this trans if it never gets too hot.

Going to be my first automatic not to have to hook up a detent cable on.


Just going to get a shifter that says "Forward oe reverse pattern" and be done with it.


So, gated or ratchet? I have never used a hated shifter and have seen them, they seem cheaper in design but perhaps longer lasting.

 

Well, always liked the look of the pro stick, so, i just won a brand new one off Ebay for 120$, saved 50$. Still, budget is getting shorter, LOL.


Going to make it fit in the console and have a custom boot made so it looks like it was meant to be there.

 

i'm running a hurst pistol grip quarter stick, with a RMVB th400 with no engine braking in 1/2 and a trans brake. it's not too bad on the street.

 

I have used the th400 reverse for the last 7 years. I seems easier to pull back then push forward under acceleration plus I like the chance of not going into neutral. I have had many a handle loosen up pushing the shifter forward. I have had the B and M Megashifter in my car and it works with all forward and reverse style 3 speed valve bodies. I even raced last year running a glide. It was the most versitle shifter I have ever used.

 

Damb, can't find the info I posted for Matt, was hoping to be lazy and not re-type it, lol.


There's a few things you need to know/do correctly when it comes to a manual shifted auto, especially a typical non-engine braking type vb.

- 1) Never down shift while on the gas, or smack the gas from idle/low rpm while rolling in 1st or 2nd. Low gear has a roller sprag and 2nd has the intermediate sprag(the one you mostly hear about). Each sprag is "holding" in it's respective gear, meaning it is keeping the gear set from counter rotating from the input shaft. - With no engine braking the sprag will freewheel (gear set rotation) unless it is loaded. Meaning, if you're at a low roll or you down shift, it "free wheels" until load is applied. If you smack the gas from a low rpm roll or smack it during a down shift you have just given the engine a running start at loading that sprag, which will break it in short time. When the rpm threshold is met the sprag has to stop that freewheeling engine and gear set.

If you have to down shift(obviously at some point with typical street driving you will need to) lift off the gas, shift the trans, then ease back up onto the gas till you feel it "catch-up" to the load, then do as you please.

- 2) Never purposely instigate a burn-out in 1st gear. Ideally just use high gear, but if there's not enough available power, start in 2nd and quickly shift to high before allowing the rpm to level out and/or the tires to "free spin". - This goes back to the 1st deal; if the tires are spinning the sprag is not loaded, therefore when they do catch the drivetrain again has a running start at loading the sprag.

Shifting in the burn-out box is pointless anyway. RPM is not needed to heat the tires you need wheel speed. Simple logic, wheel speed is higher in higher gears.

- 3) Shifter adjustment(this goes for all automatic trans). With a good competition shift you will not only have the stock transmission gear detents, but also the shifter gate detents. - There is no quicker way to kill a trans than a miss-adjusted shifter. If the shifter is not properly adjusted to match the trans detent points, the trans will not completely select/unselect one gear or another, which quickly results in burnt clutches/bands due to partial apply pressure.

The type of shifter used is up to personal prefference, some people like pistol grips, some people like the ball handles, I personally like a t-handle and use a Cheeta/SCS but have also used & liked a pro ratchet. - Just make sure to follow the proper procedures when adjusting it and periodically check for wear/slack in the components, including the cable.




Forward vs revese pattern is no question to me. Release the trans-brake to a 1.1x or better 60' at 70+mph and tell me how to shift a fwd pattern shifter inside of the first 2 seconds. - I do a "cowboy arm release" off the brake button which orients my hand/arm to grab the shifter or the shift button as quickly as possible and it's still difficult to make the 1-2 on time.

 

^^great info, i live by this to keep my transmission alive

 

Great info guys thanks, i have never run anything but standard VB trans that CAN be manually shifter, s this is a first, guess i am glad i am starting out with a bad *** trans.


No need to worry about the detent cable as there is none on this one, but i learned how to set them a long time ago after killing a used 700R.

Still trying to figure out what stall to get, i like the Jegs 2700-3000, but when it is time for the turbo setup, it will destroy it, but i might have to cheap out for now.

 

the jegs units are built by transmission specialties, so they're not exactly bad pieces. give Justin (Fast383) a pm and see what he can do for you.

 

What's a "cowboy arm release?"

Seems like what would work best would depend on where your transbrake button is, like if it can be operated by your left hand or if it's mounted on the shifter I don't think that the pattern matters much, where if it's mounted on the right side of your wheel only a revers pattern will work in a fast car.

I've always wanted a forward pattern that still has automatic shifting in high gear and a trans brake (makes more sense on a street car that sees track time, I can't seem to get used to a reverse pattern on the street), but that's a pretty odd combination, I've heard of a few totally custom setups like that but never seen one.

 

push the transbrake button off the steering wheel with your right arm across your chest and release it like a cowboy on a bull up in the air then reach down to grab the shifter I suppose is what he's saying

 

I've done high gear only burnouts but generally start in low then quickly shift to high. My burnout rev limiter is set for 6000 rpm so high gear at 6000 rpm and I guess I'm doing roughly 100 mph wheel speed. My burnouts are short only lasting 5-10 seconds but it's enough to get them sticky.

 

The required way to prevent damage to a TH400 is to start the spin and remain low revs, hit 2nd and then proceed to higher RPM for the burn out. What i have read anyway.

 

not based on what shagwell has posted, and i trust him (since he built my trans)

 

no ALWAYS start in 2nd, or 3rd if you can and just hit it. I have always started in 2nd then grabbed 3rd almost immediately after, haven't tried with the new combo just keeping it in 3rd and letting it eat. Maybe I can just do that instead now....

 

I will try it, if the little 5.3 can turn the tires in 2nd on motor. Going to test before and after the boost, hell, i dont know when the boost is going to be on it with the non existent budget, LOL.

 

any car can spin them in 2nd, 3rd might be a little more difficult. I tried with my old vortec 355 combo and it couldn't get them going, this one probably can though

 

Im sure it will, think it was car craft, made 425 FWHP out of a junk yard 5.3 with a smaller cam than i am using and no tune(just the MSD #1 pill) with unported junk 5.3 heads, so i think it can. Should be interesting to see ow it runs on motor, i might even spray it a bit as well.

 

My brake button is also my line-lock button, and is on the left side of my steering wheel. I use a toggle switch(on overhead switch box) to flip between functions, use my left thumb on the button for the burn-out and use my right thumb on the button for the t-brake. - I have previously tried running the brake button on the shifter, but (back to that 1.1x 60' at 70+ mph) the moment you even think about releasing the button to launch you will be in 2nd gear if you're holding the shifter. G-force is a motha.

The only way I ever managed to have the button on the shifter was with the pro-ratchet. When I pre-staged I'd shift to neutral, pull it back to 1st gear and hold it, roll into stage and hit the button. Then I'd release the entire thing, thus releasing the button and allowing the shifter to spring back to center and be ready to make the 1-2 change. Problem I had with that was again the speed required for the 1-2 change; my arm being back from release and needing to reach forward to grab the shifter and make the gear change. - That problem was compounded in our old car, as the 2.48 low gear + a 5.13 rear gear makes for a nasty quick low gear.



xpndbl3 pretty well explained the "cowboy arm", though I release more across than up, thus putting my hand right to the shifter. The arm release method is technically faster(requires more muscles to move your thumb than your entire arm, and your bicep is often the strongest/quickest reacting muscle in your body), though everyone should do whatever is the most comfortable for them. - I do have a co2 shifter and the button for it is on the right side of the steering wheel. I sometimes use it for the 2-3 change, but almost always make the 1-2 manually.


As for spinning the tires in 2nd or high, it's actually pretty easy even with a very mild motor if you initiate your burn-out in the edge of the water box. I sometimes do a 2-3, sometimes do a high gear only. That often depends on the track, due to varying distances from the water box to the line. If I have a lot of room I'll roll forward of the water and do the 2-3, if space is limited I start in the edge of the water and do a high only. - I'm allowed to go past the tree in both classes I run, but I see no point in it. My burn-outs are often amongst the shortest in the class; car still 60's & 330's at least as good as everyone else and I get a lot more life out of my tires.

 

^ sorry, for some reason I've had a lot of "novel" responses lately.

That's available in some of the electronic controlled valvebody trans(like the 4L80E). I've seen a few for regular hyd controlled vb's, but I've yet to see one that really functioned properly or had a decent release time.

 

Here is the pro ratchet i got in the car last week:



Reverse gate was bought and installed, had to mod the console, but its cool.

 

looks like a quarter stick to me.

 

Yea, i noticed they both looks the same as well. But alas, it is the B&M. Making it fit was pretty fun, i used 1 stock mounting hole in the rear, drilled out the other, then used a Megashifter bracket in the front, welded to it to mount the front with the stock mounting holes, worked out great.

 

Dude if you clean off the layers of dust and mold I think you could shave a full second off your quarter Also the womens deodorant hanging out on the passengers floor is just random lol Is this the car in your sig or the one for the turbo project?

 

If you put two and two together, you would have figured t out, this is the wife's Trans Am, there is so much crap i need to clean out of it, it is pathetic, i bought here a 03 Trailblazer with the 5.3 and all leather/loaded, so not she doesn't touch the TA, so i ripped out the 355 and built 700R, sold it and now the 5.3 swap and turbo has begun, LOL.

I just knew someone was going to notice the dirt/deodorant, LOL.

The car in my sig can get a bit full of racing stuff, tools and towels, but thats about it.

 

Pro Ratchet:


Pro Stick:


you have the pro stick

 

I know this, but i dont know why the hell i put pro ratchet? Think it is because i was looking at one for a friend, LOL.

 

cool ^ another race car for the ranks!

 

5.3 all motor, hardly a race car, gotta wait till the boost is on, LOL>

 

I just mounted my qtr stick in the factory location. . Easiest way to get tit at he right height was to use 3/8 brake line and 5/16 bolts. The 5/16 bolt fit perfect in the brake line. I only used 3 mounting holes and it is very firm. Plus, the installation was simple and very easy to adjust the height if ever needed.

 

Got my quarter stick right at the stock height and tilt. I used a piece of steel and bent it into position and then tig welded it to the floor board. I actually would have liked it to bit a bit lower though.

 

I love the way mine sits lower. I used a bracket off a megashifter and welded it to the base to get it to sit they way i got it to.

 

is that a transbrake button i see on the console there justin? looks good there it's very functional there (that's where mine is, lol)

 

It is a brake button. I ordered it for a customer from TCI and he ended up getting a different one so in my car it went.

I was leary about putting it there but I can hold it down with my palm and get right to the shifter. Glad to hear it works well.

 

I noticed, i dont have neutral in my car when i drop the pro stick to 1st, i can hold the lever down and it stops in 1st, i push it forward like it will be in neutral and it is still in 1st, i have to push the reverse lock out release and then go to park, then reverse then neutral, if i go any further, it locks out neutral again, normal i am assuming?

 

^ sounds like something is not adjusted right. - No quicker way to kill a trans than a miss-adjusted shifter.

 

 

Well, does anyone else have this shifter or experienced one? I think it might just lock out neutral since it is a reverse pattern? I have adjusted B&M shifters with the cables before and as directions said, i have it perfect as they said it should be.

 

You should be able to go into neutral with just the release trigger on the handle. The lock-out lever only stops you from going into reverse.

I have a pro-stick in the stang on a rm/b 400.

 

Ok, well, i wonder why it is doing that. I set it perfect as directions say and what not.

 

might need a small adjustment from 1st and neutral moved over just a bit, mine sometimes won't click neutral unless i bump the reverse lockout just the slightest amount, but for racing and all setup purposes, 1-2-3 is all perfectly aligned. As is going from park to neutral and snagging the transbrake button for reverse, I'm sure it's a 1/4 turn on the nuts to line it up and something that's on my to-do list.

 

Well, seems I just need to mess with it when I helicoil one of my trans pan bolts that is stripped out. One of the actual two mounting points for the cable actually.

 

^ could be something as simple as that. - Was this a new shifter & cable? The cables develope slack over-time which in turn can cause many detent issues like you're having. The small diamter cheapy cables can have too much slack brand-new sometimes.