transmission modifications

8/13/2019 Transmission Modifications

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www.gadgetonline.com/Transmission.htm#Torque%20Converter: 2/8

to Pat the owner.

After telling Pat what modifications I had made to my 4Runner, he toldme I had better get the valve body modification done ASAP. I made anappointment for a couple of weeks later. He also talked me into a torqueconverter upgrade.

Between the time I made the appointment and went to Level 10is when

my transmission slipped. I parked it until it was time for the road trip toLevel 10.

The problem is that the transmission is set up to provide a slow, soft"luxury" shift. Well that may be nice on the stock engine, but when youcrank up the power the luxury shift is bad. The stock unit is set up toslowly engage the clutch packs to give that soft shift. The longer it takesthe clutches to engage to more they wear and the more heat isgenerated. With more power you just add to the heat and wear.

Level 10reworks the valve body so that the clutch packs engage muchfaster. This reduces wear and heat generated. Because it also appliesmore clamping pressure, the clutch packs can hold more power.

Pat told me that the better after market supercharger kit makersrecommend this upgrade to prevent damage to the transmission. Hesaid that Stillen makes a kit for the Maxima and they flat out tell peoplenot to install the belt on the supercharger until Level 10reworks the valvebody in the transmission. Pat says that if the upgrade is not done on theMaximas transmission it will be ruined with just one full throttle

application with the supercharger.

I arrived at Level 10at 0700 hours and Pat jumped in for a test drive. Hemashed on it from a standing stop. "Wow, it is real torquey!" Then itstarted to shift into second. "One thousand one, one thousand two, thatsnot good. We are going to have to open it up." Remember it onlyslipped one time before without any warning.
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My 4Runner was pulled into one of the bays and within a couple of hoursmy transmission was torn down and I was handed a stack of secondgear clutch and reaction plates and told "you blew through second."

I could clearly see where the fiction material was worn through on theclutch plates and the heat damage on the reaction plates. The metal on

the surface of the reaction plates was blue and galled.

Pat made it very clear that if I had had my valve body upgraded it wouldhave prevented the damage to the clutch pack and eliminated the needfor the expensive overhaul.

The upgrade is more involved then installing a "shift kit" in a domestictransmission. On the domestics you just change the separation plateand install new springs in the valves and you are done. The transmissionused in the 4Runner (not made by Toyota by the way) has a much more

complex valve body. It requires in shop modification by Level 10. I waslucky, I only live five hours from them so it was easier just to drive there.

For those of you that live some distance away you can remove the valvebody yourself and ship it to them. They will modify it the day they get itand FedEx it back to you.

It is real easy to remove from the vehicle. Remove the pan and filter. Pullout a small metal pipe that is pressed in the valve body and the case.Remove 12 10 mm bolts and let it drop down a bit. Unhook the kick

down cable from the pressure valve. Wrap it up in plastic and ship it off.You will also get three new valve springs to install with it when you get itback.

I wish I knew about this BEFOREI smoked my second gear clutch pack.A $600 valve body upgrade could have saved me a few thousand $ itcost me for the overhaul.

Do yourself a favor and get this done if you have a supercharger or do alot of towing.

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Overhaul:
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With the second gear clutch pack "blown through" there was no questionthat I needed the transmission overhauled. Pat sat me down and wentover my options. I ended up going to most expensive route becausealthough Pat and his guys are great to hang out with, I really did not wantto have to visit with them again.

I chose to have the best clutch plates available installed. They are madeby Raybestosand are only available through Level 10for thistransmission. Pat calls them the "Blue Plate Specials." The specialfiction material is bonded to the plate with a resin that gives them a bluecolor and that is where the name comes from.

These plates also require special reaction plates called Kolene steels.The Kolenereaction plates are much thicker then the stock plate toabsorb more heat and the surface is specially treated.

The Blue Plate Specials are available in an overhaul kit that Level 10sells so you can have it done by your local shop if you want.

Pat allowed me to watch the entire process and I learned a lot from theexperience. His guys are great.

The transmission used by Toyota is a very complex unit and I wasimpressed on how meticulous the Joe atLevel 10was that worked onmy transmission.

Although Level 10has lots of bays, most of their work is shipped to themfrom all over the world. Transmissions arrive by truck on pallets and theydo their thing and ship them back out. Pat say that about 70% of theirbusiness comes from the middle east so their work has to be done rightthe first time every time, it is not like the customer can just bring it back.

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Conv erter Flash Full Brake Stall

Stock 2200 RPM 2500 RPM

First performance

converter

3500 RPM 3700 RPM

Current converter 3000 RPM 3500 RPM

For those of you that want to get this Torque Converter it is availablethrough Level 10. Just tell Pat you want the "Gadget model" (PTC T040-20RS).

Pat and Joe, I just want you to know you have done a great job gettingmy converter "just right" for me. I also want to thank you for the personalattention you gave me on my visit to your shops. Your customer serviceis second to none, thank you very much!

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Transmission Cooler:

Have you ever wondered whether you need to add an auxiliarytransmission cooler? It looks like you do. A while ago I installed atransmission temperature gauge. What I learned from this is that thetemperature in the transmission varies quite a bit. When I am

accelerating from a standing start I can see the temperature gaugeclimb almost as fast as the speedometer. Once I reach highway speedand the clutch in the torque converter engages the temperature will dropright off quickly. Aggressive stop and go driving will cause thetemperature to climb very high. I have had it as high as 300 degrees. Itis clear that when the torque converter is active it does generate a lot ofheat.

I asked Pat of Level 10if I should install an auxiliary transmission cooler.He suggested I install the largest transmission cooler that will fit behindmy grill. He also said that it should be a stacked plate type and to stayaway from the tube and fin type. He then handed me an 11x17 inch
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stacked plate cooler rated at 30,000 pounds made by Hayden to takehome with me. Pat says that 9 out of 10 transmission failures are due toexcessive heat.

There is two lines of thinking on how the cooler should be installed. Oneis so the fluid goes from the transmission to the auxiliary cooler, then

through the stock cooler built into the radiator and then back to thetransmission. The second method is to have it flow through the stockcooler, then the aux cooler and back. That is the way mine is currentlyinstalled at the suggestion of the pros at Level 10.

Level 10is in a mountain area in NJ and on my way home drivingthrough the mountains I just could not believe how hot may transmissiongot. I think this was mostly due to the high stall of the new converter. Ithink that it should be a close approximation of what it must be like totow something. It gets very hot.

I installed the cooler the morning after I got home. It does a great job ofkeeping the temperature where is used to be with the stock torqueconverter. I expect that when I install the converter with the lowered stall Iwill change the routing of the aux cooler so that the fluid will go to the auxcooler first then the stock cooler. This way it wont over cool in the winter.

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The Result:

The shifts are instant and very crisp and feel rock solid. I no longer worryabout the transmission being the weak link.

I have been told that with my transmission shifting faster and puttingmore power to the wheels quicker, I have cut my miles times by atleast a full second. I guess that would be important if I was a drag racer, Iam not. I do love the way it feels when I drive it. The occasional tirechirps during shifts are a real kick in the pants. It also turns the heads of

many of the traditional hot-rodders.

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