AW4 rebuild/upgrade build thread

VB is sitting on one of my shelves demanding installation and testing. Work has been focused on the gen II version of the GTR tips and getting various models of the motorcycle exhausts out now.

I am planning on getting the valve body to anyone who wants one over the summer, as well as completing the Jeepra's first phase.
 
I just built a 4.9l stroker making 300-350 hp and 320-370 ftlb of torque i havent dynoed cause my trans has 234k on it but i have run it at the track 9.85 @ 68mph on the 1/8 6 inches of lift 33s and a 410 gear so its making power. I wanna rebuild a spare tranny will the parts you listed hold to my power requirements and does your valve body truly increase line pressure? id like to launch at 2000rpms i feel it slippin when i get up there holdin the brake and im really focused on the tight consistant shifts cause i bracket race. i was looking at the IPT valve body cant shed 600 to get my body redone thats rediculous when i can swap my turbo400 in for 500 bucks

point is are you doing the vb work yet? will it suit my needs? and will the rebuil parts you used be ok up 400lbs of tourqe
 
Hey, my XJ is hopefully going under the knife next month (at earliest, fingers crossed) axle swaps, cooling overhaul, and hopefully some tranny work. I would really like to incorporate your VB in this work list.

So whats the current status on getting a hand on one of these bad boys?
 
I am expecting to have a detailed post by Sunday night. I then have to get vendor status and I will make an announcement on the forum officially releasing the valve body.

At least I think that's how it works.
 
So the first VB is done and sent back to test vehicle number one. There will be three. I'm getting feedback and testing various VB configurations in 3 situations...a stroker 4.0 with other mods (daily driven), a stock engine (also daily driven), and a pure track/race vehicle. This is just to start. I'm going to offer two variations, each totally customizable to the users application. I'm about to go blue, and new posts with users perceptions will be forthcoming. I will be recording data and giving actual dyno/mathematic/graph results soon to add to the users experience. I am not Bose. While the users end result is paramount, the numbers and math should all coalesce and jive...know what I mean? :)

While the upgraded VB is ready for sale and you have options based on your concerns, I ask anyone interested to wait until I quantify the results from the 3 test vehicles so I can make the best judgement calls possible when answering your questions. Some of you will need higher line pressures, some will not. Some of you want to lock in 1st gear in the 1-2 shifter position, some do not care. The VB will be tailored to each individual, though for the most part one of two configurations will suit your purpose. I am comfortable stating this much: If you desire 1st gear lock-out, it will require purchasing the Transgo Kit. I'm not spinning anything up on a lathe that Transgo already makes.
On a separate note, this is where I am on the main line pressure issue: I want a formula. My goal is to be able to plug in the estimated crank HP of an engine and based on the output of the function, determine the appropriate K-factor spring to install in the pressure regulating valve assembly. Why? Simple. Higher line pressures will allow for increased torque capacity of the trans. There is a drawback, however. Increased line pressures may require more crank HP to produce, and this will also increase transmission fluid temps. I want to give you the perfect balance for your application, and MATH allows me to do that. :) Obviously, if you have 600 crank HP and the clutches slip at 400, it is worth 10 crank HP to increase line pressure and transmit 530 WHP to the wheels, right? 600 -10 = 590, and 590 thru the drivetrain might come out to 470-530 RWHP. Simple arithmetic. We aren't even into the math yet. Also, please realize that I am making numbers up in that example, so please don't get weird on me. Point is, if you don't need to increase line pressure, then DON'T. If you want crisper shifts and crisper TC lock-up, then you don't need the Transgo kit (once I have my formula then I won't need the Transgo Kit to increase line pressure the way I want to). If you want 1st gear lock-out and higher line pressures (or ANY track/crawling/off-road perfomance application) then you want to add the Transgo Kit to the cost and the mods.

Pricing is in the works. Ballpark $175 plus shipping here for stage 1, and approx $300 plus shipping for stage 2. If you provide the Transgo kit yourself, then you can get a stage 2 upgrade for the stage 1 price (WHEN FINALIZED). Initial purchase of either stage will include me making adjustments to the shifts ONE TIME...as long as you are willing to pay for shipping to me and back to you.

Any VB I do can and will be custom tailored to each customers specific application.

Here we go.
 
Ohhh baby...!! :clap::clap::clap: Happy, happy.. joy, joy.. Cant wait!

Anways, to make this post non pointless... So its my understandings, DD/dual purpose vehicles, in example: 4.0 displacement, simple bolt-ons, tuned, medium tires ~35, appropriate gearing, etc. go stage 1 route and then purpose built rigs/strokers go stage 2 route?

^probably just restated what you had wrote but my given example would be the description of my personal vehicle in which I would install this upgraded VB.
 
Funny, I made an "It's Log!" reference to a friend just yesterday. Ahhh, Ren and Stimpy. ANYway...

Stage 1 and 2 valve body operations will give you quicker and firmer shifts (including lock-up), increased clutch life, 1st gear lock-in, and increased torque capacity.

Stage 1 = crisper shifts, crisper TC lock-up, and soon to include higher line pressure options.

Stage 2 = Stage 1 + Strengthened accumulator springs for softening harder shifts, higher line pressure, and optional 1st gear lock-in.

Things to note: At this point I do not recommend increasing line pressure unless you are getting a slipping condition. Higher line pressures require more power and generate more heat. If you need higher pressure, it is also highly recommended that you run an additional transmission oil cooler on your rig. Transmission heat management is CRITICAL to the life of the transmission.
 
Things to note: At this point I do not recommend increasing line pressure unless you are getting a slipping condition. Higher line pressures require more power and generate more heat. If you need higher pressure, it is also highly recommended that you run an additional transmission oil cooler on your rig. Transmission heat management is CRITICAL to the life of the transmission.

AMEN. Number 1 killer of Automatics is heat.
 
Three things I can clear up real quick:

1. The VB mods are mechanical in nature. This will not affect when or why the transmission does something, only how fast and how firmly it does something.

2. This VB upgrade is a chance for you to "tune" your drivetrain to your specific application. Anyone getting a VB done should have thought long and hard about exactly what they want adjusted.

3. The point behind the math is to allow me to increase the line pressure just enough to transmit the required torque to the transfer case. This "fine tuning" will allow me to use only as much additional HP as is required to hold the torque while minimizing the amount of additional heat generated.

Question: I still have yet to see at what point the transmission slips. Anyone have experience with this? I have a built transmission sitting here I think I'm gonna blow up in the name of science. Of course I'll need high powered help from someone. :)
 
No "gains" exactly, other than saving money by not buying options you don't need. The benefit to a stage 1 is the cost-efectiveness. Many people do not require everything that the Trango kit covers, so why pay the extra money?
 
As far as your test dummy goes, I have unaltered and semi low mile(54,378 to be exact) AW4/4.0 drivetrain. With 4.5", 33s, and stock 3.55 gearing, I notice on long trips, in example my 120 mi trek to the mountains in the winter to go snowboarding, if I drive on the HWY in overdrive eventually she starts slipping on hills, I think? :dunno: When I start to go up hills it will bog down, then eventually make a sluggish attempt at downshifting into 3rd and then once I level out she doesnt want to go back into OD or I have to manually downshift and the upshift or on its own accord it performs a 3.5second upshift back into OD...

If any of that made sense, would it help? Im recalling purely on ~8 month old memory of the issue. Obvious said issues are due to over strain(improperly geared) and heat, correct?
 
I mean thats the obvious thing, thats why theres a fully built 8.8 with 4.30s ready to go in the ass end. Fortunately, my XJ is a driveway princess along with my BMW. Ive got an $800 2wd Comanche 2.5I thats the DD. I want to build the XJ as a beast high adventure/offroad capable bad boy.
 
+1. I doubt it is slipping unless internal frictions are heavily worn, and upgrading the VB is not going to affect the conditions you described. Remember, the mods don't change when or why...only how. Now if you want to put in a new VB along with your rear end, that will be awesome. :)
 
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