Shift Kits

[SVT8]

Many of my mates have argued that installing a shift kit in an auto is faster than a manual??. I have heard that on a quarter mile automatic cars with shift kits are faster than manual but on an actual race course manual is much better. honestly i dont think this is true but can anybody confirm this?

Also what type of shift kits are considered good for automatics?

regards

[JUZXR8]

a mechanical shift kit cant be put in by our local transmission place from $100-200, they are good cos they hold gears for longer....but i doubt it would be better thana manual....not by a long shot

[SVT8]

yeh thought a manual would be better. If i were to install a shift kit what improvements would be made on a quarter mile time? would it be worth getting?

Also would a manual conversion be more ideal?if so how much will that set me back?

[mcflux]

For stock/mild E-series auto vs stock/mild E-series manual, the manual will out-gun the auto just about every time.

Unless you factor in a stally and short diff gears, which would tip the balance (in more powerful E-series vehicles)

[Joes_meat]

Drag car gearboxes are not just shifkitted.

At the least they have expensive and un-streetable stall converters.

They're usually rebuilt with stronger internals and more bands.


A shift-kit on a standard transmission will only improve shift speed.
Probably won't decrease 0-100 times but would increase the feel of transmisson. I've heard of people chirping gears with shift kits installed.

[Sorted]

Well for race track just take a look at all the V8 Supercars, they are all manual

Drag Cars use Auto's together with a High Stall Convertor as it gives maximum torque rpm to take off with.

So Race Track Manual would be faster and Straight Line Drag an Auto would be quicker - we are talking a race prepped Auto here - not some lagging Ford 4 speed Auto

Put a good shift Kit and high stall convertor in the Auto and a manual would not be faster in a straight line

PS I have "chirped" into 2nd in my std Fairmont 6cyl with std Ford 4 Speed Auto with suffed soleniod so a shift kit will make it "chirp"

[Polyal]

yeah the old BTR's have enough issues without adding more stress

[banarcus]

I put a shift kit in my V8 when it was an auto but it still has that 2nd gear that seems to go on for ever. Since putting in a manual, well, there is no substitute really.

[micksta]

can you buy shift kits from transmission places ?

[mcflux]

Originally Posted by micksta

can you buy shift kits from transmission places ?

Mechanical ones: yes, I suppose so. Ask around at your local specialists.

Electronic ones: ebay or www.mechanicalforums.com

[EB Pete]

depends what you rather really. i always liked the saying 'Autos are for people who can't power shift'. mechanical shift kits won't work in the btr i think?

manual cars have the advantage of taking off at the best rpm and being able to shift at the best rpm. yet a have a modified btr so yeah.


pete j

[mcflux]

Originally Posted by EB Pete

depends what you rather really. i always liked the saying 'Autos are for people who can't power shift'. mechanical shift kits won't work in the btr i think?

manual cars have the advantage of taking off at the best rpm and being able to shift at the best rpm. yet a have a modified btr so yeah.


pete j

MADNC_8 has a mechanical shift kit for his BTR, as do many others.

Auto + stall = best take off, regarding finding the optimum launch time. But I won't go into splitting hairs with regard to say a 3.08 + auto combo vs say a 4.11 + manual combo (of course the manual in this case would launch quicker, assuming both motors are stock I6s)

[Dezza]

Originally Posted by DRHEMI

PS I have "chirped" into 2nd in my std Fairmont 6cyl with std Ford 4 Speed Auto with suffed soleniod so a shift kit will make it "chirp"

LOL. Mine's like that too. I chirp my 1st to 2nd shift all the time, because of my dodgy solenoid!