wow! the 1st gen q45 has some insane power

[longrunQ]

ususally it launches on two(in D), and its pretty impressive after the momentary lag if you floor it,

but I launched it on 1 the other day, and that bad boy jumped to attention like a beast.It felt way more powerful than my old turbo ford probe(even when I had removed the solenoid to increase boost from factory 6lbs to 12 lbs) The look on faces was one of amazement.

Is it dangerous to the transmission or engine if I launch on one before putting it in D? I know that one should not go over 30 mph in one, but I wonder if it will actually reduce the lifespan of my car.

[1qckser]

Starting the Q off in 1st gearactually extends the life of the transmission to a certain degree, it keeps the transmission fluid temps down due to less slippage when it starts off in 2nd gear, less slippage equals less heat build wich extends fluid life, due a search in the archives this subject has been touched on by some of the best guys on this site

[PalmerWMD]

There is a aftermarket transmission control unit (TCU) available from Jiw Wolfe , this after market TCU will make the car start in 1st vs 2nd all the time.

You can also start in 1st with your factory set-up by simply flooring it all the way to the kick down button under your pedal (only practical in a staright line....)

Some members have had success in installing a TCU out of a 93, in that model year the car will start out in 1st gear w/o having to manually force it into first.

Fred...

[PalmerWMD]

Also if your car hasn't had a good thourough throttle body cleaning lately, chances are you are down 10 to 20hp.So you can even get a bit more power, for just a simple act of maintenance.

Pretty cool, huh?

Fred...

[longrunQ]

you just did not tell me that starting the car in first would increase lifespan. You just caused some trouble down here buddy. Its like giving a child a new toy.

I have heard about the TCu, but I also heard its $500. I dont want it that bad.

Palmerwnd, how does one clean a throttle body? I have the service manual, but its more cryptic than calculus.

Thanks guys.

[PalmerWMD]

you just did not tell me that starting the car in first would increase lifespan. You just caused some trouble down here buddy. Its like giving a child a new toy.

Thanks guys.

I would say it increases lifespan if the TCU starts it in first, for the exact reasons 1quickSEr mentioned.

But when manually putting it in first, you are likely to have some rougher shifting at higher revs than the TCU would.Also shift are more aprupt when shifting manually at hi revs.

Hence its difficult to predict if you would actually see an improvement in longevity when doing it manually.

Fred...

[PalmerWMD]

I have heard about the TCu, but I also heard its $500. I dont want it that bad.

Palmerwnd, how does one clean a throttle body? I have the service manual, but its more cryptic than calculus.

Thanks guys.

You may be able to pick up a TCU out of a 93 Q for a fraction of the cost.You would have to scoure the yards pretty well as the 93 model year was a short one for the Q (94's came early).

There are differnt ways and degrees of thoroughness in cleaning a TB.

I will leave a detailed description to those that are better at it than I am.But it involves opening up the intake to gain accces to the TB, spraying it with a cleaner such as the excellent BG44k and handbrushing the TB as well

Fred...

[911/Q45]

You can clean it on the car by removing the big intake hose then propping open the throttle butterfly. Spray it with carb cleaner then scrub with a rough cloth. Do the edges of the butterfly and the walls of the throttle body. Or you can do a more thorough cleaning by removing the throttle body itself and cleaning it on the bench. You'll need the throttle body paper gasket and will need to disconnect a couple vacuum and water hoses. This will also give you access to the plenum area where the EGR enters, usually a pretty dirty spot. Not rocket science, would be a shame to pay to have this done.

[DougQ45]

I picked up a 93 TCU first gear start for my 90Q for $150 at a wrecking yard. The install was about 10 minutes. Will never go back!!!!

[jefftrexler]

Heh...you'll never go back? Let us know what happens when it rains.

[PalmerWMD]

Heh...you'll never go back? Let us know what happens when it rains.

that's what the LSD is for...Some of us even have TCS in addition to LSD (I dont)

Fred...

[AZhitman]

You can clean it on the car by removing the big intake hose then propping open the throttle butterfly. Spray it with carb cleaner then scrub with a rough cloth. Do the edges of the butterfly and the walls of the throttle body. Or you can do a more thorough cleaning by removing the throttle body itself and cleaning it on the bench. You'll need the throttle body paper gasket and will need to disconnect a couple vacuum and water hoses. This will also give you access to the plenum area where the EGR enters, usually a pretty dirty spot. Not rocket science, would be a shame to pay to have this done.

If you know a mech who can get you the canned aerosol intake cleaner, you can disconnect the fuel source line, pull fuel pump fuse, clamp off fuel return, connect the aerosol cleaner can to a vacuum source, set regulator at 35psi, and run the engine til it dies.

Just did mine (along with the de-carb). Pretty cool process , and much improved throttle response.

[Chally]

Use a Toothbrush to clean the Throttle Body.The TEK ones are the best as they don't dissolve in the carby clean.

[PalmerWMD]

When I had a Q, I ofetn launched it in "1" then went to "2" and "3" as needed to stay in the powerbad for sporty int own driving.Where I didn't want to kick down all the way due to plenty curves.

Fred...