Interesting Article regarding shift times

[AZ94Q]

Thanks to q45tech, great link.. found this interesting as well

http://planetsoarer.com/shiftkit/shiftkit.htm

The Soarer auto transmission is a typical Lexus luxury item - very smooth. The ECU retards the engine timing during a shift so that there is less torque going through the trans as is glides between shifts - you can hardly feel them.

The disadvantage for performance driving is that the change is quite slow - especially the 1st to 2nd change when under full power. The trans slurs from gear to gear. For a hotted up twin turbo the engine can pop while waiting for the trans to change as the engine winds back the timing during the change. No problems in the V8 like this but the change is still slow and time is lost during the change.

Not so with a shift kit.

A shift kit is a modified valve body that lives inside the transmission. It is an hydraulic item that makes the transmission shift much quicker and as a result the engine timing is not retarded nearly as long. Rather than slurring through gears smoothly, the shift kit changes hard and fast. Even on my V8 the change is now hard enough to chirp the wheels or send the back of the car sideways momentarily during a change. Now during a change the car leaps forward, not sagging back.

Now that all sounds very aggressive, but for normal driving the trans is still acceptably smooth - the harshness of the shifts can be tuned somewhat by changing the line pressure - a simple cable adjustment.

If you have never thought your transmission changed too slow then don't sweat a shift kit. If you want a sportier change, a more dynamic driving experience then perhaps a shift kit is for you.

The Shift KitI got mine from MV Automatics (only $385 fitted! - available as complete valve body change over with DIY instructions too) also got myself a trans cooler - no more slurring between gear changes - trans changes very quick. If you want to fit it yourself and keep your old valve body then that is also available.