i currently have a turbo 400...it was just recently rebuilt with a racing shift kit and extra strong internals...it is the standard forward shift pattern...i really want and need to go to transbrake....from what i have read all the turbo 400 transbrakes are reverse manual valve bodies...to get a transbrake do i also have to buy a new valve body?...and other then the transbrake what else is needed? solenoid? ..there is alot i dont know and any answers and overviews would be greatly helpful

 

Transbrakes come complete as a kit. It will include a valve body, solenoid etc. About the only other thing you'll need is a momentary button to activate it. Some people have the button on the shifter. I have mine on the steering wheel.

To install the transbrake, the tranny needs to come out and be disassembled for some internal modifications. It's not just a simple valve body swap.

I don't think anyone makes a TH400 transbrake valve body in a forward shift pattern. The reverse pattern is PRN123. That means once you shift up in the gears you can't shift into neutral or reverse until you shift down through all the gears. Some people feel your body can pull the shifter faster than pushing it for quicker shifts. If you're driving on the street, you want a kit that allows engine braking. Without it, when you let off the gas to coast or slow down, the engine won't slow you down at all.

Transbrakes operate by engaging the reverse gear at the same time when the transmission is in first gear. This locks the tranny gears and no power gets to the driveshaft. When the transbrake is released, the fluid in the reverse circuit is dumped and the car launches forward in first gear. The transbrake does nothing in any other forward gear.

Many transbrake transmissions won't work in reverse unless the transbrake button is pushed. When the shifter is put into reverse or neutral and the button is pushed, the car will then back up. This means when you're backing up, you need to be holding the transbrake button. If mounted on the steering wheel, it's hard to turn while backing and holding the button. I have mine wired through the reverse switch in the shifter since I have no reverse lights. When I put the shifter into reverse, it automatically activates the transbrake so I can back up without pushing the button.

Since the transbrake locks the transmission, the engine rpm can come right up to the true stall speed of the converter. You can launch at that speed or any lower rpm by using a 2-step. My converter stalls around 6000 rpm but I only launch around 4500 rpm.

 

Here's the instructions to install a TCI TH400 transbrake. Other brands are just about the same.

http://static.summitracing.com/globa...tci-221500.pdf