Quest for good shift points

[tmac1337]

I do not know about the rest of you, but my car seems to have a mind of its own when shifting. When I stomp on the accellerator, the transmission cannot make up it's mind what gear it should be in. If it's in a higher gear it shifts down then quickly up again before utilizing the power of that lower band. If it's in a lower gear it seems to upshift before maximizing the power before the transition.

When I stomp on the gas from a starting position I would like the car to not upshift until it has utilized all the power from that band before proceeding to the next. I have one of the first programs on a Diablo chip. I know that there must be more current and better up to date programs out there utilizing the shift points and even adjusting the TQ converter lockup. I was going to get a custom tune done, but then I instead ordered the SCT flash tuner from Dennis with download cable so I can keep playing with the program until I get what I like. Better to modifiy proven programs than to trust my car with a guy who has not layed hands on a MM before (I do not have anyone confirmed knowledgeable in the immediate vicinity).

If anyone else out there is running a program that solves my shifting problem I would like to know what it is and who you got it from? At what RPM's does your shifting occur? Is your TQ lockup disabled, and if so until what speed has been reached? Have you adjusted any part of your program that has enhanced the performance of your car safely?

The SCT tuner has yet to arrive so in the meantime I would appreciate all feedback in my quest for the perfect MM program. My car is not a daily driver and I am seeking a program that enhances performance instead of trying to conserve gas.

[Panther II]

I would refer you to the many programmers on this site for a custom chip. The best possible thing to do is a dynotune which when handed over to a person that knows what they are doing will do a damn good job. If you just ordered the basic SCT tuner from Dennis then all your playing with is line pressure but if Dennis actually has a pre-programmed setting on it then that is another possiablity. Best thing to do is goto Modular Depot and pick up the SCT pro-racer tuner which will let you set shift control, firmness, and shift points. Hope thats helps some.

[Panther II]

http://www.modulardepot.com/product_info.php?products_id=8 8

[tmac1337]

Thanks Panther for the info. The pro racer set up is nice but I do not know if I have the expertise to do the adjustments. I would rather confer with someone like Dennis who can then adjust the program and email me an updated one until I am happy with the result.

[Panther II]

The first thing when I got my 97 was reset the PCM and then beat the crap out of it. The PCM does adjust to driver habits to a certain extent. If you even know where and when you want your shifts to occur in the RPM range and have the ability to learn the pro-racer package isnt that bad. It is a great package especially if you have more mods planned so you dont need to get a chip or download constantly and at the track you can tune it for just the 1/4. It all is in your prefernce though as the Dennis SCT package might just be what you want.

[studio460]

. . . I am seeking a program that enhances performance instead of trying to conserve gas.
After talking with SCT about this, I've learned that I have to graph the trans pressure tables to get a handle on what values to manipulate. I'll probably take the table values from my Jerry dynotune .zcf file and input them into an Excel speadsheet so that I can produce a graphical display of the pressure values. The one thing you have to make sure of is that you do not have any value ranges "crossing" otherwise, the trans will oscillate its shifts while it tries to accomodate the "out-of-range" or "intersecting" table values. As soon as I make the spreadsheet file, I'll still have quite a bit of testing to do to get a feeling of how the shift points correspond to the numerical values entered into the trans pressure tables. Although Jerry and Chris have already modified my shift schedules, I would still like to adjust them to my SPECIFIC preferences. Once I get the Excel table finished (to make the graphical representations), and the intitial flash 'n' test drive experimenting done, I'll be happy to post my own personal table values.

[studio460]

The pro racer set up is nice but I do not know if I have the expertise to do the adjustments. I would rather confer with someone like Dennis who can then adjust the program and email me an updated one until I am happy with the result.
tmac1337:

In that case, that may be the more appropriate route for your needs then, tmac--I find the SCT software fairly cryptic. Sometimes I stare at the tables and their eight-digit values, and say to myself, "huh?" But I am willing to invest the time and e-mails to SCT to hopefully master at least some of the software's programming power.

[SergntMac]

Sit tight, Tim. What you describe is "normal" OEM tranny behavior. I'm surprised it acts this way if you have a chip in place. Nonetheless, if you have a tuner on the way from Dennis, your fix should be in that kit. The Pro Racer stuff is way overkill for your needs.

[Dennis Reinhart]

With the new revised files and the extensive dyno and street testing I feell we have the best files out there, so again Dyno tuning is for performance not dialing in shift points, that is done on the street and at the track, we constantly are updating our files,

[merc]

I am very interested in how the portable tuner fixes your tranny problem. I have some similar issues with my transmission and Dennis feels certain that purchasing the tuner could resolve my problem. I hope it could be repaired with software only. :pimp:

[BillyGman]

I have similar issues w/my transmission, and have had for awhile now. it fist downshifts to one gear, and then to another a second after instead of just going directly to that gear it needs to be in. And I've had chips from two different vendors in my car and it was the same w/both. I'm starting to draw the conclusion that it's just how these transmissions are unfortunately.

[TAF]

I have similar issues w/my transmission, and have had for awhile now. it fist downshifts to one gear, and then to another a second after instead of just going directly to that gear it needs to be in. And I've had chips from two different vendors in my car and it was the same w/both. I'm starting to draw the conclusion that it's just how these transmissions are unfortunately.
Actually no Billy. Now that I've had mine tuned by the boys at Team Ford using the Superchips Tuning Software...(NOT the hand-held...but the complete software package sold to dealers) all that stuff ^^^ is gone. It just takes somebody to do (what I consider) a REAL Dyno-tune...6-8 pulls...looking at all aspects of the driveability of the car...take it off the Dyno...around the block...back on...more tuning...etc. etc. Having this done on mine has made the BIGGEST difference in the "manners" of the car.

[Dennis Reinhart]

I have similar issues w/my transmission, and have had for awhile now. it fist downshifts to one gear, and then to another a second after instead of just going directly to that gear it needs to be in. And I've had chips from two different vendors in my car and it was the same w/both. I'm starting to draw the conclusion that it's just how these transmissions are unfortunately.


Billy give me a call I will buy dinner if I cannot fix this :beer:

[merc]

I know I am a pay period from buying your tuner, but I sure would like a dinner invite with Billy also and could you inclulde the airline tickets for a bonus. :bows:

[BillyGman]

AAAAAHHHHHH, I think merc has read my mind. The problem here is that if those of use who don't live in the same homestate as a vendor is in who MIGHT be able to fix this problem, then we're faced w/having to take some vacation time off from work, just to go to that state where the vendor in question is, and then only hope that they can iron it out.

Dennis, I had your chip in my car before, and it didn't correct that problem. I think your chip was great overall, and I've never said anything bad about it. The fact is that your chip certainly didn't create the shifting idiosincrecies of the transmission in my car, since it always did this to my knowledge, but your chip didn't solve them either.

And since you and some others work w/Marauders so much, I'd think that if you were able to fix this, then the "fix" would've been integrated in your chip to begin with w/out somebody like myself having to drive 20 hours to have my car up on the dyno for a few hours like Todd has implied. Maybe there's something I'm missing here. But if so, nobody has been able to explain it to me yet. So that's the reason why I'm drawing these conclusions. Vendors aren't superman, and I simply accept that there's some things they just can't do.

I don't blame you for this shifting scenario Dennis. I'm just not willing to spend all that time and money to remedy this right now since it's bearable. If I had someone within an hour or two of me like Todd does, then I'd be willing to seek them out to fix this. But I know of nobody in my homestate that I can really trust w/my car. I can go somewhere, and have my car on the Dyno half the day, and walk out of there $300-$500 poorer w/nothing to show for it other than a Marauder that still shifts the exact same way or worse than it did when I brought it in.

These places charge for their time, and they make no garantees. In my eyes, it's the same as the issue w/my car's engine bouncing off the rev limiter in first gear while I do a burnout. It only happens during a burnout, and it doesn't harm anything, but it makes the engine sound lousy, and it shouldn't happen. But I know that other Marauders that are S/ced do that in first gear during the burnout, and the cars I'm talking about have a different S/Cer in them than mine does(they have the centrifugal S/cers in them) so it has nothing to do w/the Trilogy kit at all. and my car did that as soon as I put the 4.56's in the rear, and that was even BEFORE I S/Ced it. I would think that someone can burn a chip that would prevent that, but again, I don't think so w/these cars. it's just the way they are. I've had chips from two vendors set at two different redlines, that both allowed the engine to bounce off the rev limiter during a burnout, so I'm convinced that I'll just have to live w/it. I don't like it, but that's reality. So I have to live w/it.

[merc]

Billy, the first time I developed a transmission problem is when I installed the Stallion torque converter. The car shifts fine during normally driving, but at WOT the tranny hits the rev limiter in first gear. It’s not a major problem, but a pain in the butt at the track or street racing. I would like to give Dennis’s suggestion a try, but the down side is, if it doesn’t work I am out of cash and still searching for answers. If I find the answer to our problem then you will be the first one to know :cool:

[tmac1337]

Guys, Dennis is sending me a Flash Tuner, I should have it any day now. I last spoke with him on the phone last Friday and asked him to massage the shifts points a little more. I have the same shifting problem you guys have. As soon as I load up a new program I'll let you know if the problem is fixed or I'll recontact Dennis and work on it, that's what good about the tuner, he can email me a massaged program.

Billy, I also do not have someone who can tune my car locally. Superchips is headquartered out of Orlando but they will not do custom tunes there when I called them. You get referred to their local dealers. I called all their local dealers with SCT programming and guess what - NO EXPERIENCE ON A MM! So what good does a local dealer (shops with a dyno) with the SCT software do me if they have no experience like some of this sites vendors on a MM? I chose not to take the chance. I'm in the same boat as you...looking for a good program.

[BillyGman]

Okay then, send me a PM when you get to use that tuner.

[BillyGman]

. If I find the answer to our problem then you will be the first one to know :cool:
okay, thanks.

[tmac1337]

Dennis has been delayed a little, should be trying a new program early next week.