Shift kits are designed to improve your vehicle's acceleration and performance without having to modify your engine or axle ratios. The shift kit gives your vehicle a greater, more precise shifting response. A shorter first gear to second gear shift lets you launch with no soft or late shifts and can also correct early shifts. Shift kits are an excellent upgrade to any stock transmission; they give you performance that you can feel. The shift kit can be installed without removing the transmission of the vehicle.
Raise and support the vehicle with a floor jack and jack stands. Put jack stands under the axles in the rear and under the control arms or axle in the front. Jack stands should be placed securely under the vehicle to avoid injury and to keep the vehicle from falling.
Remove the transmission pan drain plug and drain old transmission fluid. Once you have drained the transmission, replace the plug to avoid misplacement. Remove the drain pan from under the vehicle. Some model transmissions will not have a drain plug, in which case you will need to unbolt the drain pan to drain the transmission fluid.
Remove the 17 bolts that hold the pan to the transmission. Lay the bolts aside for later inspection and cleaning. Be sure to note where the gearshift and kick-down levers are positioned in proximity to the valve body. Once the valve body is reinstalled, the shift lever must fit back into the slot for the transmission to operate properly.
Remove the six bolts that hold the valve body to the transmission. Lay the bolts aside for cleaning and inspection. Lower the valve body and valve body screen as one unit. Remove the 11 bolts that hold the screen to the valve body and inspect the screen and the bottom of the pan for any metal particles or filings, which will need to be removed.
Spray brake parts cleaner on a shop rag and wipe down all of the gasket mating surfaces to ensure proper sealing of the new gaskets. Spray carefully around the pan-to-transmission mating surfaces. DO NOT spray brake parts cleaner directly into the transmission because this could result in transmission damage.
Lay the valve body out on a clean and well-lit workspace or table; lay out all of the bags of new parts from the shift kit. Read the enclosed instructions carefully several times to familiarize yourself with the color-coded springs and pointed check valve.
Remove the end plate at the small end of the valve body carefully to reveal the spring for the low scheduling valve and the throttle boost valve. Replace the stock scheduling valve spring with the correct spring provided in the kit. Carefully replace the end cover and hand tighten the 2 bolts. Do not fully tighten the bolts until the two halves of the main valve body are reassembled.
Remove the eight bolts that hold the cover at the longer end of the valve body.
Measure the center valve with the caliper or use the guide included with the shift kit instructions: the center valve comes in three sizes. Replace the stock spring with the correct color-coded spring provided in the shift kit guide. Reinstall the cover and hand-tighten the bolts. Do not fully tighten the end cover bolts until both halves of the valve body are reassembled.
Remove the boost valve cover on the side of the valve body, replacing the old springs with the new inner and outer springs provided with the shift kit. Reinstall the boost valve cover plate and don't fully tighten the bolts until both halves of the valve body are reassembled.
Unbolt and separate the two halves of the valve body assembly. Refer to the provided shift kit guide and locate the throttle pressure relief spring, the converter relief spring and ball. Note their locations relative to the valve body. Remove the metal separator plate and gasket, clean and set aside.
Replace the throttle pressure relief spring and check ball with the new throttle pressure relief spring and check valve. Replace the converter relief spring with the new spring and place the check ball back on top of the new spring. Refer to the guide provided with the shift kit you are using for details specific to your kit.
Drill a .76-inch hole from left to right in the metal partition as outlined in the shift kit manual. Before drilling the hole, carefully place a paper napkin down in the indentations to make it easier to remove the filings from the drill.
Place the new gasket on the metal separator plate. The gasket must not cover any of the holes on the separator plate as described in the guide. The hole must be drilled out to .89 inch. After drilling and removing any filings left by the drill, you are ready to reassemble the valve body.
Bolt the two halves of the valve body together: don't forget the separator plate and gasket. Tighten all of the end cover bolts as well as the boost valve cover bolts. Bolt the screen back onto the valve body. Bolt the valve body and the screen as one unit back onto the transmission.
Put a dab of RTV silicone sealant on each corner of the transmission pan and let it dry to a tacky stage. This will help hold the transmission gasket in place when you replace the pan bolts.
Lift the pan up against the transmission and replace the transmission pan bolts, taking care not to over-torque the bolts. Refer to your vehicle's service manual for torque specifications.
Refill the transmission with transmission fluid specified in your vehicle operator's manual. Check the transmission fluid against the vehicle operator's manual to ensure proper operating level before driving.
